Initial Interview & Application Appointment

We had our Initial Interview & Application Appointment at AO 3 weeks ago.  It went very well.  We met Jennifer, the Program Assistant, and she talked us through a folder full of papers she gave us.  Most of the information we already knew from the Information Evening we attended a year and a half ago and from my own research, but there were a few surprises in there.  She then had us fill out an initial application; very basic.  We had to fill out one for Child and Family Services (government) and one for AO.  It wasn't too difficult, although we got hung up on "Heritage".  Yes, Hubby and I couldn't agree on what heritage we are, lol.  Took us a couple weeks to resolve that one.  Then we got the best news of the afternoon.  Maybe of the last couple years.  She had taken our latest income tax papers to calculate what we would have to pay, since they do their fees on a sliding scale according to your income.  All our costs (not including lawyer fees) got chopped in half!  Very much awesome :)  Hubby and I left AO feeling very optimistic all around.

We now can each fill out our Prospective Adoptive Parent Questionnaire and decide on who we want as references and get them to write letters to mail in to AO.  I have completed at least half my PAP Questionnaire already; Hubby hasn't really had time to start his yet.  We are still discussing whom we want as references (one for me, one for Hubby, and two for us as a couple).  The hardest part is only one of those four can be a family member!

I have been eagerly telling everybody about our appointment at AO and what the process has in store for us.  I've been showing people the paper's we got and explaining things.  So far we have only gotten one very discouraging response to the news that we are adopting that dampered my enthusiasm a lot, but for the most part people have been very willing to listen and ask questions, and for that I am very thankful for!