Speechless.

Natalie just called and said she had GREAT NEWS.
MOWA decided to issue our paperwork after all.
I'm sitting here crying PURE happines.
I think I might also be in shock.



Gladney has our MOWA letter and Bekalu's birth certificate and is waiting on his passport. Next Thursday they will submit our paperwork to the US Embassy and they will review our paperwork. The estimate for this is one week, but we don't really know for sure as we are the first Gladney family being processed with the new embassy procedures. There is still a chance the US Embassy will want to do a further investigation or request other paperwork on Bek or us. But we are at least through this one hurdle. Fingers crossed everything goes ok with the US Embassy and we could possibly be WITH Bek for his first birthday.

To all the other families waiting for their own good news, I'm sending you lots of LOVE and positive vibes to ET for things to wrap up quickly. I have to think that us getting our paperwork issued is a good sign. And you know how I looooooove signs.

Six Months.

Six months ago today we saw his beautiful face for the first time. Tomorrow Bekalu John will be 11 months old. I'm trying my best to stay positive that we will be together for his first birthday. But as the day draws closer and closer my hope is fleeting at best.

It's been fairly easy to fall into moments of grief during this wait. As I look through 6 months of updates and pictures it hits me how much he's grown and changed. We have missed so many of the precious moments that make up a child's first year of life. I have tried my best not to look at other's adoption time lines because it gets the "WHY US?" questions flowing. Especially when I read about those that went from referral to home in less than 4 months. It DOES happen, just not with us. Our time line is filled with, ooooh hmmmm wait delay wait delay wait. So much out of our control. It is beyond frustrating.

I know that we will have a lifetime together. But honestly that offers me no comfort in this moment...I don't want to miss his first birthday or his first steps. But it's likely I will. And that is hard to accept.

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau