Nothing really new to report. My last post was on March 24th...today is April 14th...you do the math! ")

Here is the latest posting at the CCAA's website:

The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before August 31, 2005.

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before May 30, 2005.

As you can see they have not yet completed the May referrals and in the time since my last post they have completed 4 days worth of referrals.

This sounds horrifically slow I know...and you should read some of the posts at several Yahoo groups from people who aren't waiting so patiently. Again, I remind you, and I was told this just this week from someone who is in contact with CCAA...just ONE of those days had over 300 referrals.

*Things to remember before I complain about the wait for Claire...

1) There are people who have waited five years for their first child...and three years for their second.

2) The CCAA and The People's Republic of China are *NOT* baby factories. You just don't "put in an order" and have your baby pulled from a ready inventory. There are REAL people involved and we ALL need to be cognizant of that.

3) The influx of people wanting to adopt from China means one thing...that there are less children living their lives in orphanages and more living with forever families. Thank you God.

4) The birth parents. Take a moment to think about what they are going through. These are good people. They are not indifferent, evil, or immoral ...they are simply doing what their government and their culture has taught them and forced them to do for years. You can't tell me that a cruel and heartless person would place their baby near an orphanage...or a police station...or at the gates of an elementary school...or in front of a hotel...or in a busy shopping area...or any one of hundreds of other crowded places. These parents WANT their children to be found and taken care of. You also can't tell me that either one of my daughters' birth mothers wasn't somewhere close by watching and waiting to be sure that her girl was picked up and watched over. You also can't tell me that her heart wasn't being shredded into bits.

And while I'm at it, I've gotten WAY too involved with those Yahoo groups again. They are doing nothing but upsetting, angering, and discouraging me. Reading rumors may help some waiting families pass the time but not this one! Did you know that there is even a site that does nothing but list all of the current rumors concerning Chinese adoption? And yes, before you flame me I know a lot of people find comfort in reading ANY information. I'm happy that there are such sites for them...for me...I'll be avoiding them!

The agency still doesn't know when our true LID is. CCAA has finally admitted to making a mistake but no one knows if they have corrected or are willing to correct it.

When we were told to expect our referral in February, well, I wanted so hard to believe it...but I knew in my heart of hearts that it wasn't going to happen. Quite often I get gut feelings...intuition...messages from God...wishful thinking...call them what you will. Obviously our Claire is not ready for us yet and though that brings small comfort we have to hang on to that. I truly believe that Claire will be with us before the end of the year. I also believe that she will be with us near the end of summer or early fall.

Y'all take care and have a Blessed Passover and Easter!

*Thanks to posters at several of the Yahoo groups for the info and opinions expressed in numbers one and three.