Skipping a Beat

In the past couple of days, my heart has skipped several beats. I received phone calls from both our agencies and got an email from our social worker (hence the title of this post -- see the first item under You Might Just Be...) basically just to let me know they haven't forgotten about us. We are still at the top of our placement agency's list for a little girl. The director said there seems to be a slow-down on girl referrals. All the referrals they have received lately have been little boys. I already knew this to be true from reading FRUA and other blogs. In fact, I recently stumbled across a blog by a middle TN family who is using the same home study and placement agencies that we are AND they applied the same month we did AND they submitted their dossier to Russia two weeks AFTER we did. They received a referral for a nine month old little boy within two days, have completed Trip One, and already have a court date for Trip Two.

Our social worker also said that as a consequence of a recent very tragic case in Utah involving another death of a child adopted from Russia, there have been delays in the Kemerovo region causing families to have to postpone Trip One travel dates or wait longer for court dates. As hard as it is to for me to wait without knowing anything, I can't imagine how awful it must be to have a photo that you've been carrying around for weeks of the child that you are anxiously awaiting to meet and then get delayed. Or worse, having already met your child on Trip One and fallen in love with him/her and then having to wait even longer to go back for court so you can bring them home -- knowing that at anytime before the court ruling is final, a Russian family could decide they wanted to adopt that child! Now that would be hard. Unfortunately, that is the nature of International Adoption. It is full of changes, unexpected delays, and surprises both good and bad. It is most certainly NOT for the faint of heart or easily discouraged. I'm going to keep counting my blessings (and making wishes under train bridges!)

So, anyway, now I am hoping that we will be able to bring our daughter home before the end of the summer. Each week we don't get THE CALL pushes us further toward Fall. Russia is currently in the middle of celebrating a couple of holidays and word has it that the government officials won't be back to work until May 12th. Nobody should expect to receive any information until after the 12th. It is a really good thing we are going on vacation. That should help take my mind off THE CALL for a few days. But, wouldn't it be really cool if we got the THE CALL while our family is in the "Happiest Place on Earth"!?! (a.k.a. Disney World) It could happen -- although not very likely. :0(

I have lots of photos and videos to post, but no time left. I'll dedicate a whole post to them soon. I have the most hilarious video of Nolan's Kindergarten graduation ceremony, but I can't figure out how to get it out of my DVD video camera. I have enlisted Martin's help on that and as soon he figures it out for me, I'll not only post it here, but a copy is going to America's Funniest Videos. I'm convinced his "performance" that night has won us $10,000!