Ups downs and all arounds

This is what I have discovered about international adoption. It can make a very sane person, never diagnosed with a psychological disorder, feel.... well... bipolar. I was driving in my car today and just replaying in my head the ups and downs since beginning this journey. Here is a replay....

February 2008- Totally excited that we are going foward with adoption! I've wanted to do this a very long time and well is it actually happening? IT IS!!!

March 2008-Kind of upset we are only about 10% into all the paperwork after spending about 20 hours a week working on it. And it looks like it will be several more months before our dossier is complete and ready to go. Read about a woman who compiled her dossier in 1 week and she has 6 kids. Really?

April 2008-Yippee! Met our social worker and had a great initial homestudy!!!! Dossier is coming together!!!

May 2008- Problem with one of our physical exams. Need follow up to make sure all is good. Could delay us for weeks. Even months.

June 2008- Everything is okay with the follow up! And it caused no delays! And our dossier is almost complete!!!Homestudy is written up! We are almost done with the paperwork!

July 2008- Switched to the AWOP program after learning about them and there are already children waiting so not too long for a referral! Our dossier is in country!!!Probably in August we will have a referral!!!

WE THOUGHT

September 2008- Waiting for official referral. By the end of the month thinking it probably won't ever happen. All we want is the referral. Once we get that, everything will be fine as long as we know who she is. That's all we want. I really don't think this is going to happen for us :(

October 2008- Official Referral! We are looking at the most beautiful girl in the whole world and this feeling will last forever...Accept referral, research and find out all we can about where our girl is from.

November 2008- Our referral acceptance is in country!!! I tracked the fed ex package the entire 1 week trip. Court date any day now!!!! She should be home by January!!!

December 2008- Maybe we won't ever get a court date. What if she doesn't ever come home? Is there something wrong?

End December 2009- We just got an updated pic of our girl! She looks great! Oh I can look at this picture forever! Everything is okay now because she looks happy and healthy!

Very early January 2009- Now I am positive we won't ever get a court date. It will never be okay if our girl doesn't come home one day. How will we ever get over that?

Early January 2009- We find out about the delays. What is causing them and why. Yipee!!! Answers!!!! Answers that explain all the waiting. Thank goodness. We will get a court date soon and it looks like she will come home! Plus we get to send her a present!!! We get to go shopping for our girl! In a couple weeks she will be snuggling with the blanket we bought her. Plus we will get updated pictures and maybe even a video!!!!!!!

January 29, 2009- Still no court date. Sad again that it could have happened this week but didn't. Don't think it will happen next week either. :(

Yesterday January 30, 2009- Feel very confident our agency is doing everything in their power to get our court date!!! Think how great it is to have an awesome adoption coordinator. I know it will happen in February!!!