Leaving Soon!

We started our first adoption process 4 years before we travelled to China to become parents to our now 5 year old son.  During that time, we took countless adoption classes, read countless adoption books and blogs, and met countless adoption families.  So, yeah we get it -we've even experienced it  -the adoption process is unpredictable, frustrating, and definitely not easy.  Yet, our second adoption has so far been surprisingly frustrating, angering, and sad.  We received our referral (adoption talk for "we were matched with our daughter") in May, 2011.  At that time we were told to be prepared to travel by September of the same year.  I thought that sounded a bit hopeful, but I hoped we would at least be there by November 12, 2011 when our daughter (technically our future daughter), Cui Feng turned 3.  It is now nearly one year after that date and I have finally accepted the fact that we will also miss her 4^th birthday.  My daughter has a big brother waiting at home for her, she has a "Baba" (father) and mother desperately waiting for her and my daughter has grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins waiting to welcome her into the family.   I cannot explain how sad/angry/frustrated it makes me feel when I think that we have been ready to bring our daughter home for over a year now yet she has remained in an orphanage in China because we have been tied up in the "adoption process". 

BUT, after 1 ½ years of waiting we are now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  IF all goes well, it appears we might actually be leaving soon.  As of today, all we are waiting for is final travel approval (in adoption talk it's referred to as TA) from China.  Then we'll make our appointment with the US Consulate and TRAVEL!  It might just be true that we will be in China within the next 7-8 weeks!  We just might be a family of 4 by the end of the year!  Relief, joy, happiness…