Since we were in the middle of updating our home study when we were selected to be Mitchell's parents, we were still waiting on paperwork when we traveled to Florida. Most states, when you update, require background checks in the current state you are living if you have not moved since your original home study. Florida is not one of those states. They wanted us to go back and have our checks done in all the states we had lived in within the last 5 years. That was NM, VA, DC for me and NM and VA for Rich. (I was only 4 months away from DC falling off the list). Most of them came back quickly...except for DC (go figure).
THE MORNING Mitchell was born we were sitting in our home study providers office signing papers and having them notarized so that we could get the background checks done. We flew to Florida the next day. No way the checks were done that quickly, however it wasn't more than a few days after we arrived in Florida that the majority had already been returned. DC however could not locate my form.
After a week of waiting our social worker was on the phone with them trying to figure things out.
Originally they couldn't find it. When we tracked it and got the name of the person that signed for it, they found it...on another floor...their former office. Then when they reviewed it they said we didn't list American Adoptions on the form so they couldn't speak with her. I filled the form out myself just days before so I KNEW I had listed them. When Kathie contacted them again, it was "this is the wrong form". Excuse me? That is the form listed on your website. Once we figured out that problem, they sent the "correct" form to Kathie who emailed it to me. I went to Kinkos and printed it. It had to be notarized and overnighted to them, it was 4:50 on a Friday...of a holiday weekend. Presidents Day was Monday. This wasn't looking good.
I had the form in hand, filled it out and now had to search for a notary. I found one at a nearby UPS store. I called Saturday morning to see if the notary was available, when I was informed they were I headed on over. Upon arrival, I was told that the notary would not be in until after lunch. Uggggg. So back to the hotel I went, wasn't going to waste time lolly gagging around when I had a newborn needing some snuggles! After lunch, when Mitchell was fast asleep, I headed back. Had the form notarized and spent a fortune on 2 day air so that it would arrive by 9a on Tuesday morning.
Fast forward to Tuesday. Rich and I are having Mitchell's new born photos done when I get a call from UPS. They call to tell me that the address, you know the address printed on the top of the form the DC representative sent our social worker, was an empty building. I immediately called Kathie and explained what was going on. She asked me for the UPS contact number, because bless his heart he said if I could get him the address he would have it delivered that day, and said she would take care of it.
When I talked to Kathie later, she said she did indeed get the correct address and called UPS to give it to them. She also said she informed the contact in the DC office that their "new form" had the address of an empty building on it. Later that afternoon I received a call from UPS saying it had been delivered. Talk about stress. By this point we had been in Florida for 12 days. We still had to wait for them to process everything in DC so that the ICPC process could start their 7-10 day process.
In the meantime, we got to spend time with this cutie!
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