Ukraine Adoption

Pecking away at the paperwork

The first thing we did was send in our petition to adopt. Then we received a notice from Immigration to report for our fingerprinting. During that drive to downtown Detroit on a cold January morning, I asked my spouse, "Hey, have you ever been arrested?"

The government office was sparse, with hard, gray folding chairs and a small TV in the corner. Families were chattering nervously in various languages.
We were fingerprinted on these cool machines that don't require any ink on the fingers. When I was finished, the woman said, "Good luck." I didn't know whether she meant good luck on your criminal background check or the adoption. 

Nonetheless, we were happy to get out of there. It was the same feeling we get when we go to the gate at the bridge to Canada. We say, "OK, don't look suspicious."

Our home study was pleasant enough to get through. We had one visit together with the social worker, then each of us separately, then she visited our home. I wish we would have perfected our pinch/nudge technique. You know the one that you use when you think your spouse is saying too much, too little, or the wrong thing. It seemed like the social worker was writing more when John talked. I kept leaning forward and squinting to try to read her notes. But we did OK! She seemed to like us.

The medical forms were the biggest hassle in this process. Ukraine kept changing the format. So we made three trips each to our doctors. I remember looking at my TB markings and, knowing I didn't have it, still felt relieved when it went away.

Next stop: fingerprinting at the local police. Hint: I saw jail cells!