some clarifications and updates from my agency

I found out that they changed the policy about expediting Vietnamese families. All Vietnamese families that are currently waiting (around 30) will be expedited, but all future families will not. So there are still a lot to be expedited, but atleast no new ones will be.

Also enough people emailed and called about not being able to find out their number on the list that they decided to keep their old policy and allow us access to our number. I like statistics and trying to figure out how much waiting is left. So I am really glad to have this remain available to us.

One last thing. They (the US government) are changing another policy where you file a form, I-600, before you leave. This allows you to skip the UCSIC interview in HCMC, you still have to do the one in Hanoi for your visa though. But this will make the time required time in Vietnam even less. They estimate 8-10 days total. We'd still probably want to stay longer, but it is nice to know there is less time dealing with paperwork in country.

Ethics in International Adoption

I found this link on one of my adoption yahoogroups I am on.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/11/did-i-steal-my-daughter.html?src=email&link=hed_20071022_ts1_Did%20I%20Steal%20My%20Daughter%3F

It is an interesting perspective on one family's experiences dealing with the ethics of their adoption.

the 14th

Shawn and I were actually in California on the 11th month anniversary. So I thought I'd share a picture from our trip, since it's been a little while since I've posted a picture. Here is Shawn playing at Santa Monica beach.

Also, while in LA, I bought some dried dragon fruit, which grow in Vietnam. The Trader Joe's product was from Thailand, but it still reminds me of the fresh dragon fruit we'll be able to eat once we travel.

Updates for October, 11 months down

Well another month passed. We have been informed that we will no longer be able to find out our number on the list, which is sort of annoying. I know we are pretty close, but I feel for those who are just being added to my agency's list and are given numbers in the 200s. There will be no way for them to track their spot, well not without a lot of work, since Vietnamese families are expedited. So even though we are number 19, probably 5 Vietnamese families will get referrals in addition to those 19 waiting for girls, before us. But that's life.
We skipped the parent ed meeting this month, since we do have all the hours we need. But we found out the other family who was waiting for a boy got their referral this month too. How exciting for them. There were a few more boy referrals over the last month and...the agency has started a relationship with another orphanage, so hopefully even more referrals will be coming in soon.

new spot on the list 10/1, #19

Well last week there were two referrals of little girls so I figured I'd ask my social worker if we had a new place on the waiting list. We do! We are now number 19. It still seems a far way out since they only get 1-3 girl referrals a month (and a couple months this year no referrals at all), but hey, atleast we're in the teens now, woohoo!