Like the fact that finalization costs are separate from the initial adoption costs, and can run anywhere from $2,500 to upwards of $4,000 (if we finalize in Louisiana), or $6,000 to $15,000 (if we finalize in Maryland).

And then there are the little things that are a part of the home study, but aren't included in the cost of the home study, like:

Local and national background checks - $68 per person
TB & HIV tests (which are NOT covered by insurance) - $25 per person for TB, not sure yet how much the HIV tests are costing - maybe $60 per person?
Certified copies of driving records - $12 per person
Rabies shots for pets - $10 (I saved us $60 by going to the county clinic instead of our vet)
Pet licenses - $8
Pet health verification letter - I'm shopping around for vets who don't charge an arm and a leg for a pet exam. Our vet is NOT the cheapest in the area, I have a feeling.

Physical exams - We have a high deductible for our insurance, so this will probably cost us a couple hundred dollars. Plus a paperwork fee for our doctor to complete the mandatory forms
Adoption education classes - We have to complete 8 hours before our home study is complete. The agency that is doing our home study offers a Parenting Prep Course (2 parts) that are 5 1/2 hours and 1 1/2 hours...and costs $400. The last hour we can get by taking an online course (for a small fee, of course).

That has the potential to be another $1k or more right there.

It's a little frustrating how damn expensive this all is. Most people save up for the costs of raising their children or for paying for their college educations. Instead, everything we have (and a lot we don't yet have) is being spent on just having the chance to BECOME parents.

Ugh, sorry for my whining. It's been a rough week.

At the end of the day, we're going to have a little baby in our arms and hopefully none of this will matter. I know that any amount we'd have to pay will be worth it...in the end.