Going through the adoption process can be is exhausting and time consuming. At times it may seem like you're drowning in paperwork with no end in sight. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel! I promise! But there are a few things you will have to survive first. We - like all adoptive parents - had to have a homestudy as part of the approval process. And, becuase we are an open foster home with the State, we have a renewal inspection yearly, and (theoretically) monthly visits by our resource worker and case worker because we currently have a foster child in our care. And each time someone comes, I remember back to what we were doing in preparation for our homestudy.

How to get ready for your homestudy:

-- Have all your paperwork handy. This is key. Even if you've sent them everything, even if you have personally delivered copies to them in the past, have copies of everything at hand. Just in case.

-- Have the baby's room ready. This was the hardest thing for me before Anna came. In the Jewish tradition, we typically don't buy anything for the baby before his or her arrival. We didn't have that choice in this case, as the State wanted to see that everything was set up - including a crib and dresser space.

-- Is your house babyproofed? It's a good idea to start getting into the safety habits early on (caps on your outlets, bars on upper windows, etc.)

-- General house upkeep. Do you have peeling paint? Light fixtures that need fixing? Wires around? Prepping for your homestudy is a great excuse to get out that paintbrush and get to work.

-- Clutter. My constant enemy. Although - in my opinion at least - there isn't anything wrong with a cluttered house, it doesn't look that great for people who are here to look at your home.

-- Don't panic! If something is wrong with your home, you should be given time to work on it. A homestudy isn't a make it or break it one time only offer.