Three years ago (well, plus 2 weeks, eek!), Omegamom and Omegadad were waiting for a referral. We had been waiting fourteen months since our dossier went to China. When we first started the whole process, the wait between DTC (dossier to China) and referral was 8 months. By the time we got our dossier to China, that wait had crept up to 12 months. Within a few more months, the wait had crept up to 14 months. And there it stayed--because the Chinese Central Adoption Authority had slapped a quota system on, so they could catch up with the backlog. So we waited. And we waited. And we waited. Luckily, I was on A-Parent-China, the BIG Yahoo Group for people adopting from China. While it is, at times, a source of conflicting rumors, an endless collection of clueless questions from newbies (which I was once, so I'm not knocking it), discussions of ladybugs (good luck, supposedly) and red threads, it is also a grand place to keep up with The Wait, and know just where you stand. So, as time passed, we knew, at every step, just how much longer it should be taking. I knew it was going to happen. I informed Omegadad. Omegadad had to go out in the field that week (boo!), but gave me the cellphone number for his work phone. And on that day, I got the call. I had been so prepared. I had a list of questions to ask. Did I ask them? Oooooh, no! I was just so overwhelmed, it was a miracle I managed to write anything down on that sheet of paper. An hour later, I got the email from our agency, with a pic of OmegaDotter. And I called Omegadad. And we turned into sobbing messes. Wow. In all her early glory: As she looks now: It's been a grand three years. Categories: [Our Adoption] [Photo Posts]