Post It Notes: In the teens...

{{Disclaimer: I realize this post is pretty much a pity party. But just like the last adoption, sometimes in this process you just get to the pity party state. Somehow this month I discovered that I'm officially in that state right now, and I presume I will be from now until referral day, and it just kinda sucks.}}

I know I should be excited. Believe me, I know that finally being in the teens is a great step in this process. When we were #42, I longed for the teens. But now, after almost 7 months since our paperword left my hands, I'm starting to get discouraged. We were told 6-12 months of waiting, and I fear it will be twelve months or more in reality. We were told when we started that waiting for a girl was around the same wait time as waiting for a boy or if you don't specify a gender. Welp, things changed. Now, the list has gotten so "pink" that the families who are after us on the waiting list (VERY far after us actually... many who were in the high 30's) are getting referrals already. Eli gets bigger everyday, and asks about his sister all the time. I just want to get to the finish line. I want to travel, I want to meet our daughter and get myself through that painful stretch of time between the two trips when we will have to leave her at the orphanage. I just want to be at that point.

Don't get me wrong, I am so happy for those who are getting referrals. I know it means there is an orphan that is no longer plagued with that status who will be going to their forever family. In the grand scheme of things that is the most important thing, and I get it. I also know we signed up for a longer wait time when we specified a gender this time around. And as I have mentioned before, I know how important being patient is in this process. HOWEVER, (and that's a big HOWEVER) It still doesn't make it any easier to read all the excitement about travel and court hearings and first trips and second trips for families that technically were after us on the list. It's just hard.

I was hopeful that I would not get to this "blah" state in this adoption. But, here I am. Sick of the wait and bracing myself for even more.

In closing, we'll just show a cute Eli pic because that's the best way to distract myself from this wait. :-)

Love him. A whole lot.

Timelines

Adoption #2

6/20/12: Announced we will be adopting again!

7/5/12: Faxed in preliminary application to Adoption Associates.

7/31/12: Finished formal application

8/13/12: Homestudy update

9/13/12: Sent I600A

10/17/12: Fingerprinting Appointment

10/23/12: Received I-171H!!!

11/16/12: Dossier to Ethiopia, officially "waiting". Informed we are #41 on the waiting list.

3/28/12 #29 on the waiting list

6/1/13 #19 on the waiting list

7/1/13 #17 on the waiting list

Adoption #1 - Eli Akram Post

Late 2008/early 2009: Researched agencies, talked with agencies.

4/19/2009 Decided we are adopting from Ethiopia!

4/23/2009 Faxed preliminary application

5/15-5/21/2009 Home Study Meetings

7/25/2009 Agency Approved

7/27/2009 I-600A Sent (USCIS Approval Request)

8/15/2009 Fingerprinting appointment

9/12/2009 I-171H arrives!

9/24/2009 Dossier to Ethiopia! OFFICIALLY "WAITING" #24 on the list

10/22/2009 WAITING #12 on the list

11/18/2009 WAITING #9 on the list

12/17/2009 WAITING #4 on the list

1/15/2010 Still WAITING #2 on the list

3/15/2010 Still WAITING, still #2.

3/31/2010 REFERRAL DAY!!!

4/20/2010 Notified that our court date is 5/6/2010

5/6/2010 WE PASSED COURT!

6/16/2010 FOREVER FAMILY!

New here?

Please visit the blog archive below, find the first post (in the month of April, 2009) and read from the beginning if you like!

Important Words To Remember:

*Dossier* The set of documents that we send to Ethiopia to be put on the waiting list.

*Referral* The photo and information on our child that we will receive several months after we've been on the waiting list. This is when we find out who our little one is!

*Court date* After we receive our referral, a court date will be set up about 6 weeks later. We will travel to Ethiopia for this hearing.

*First Trip* The trip both of us will take to attend the court hearing and meet our child.

*Second Trip* The second trip when one of us will travel to pick up the child from Ethiopia and bring them home!

Most commonly asked question:

"Why?"

Answer: Mark and I don't really know, we believe there is a reason God put it on our hearts to adopt first rather than trying to have biological children. This does not mean we will never try for a biological child, it's just not where we are being led to build our family right now. We ask that you please respect our decision and join us in celebrating our amazing family!