I Married Barney, Now What?: Moving Forward...

Since we won't be moving...ever...we've decided to go ahead and contact the foster/adoption agency to proceed with our plans to add to the family.?

With past agencies they have had the potential family sit through an extemely dull yet informative two hour meeting.? From there you decided if you were interested and then began classes that would teach you how to parent.? Once those were nearly complete you'd go through a rigorous home study that makes even the best housekeeper question their cleaning abilities.? This agency does things a bit differently...

They sent us information towards the end of June.? I read through it, then I had Barney read through it.? He encouraged me to call them but I continually failed to pick up the phone.? When the "opportunity" that wasn't surfaced I knew I made the right decision.? Then when the "opportunity" turned out to not be one at all I allowed myself to fall into my pattern of disappointed funk.? Then Barney and I had an honest discussion and I felt tons better.? I don't love living in Bedrock but this is where we live like it or not.? Barney's job is here, our families are here, and home is here so we can either whine about this or we can move forward with our lives and make the best of them as they unfurl, so today I picked up the phone.

When "S" called me back I was certain she'd schedule our initial meeting at her office, or other central location location.? Instead she advised that she would be coming to our home and that both Barney and I had to be present.? Oh, and she will be here at 5 on either Tuesday or Thursday...being the nice wife that I am I scheduled it for Thursday of next week so Barney doesn't lose his night out.

We've discussed the options that this agency gives--Maternity foster care, Respite Care, Foster/Adoption, and Emergency Care.? Each of those interest us, but I'm not sure that our homes floor plan is condusive for maternity care.? In that situation you foster mom prior to the birth, and then you take on Mom and baby after the birth.? While that interests me, given that by my age I could easily have a teenage child who GOD FORBID could have a child of her own.? Alas, our floor plan really wouldn't allow us the room to set up a second nursery and a seperate bedroom for the Mom.? Also given that instead of having a pre-teen or teen at home we have an almost toddler it really doesn't make a lot of sense to try to mesh the two.? So I think we're going to opt for foster/adoption and respite care both.? Emergency care would be fine if Rocky weren't so young still but since emergency cases are just that emergencies there really wouldn't be a lot of time to determine if the childs placement is a good fit for our family as it stands now, but I am going to ask her about all of the options and get her opinion as a caseworker and as a parent herself.

I will be doing a deep clean, just as a I did for our home study-though I will not be dusting cobwebs in the garage as I would have for that.? In all though having gone through one already I know better what to expect and know they aren't looking for cobwebs, but for gross neglect in a household that would preclude you from being approved.? Still...knowing that this is how our family will continue to grow...it does change the game slightly from "laize faire" and "military percision"

So here weo go again...just about a year after our first adoption experience we're dipping our toes in the water once more...I just hope that everything turns out as well this time as it did the last!

Source: http://mrsbarneyrubble.blogspot.com/2012/07/moving-forward.html

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