Another Step Down

Our Dossier has made it through the review room!! The last notice we received was that Dossiers dated through February 28, 2008 have been reviewed. Last week we were informed that Dossiers dated through April 30, 2009 have made it through. Ours is March of 2009. So this step matters and yet not really until we have a referral. It will mean us travelling a bit sooner because our original review has been done. Of course once we are matched, then our dossier has to be found and made sure that we qualify for the type of child we have been matched with. It really is good news because, to my knowlege, we had no questions regarding: health, income, family, or anything that would make us ineligible to adopt from China. WooHoo!

Last week, we had the privelege of being fingerprinted yet again for USCIS/DHS. This is to renew our immigration pre-approval because we have been approved for over 15 months and not filed for approval (meaning we haven't brought anyone into the country as an immediate family member). The whole experience was top notch, it's just the idea of all the redundancy, but you've heard that before! I thought we would have had our renewal already, but it has not come yet. Maybe someone has duplicated our fingerprints and is wreaking havoc and committing crimes?

What ARE we waiting for?

Did you ever eat a brownie with powdered sugar on top and inhale as you took a bite? I just did that. (Side note: I made Lisa's California brownies using applesauce instead of margarine and the texture is there, but they still need a little something, but I have no problem eating a mediocre brownie if it's lowish in fat and calories. I wonder if I used pumpkin instead of applesauce?) Then it hit me, why am I having so much trouble from this lovely little treat? Now I know you can't really compare our adoption process with a brownie--that would be waaaaay too big of a stretch, but just a small correlation: What I thought would be rather straighforward journey (delusional, I was) has become a whole 'nother ballgame. This waiting is garbage and it has turned into this whole complicated deal. I am sure I was protected from knowing about all the BS as we began down this road, because I gotta say that I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have started.

Now, I know most people know how China Adoption has slowed down. What used to take 6 months or so, has turned into 4 years and rising, but that is not the program we are in. Our path is not supposed to take this turn. There are approximately 1,000 children waiting on a list for a family. Why does the (yes, mostly OUR) government make this so stinking hard? It has gone beyond "in the interest of the children". This process is redundant, repetitive, overlapping and did I say redundant? This red tape is damaging for these kids. The 6 months of waiting (approx.) AFTER getting chosen is just crazy. I am also constantly second guessing our agency. I know they serve many clients throughout the US, and I am not the most important one. I know they are hardworking and overworked, but we are a family that is in the 5% or less that are easy to match due to our openness for gender, age and need. Why are we still waiting? I cannot believe that our son or daughter is not out there, sitting on a list. I firmly believe that he/she is just aging as the people in the way are just taking their sweet old time. Pretty harsh? Yep. I am pretty sure I also believe we should have preference over families who switched over from the standard program a year after us (and yes there are a ton of arguments for that, but I'm not addressing that today, today is a pity party for me.)

That said--and thank you I do feel better--will our son or daughter be worth the trouble? Of course! And that's the only way through this; focusing on the end result. Lovin' on that little one!

Ok, thanks for listening to my raving. Yes, I will be eating crow and telling you all how wonderful our government and my agency is (well they are wonderful, just not today) when we get a referral and bring home our new little Kuiper. Wait for it.

To balance out this negativity, I have to say that I am blessed beyond belief with Shannon and Austin. They are amazing kids I am privileged to parent them. I love them beyond words and I am amazed daily how beautiful they are.

Switching gears, how about the name Finn (Finnley or Finley, sounds a little girly, though) for either a boy or girl? That's what we are leaning towards, don't tell anyone, it's our little secret.

You have officially made it through another post of me ranting about waiting for #3. Congratulations! Stay tuned.

Deb