- Got a puppy, Flash--puppies are hard work!! A puppy and a baby--what were we thinking?
- 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!
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- Program a special ring tone for the adoption agency.
- Scour the Internet for every blog that has anything to do with Ethiopia, especially one's with recent referrals and travel.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
5 comments:
Great post and something I can totally relate too:) I agree with the last post about the agency. Hang in there, our times will come when they are meant to and we will all be smiling and looking back saying it was not only worth it, but not so bad afterall:) Jennifer
Can totally relate to your last entry. We got a cat and goldfish in the meantime, and of course religiously read other AP's blogs, "gaze" over their beautiful children, and compare timelines.
This ET adoption is our 3rd one as well (started back in June of 2008) and I thought the wait would be a piece of cake- YEAH RIGHT, lol.
Our time will come - praying it will be sooner then later.
Blessings,
mel
There is nothing more certain in adoption than uncertainty. So, let's just all hurry up and wait together :-)
Hah, you're funny Debbie. We need that type of humor in (waiting) times like that.
It is exciting to think that we are finishing our 5th month soon and starting month 6....getting closer every day:)
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