What's Next with Little Andy

After a healthy game of phone tag, I finally connected with Andrea today.  She really did not have much additional information about little Andy, but her feeling after talking to Andy's case worker was that he is healthy.  I asked her if he is legally free for adoption and she doesn't know, but will find out.  Yikes!  Better get rolling with this foster license, just in case.  Unfortunately, this process has been delayed because our medical forms were signed back in September and apparently they must be signed within 6 months of submitting the foster license (we didn't know this back then and we weren't planning on applying for a foster license when we first started this process.)  So we both have to go back to the doctor and get them to sign the form again.  That's what you get for being on the ball and getting things done early!  

Anyway, back to Andy... the Red File Staffing will happen on April 21st at 1:00 p.m.  Or so we hope...  Anything can happen.  A couple who went through the training with us found out they were selected for a RFS and they were very excited, but found out the day before the meeting was to take place that the foster family had changed their minds and decided to adopt the children.  They took the news in stride- I would have been a complete wreck.  I probably will be a wreck if I don't get picked to be Andy's mom.  People keep asking me how many families are we "competing" with.  This is a funny way to look at things, but I will admit that I have started to think of it that way myself.  I don't know the answer to this question for sure, but Andrea said that she has worked with this case worker before and she likes to look at five families.  So we have a 20% chance.  I like to think it's higher, because Andrea is so good at her job and will do a fabulous presentation and really wow them with her glowing descriptions of me and Dave.  This is where the famous scrapbook comes into play.  We were asked to put together a scrapbook with pictures of ourselves, our home, pets, family, activities, etc.  I started this project back in July and it took 6 months to finish it.  I probably put in at least 40 hours working on it.  Lots of family members pitched in to help by contributing photos, suggestions, and even jumping in with the glue gun to assemble some of the pages!  I was so attached to this scrapbook that I could hardly bear to part with it when I gave it to Andrea.  This is what she will use at the RFS as a visual aid when it is her turn to present the de Souza-Lathrop family.  After the meeting is over, Andrea will call me to share the outcome.  I think it is really encouraging that there has been so much activity already.  

In other happy adoption news, our friends Roger and Joanne have received a referral for a brother and sister, ages 2 and 3, in Moscow.  They'll be traveling within the next few weeks to meet their kids!  I'm so happy for them and excited and hopeful that we may all become parents in the very, very near future.