After seven long months of grueling paperwork, today we received the call we have anxiously awaited - "CONGRATULATIONS - you paperwork is complete! You are officially on the waiting list!" Though the wait numbers are a bit overwhelming - we are pumped to announce that our official "wait" has begun. Wait numbers are: Girl-#139, Boy-#121, Siblings-#54.I bet you may be wondering - what does this all mean????
Yesterday, we found great joy in the monumental progress: the completion of one segment of this marathon journey toward baby. Completing the paperwork is a big deal - it feels AMAZING. Getting "on the list" feels even better. On the list we will have a visual of our progress (or lack of) to the end goal - meeting and bringing home baby to become a Kahl!
I know many of you are wondering a few things:
1. Now that you are "on the list" does that mean you will bring baby home soon? Unfortunately - no. As I wrote in a previous entry, the international adoption world has slowed quite significantly. We are anticipating an additional wait of 18+ months.
2. What do those numbers mean? The numbers indicate all the people that are ahead of us - also waiting. There are 138 people ahead of us waiting for a girl, 120 people ahead of us waiting for a boy, and 53 people ahead of us waiting for siblings.
3. Siblings???? I received many inquiries about the word "siblings", yesterday. Truth be told - we did indicate to our agency, that we would be excited to bring twins into our family, if that opportunity came about. Thus, we have been placed on the sibling list.
4. How often do the numbers adjust? Every month, we will receive a number update from our agency. This update will show us where we fall on the list at that point in time. At times there will be significant movement, meaning several people at the top of the list received referrals that month, and some months will be very slow with only a couple referrals (which was the case in the fall of 2011).
I have heard that this leg of the journey will be very challenging. Though the paperwork is daunting, it keeps you busy, focused, and feeling as though you are able to accomplish something. But in this phase, we will wait......dream.....long for.....anticipate......
We continue ahead, in full trust of God's perfect timing and provision. We are blessed by the ways He has, and will continue to, grow and stretch us in this journey. Each challenge, struggle and joy are opportunities to draw closer to God in His perfect love for us - we are so blessed.
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