Home Study Visit #1 + The Nursery is Ready!
March 28th. What a day!
We officially completed our first home study visit today, and my heart is full in the very best way. It’s one of those days where I just had to sit down and get the words out while everything’s still fresh.
As soon as I got back from Nevada earlier this month, we jumped right into the next big step—background checks. Thankfully, we were able to do all of them locally, and everything went so smoothly. Everyone we met, from the front desk staff to the folks taking fingerprints, was kind and gracious. We even met a couple in the waiting room who had adopted years ago. Little moments like that feel like God winks to us—gentle reminders that we’re on the right path.
We received our results within 24 hours and sent them in right away. Around 12 days later, we were introduced to our home study caseworker/ counselor—and y’all, she’s wonderful. She’s been with Covenant Care for many years, and her warmth and professionalism immediately put us at ease. She was able to schedule our first visit, and that visit happened this morning!
In preparation, we completed a stack of pre-home study paperwork—questions about our views on adoption, our family and marriage dynamics, how we met, how we parent, how our families feel about adoption, and more. We submitted those last week and spent our visit today going through them together.
Honestly, it felt more like a heart-to-heart than a formal interview.
One part that really stood out to me was hearing Josh speak about our marriage, our journey, and about our family—especially since he’s the more quiet, introverted one of the two of us. There’s something so beautiful and vulnerable about sitting with someone who doesn’t know you and talking openly about your relationship—your strengths, your challenges, your growth. It honestly felt like the best kind of date night. I left that call feeling deeply thankful and reminded, once again, of how proud I am to walk through life with him. I think I fell in love with him all over again this morning.
With that visit behind us, we’re moving closer toward the in-person portion of the home study—and guess what? The nursery is officially ready!
The weekend after I returned from my work trip, Josh was out of town, and the boys and I went into full nesting mode. We rearranged our entire house—my office moved to the front dining area, Josh’s office moved out, and the boys’ playroom found a new home in the sunroom. That freed up a bedroom, which we joyfully turned into Baby’s Room.
Most of what we needed was tucked away in the attic—crib, blankets, nursery décor from when the boys were babies. The boys were so into it, helping me fold baby clothes, hang up blankets, and set up the space with so much excitement and care. And while we don’t know the gender yet, we’re loving the sweet, simple neutral setup and can’t wait to build it out more as we know more.
There’s just something about seeing that room in our house now—it makes it all feel so real. We say “Baby’s Room” now like it’s always been there.
We’ll keep sharing updates as we move into the next parts of the home study. The in-home visit will be coming up in the next few weeks, and I know the boys can’t wait to give our caseworker/ counselor the grand tour.
As always, thank you for your prayers—for our family, our future child, and the precious birth mom we already love so much. This journey is sacred, and we’re so honored to have you walking beside us.