Eight

8 inches of snow?  CHECK
8 months on the waitlist?  CHECK

ONE YEAR

One year ago we decided adoption was the way to build our family. One year ago we decided Ethiopia was the country we wanted to do this through. One year ago TODAY we mailed our first application to adopt. One year ago TODAY we OFFICIALLY began our journey to Baby DuFran.

Can you believe it?! We've been in the adoption process for 1 year now! If this was a traditional pregnancy we'd already be home with a 3 month old but, since it's an adoption pregnancy, we've still got 6 months to go before we're home with our little one! I'm glad Zach and I are so good at delayed gratification- because that's exactly what this is! :) One year ago, when we started filling out our first adoption paperwork I remember being sad thinking, "In one year we won't be any closer to our child. We still won't have a picture or have held them or really even be close to travelling to them." So here we are at that one year mark. Yeah, it stinks that we don't have any of those things yet but it will come so soon! We're getting so close! We have a whole 12 months behind us now out of the 18 month process! That sounds very big to me.

Unfortunately, a good portion of our paperwork, (medicals, reference letters, homestudy, etc) expire after one year so...... we now get to start re-doing paperwork! Hopefully, just as we finish getting everything back up to date we'll be receiving our referral phone call! That will be a good reminder of why this is all worth it! As soon as we see that little face, all of these months of waiting will just fade into the background!

7 months!

Okay, we've been on the waitlist 7 months now! That seems like such a large number to me. I keep thinking maybe we accidentally skipped a month somewhere. But no! We're actually 7 months down- x to go!!! The waitlist times have continued to creep up but it doesn't seem to be bothering me right now! Within mere months we'll have our referral! Even if I have to wait another 3 1/2 months that seems like nothing to me right now in my current state of mind. (I hope I can hold onto this state of mind because it's really fun!) The past 7 months have flown by. I keep waiting for time to slow down but it hasn't yet. I know we just had all kinds of holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) to distract us but now I can start looking forward to Valentine's Day and before you know it- Referral Day will be here! 7 months, 7 months, 7 months! We're getting so close!

Our last Christmas without Baby DuFran

Assuming nothing drastic happens, this time next year we will be parents!  We’ll be experiencing the Christmas season with a little one tagging along when we go shopping for gifts, when we go driving to look at lights, and when we decorate our Christmas tree.

We can’t wait to celebrate Christmas with Baby DuFran!

Update from the 6 month mark!

Well, we have officially been on the waitlist for 6 months and 1 day now!  This is a pretty monumental point, since the average wait for referral is about 9 months.  As usual, the month of December is going to fly by.  We're excited about the possibility of a call coming as soon as March.

We did something a little unusual this year and spent Thanksgiving in the Caribbean on a cruise with my entire family - 10 of us.  We had a wonderful time.  We realized this would be the last time we packed our suitcases and went off on a journey before we go to see our little one in Ethiopia - our last trip before we're parents.  Next trip: AFRICA!