Sunday, October 3, 2010

seven months.

hi.

i'm trying to be conscious of how much complaining i do on here, because i don't want this blog to turn into something that's a drag to read. and i thought twice about whether i should write another complaining post right after writing about the incident. in the end, i decided that, today i just need to share something that's on my heart, even if it's a little heavy.

when we first began our adoption process, we were told that the wait time between sending our acceptance papers to korea and bringing our son home would be 3-5 months. this seemed like a pretty manageable wait. after we got our referral and sent all our paperwork to korea, we were told the wait to travel had been increased to 4-6 months. still, 4-6 months sounded doable.

well, friends, as you can tell by the happy baby ticker on top, it's been 7 months, now. seven months of waiting and waiting and WAITING. seven months of thinking of milestones missed. seven months of watching baby stuff pile up with no baby to use them. seven months, which means we've surpassed both estimated wait times given to us earlier in our process. sigh.

i think, somewhere along the way, the wait time was "officially" increased to 5-8 months or even 7-10 months, but i don't know what to believe anymore.

we were really hoping that last week, after the chuseok (korean thanksgiving) break, we would have received the good news that choi boy's papers were submitted to the ministry for emigration permission (EP). but, nothing.

i'm hoping that we'll hear something tomorrow...

after being submitted for EP, it's usually a 6-9 week wait until a travel call. from the travel call, we'd probably have a few days to a week until we actually travel. so, with all that, we're looking at mid-november to early december to travel, making our actual wait time 8-9 months. which is hard to swallow when we thought we'd be bringing choi boy home in august or september.

i just don't understand what the hold up is. i just want my baby home.




i'm secretly hoping that tomorrow morning, i'll hear from our specialist that we are in the ministry for EP, making this sad little rant null and void with much happier news to post about tomorrow.

17 comments:

  1. I can't imagine how difficult it is to wait, knowing that he is there waiting for you. I hope it will be so soon.

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  2. I hope that you receive GREAT news this week! We are also in the waiting game four our TC, but we have awhile to go....we just rec'd our referral the end of August.

    Dawn
    PS. your Piper reminds me soooo much of our Lily!! They really could be related!!!!

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  3. I hope this post becomes moot tomorrow too! Remember it's just about Monday in Korea right now ... :) But in the meantime, I understand your pain. Seven months is too long to wait for your baby, even if that is the reality of the situation these days. Because you've been in love with that little boy since the day you saw his photo, I know. Sigh.

    I need to hook you up with a local friend here whose referral date is end of Feb. She is waiting for her TC to come any day from Eastern. Maybe you guys would enjoy corresponding? Let me know if you'd like her email ... Hang in there my friend. I really think you'll have Choi Boy home sooner than you think. I'm sorry if I sound like a broken record but it seems like just when the wait becomes unbearable, things suddenly speed up. Here's hoping, my friend.

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  4. Here's to a great day tomorrow.

    My heart hurts for you. The wait must be unbearable, but you have been such a trooper. I honestly don't know what to say, there are no words to make this easier.

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  5. Grace, I soooooo hope that you find that AWESOME news out tomorrow!! I'm so frustrated for you! It's such a drag to be told one thing and then have it change!! I'm right there with you. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow and checking fb and your blog for good news!! It's coming!! I'm putting the good vibes out there!! :)

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  6. Don't worry about your blog sounding like a drag... that's what blogging is for!! And what better way to get encouragement from those of us who follow your story to share in your struggles and encourage you and Peter?? :) We are definitely keeping you guys in our prayers.

    Wouldn't it be interesting if Choi Boy came home right around 9 months of waiting since the day you found out you were getting him? Almost like God is giving you all of the anticipation and waiting of a physical pregnancy. Just a random thought that might give you a wry smile for a second or two during this difficult time.

    By the way, the pictures of Peter putting the crib together are hilarious-- he looks so proud of himself!! He's such a great daddy already. :)

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  7. Ugh.. seven months is a LOOOOOONG time. You deserve to rant! I remember wishing someone would just give us the *right* timeline from the beginning. It's so hard to have expectations of one span of time, and to have it creep upwards, one day at a time. It feels like a freakin' eternity.
    I SO hope tomorrow is a news-filled day for you!

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  8. I don't take your posts as complaining at all. You just want your baby boy home, which is so completely understandable. I'm praying very hard that you get good news this week!

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  9. Hoping so very hard that you get your boy home very soon & this wek brings lots of amazing news!!

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  10. Oh, Grace. My heart clenches just reading this... I don't blame you at all for feeling this way... and I certainly don't take these posts as though you are complaining. They don't say "It's very hard to live life *here* while your heart is *there*" for nothing! I hope you get *amazing* news tomorrow! Hang in there!!!

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  11. Okay, thank goodness about the EP!!!! 7 months and I would have oulled my hair out, we only waited 4, and there were days people had to ask me what was wrong....

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  12. Waiting is hard, especially when you were mentally prepared for a shorter wait than you are now facing. HUGS.

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  13. thinking of you during this loooong wait. i hope you hear good EP news soon! hugs.

    ps. i don't take what you are writing as complaining. you are handling this wait with so much grace - no pun intended :).

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  14. I hope you hear some good news soon. I'm thinking of you!

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  15. That must be so hard, knowing he's waiting there for you and not being able to just bring him home already! I so hope you get good news soon! When we adopted our son, we got to bring him home at birth, but we did have to wait 5 months for parental relinquishments to be signed due to tribal clearances...it was a whole big thing. And it was so stressful, not knowing when that would happen, and it felt like an eternity. Now, our son is 17 months old, and even though I remember it being stressful, it seems like no time at all. Once you have you son, all the waiting will be so worth it and I bet the memory of the frustrations will fade quickly in the daily joy of raising your boy! But I do understand how hard it must be right now, and I'm sorry to hear its taking longer than they promised!

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  16. as you can probably tell, I'm catching up on post backwards. I'm glad after going to church you came home feeling better. That being said, you have every right in the world to complain as much as you want about the wait. To be told one thing and then to have it change and be told something else and then for that still not to happen.....well that would drive anyone nuts. I pray it is very very soon!!!!

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  17. The wait once you see pictures of your son is just so unbearable - I can't imagine how you are holding it together. Having faith is something I'm sure that really helps. Praying you hear something very soon!

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why, hello there! do you have something to say? 'cause i'd so love to hear it!