The Amazing Race

Sorry I have been absent from the blogging world for a few days.  (Don't worry, I haven't been hiding under my covers having a total emotional meltdown; although I have had a few really sad moments thinking about where we're at with our adoption process.)  Overall it's been a busy week filled with really fun things: hanging out with my college roommate, taking Emma to see her first movie on the big screen (and using all my persuasive powers to keep her semi-quiet and in her seat for the whole hour and a half), helping a friend get ready for a super adorable ice cream birthday party, and finding lots of good deals to restock my 'fridge after camp.  (Something told me that Jeremy wouldn't survive too long on three eggs, cheese slices, and salad dressing.)

Today Jeremy and I took a R-E-A-L-L-Y early morning trip to the state capital (yes, AGAIN).  In order to get U.S. Immigration approval to adopt, you and any other adults living in your home have to be fingerprinted.  Unfortunately, while your approval to adopt (the lovely Form I-171h) lasts for 18 months, U.S. Immigration deletes fingerprints from their computer every 15 months.  So, while our Ghana approval is good until the end of November, the fingerprints necessary for that approval expire July 8.  In order to get new fingerprints, you are required to request an appointment time via mail.  You then receive an appointment letter with a random date and time that hopefully fits your schedule.  Our appointment was at 8:00 a.m. this morning...in a city over two hours away.  So fun.

I have to confess that sometimes (like 5:00 a.m. this morning) the adoption process feels a lot like that TV show The Amazing Race.  I'm not a huge Amazing Race fan, but I have watched it several times (and would totally love to be a contestant - any Amazing Race casting people out there reading my blog?).  Anyways, last night I went to bed thinking about all the crazy roadblocks and detours we've encountered in our adoption "race".  Instead of the kind of detours on the TV show (things like, "Find the one red bean among these three million white beans"), we run into things like, "Get two physicians and one notary to be available and in the same place at the same time" or "Wake up early and travel to your state capital to get gold seals on these 13 papers.  Then, remembering to bring enough change for all the meters, navigate to the FedEx location and send this stack of papers across the ocean."  There are times in this process when I am insanely jealous slightly envious of people who get pregnant by accident.  I don't say that because I am wishing to be pregnant, but because an easy road to our little ones (and a nine month wait) sound absolutely incredible right now!

Alright, I'm done venting.  I am sure that all of these crazy hoops we are asked to jump through will be 100% worth it when we hold our little ones for the first time.  Sometimes the end of this journey just seems incredibly far away.

We haven't heard anything new regarding our paperwork.  Several sources have confirmed the email we got from Nina saying that our country will not be giving any more SDA appointments until after the closure (which people are guessing will be about three months, beginning July 11).  We are praying for a few specific things in regard to the closure.

1.)  Although our paperwork was submitted on June 2, it has not been officially registered with our country yet.  In order for it to be registered, someone from the SDA will check our dossier to make sure everything was completed (and signed, and notarized, and apostilled) correctly.  Once we are registered, we will be in line to adopt when our country reopens.  We should find out this week if our paperwork passed the test.  Please pray that everything is in order.  I'm not sure whether we would have time to correct mistakes and send papers back to our country before July 11.

2.)  As things stand right now, we cannot move forward with our adoption because our special need is not on the special needs list.  We are very optimistic that the current list will be expanded.  (In fact, Nina recently emailed and said that "everyone is sure" the list will be broadened.)  However, it hasn't happened yet.  Please pray that MANY more special needs (things like hydrocephaly, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, FAS, and HIV) will be added to the list.  It breaks my heart to think of little ones with these needs waiting and waiting and waiting for families.

3.)  We are not the only family who is feeling stuck and defeated right now.  There are many families in process with our country who could use prayer.  Some, like us, don't know if they will be able to move forward with their adoptions.  Others are attempting to adopt specific children and have to wait three more months with the knowledge that their precious kiddos are not home.  Are not being hugged by mommy and daddy at night.  Perhaps are not getting the medical treatment they need.

My pillow is calling me, but before I head to bed I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you.  Thanks for your prayers.  Thanks for your words of encouragement.  Thanks for letting your hearts hurt along with ours.  We are beyond blessed to have friends and family like you.