Just the Beginning

We are really in the beginning stages of this adoption. We are just getting our home-study done and getting to work on the dossier (fancy word for "insane amount of paperwork that all has to be notarized"). Really the home-study is not that new to us, since we have been state foster/adopt parents, but there are a few more requirements for an international adoption. To date we have mailed off one enormous check and are just saving and praying (not necessarily in that order) for the funds for the next installment. We are using an agency by the name of All God's CHildren International. The Ethiopian adoption process is currently taking between 12 and 16 months, after you get in your dossier. Okay, that's a long time, but really, we are used to all of this waiting. We have been married for nine years this May and just adopted (officially) our first last May. I don't mind the wait....at least not now. Ask me after we have actually been matched with a child and have to wait 2-6 months to actually travel to get them. Meanwhile, watching them change through photos and emails. Sometimes when I hold Tony, I feel a profound loss for the years of his life (5 1/2) that I didn't get to hold him. That's why I am glad that at 7 years old he only weighs 50 lbs., because I have lots of holding to make-up for.

Okay, so to recap...we are just at the beginning, but this is the time when we do all of the work. I pray for speedy government agency work in returning all of our documents. Also, I pray that someone in the legislature extends the doption tax credit, it sunsets in 2010 and this will have a devastating effect on adoptions in our country. The credit is a maximum of 12K....that is a real blessing when you are spending between 20-30K on your adoption.