Officially Waiting!

Finally!  We are actually on the 'child refferal' waiting list!  I think most people probably assumed that we were already waiting for a child but in actuality we were just getting the paperwork ready and gathering up the 1st set of fee's.  The tagsale did it for the most part...but there was a small remainder that we needed and it took Alot longer for us to gather than I thought it would.  So the post title doesn't suit me because these last couple months I have been 'waiting' (rather impatiently I admit) to just get on the waiting list!  We got a phone call today from our adoption agency and she said we are approximately #55.  That means that there are about 54 other families that are adopting a baby through WACAP right now. 
She said that we should expect to be matched with a child in 10 months...no more than12 months.  Sometimes she does see refferals come in earlier- never later though. If she is correct that means that we would be matched w/ a child next fall. Oh man that feels so long!  I guess the timeframes I had in my head got pushed back because we weren't really rushing along our homestudy and gathering the documents, and even the tagsale I scheduled was in the late fall so that I would have enough time to gather things. 
However, she said that most of those families waiting before us are requesting 'healthy' children (even though every child coming home from Ethiopia is actually not healthy-almost all have parasites and are malnourished.)  We stated that we were open to either healthy or special needs children.  It's a possibility that our wait time can be bumped up a bit because of this.

Ultimately, I know that God is sovereign and completely  in control of this adoption.  During my 'sad' times this past month of waiting to get on this stinkin 'waiting' list- truly, the only comfort I found was putting my focus back of God.  He told us to do this- He already has a child that will be needing us in mind.  I know that this will be a trying time for my patience- but I'm going to use it as a growing tool.
I will be a better woman because of what I am about to enter in.
Well it's either that or I will turn into a crazy loon, but that's not really an option that my awesome husband deserves or whom my 3 kiddos want to spend there day with.
So I'm amping myself up to use this year to prepare for this blessing to come yet relish this sweet time w/ my 'little' family.  :)
Horray!