Home Study Update...Update

I called a week or so ago to schedule an appointment for the social worker to do an update on our home study. Specifically it was to inspect the new home, since we moved about 4 weeks ago. We had played phone tag the last week or so and today finally spoke live this morning around 8:30. She said she happened to be coming to my area today and wanted to know if this morning would be convenient. It was. Then she asks if 9:30 would be okay, it only gave me an hour but that was okay since the house is already clean. So far so good right! Yeah, you know as well as I do that nothing regarding adoption goes that smooth, nothing!

She's shows up on time, she's very nice, checks out the home and then says there have been some changes to the requirements for home studies. We have to correct or provide many things. Keep in mind our home study was just completed May 13, 2005. This little meeting was only supposed to be us showing them that the house was safe and clean.

The following is a list of NEW requirements that go above and beyond what we have already done for our home study:

Fire Extinguisher (ABC Type) in kitchen
Emergency phone numbers posted by the phone
All medicines, including vitamins LOCKED and no expired medicines
All cleaning supplies LOCKED
All knifes LOCKED (That nice knife block that's on the kitchen counter with all the slots for the knives, not good enough, they have to be LOCKED)
First Aid Kid with Manual must be on hand
Earth Quake Kit must be on hand
All outlets must be covered (even before the child arrives)
CPR & First Aid certifications MUST be done at least one parent must be CPR certified and at the other or both must be First Aid Certified
A sketch of your house must be completed and on file with the agency. Additional requirements that I had handy and was able to give her a copy of or show her while she was here included:

• A copy of our home owner's insurance declaration
• An updated car insurance declaration that includes a list of the limits and liabilities
• Pet shot records
• Car Seat (before we didn't have to have one until we were ready to bring home a baby)
• Crib or bassinet, our Pack N Play was acceptable (once again, before we didn't have to have that on hand until we were ready to bring home a baby)

Now I believe that all adoptive parents should be thoroughly checked out. I think 99% of the requirements are wonderful and we have happy obliged to doing them. But some of these things are silly, I think the one that upsets me the most is the knives being "locked", kitchen knives must be locked. Come on! Oh, and how many of you bio parents, not adopting, keep your medicines (even vitamins) locked in a lock box? Do you also have an ABC type Fire Extinguisher in your kitchen? How about first aid kits with manuals... you've got that handy too right? Yeah, I thought so.

I guess all this is good but in the same respect, it angers me that I just can't get pregnant and bypass crap like this. I know I'll love my child whether he or she comes from my body or not. I guess I feel disappointed by adoption because it's not what I thought it would be. It's two failed matches, it's problems with home studies, it's lies from adoption agencies, it's not being able to provide my child everything he or she might need in utero and during birth. It's having to share a bond to a child with someone other than my husband. If I could just get knocked up, I wouldn't have to experience this and to be honest, I really don't want to be experiencing this stuff.