Make Room For Another Princess?

To date, this blog has been about our little turnip, Devi Rose, and if it were not for her, the dream of another princess would have never materialized. She has just brought so much joy to our lives, who wouldn't want more? So here we are teetering on the brink of officially joining a waiting list. I would be remiss in documenting our lives for the future reading pleasure of our child or children, if I did not share the behind-the-scenes, series of events as of late.

We currently have finished our final home study interview with Barbara, our social worker, who has had to wade through our childhood upbringing and remembrances, has discussed our personal and professional relationships, prodded through our medical issues, and opened the doors to our financial structure. She has visited our home and we've chatted about our parenting abilities, answered questions regarding cultural differences and our desire to add another child to our all ready busy life. Revealing one's soul to someone is not easy, but Barbara has always made us feel so comfortable that at the end of this process, it is so easy to now call her a friend. The report that she is writing from the compilation of these interviews is what becomes known as our home study report. It suggests her opinions of our ability to successfully adopt another child from India and raise them as our own in a safe and nurturing environment.

This document is then joined by copies of our birth certificates and marriage license and the I-800A form, also known as the Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country. The whole package is then sent to US Citizenship and Immigration Services in the hopes that they, too, will approve us to move forward in what we call our "International Adoption Journey"! This then leads to more fingerprints and forms that I'll explain another time.

Simultaneously, we have been collecting the documents that will make up our dossier, which is sort of like a resume of your life's experiences to date. These documents include tax returns, and financial information, background checks from FBI and state or local police, HIV test results, forms, forms and more forms. It also contains letters. The letters encompass reference letters from friends and family, letters from our physicians regarding our health, a letter from the bank and our employers, and the one I've enclosed a copy of is the notarized letter that states that we have had a discussion with Devi regarding her desire to add a brother or sister to our family followed by a picture drawn for the mystery child. Sound ridiculous? I know, I know, how can a not-yet-two-year-old comprehend the adoption of a sibling? But the whole scene was rather cute and went down something like this:

Scene opens...Devi is coloring and mommy is videotaping...

Momma: Devi, daddy and I would like to bring home a baby sister for you from India. Would you like a baby sister?
Devi: Sister? (pause in thought) SISTER!
M: You would like a baby sister?
D: Uh-huh.
M: What should we name your baby sister?
D: Daya!
M: Would you like a baby brother?
D: Brother!
M: What would you name a baby brother?
D: Daya! (pause) Puppy.
M: Are you coloring a picture for your baby brother or sister?
D: Uh-huh. Done momma. Done coloring, momma.

And with that, the conversation ended.

I started the heart and Devi did the rest.

She is still my best kitchen helper and now asks to watch the Cooking Shows!

She is still my best eater too!

Just how many bibs can YOU wear at one time?
Devi can wear 18 before running out of neck.

22 months going on...? Makes a mother worry!

We girls and morning people....daddy is not :)


2 yearish pictures

Still best friends!