What does that even mean?

I got a lot of congrats today at church and every time I've posted it on Facebook or Pleo... and finally someone said, "What does that even mean, an approved home study?"

The best way I knew how to describe it without going into a ton of detail was it's like when you are in college and you have to take a prerequisite class. You have to take that class that has very specific requirements to pass it in order to take the other classes you really want to take. 

That is, in a nutshell, what a home study is.  It's the thing you don't really want to do, but have to, in order to be able to do the other stuff.  Namely get on a waiting list with an agency.  As soon as we get that piece of paper in hand saying we have an approved home study, we will be accepted by our agency, and we will be on a waiting list.  The time line we have been given is either a few weeks to a couple years.  Depends on what happens and how many birth mothers come to them.  So we may be waiting for a while and I have accepted that.  Yeah it will be hard but it's not like I'm not doing other things.  Course, those other things are things that can basically be dropped at any given second to go and get a child if need be. 

It helps that our case worker is awesome. She walked in and saw the deer head on our wall and thought it was really cool.  Which put my mind at ease right away. Another person who I will always be thankful for who I barely know on a personal level.

I am beginning to get excited. I'm beginning to realize this is happening. But the other, larger, part of me is realizing I need to be rational about this and not expect that we will have a baby right away.  To enjoy the time I have with my husband before our lives completely change. To take naps when I can, to make extensive dishes and bake when I can, to take showers and go to the store when I want to... things that willl change when we have a baby.  I should point out that I am not complaining about that.  This is a welcome change, this is an exciting change :)

God has truly blessed us  beyond measure.
It is a true comfort that His hand is guiding us through this.
Have a good 'un :)