I will get to the adoption update, but I would be remiss if I didn’t first say thank you to all of those who have supported us by buying from our shop.  While we are nowhere near our goal, we have decided to start paying it forward and helping others fundraise using our platform.  It feels really great to be helping people raise money for their adoption.  That being said, if you know anyone who is adopting and wants to raise money without just asking for donations…please pass them my info: Kathleen@wanderlustandmayhem.com.

Now on to what you really came here for, the adoption update.

We are two steps away from adopting!

The problem is, we don’t know how long it will take to make those steps, how many mis-steps there will be, or how many sub-steps there are hidden within the big ones.  It is terrifying!  We have turned in all of our paperwork for a domestic adoption and are just waiting to hear from our adoption consultant that we are “active”.  Going “active” means that agencies will now start presenting us as an option to expectant mothers to place their child with us.  It’s kinda terrifying.  I feel like Oscar in Armageddon:  “98% excited, 2% scared…but that’s what makes it so intense!”

So that was Steve’s analogy…but I think it says it pretty well.  We are all over the place here.  It’s stressful, and it has been full of frustration again.  We have a certain timeline in our minds…when things don’t go that way, I get frustrated.  Steve is a little more “laissez-faire” about the whole thing, as is his M.O,  but I have had a few days where I have a much harder time.  We all have our struggles…right now accepting the timeline of adoption is mine (which I realize is relatively minor).

What’s next?

Step one: This week (hopefully) – we go active, and the agencies start showing our profile to expectant mamas.

Step two: We are matched – We could be called immediately, or in years.  We have an artificial timeline that ends when we move, due to having to update so much paperwork at that point.  So we are hoping we get called soon.

Step three: We travel to the USA – Steve and I will both have to come back, and we are making plans for this based on some amazing friends here in Bangkok.  We think Steve will be gone for about a week and I may be gone for a month.  We have an incredibly busy schedule over the next few months involving work trips to the Philippines, Malaysia, and China as well as a few within Thailand…so there will be no “convenient” time for this to happen.  It doesn’t bother us though, we will figure it out because our #1 priority is bringing Evelyn home.

Step four:  We bring Evelyn home – I’ll have to get passports/visas and all the accompanying paperwork.  My trip home will really test my mettle; Steve usually does all of these things, but I’m feeling pretty motivated to get our little girl “home” to Bangkok.  Plus, I know I’m going to have so much support from all my people in the USA!

So that’s it…you know where we are.  We have had to push and pull a bit to get here, but everyone knows the squeaky wheel gets grease.  If I had any advice for potential adoptive parents it’s this:  be your own advocates.  No one else cares about you like you do.  Sometimes you have to just bang on things until people pay attention.

…so continuing with the Armageddon theme, “This is how we fix problem in the Russian space station!”  My adoption process is the space station…and sometimes you just have to bang on things to make it work.

God Bless…

Kathleen