Okay, first off, spring is here! What a glorious day to start spring...Now let's backtrack over the last couple of weeks (wavy lines, wavy lines ...)
So our homestudy immigration papers, as I mentioned in the last post, went off and we were thrilled. One week later on Friday afternoon after driving home from work, I found a big package in our mailbox. It was from the USCIS! "It must be our paperwork to get our fingerprints done! Yay! We're almost done with all this stuff!" Nope. Agency sent our packet o' info to the wrong USCIS address and the USCIS returned the whole shebang to us. So I immediately hopped into the car and drove the packet to the agency to be resent (to the right address.)
So minor bump, but okay.
But three days before that, we got a call from our new contact at Wide Horizons. We chatted with her for a while, and I mentioned to her (as our social worker had suggested we do) that I had mucho experience with twins, and if a pair of twins became available, we'd love to be considered. She said that young twins didn't happen that often, but that we could end up with many possible combinations, such as a pair of four-year old twins or a three year old and a four year old.
Huh?
I pointed out that we'd talked with our social worker that we wanted two siblings, with one under 12 months. Ryan said that that was his understanding too. She said that their records said "two siblings up to 48 months" rather than "two siblings, one under 12 months, one up to 48 months." She said she'd check with other folks at the agency and get back to us. It was a rock-in-the-stomach couple of days until she called us back. When we talked next, she said that there was clearly a miscommunication and that they normally didn't grant the choice we'd asked for. But she said they'd be willing to give us "One child under 12 months, " or "two siblings, one under 12 months, one up to 48 months," whichever came first. Ry and I discussed it and said we could do that.
So now we could end up with one child or two. So we've been getting used to that idea.
Then last week happened.
The Ethiopian government decided that adoptive families would need to make two trips instead of one and all agencies in Ethiopia had to comply with the new regulations. This means after we get a referral, we wait for our court date, fly (at about one week's notice) to Ethiopia when the court date is decided, meet our children and attend the court proceedings, then fly home (without children), and then return to Ethiopia to pick up the children anywhere from 2 - 8 weeks after once all the paperwork is ready. Oy. From what folks have been able to understand, this is due to the fact that some families (in other programs) abandon the children they've adopted in Ethiopia. (I think this happens in some of the less reputable agencies that are not truthful about the child's health, history, etc.) The Ethiopian government, thus, needs to protect everyone involved so that the adoptive parents can attest in court that this child is indeed the one they are adopting so that cases of abandonment are less likely.
It's a bit of an adjustment to make. One of the main reasons we chose Ethiopia was that there was one visit; we'd both heard how heartbreaking it would be to meet your child and then leave him/her for an extended period of time. Additionally, last minute tickets to Ethiopia ain't cheap.
Despite this new twist, we're doing okay, and figure this is all part of the big plan that is leading us to our children. Tons of change in only a couple of weeks, but I'd say we're doing a good job gliding through it. I keep telling myself that it will all be worth it when we have our child/ren in our arms, but sometimes it just feels like we'll always be waiting. Even though you can intellectually know that you'll be parents in about two years, it's hard for one's heart to always believe it.
And so we wait.
As it helps not to watch the pot boil, we've both been keeping very busy. Ry's been doing great with his blossoming music career, and I've been busy with my art class and my newest interest, trapezing! To celebrate my 39th birthday, I went learned how to ride a trapeze over at Jordan's Furniture in Reading. IT. WAS. A. BLAST!! The first jump was terrifying. Actually, it was the getting-ready-to-jump that was terrifying. The jump itself was surprisingly gentle! I'm proud to say that I did the knee hang, the flip off the bar, and even a catch onto someone on another trapeze! And, yes, I'm going back. Too fun to pass up.
Today was a gorgeous first day of spring, and I got the garden ready with lovely composted cow poop. The garden, though bare, looks happy and ready to go. Will plant peas and spinach very soon....maybe tomorrow? We'll see...
Over and out.
xoxo
Trina
