Four months (or so)...

Charlie figured out that we are (unless a month is skipped, or something else bizarre occurs) about four months away from being in China. That would mean that this month China got to March 6, next month they did only one day, and we were the month after that. With the approximate 8 weeks from referral to travel, that would make us a family of three before the fourth of July! We might actually have our daughter before my birthday! Woot Woot! Here's to hoping...

Come on Rumors!

Realistically, our referral won't be in this next batch. Charlie knows that. I know that. Everyone knows that. Unfortunately, I am still planning to get on the rumor roller coaster and pray that the CCAA makes it to at least March 8th (2006) with this next batch! We don't want to be the first group of China adoptive parents who hit the 36-month wait mark!

Work is crazy and I have a two-week business trip planned for the first two weeks of March. It sure would make it easier if I had our precious daughter's picture to look at throughout the long days of training! The two weeks of hectic work would also make the time go faster as we wait for our travel approval from China. More than likely, I'll spend the two weeks crazy busy and checking for rumors every break I get. Either way, we'll be that much closer to picking up our sweetie.

I don't know what I would do without the Rumor Queen and all of the forum Marching Pandas...what a great group of people.

WARNING...It's PRS time!*

It's that time of month again...I don't mean PMS, but instead it is PRS (Pre-Referral Syndrome). This is a much more dangerous time of month than PMS is for most women, even worse than PMDD.

Typical Symptoms: Women in the process of Chinese Adoption will sit in front of their computers, for days on end trying to find one tiny shred of fact regarding the latest LID cut-off or actual date of said referrals; either through forums, chat rooms or blogs. Most women WILL lose some sleep during this time by choosing to surf for clues until the wee house of the morning, get a few hours of sleep only to get up extra early to see if anything has surfaced in the 3 hours they were asleep. Most women feel anxious, go through bouts of excitement and depression and appear to be losing her mind to those around her. When she will allow herself to be torn away from her cyber hunt, she will be prone to bouts of sobbing, shopping spree's for baby items (mostly in pink), and will tend to eat copious amounts of Edy's Slow Churned ice cream. In extreme cases some women will lose short term memory, they will forget to take care of their daily responsibilities such as letting the dog out, planning dinner, going to work, etc. Some women will even forgo hygienic rituals, skipping showers, putting hair in ponytail, or wearing sunglasses to the grocery store to hide the dark circles and pale complexion due to lack of sleep and make-up.

Cycle Duration: Women usually experience PRS symptoms from 2 days to 2 weeks before the onset of Adoption Referrals being received at adoption agencies and can show continued symptoms for 2 days to 2 weeks AFTER referral information has been officially announced.

Warning: Those experiencing symptoms 2 weeks before AND 2 weeks after SHOULD SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION or at least have an extremely supportive network of family and friends who can make sure that she doesn't go to work in her underwear or fall asleep in unusual places.

Life-time Duration: This is a chronic disorder that will continue on a regular basis until the cure is administered. Years ago experts in this area believed the duration of PRS to only last 6-8 months. Then 10-12 months, 22-24 months and now some believe it could go as long as four years. As you can see there is not a definite end to this syndrome and those considered experts actually have no idea either.

Cure: One adopted daughter, home in her mother's arms.

*This is copied from a fellow PAP, Lynn's Waiting for Hope blog...she and I are in the same boat and I really appreciate her sharing!