Lots to say but little report

It’s been awhile. Have you been anxiously awaiting news? Me too.

First the news – there has been another set of referrals since my last post. CCCWA (yeah, it did change) has matched waiting families through July 14, 2006.

It is me, or is it getting slower the closer I get?

The next referrals should show up at the end of September. The number of waiting families with LIDs between July 14, 2006 and my date of August 10, 2006 are pretty light. That’s no guarantee of faster progress but I’m hopeful.

Now some other observations - I let my 5-year LID anniversary come and go without comment. I didn’t have anything to say that I haven’t said before. And, I’m beginning to buy in to all manner of superstition when it comes to this situation. Maybe discussing it is bad luck?

Sometimes, I just have to have a baby ‘fix’. This is typically cured with a trip to T@rget, BRU, or some such. In the last month, I’ve purchased the stroller and car seat, along with a varied selection of stuff from my travel list. Ah, retail therapy!

M

Another small batch of referrals

We're up to July 13, 2006.

I'm now less than one month from the current referral date.

Am I freaked out? Yes, yes I am!

M

Nesting?

I've gotten my big suitcase out and moved it to the nursery as a staging area of sorts.

In true project management style I have a packing list working in Excel - with the idea of slowly accumulating (and tracking) travel supplies. Oh how I love my lists!

Tonight I'm washing baby clothes. Some will go into the packing staging area.

I've been acquiring baby stuffs for so long (5 years!) it's interesting to see it all together. Do I have enough sizes? I hadn't planned (okay I hoped) on travel in the colder months; I need more warm outfits for BB.

M

Not the birthday news I was hoping for but . . .

Latest referral batch began arriving this afternoon - matches to LIDs through July 6, 2006.

My stats now read:

34 days
24 possible LIDs
4 GW LIDs

Each new batch, no matter how small, brings me closer to BB.

M

Biggest batch of referrals in ages!

Another batch came through early last week. Referrals through June 30, 2006! 10 days worth.

I was surprised to see how few referrals there where for my agency - only five. It implies there was a lot of attrition (families dropping out of the adoption process). Not many willing to wait over five years, which I understand.

What does this mean for BB and her still-waiting mom? 40 days left to my LID, 28 days of possible LIDs before mine, and 5 LIDs before mine from my agency.

Latest predictions: referral in late August or September.

Wow, that isn't that far off . . .no reason to panic, right!?

m

More referrals -slow, slower, slowest

Referrals late Friday, through June 20, 2006.

For those keeping score (me), that's 36 possible LID days or 6 possible Great Wall LID days still in front of me.

M

Feelings

Well we had another round of referrals in April - we're up to June 15, 2006. Another set is due in a few weeks.

This is the first time in a long, long while that I feel like I'm really close. (Wait, have I written that before?) The tension is beginning to rise a bit. I want to tell people - to share my excitement. But. I also feel like it's such old news to my close friends and family that they are tired of it already!

So much of the situation has changed. Friends waiting with me became parents a few years ago - they have toddlers now. Everyone is older; two of my nephews have children themselves and another is getting married. Even the plans I'd tentatively made, for house sitters and daycare, have changed! I have a different job, so does my traveling companion. What if I have to travel by myself? What if I can't get the daycare I want?

Everything has to be rethought. Excitement tinged with confusion. Ah, pending parenthood!

M