Waiting for Xavier

Very recently TWO families in our agency got referrals. Each were proposed a girl, moving us up from number 26 on the list to number 24. Sadly enough no boys were allocated to families so we remain number 6 for a boy.

We are hoping for a boy age 0 to 18months.
The families before us are waiting for (in order):
A boy 4-7years
Either Sex 0-12 months
Either Sex 0-6 months
Either Sex 0-24 months
Either Sex 0-36 months

So as you can see there are only 3-4 families that could beat us to a boy first (the older boy will probably not count in our eyes)

Hope is on it's way. Pray for us that it sticks around a while when it arrives.

Recently Chris and I had to come up with a backup plan in the case that Vietnam fails to deliver. Even though we are Fifth on the list for a boy, in less than a month we may be pushed out with nothing to show for it.

We had a long conversation and each of us took some personal time to think it over. We have come to the conclusion that we will adopt a child from the Texas Child Welfare system if Vietnam closes its doors to us. I have made a few calls, talked to our agency and the Texas state department. It looks like a domestic option is indeed a viable option.

But in the meantime, we are waiting to see what Vietnam decides to consider a "Waiting Parent" is.

I feel gutted by the recent events in Vietnam. What was supposed to be an amazing life experience, is more like a heart wrenching 365 days of worry and uncertainty. No one knows anything and not even if our adoption will complete itself.

I will be the first to admit that Chris and I thought that adoption was a more sure option than fertility treatment... I guess we were wrong.

Nothing is sure in life except for death and taxes... more and more true every day.

We have just been informed of the following facts by our agency:
(I have taken out suppositions and confidential information leaving only the most important facts)

1.JCICS President, Tom DiFilipo, who had just returned from a trip to Vietnam to meet with personnel from the IAD, MOJ and USCIS. He began by informing participating agencies that the current MOU would not be renewed and therefore would expire on September 1, 2008.

2.Once the MOU expires on 9/1/08, the IAD has stated that it will no longer accept new applications, and they are currently considering changing that date to 5/1/08, but there has been no further word on which date they will actually use.

3.The IAD has yet to inform the community whether or not they will allow pending adoptions to continue.

4.Although the MOU will not be renewed, the Department of State has the
remainder of this month to renegotiate a new MOU, so we probably won’t hear a definitive answer from them until April. Additionally, at this point, we must wait for the following from Vietnam:

1. The IAD to decide when they will stop accepting applications
2. The IAD’s decision to allow or disallow pending adoptions to continue after the MOU expires.
3. The IAD to define a “pending” case (DTV with or without referral?)

5.Vietnam seems interested in protecting the future of international adoptions as they have announced their intention to become Hague compliant…

Our agency has proposed some alternitive options as well but we are unable to accept them for various qualificative reasons. We are stuck hoping that the IAD (Vietnam's Adoption Authority) allows families that already have a dossier in the country, but not yet a referral, to continue thier adoption.

Cross you fingers and toes ladies and gentlemen... a nervous breakdown is in the works!