Still Waiting...

We are still here and still waiting for our referral call. The past week hasn't exactly been enjoyable. I thought #1 would be so exciting but it is just really emotional. The excitment and anticipation are unlike anything I have ever experienced. It is pretty nerve-racking to be waiting for the phone to ring and disappointing when the day ends without it ringing. Brian is hanging in there. I can definitely tell he is getting more excited about being a Dad as we near this monumental moment. He is always so encouraging to me when I get anxious and impatient. It's a good thing one of us handles this pressure well.

I have bad days and better days. I just really haven't been myself as I feel I have a big giant cloud over my head filled with pent up emotions that are just dying to be released. I can only anticipate the joy of seeing our baby's face and learning all about him - right now the anticipation is a bit overwhelming as it sits just under the surface as my days slowly go on as usual.

Last week I caved under the pressure and asked our case worker some questions about our number and the status of referrals. I was kindly reminded of the procedure and found out nothing more than I already knew. We are still officially #6 although I am 99.9% positive we are really #1 and have been for at least a week. I was told AGCI tries to focus during this time on getting families with referrals through court and that referrals would slow down a little but still be given out during the court closure. Again, nothing new.

Today travel calls went out. Congratulations to Karen and Sharon on their travel dates. They will finally be united with their children. On the other side of things phone calls went out to let families know they will not be making the court closure. I am so sorry for those of you who had hoped your cases would make it and they did not. Please keep these families, including Michelle and Jana, in your prayers as they readjust their expectations and wait until fall to meet their children.

I am really hoping for a referral before the next travel group leaves on the 26th. Even though I haven't yet seen a single picture of our son I already am hoping for more from people who travel.

#1

WE ARE #Brian just got home from work and called to tell me there was a message I needed to hear. Now I am pretty sure Christy will call my cell phone so I didn't think it was THE CALL but knowing we are so close I completely had butterflies thinking that maybe it was. It was Shannon. She is 2 spots behind us on the list and just got her monthly call telling her she is officially #3. She knows how crazed I am and so she went out of her way to call us and tell us she is #3 making us #Can you believe it?!? Shannon, I am pretty sure you are the most thoughtful person in the WORLD! Thanks for the phone call!!!!

LAME

False alarm. Even the "new" phone won't let me assign ringtones like I thought. Looks like I will just keep jumping every time the phone rings. Hopefully we will get the call soon so I can stop worrying about it.

#2?

Matt and Emily got their update call yesterday and were told they were #12. We are 10 spots apart so I am pretty sure that makes us unofficially #
I am dying to know if I have calculated things right. Thanks, Sunny for the heads up! My phone is so old and lame I couldn't set different ringtones for different people. This inspired me to finally set up my work cell phone to replace my personal one. We are now up and running and when I get THE CALL I will hear Beautiful Boy by John Lennon. Hopefully this will keep me from jumping everytime the phone rings...

W*E*A*R*E*F*R*E*A*K*I*N*G*O*U*T

Rob and Jana got their referral of a little boy making us #The exciting part is, we do not know who is #1 or #2 so it will be a COMPLETE surprise when we get the call.

Gift of Prophecy?

This is my cousin Shelby posing with us. She has been visiting my parents for a little over a month now. A couple weeks ago she told me she thought we would be #5 before she left. She leaves on Saturday. She is holding up 5 fingers because she was right!! We are #Jana is 3 spots ahead of me. She got her call today and was told she is #2 but there is a family who has received their referral but have not officially accepted it yet. Once that family officially accepts we will be #As I told my friend Amy, I think #4 is close enough that I need to start carrying my cell phone into the bathroom with me so I don't miss the REFERRAL CALL (insert SCREAM here). Now, yes I know there are families who waited at #1 for 7 weeks, so I try not to get my hopes up too much, but we could be seeing our son's face THIS MONTH - making it absolutely impossible for me not to be EXCITED!!!!!!

Time of Praise

It's a miracle. Karen and Sharon have Ethiopian children that are completely and legally theirs. Many people prayed and fasted last week pleading with God to let their cases slip through the "loophole" this week - and it happened. They will be traveling sometime this summer to pick up their children. How exciting. The unimaginable pain they both must have been feeling at the possibility of losing the children that were already theirs in their hearts is now gone as these children are theirs on paper. Congratulations!