WOW! We have already decided that if it's a boy, we do not want circumcision. I wasn't aware that some hospitals just do it!
And that bit about the nurses taking notes?!?! That's a little creepy!
I do know that our state will not let you step foot out of a hospital with a baby until you prove that you have an infant seat, properly installed.
Thanks for all of the information!
Some of this stuff is just mind-blowing!! (Just when you think you're prepared to become a parent!!!)
I don't want to start an endless debate over cut vs. uncut but when DW's cousin mentioned to her doc that our DS wasn't cut the doc was revulsed! He said he wasn't aware that ANY civilized hospital in these United States "would not perform such a basic, standard and necessary procedure" and that obviously DS was born in some hick town!
You know the joke...
Pennsylvania can best be described as Pittsburg on the left, Philadelphia on the right and Alabama in between! 
Anyway, yes, you'll have to interject yourself as much as possible into the process because sometimes they just blindly go about their business.
Another point, although it's too late to claim you little tax deduction
you cannot apply for a SSN for the child until you're finalized. You can apply for an ATIN (Adoption Taxpayer ID Number) which is issued by IRS not SSA and is valid for 2 years. That lets you claim Dchild-to-be on your taxes. Well, that's assuming you want to claim the deduction. If you don't plan on doing so then you don't need to apply for anything. Depending on the hospital, they may try to submit an application as a matter of standard business but that should not happen in your case. (Although the birthmom can apply for a SSN for the baby, it's moot because that number won't be used after finalization). Problem is getting some hospital clerks to back off this because they are under the (mistaken) impression that everyone is required to have a SSN. 
Yeah, the nurse thing is creepy and we didn't know about it until we got copies of DS' records when we left the hospital! We were at TGI Friday's (yeah, he was 4 days old and already on the go
) and I was looking over the paperwork and there were the notes in his nursery-care file!! 
Good thing we were really relaxed and laid-back!If there's one thing I learned from being a new parent it's this: DO WHAT YOU FEEL IS BEST/RIGHT!! Because let me tell you, you'll get PLENTY of advice (like now
) whether you've asked for it and ESPECIALLY if you haven't!!!! Can't tell you the number of times DW was at Babies R Us and told that xyz product isn't good or challenged as to why she was spending all that money on the Mustella products when J&J is just as good (yeah, if you want to rip baby's scalp apart!) etc. Or me getting it from my mom when she found out that DS wasn't circ'ed. Or when you're out and about (because if you're in a hotel without a restaurant, you gotta eat) then people will tsk tsk tsk over you having the baby covered up/not covered enough, or wearing cradle shoes/not wearing shoes, or bottle feeding/brest feeding. And if the baby has lots of hair, then plan on total strangers fondling baby's head or stroking it like a freakin' puppy! 
oops....did I vent too much?
I don't like to fly, and my niece was moving back to GA so I drove down and helped her, then proceeded onto FL. I was picking up DH and the girls from the airport. Well, they missed the plane because DH had decided the girls might get thirsty while flying and packed a whole case of juiceboxs in the carry on. Of course this was during the ban on liquids. 
They were all pulled aside and their stuff was searched and they missed the flight by about 5 minutes. He swears to me that they got there in plenty of time, but the lines were very long also. They almost missed the next flight because they forgot to reissue on of the tickets. Luckily we got there on Friday night.
