Home Study

Home Study. Yep, that is right where we are. This is the hurry up and wait on various background checks, reference letters, medical check ups, and other fun documentation we collect to show we can care and parent a child through adoption. It’s quite the check list.

Yes, the home study is frustrating and pretty invasive. The home study shares your whole life story in one document. It’s overwhelming, however, it’s neat too because we get to see where we’ve been in life and our hopes for the future. It’s the positive side of our story. It’s a tangible document we get to share with our kiddos as part of their story and how we became a family.

In some ways it’s fair we have to go through this process, have struggles, frustrations and all that goes along with our side bringing home our child. Our children’s birth families have an even harder struggle making the choice to have us parent their children. Their pain, strength and grief that is involved is not lost on us.  I say that because as much as the home study is a frustrating process, it is nothing compared to what expectant parents and birth parents go through to share their child with someone else.

Adoption is complicated in grief and joy.

As we go through this process for the second time, we are more educated. We know better so we can do better. We’ve learned new terms to use that honor and are a lot more respectful to expectant  parents and birth parents. We have a clearly understanding of the grief/joy situation that is wrapped up in adoption. We keep learning and growing in how to navigate Gideon’s adoption story and how to honor where he comes from and what that looks like as he grows older.

So, yep. We’re waiting on the final home study. Then our profile book is next to complete. We are moving forward and are excited to bring home another child into our home and so is Gideon!