Strength in Numbers

One of the reasons we chose to adopt from China was the sheer number of parents who have BTDT - almost 8,000 Chinese children were adopted into the U.S. last year. There are other adoptive families with children from China in our area, and we are hopeful our program choice will allow our daughter the opportunity to make friends, just like her.

I recently joined our agency's August/September DTC yahoo group (pray USCIS cooperates!). Joining the group was a big emotional step for me - it seems as though "meeting" folks we may travel with to pick up our real live child raises the stakes, somehow. It feels wonderful, though, to share experiences with folks who are actually walking in the very same shoes we are. I look forward to getting to more involved with the group over the months to come.

Another welcome addition to our lives has been our local FCC group, which has provided us with a wealth of information, unfailing support and ultimately, friendship. Last weekend, a group of Waiting Families got together after our monthly FCC meeting and talked and laughed and simply enjoyed each other's company, feeling comfortable both in our childlessness and our quest to become adoptive parents. (Thanks, Donna for taking this wonderful picture of all of us!)

When deciding to adopt, we knew that after a long wait, we'd be gaining a child. We've since discovered that it's more than that...that same long wait has led us to something else unexpected and very special - friends, just like us.

The Wait

I've neglected this blog lately because of a lack of motivation to face the long wait ahead. It's as if to write it down gives credence to the fact that our referral is, at this point, up to two years away. I'm in denial.

Our paperwork isn't even finished yet and still the wait bears down like an an elephant on my shoulders. I need a snippet of patience, and a new milestone to be met, however small, to carry me through. We are currently awaiting certification from our state to move forward with the rest of our paperwork, which we'll hopefully receive by the end of this month. Perhaps then this lagging limbo will begin to lift and allow us to proceed.

Secret Pal Gift

On a positive note, a little glimmer of support shimmered its way onto my doorstep yesterday. An incredible gift from my knittyboard.com Secret Pal arrived, resplendent with a theme of "Mother's Day". Along with gorgeous merino yarn (after all, it is a knitting swap!), the box contained items chosen with motherhood in mind. A little plush lamb to comfort our daughter-to-be nestled amongst the skeins, accompanied by an adoption book I've been wanting to read for a very long time. Items to keep my hands soft and cuddly included Burt's Bees hand cream and a nifty four-sided nail file. The box also harbored a sampler box of sanity - chocolate (which miraculously arrived intact despite the heat!)

Lastly, inside the package was a very special treat - a heart-shaped wishing box. My pal filled it with her personal wish for our family, and left plenty of room for us to sprinkle the seeds of our own hopes and dreams. Pal, the wish you expressed will be treasured and nurtured forever. Thank you so very much - what an incredibly thoughtful gift!