Patience is a virtue... not one of mine

I've been reading on the adoption boards lately about the increased referral times. When we first decided on adoption, the wait times were around 7 months from log-in in China... they've since slowed to 9-10 months with rumors it could go even longer. This is in addition to the 5 months it will take us to get our dossier sent off. A little discouraging after the initial euphoria of "we're adopting! hooray!" But, it will be worth it in the end. Once the paperchase is done, it's not like we won't have things to do. What will be June's bedroom is in dire need of a makeover. Many empty walls throughout the house could do with some decorating. The quest to reclaim the figure of my youth will certainly keep me busy for a while.

There's a lot of speculation as to why the referrals have slowed down but it seems the general consensus is that there are more dossiers coming in to China, creating a bottleneck. I have to think that this is a good thing, that so many more of us are becoming interested in adopting from a country where there are countless numbers of babies that needs homes. Maybe we have to wait a little bit longer but we're still going to be united one day, and that helps. The wait is certainly easier on us than it is on the babies...

One thing that definitely helps keep things in focus is picking up books on adoption. My latest read is The Lost Daughters of China. It is an incredible book for anyone considering China adoption or is just interested in learning more about the plight of these little girls. Next on my list: The Waiting Child. Thanks to Monica for the recommendation!