Friday, February 19, 2010

counting...

It's been 8 months since we were in Africa...
8 months since we fell in love with Sanyu & knew we were to adopt from there..
It's been 6 months since we moved from LA & got a two bedroom place to rent, dreaming of our baby..
5 months ago I started emailing people who had adopted from Uganda recently
& started checking out agencies...
& our parents and families were told they were getting a niece/nephew/grand baby/great grand baby 4 months ago..
3 months ago we finished the applications & started all the paper work...
A month ago we finished meeting with our social worker...
& less then a month ago we found out we're #3 on the waiting list at Sanyu....

...but now there's a hiccup in the road and we're waiting on wording to make sure our home study is perfect...

....and I'm sad. I know technically we only started four months ago, {and goodness knows my friend James has been there four months so really I have nothing to complain about} but it feels like we've been doing this for 8 months. and it just feels long.

I think of my baby every day and hope they are being loved. That someone is tucking them into bed and night and giving their little checks kisses whenever they can...

...and I write new to do lists and buy more things for baby/traveling.

....So, today I searched on peoples blogs and added up how many months it normally takes from beginning to end, paperwork included.

The majority of people's adoptions, from the time they started the paperwork until they're babies were home was eight or nine months. {But there are exceptions.}

One families baby was home in two months. TWO MONTHS...

....but if I am realistic with myself the truth is we probably won't have baby home until around August. And August is so very far away.

6 comments:

Love said...

oh, abi. i know that it is hard on a mama's heart. AND i know that you know this already, but his timing will be PERFECT.

i remember starting to get frustrated w/ how s l o w our social worker was getting stuff done. i wanted to get there!!! and although we didn't find out until later, Clay arrived to Sanyu the VERY same day that i did.

{!!!!!}

God is amazing and is preparing you all in a more perfect way than you can imagine!!

Jim and April said...

what gender or age are you requesting? i agree...even though its been a short time for us too I get nervous since we are still waiting to hear about Uganda changing the wording of their rulings or not!

Ioana said...

yes, August is so faaaaaaaaar far away.
i am praying for the baby to come to his forever home sooner.

Whatshername's Mummy said...

You're sad and you will have days like this, unfortunately it's part of the process.

My experience of adoption is much slower than your expectations and I share in the hope that it might help you look at things in a different way.

I live in Wales, the system is different, more complex and much slower. I decided to adopt at the beginning of 2004, I was approved 16 months later, papers got to China 5 months after that and then I was involed in the great slow down. I expected referral in 6-7 months and it took 18 months, a whole year longer than I'd thought. My daughter finally came home 3 and a half years after starting the process. Those 3 and a half years seemed an eternity, especially the last 12 months, the uncertainty was awful and the stress had a huge effect on my life.

My daughter's now been home for over 2 and a half years and I wouldn't change a minute of the waiting - if timings had worked out the way that they should have I wouldn't have THIS child as my daughter. She has brought so much joy and happiness, I wouldn't change her in anyway and now I'm grateful for every moment waiting that meant she was the child I was referred.

17 months ago I started the process for a little sister, I've just chosen to change countries which means starting again and yet more waiting. I'm trying to see this as making the timing right for the right child to join our family but even now my daughter is saying that we've waited too long and it's time for her little sister to come home, she's right in a way but I'm trusting that the timing will be right.

Hope that helps,
Kate
Alice Ming's very proud mama

Leanne said...

The wait is SO hard. I can totally empathize. We're in Canada and the wait is very long for our program. (Ethiopia) We've been waiting almost 8 months since our dossier was sent, and it was another 10 months before that when we started our application.
We've been told that referrals may take between 2-3 years now as the program gets busier.

I hope you see your little one's face SOON! It's such an encouragement to see these little ones come HOME to their forever families.

Amber Benge said...

Waiting is soooo hard! God has taken us the long way through this adoption process and we are STILL waiting to get through the process to adopt through foster care. I am curious though... what agency are you using to adopt through Uganda? We've been really interested in Uganda since we began reading about Amizama and Katie's ministry there. Do you know about her?

Okay, I'm glad I found your blog! Praying that your baby comes home quickly. :)