Paperwork...


Adoption and paperwork are synonymous. My thesaurus defines synonymous as "equal, identical, interchangeable, one and the same." It's just part of the process. We're getting down to the last of it at our house. In our office I've taped to the wall some of the last bits and pieces, but they are also some of the most important. I am terrified I will forget something. David is traveling to Addis to pick up Zenabu, and you have to bring with you documents critical to your adoption. So we have a few more forms to fill out and have notarized, but the big daddy of all the paperwork is the packing list. Our adoption agency, CHSFS, is awesome and has an online forum where you can chat with other families also adopting from Ethiopia. It has been invaluable to our peace of mind. I mean, where else can you go and ask, "What did you do when your child threw an incredible tantrum in the middle of the outdoor market?" Or "What did you do when you had uncontrollable gastrointestinal distress from something you ate?" One dear woman was kind enough to post a list of everything she packed...for herself and for her child. I have not yet laminated it, but if you know me at all you know I'm itching to. The packing list is long, but we'd rather have David take too much and not need it than be without something and be miserable because of it. Right now I like to call this the calm before the storm. There's not a lot we can do before we get our notification of travel. When that comes, we have to move like gangbusters and get it all together.