Comments on: ….and wait some more!

By: Pearl

Pearl — Wed, 07 May 2008 08:04:18 +0000

Hang in there…I’m sure your LOI will come soon. We’re adopting from Kaz too, and our dossier is still sitting on the new guy’s desk since January 08. Our caseworker even went personally and had an appointment with the new guy at the embassy at DC to check status of our dossier, but the new ambassador just told her that he didnt have the time to check our dossier when she got there…(she requested beforehand to go over our dossier). This is truly an emotional roller coaster. I understand how frustrating it is, and I’m just praying that we’ll all get our LOI soon.

By: Maryanne

Maryanne — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:56:26 +0000

Hey there! Just ran across your blog. I hear you about the waits. It has just killed us, too. We are getting our dossier translated ( again!!) because the last time , it had just been finished when the new guy at the embassy fired all the translators and it had to be redone again. Oi vey. I’m a teacher, too and I totally hear you on that end as well. I am going to have to take the beginning of next school year off, too probably. So keep your chin up and good luck! I’ll be sure to check in on this blog now to see how it’s going. I hope you get to Kaz soon and that we are soon after!

By: Mcmary

Mcmary — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 05:35:14 +0000

I do hope your travel comes soon for you. The previous comments all have great advice in them that I agree with–just know you are not alone and we all wish you the best.
Have loads of fun in San Fran–it sounds like a great way to pass some of the time.

By: Regina

Regina — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 04:07:48 +0000

I don’t know anyone who isn’t having to wait longer than expected — and often don’t hear it until the last minute. I know it doesn’t always help to hear you’re not the only one, but at least you have some truly sympathetic and empathetic readers out there. Hang in there and know that it will happen. It WILL happen when it’s supposed to.

Regina

By: Chrissy McAllister

Chrissy McAllister — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:02:38 +0000

Wow, I think you and I are having nearly identical experiences! I am a teacher (college level) and fought my school for over a year to get adoptive parents included in their maternity leave policy instead of just biological parents (they fought me on this for a long time, which seemed ridiculous to me…). The school finally changed their benefits policy. My agency indicated that travel was imminent for me last fall… I thought I’d be traveling in January or February… so I requested our winter quarter off (Jan-March of this year). Sadly, there has been no word about travel for us, and I used up all that leave time. Now I am back at work for spring quarter (March-June).

Now I’m stuck thinking about what happens if a) I have to travel during this quarter…. what do I do? Substitutes are difficult at the college level and b) what if this gets delayed so far that we’re bringing home a child near the end of summer, and I have to go back to work in the fall and put him/her directly into child care?

With my agency, we won’t know our region until we get our LOI. And your LOI gives you 10-12 days to get to Kaz. It’s so hard to know what to do with that level of ambiguity in our lives…

I also completely agree with your emotional assessment of the situation… it’s so hard to keep a lid on the pent-up excitement and anticipation… but when you let it out (even a little bit) and nothing happens, it’s pretty rough.

I hope you have a great trip to the west coast! Visiting other people sounds like an EXCELLENT way to pass the time during the wait.

By: Vince, Shelly and Maddie

Vince, Shelly and Maddie — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:52:33 +0000

Don’t know if you saw this. Just moved from AP:

NEW YORK — The slowdown affecting adoptions from China coincides with unrelated complications in several other countries that have been major sources of adopted children for American parents. Some examples:

_KAZAKHSTAN: Officials of Kazakhstan, the eighth-largest supplier of adopted children to the U.S. in 2007, informed the State Department last month that it was reviewing its adoption process and would suspend its normal handling of applications during the review.

By: Chris and Tricia

Chris and Tricia — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:06:28 +0000

Have fun in San Francisco with your sister and definitely take some relaxing time for yourself. You are going to need the energy once you get that call!

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:21:19 +0000

Hey there-I have to second what Amy said. But, I know it’s hard when you had a date and then it just keeps getting delayed. We are also waiting on Kostanai, and from just my reading blogs and yahoo groups, I have counted 7 other families also waiting for LOI’s. So, that being said, I’d rather wait until they are children available. It is taking a lot longer the last few months in Kaz then it did when we started the process. I truly figured we’d be home by now with our child. But, we’re not, and we have 7 weeks of school left (my son is almost 10) I hope we go this summer, because it would be way easier with summer vacation. So, i haven’t signed up for any summer camps or anything-thinking we could leave. But, we may not. We were intitialyl told May too, but I’m not holding my breath. Maybe we will meet in Kostanai!

Hang in there, and get your work done. I recently watched my freinds 10 month old son and GOT NOTHING DONE when he was here. It’s impossible to get things done with a baby or toddller underfoot. So, don’t feel guilty, you needed this time to get ready.

Email anytime you want, since we’re also waiting. :
Have a blast in San Fransciso-that was a wonderful idea!!!

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:53:01 +0000

It is true that in International Adoption you have to be prepared for anything to happen – it continues this way right up until the very end and I think it is wise to realize that until you step foot into your home with your child, close the door behind you and lock the door that any reality is still a possibility. If you keep that in mind then at least you don’t have to deal wth the shock that comes from having something come up – the disappointment, yes, the frustration, yes, but not the shock.

I also wanted to say that the wait happens for a reason – if circumstances had been different in your life (some of those circumstances being timing) chances are very good that you would have not met the person who became your husband. But because of timing (otherwise known as interference from the guy upstairs) you met him and you eventually married. So…look at the delays as what needs to happen for the stars and planets to align so that you can meet who you are supposed to meet. The child that is meant to be yours.

It all sounds so sentimental but I was with about 10 other families in my region that were adopting all at the same time and they all one by one at one time or another said the same thing which was….if we had not been through what we went through (infertility treatments, failed domestic adoption, waiting, delays, etc.) we would not have arrived here at this precise moment in time to meet the child that was meant to be ours. And that they felt very strongly that the child they met was most certainly meant for them. I feel that way too and in that realize I got my own personal miracle. Miracles come in their own timetable not ours and when they come all the waiting is worth it. I would go through the whole process 100 times again if I had to to get to where I am now. Soon you will get there too and you will be grateful for the delays you curse now for the very same reason. ; )