By November 1st?

We signed up to give the altar flowers at church on Sunday, November 1. We're hoping to get some Divine Intervention and have our referral before that date. We would like to dedicate the flowers to Oliver as our church announcement of our referral.

Many months ago we signed up to give the altar flowers on September 19th thinking we would have our referral. Didn't work out that way. We dedicated the flowers to my father and for his health-- he had a heart attack the week before (and doing very well now after two stints). So, I am praying for good news to share at church on November 1 and not a family health scare.

5 months Waiting

I have to admit that I broke down and contacted our agency last week. I wanted to know their take on the "scandal", the exact dates the Ethiopian courts reopen (opening this week) and if there would be a backlog and how much longer we had to wait.

The response back was very nice and put me to ease. We were told that though they don't know where a family stands in the referral process that they didn't expect that we would have a longer wait than expected---the average wait is still 4-6 months. In other words, we should be getting our referral in the next month. I hope they are right!!!

Radio Show: Adopting from Africa

Adopting from Africa was the topic of Creating a Family radio show this week. You can listen by clicking this link. There is mention/discussion of the recent Australia*n tv expose on Ethiopia adoption.

Synopsis: This week’s Creating a Family radio show (Wed., Sept. 23) will be on Adopting from Africa. We’ll be talking about what countries in Africa are open for international adoptions? How stable are the adoption programs in these countries? How do you adopt from Africa? Can you adopt independently from a country that doesn’t have an active adoption program. My guests for this show are representatives from three adoption agencies with long standing programs in various African countries: Wide Horizons for Children, Holt International, and Adoption Advocates International.

What to do While Waiting...

One year ago today we were in the process of starting our Ethiopian adoption. On this day one year ago we had our second home study interview. I thought about all the things we've done regarding this adoption since we started. Here's my list (in no particular order):

1. Got a puppy, Flash--puppies are hard work!! A puppy and a baby--what were we thinking?


2. Plan & host a cocktail party for 60 people the night after our 2nd home study interview. The tents for our yard were being set up and the crew kept ringing the doorbell to ask questions in the middle of our home study. It wasn't stressful at all!


3. Feel smug because this is the third time you have gone through this process. Of course, smugness comes to abrupt end when you realize that Ethiopia's process is nothing like the process for adopting from China.
   
4. Naively think that this wait will be easy. We waited 7 months for Chloe's referral in 2005 and are still waiting for our 2nd referral from China (Oct. 2006 LID). How hard could a 4-6 month wait be? Ha! Ha!
   
5. Have your oldest (and only) child start kindergarten and realize that you thought you would be pushing a stroller with two younger siblings in it as you walk her to school.
   
6. Gather information and dates of all recent referrals and times waited. Create a spreadsheet and timeline for possible referral dates. Get upset when we pass the "average wait time" calculated. Sigh.
   
7. Program a special ring tone for the adoption agency.
   
8. Scour the Internet for every blog that has anything to do with Ethiopia, especially one's with recent referrals and travel.
   
9. Read There is No Me Without You, Lonely Planets: Guide to Ethiopia, From Ashes to Africa, Love in the Driest Season and I'm Chocolate and Your Vanilla. Also reading a myriad of other books on international adoption.
   
10. Get interviewed by a local newspaper for a feature article on what to expect when you are expecting to adopt internationally. Tell our stories, give advice and try to act like we are above it all and are seasoned veterans who can avoid the snares and pitfalls of international adoption. During interview get interrupted no less than 15 times by dogs, doorbell, package delivery and refereeing Chloe's play date.
    
11. Compare recent referrals for other agencies and second-guess our decision as some agency wait times decrease.

In all seriousness and in light of recent news reports that are running through the boards like wildfire, choosing a reputable, licensed agency with a track-record you can investigate is more important than choosing an agency based on wait times or the pretty catalogs of children and materials.

Let the Projects Begin

Its time to make this adoption "REAL" and start decorating and getting the house in shape. Since Chloe is back in school and we have family coming for the holidays, there is no time like the present.

I placed the order for Oliver's bedding last week from P*B*K and for a darling tented shelf unit from Land* of Nod*. I also have my eye on a red dresser that I will purchase in the next month or so. Matt and Chloe are going to pick the wall colors and paint Oliver's room together!

We are also making plans to baby-proof the house and have some built-ins done in the playroom for toy storage. We are having a built-in entertainment system put in with shelves for toy storage and books. I want to buy baskets to put some of Chloe's toys in, one's we want to keep out of reach of Oliver.

We are also re-doing our book shelves in our formal living area. Right now they are crammed full of books and board games and we hope to clear it out and de-clutter. We will also re-tile the hearth around our fireplace. I've only had the tiles for a few months now, so getting that project out of the way will feel good.

I am really excited about getting all this done. Doing it now gives me the time to clear out and organize before Oliver's arrival (it also gives me something to concentrate on instead of constantly wondering when we will get our referral).

Work should begin the end of this month and be done by the first or second week in October. I'll post photos of Oliver's finished room on this blog and of our other projects on the family blog when all is underway and complete.