No News is NOT Good News

This post has been working its way from the inner trenches of my mind out onto the page for more than a week now. It's hard to explain everything we have learned over the past few weeks and all of the emotions we have experienced since my last post, but I'm ready to try.

We knew going into our Chinese adoption that the wait could increase or decrease. We knew that as of our log-in date (LID) the wait was 12-15 months. We all know that the wait has continued to increase in the two months since our LID. We had no idea that the wait could increase to 3 years to be matched with a child, and likely will. Some speculate that the wait could be as much as 5 years.

I'm no expert on Chinese policies nor do I care to rehash all that I have heard over the past few weeks leading me to understand that the wait could be much longer than we ever thought. The simplest information I can share is that these are changing times in international adoption and no one knows for sure what will happen.

We took it upon ourselves to talk with our adoption agency just to reassure ourselves that what we were hearing was based in some sort of fact. Our agency was very reluctant to put a number to the wait, but did eventually share that 30-36 months was a very realistic number.

Picard and I held a conference to discuss this verified information and after much debate have reaffirmed our decision that this is the right path for us. We feel that our future daughter(s) is in China and waiting is all we can do. The only comfort I can take from a life-wrenching wait is that no one knows what will happen and that wait times can DECREASE as well as they can increase.

We'll share information as we learn it, but we (especially me) are working super hard to maintain some sense of normality and not let the disappointment and frustration completely crush us.

That said, here are some pleasant updates that need to be shared:

Yes, I did complete that makeover that I was so excited about! Here's the full-length view.


The two biggest changes: new hair and makeup. Hair courtesy of Aveda, makeup courtesy of Dior (who else?)

A new makeover calls for a new signature fragrance! I promise (and Picard can verify) that I was not reading labels when I declared this my new signature scent. It's name is....drumroll please....Chinatown. It has notes of peach blossom, bergamot, peony, gardenia, tuberose, orange blossom, patchouli, cardamom, vanilla, cedar, guaiac wood and sandalwood. It's a multi-dimensional fragrance that changes throughout the day. Love it!

My brother, sister-in-law and niece came to visit this weekend. This is my niece Brittany marking her chosen pumpkin at a local farm that turns pumpkin picking into an experience.

My brother diligently and adorably carrying the monster pumpkin almost a half mile to the station where we paid for it.