10/26/06 We're going to get her!

Yesterday was one of those days just like the referral day back in August. I was spinning with anxiety, checking the int'l adoption boards, re-checking the Russian embassy site for news. Recent developments, like the fact that our agency does not have NGO status, were making me concerned that our adoption would halt. The deadline passed October 18th and though our agency had submitted paperwork by the deadline, they did not yet have approval. No one knew how this would impact the process and apparently we were the guinea pig for our agency since we were next in line to get a court date after the deadline.

Around 2 p.m., I got THE CALL! We have a court date for November 20th. We need to be there at least five days prior, so as hoped we will be spending most of November and some of early December in Russia. We may even be there on her birthday, November 14th! The Russian court assigns something called a ten day wait after court, which requires you to stay in the region after the adoption becomes official. In some regions, the ten day wait is waived. In our region it is hardly ever waived. So, we are preparing to hunker down in region for a while. We are unclear at this point if we will both stay the whole time or send for friends as reinforcements. Any takers for a four week siesta near Siberia? Luckily it will be very cold, tourist season is over, and the airfare is very reasonable.

During the last several weeks I was cleaning out closets, de-cluttering, collecting some baby stuff at consignments but feeling "cautious" lest she not be a baby by the time we get her. Now I can relax, but I'm thinking of all the other things I could have done, like learn to speak fluent Russian. (I did learn how to say excuse me this week). Somehow, many of us seem to work harder under a deadline. I am going to try to finish my 2nd son's quilt even though I leave in less than three weeks. I'm figuring I'll never have time after she comes!