Extended Wait Time

Yesterday we found out that our original wait time of 6-9 months for referral has now been extended to 12 months. My heart is breaking. I can think of no way to eloquently convey the pain of this information. Because we are open to gender and aren't requesting an infant, because we are open to some medical needs that others might not be considering, we were certain our call would come in October. But now that has changed. Due to the high number of orphans, and a growth in the number of people adopting them, and many, many other issues, to some of which we are not made privy, the time has been extended. The world of international adoption can be unpredictable. Programs open and close. Wait times inevitably increase as governments strain to process adoptions and more agencies get involved. Ethical questions arise (thank goodness!) and need to be investigated. But for me, right here, right now, I feel like I could crawl (and swim I guess) to Ethiopia if it meant I could just hold my child.