Well the honest answer is that I have absolutely no idea how to prepare!
The carpets have been cleaned, blinds have been dusted, baseboards wiped down, furniture dusted, expiration dates checked on every food item, clean sheets on the beds, and the yard was mowed. Because you know…that’s all stuff good moms and dads do!
Drew and I think we are prepared, but we won’t really know until Tuesday, April 4th!
When our social worker sent us the dates of our home studies she attached a house inspection checklist. Drew and I combed over the list and made sure we had everything. Whatever we didn’t have we used Amazon Prime to help us out!
Some of the things we didn’t have were a fire extinguisher (had to be a certain size) and a pool safety ring or Shepard’s cane. Another thing we didn’t have and totally didn’t realize until we read through that list was smoke detectors. (Side note, we rewired our entire house when we purchased it and everything had to be brought back up to “code” and I guess “code” doesn’t require smoke detectors. Electrical inspector never brought it up! Crazy!! I mean, I should have noticed this since I have been cooking in the house for a year and we all know that cooking isn’t my thing and I can basically burn water) So…we now have smoke detectors thanks to my best friend, Prime. We also had to install some child safety locks on cleaning supply cabinets. I’m hoping at some point I get used to those and remember they are there because I almost ripped the door off this morning! Whoopsies.
Our social worker also mentioned that we will discuss our openness to different situations (genders, races, health background, and disabilities), our motivation behind adopting, and family dynamics. Although we have preferences, we feel that no matter what we place on that document or what we discuss with the social worker we will receive a child that God has already chosen for our family.
Aside from the documents and safety essentials in the house we were required to enroll in an Infant Care and Infant CPR class. On March 30th we completed the Infant Care class. That was quite an experience. Drew changed his first diaper and did an awesome job!! Now, it was not a poop or pee filled dirty diaper on a squirming newborn. It was a clean diaper on a baby doll. BUT…he did it!! We also learned about the hospital procedures, although those will be a little different for us because we most likely won’t be delivering at Florida Hospital. Our CPR class is on April 6th! Drew keeps bringing up the Office episode when they learn CPR to the song Staying Alive. Hopefully that goes just as well as the Infant Care class did but better than the Office!
Last thing to do to prepare is to pray (and maybe get some new candles) that God will give us confidence and wisdom while answering the questions from the social worker. Would you please join us in prayer?
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:16