What's up on the adoption front?

First delay, snafu, bump in the road.. one of many I am imagining.

With Tony's job change, that puts us in a holding pattern until we can figure out the income specifics. We had completed all of the homestudy except the financial part. The last word I just got was that we could keep moving with a w2 from his old job and estimates from the new job. So it looks like no finalizing in January. Which I'm o.k. with.

We are also thinking that the house will go off the market at the end of January. Even with our prayers for an awesome, God-thing-sell --- it didn't happen. Which I'm also o.k. with. I love my house and I really, really, really hate moving. Do I think we were wrong? That we misunderstood God's leading? No. We felt called to put the house up for sell to get the financing for the adoption, we had another house given and ready that same day, it felt like God. And I think it still was. But as I told Tony, I really think maybe it was like with Abraham and Isaac - God just wanted us to walk in faith and give it to Him as an offering of our obedience. And I pray that God provides that ram walking around the corner in the next couple months!

So here is where we are and what has to happen next:

1) finish the homestudy visits. the report has to then be approved by our homestudy agency, our adoption agency, and then us.

2) once it's certified by all 3, it is then sent to Immigration services (where we had our fingerprints taken) for approval to bring an orphan in-country. We then wait for that form, the i600a, which can take from 1-3 months. Wait.

3) 3 copies of our dossier (30 different official documents) and then mail it, with $7700, to adoption agency. (this is the ram I am hoping God provides) We would then be considered DTE or dossier to Ethiopia. Or waiting.

4) current wait time right now for an infant girl is 9-12 months. Although it can vary. So we wait.

5) receive referral of our baby girl. This includes her picture, background, any known health history. We can then accept/reject the referral. Send in acceptance with $5250. Wait. This is what I think will be the hardest stage. Having her picture and little face. Getting updates on her growth every month. Growth you are missing. Milestones you don't see. Knowing that she is your baby, but not legally yet. We can send care packages during this time and have other families traveling take pictures of her for us and love on her for us.

6) wait anywhere from 2-3 months (or more) for court date. 50% of families don't pass court the first time. Once she passes court she will be officially our child. Then wait some more.

7) after passing court, wait for travel dates, also dependent on when the US Embassy can accommodate your appt. in-country to apply for baby's visa. We were told today that it will now take a minimum of 4-6 weeks from passing court to travel dates due to some embassy changes. Wait for those dates.

8) travel to Ethiopia on 16 hour plane ride to get our baby girl. Travel/visas will be around $6000. Length of stay is usually 7 days but we may stay a few extra so that Tony can view Compassion's work and meet our Ethiopian family I met on my last trip.

9) Bring Olivia home as our daughter, from that day forward!

So right now, if current referral times are accurate after we are DTE, it would be around 1 year from that time. But Tony has assured me that Olivia will be home for Christmas 2010. We have heard that fewer families are adopting now because of the economy. And our agency has opened an additional transition home, which means more babies can be brought in from outside orphanages and be referred. So we'llll see. Did I mention I'm not good at waiting for things?

And here's why we're doing this... And what goes through the mind of adopting moms everyday... Heidi, 31 year old mom of 3 bio kids and 6 adopted, says it so much better than I.