Welcome to the Paperwork Jungle--We Don't Got Fun and Games

There is absolutely nothing glamorous about doing adoption paperwork. Of the four important notarized documents we had to get last week, four had something wrong with them. We are in the process of redoing two of them (including notarizing them AGAIN) and we'll see about the other two.

That's two weeks lost in the paperwork jungle. In this game of hurry up and wait, I don't feel like I have two weeks!

We've already been in a tiff with San Diego county. To nearly quote them, "We've been doing the paperwork this way for years and people seem to be able to adopt their kids just fine so we don't see what the problem is." Neither do we. For whatever reason our son's birth country is picky. Now please redo it all. Please and thank you and please.

On the bright side, we finally have all the certified copies we'll need of both our birth certificates and marriage license. We have passports. We are 2/3rds fully funded. So okay, not too shabby. ;)

But on the paperwork side of things it's been a frustrating time. And we're only halfway through!

And it only gets more frustrating when I look at my son's picture and he's just lying there with his little "Hug me?" arms. Waiting. Over what seems to me like stupid things.

JUST HAND HIM OVER ALREADY!!!

Confession time: I have not been visiting the adoption support group forum as much because all of the things I'm frustrated about are all the same things all of those adoptive parents are frustrated about. Plus some of them are farther along in the process and, spoiler alert, it's still frustrating. For the first time in my life I'm worried that my entire dossier will be rejected. Or catch on fire. Or be carried off in a tornado. Or eaten by zombies.

But is it worth it? Look at his little face! Am I going to remember any of this darn paperwork drama when I'm looking into his little eyes? No.

This is doable. Many others in much worse situations have hacked their way through this jungle and come out the other side with a new family member. We can too. I just have to keep reminding myself of that.

Speaking of other families, the big news today is that the little girl we had considered adopting before deciding on "Joel" got a family! That's right! Anastasia moved to the My Family Found Me page on Reece's Rainbow! It's been so exciting! My daughter and I have prayed for her to find a family every single night. Tonight we got to say, "Thank you!"

We pray every night for a handful of orphans. We started doing this last year sometime. Obviously "Joel" got a family, and now Anastasia. We also watched Sandra and Patrick get families too! Then there are these two little guys below who have been in our prayers continuously but are still waiting.

This little guy needs a mommy so badly. My daughter doesn't understand what an institution is, but she knows it's a bad place. So she asks God to get this boy out of his "big time out." Let's not leave him to waste away in time out! (The link says his hands don't look affected. Well this AMC mommy's eyes see dimples on his wrists that indicate contractures. He probably has the same type of AMC that my daughter and son have. I'm officially offering my support in every way to whoever steps forward to claim him.)

And this kiddo is my daughter's age and is a total doll. The picture isn't that good and I doubt we'll get a better one. Still, look how straight he is! Both my kiddos have their knees all bent up and will require all this therapy and surgery. How great to have a little guy who starts off a little straighter!


So even though paperwork is yucky, I would do anything to get my son home. And I can't wait for two families who feel the same way to step forward and get those two little boys.