nineteen

Today marks nineteen weeks on the waitlist.

Admittedly, I didn't actually think we would reach this milestone; certainly I hoped that we would not. But alas, we have.

The good news is that somewhere between weeks seventeen and nineteen, the wait has gotten... well... perhaps not easier exactly, but calmer. Although there is nothing we crave more than the day when we will receive "the call" and have the opportunity to learn about and see pictures of our son, we are learning to be more patient.

Of course, with all this time to wait, we have lots and lots of time to think about this process and what it means to us....

I had started this blog for a few reasons: it is a wonderful way to be able to share our experience with family and friends; it has allowed us to meet and develop friendships with others who are also experiencing this process; and finally, and most importantly, it is a way to chronicle our experience, so that we can one day share with our son this amazing (and yet sometimes crazy and painful and challenging) journey.

There are so many things I hope my son will one day know about this experience and what it has meant to us. These are just a few:

• The decision to adopt was one of the easiest decisions we ever made, but one of the hardest processes we have ever experienced.
• Even now, I have no doubt that all the challenges we face, tears we shed, days we wait... will all be so very worth it when we are one day united with our son.
• My excitement and enthusiasm for this adoption and parenthood has never waned.
  
• We will try, but we will not be perfect parents (hmm... maybe I shouldn't admit this to my child?).
• I have heard people say that becoming a parent makes you more patient, more open, more loving, more appreciative of life. I believe this is true of the process of becoming a parent as well.
  
• Our son is already in our thoughts, our dreams, our life.