The application is in!

Training is next

Justin posting here for the first time! Monday was our first major step in the adoption process. We sent in our application and application fee to the adoption agency. The actual application is rather general and feels like filling out an application for employment. We just had to inform our references to know that the adoption agency will be contacting them soon regarding our application. 

We felt comfortable doing this after speaking to a social worker last week who laid out the timeline. Within five days of the adoption agency receiving our application, we will (hopefully) receive approval to move forward with training. 

We will then have to complete some online training before attending an in-person, all-day training in Columbus on Aug. 11. The in-person training will allow us to meet the staff of the adoption agency, and learn more about the home study process. 

The social worker also answered a number of our most pressing concerns about the application and home study process.

Support from others

A big reason I agreed with Jenna that adoption was for us was that I had family and a close friend who were adopted as children. I certainly realized the need for parents to adopt and thought Jenna and I would make for great parents. 

But after announcing our intentions last week, so many people reached out to share their advice and expertise in adoption. Knowing so many friends that have gone through this process has helped reassure me this was the right decision.

On Friday, Jenna and I made a brief visit up to Columbus to see my friend Josh, who was a co-worker of mine at COSI. Last year, he adopted a newborn from the Cincinnati area. 

While his adoption process had its ups and downs, it worked out for him and his wife in the end. 

Being able to count on moral support from so many people has been such a blessing, and you would not know how much Jenna and I appreciate everyone's help.

In the meantime...

Jenna and I are getting our house prepared for a home study and to give a child a home. On Sunday, we painted the walls and stained the floors in one of our bedrooms. 

If you didn't already know, our home will turn 100 years old next year. For being nearly a century old, it is in relatively good shape, but there are a number of minor improvements we feel we need to make over the coming weeks and months to make this place perfect for a baby. 

The good news is most of those changes are cosmetic (things like paint and carpeting), so we hope we can complete these tasks in the coming months.