As a bit of a generic update about that meeting... very little of any dramatic import happened. The first visit seemed to be primarily focused on "Thank you for filling out that first chunk of paperwork. You still need to fill out these various forms of paperwork so that we can confirm that there are records that you and all adults living with you are sane/safe/non-criminal, etc. That being said, there are still 2 more home visits after the paperwork, and classes, and books.

I get the feeling I was substantially compressing all of the drama and moral decision making of adoption into a single meeting, when in fact, that isn't how it feels at all when you actually start going through the process. (For reference, I live in Maryland. I have no idea how other states or countries manage their adoption processes, and this may not apply to anyone else.)

The most comparable thing I can think of now is getting my driver's license, but more so. Not that I think there is ever a specific "Adoption License." but the relative amount of work, classes, and bureaucratic effort feels in about the same order of magnitude, if higher.