Sorry for my last criptic post.  I realize I haven’t written much about our current adoption.  During our first adoption nearly every post was about waiting and the torture that waiting inflicted on me and my sanity.  I haven’t written much about the waiting at all this time.  So, for those of you wondering we have officially been waiting for 7 months and 5 days or 31 weeks and 2 days for our referral of a baby girl.  I know that we are third on the list for a baby girl.  Knowing that really only makes it harder.  Because it really could happen any day (in theory).  In reality, I know it won’t happen this week, as our agencies director is out of town for the rest of the week and not back until Tuesay.  I also know that there are more babies to be referred in the coming weeks as the files of babies are completed.  This does not mean our referral in imminent as I have no idea about the gender numbers of the babies waiting. 

Waiting is hard and it gets harder the closer you get.  That certainly sucks as we are about as close as we can be without getting a referral and without being next.  I am hoping for a referral by the end of February–which would put me travelling sometime in June–possibly in May but most likely June.  I really want to know who our daughter is.  I am one of those people who find the wait after referral a little easier than the wait for a referral.  There is so much to do before she comes home–but I cannot begin to work on her room, etc until I know who she is. 

There has been much turmoil in the adoption world as of late.  If you are adopting from Ethiopia and are on the message boards you know what I am referring to.  Because of this, I am so very happy that we are working with the agency we are.  They are an amazing agency who are very aware of the ins and outs of the Ethiopian adoption process and they are very respected in Ethiopia for the work that they do.  I feel very lucky, even if my wait is longer than those with newer agencies, but that wait is worth it to know that my adoption agency is very much above reproach. 

I have decided how I am going to paint our daughter’s room and the bed linens that I am going to use.  But I can’t buy them or start to paint until I see her face.  Until I know her name.  Until I know how old she is, etc. 

In the meantime to pass the agonizing waiting game, I am of course keeping busy teaching and helping plan a meetup with some of Minnow”s Wanna-mates (kiddos who were at wanna at the same time that he was) and their mommies and daddies.  We are going to meet up in So Cal sometime soon.  It will be great to finally meet everyone IRL. 

Sorry for the long update.  But, yes I am still waiting.  But I am lucky to have my little Minnow to entertain me.