Last week our consultant e-mailed all of us something regarding some issues that have come up whenever we will be in-country and reminders of how to handle those issues. I sent her an e-mail back thanking her for the information and some additional questions. Earlier today, she answered my questions, and there were some spaces, and an additional paragraph at the bottom telling us where we are on the list.
I don’t know if I’m allowed to say on a public site like this - let’s just say we’re in the teens. I think that’s safe. As slow as it had been going there for a while, I was thinking 30s or 40s, but didn’t dare ask and didn’t ask for it this time.
There were 7 referrals last week alone, if that keeps up…
No, it doesn’t work that way. We are signed up for siblings. We can’t change that without changing our dossier, and that’s kind of a headache to do so. From the referrals coming the last few weeks, I can tell that they are passing us up now for the single children. That tells me that most, if not all iff-teen ( :-p ) people in front of us more than likely want siblings as well, or, they want brand new newborns or a specific gender, which also seem to take longer. All of last week’s referrals were single kids. We don’t need to rush to get the new flooring in their bedroom just yet.
Also, once we get the referral, it’s now 3-4 months before we travel.
Once I read this news, I turned to my wonderful husband, lover, partner, father of my children, etc. and told him. The color drained out of his face, and he said he’s scared. He’s got it all wrong. He’s supposed to think we can actually be parents, and I’m supposed to be the one who is scared $%^&-less. We can’t both be scared. He needs to work on his role in this. 
Sorry, haven’t written anything in a month. Just waiting. Referrals are coming in so we are moving on the list. We had to get our fingerprints re-done last month. I’m trying to master making the wonderful ginger/curry vegetable stew, and I’m not quite there yet.
My great-great Aunt Julie, a Notre Dame Sister, passed away a week ago. After the funeral last Wednesday, I peeked in the gift shop at the Motherhouse to kill time for everyone to come back before lunch. The Sister working at the gift shop asked if I were looking for anything in particular, and for giggles I asked if she had anything with an African theme. She laughed and said that she did not, but she spent over 20 years in Africa as a missionary. She never made it to Ethiopia, but she was in Kenya.
Then I saw it, a little baby pillow with safari animals, attached to a quilt, all perfectly sized for a crib or toddler bed. Now I have two sets of safari-themed bedding for twin sized beds, and one set for a crib/toddler bed. 
Now just need to find out who we are getting so we can get beds and finish up their bedroom.
I noted the shop’s hours and hope to go back to hear more about her work in Africa. Also, she said that if we tell her what we want, and get her the fabric, she can quilt just about anything.