I’m spinning out doomsday scenarios today.  If - God forbid - the adoption from Vietnam does not happen, I’ve been looking at my options.  I want to be a mother, so I will pursue another adoption.  I have no idea how I’ll finance it, but I worry about that later…

I was looking at some agency websites and I’m always amazed when I see some agencies categorically state that some countries are not “open” to singles when I know they are.  Why do some agencies do this?  If the country feels single parent adoption is acceptable, why does the agency get to pass judgment?  I would think that the agency should be bound by the requirements of the country itself.

I’ve always been confused, hurt and angry by that.  Especially when people scream about which agency to choose, and some of the agencies most highly-touted engage in this.

Whatever.  Just some ramblings on this Tuesday morning…

I’ve decided to institute a new password for some of my posts.  As the situation in Matthew’s province progresses (or doesn’t as the case may be), I would like to continue updating my blogging friends who have been following along and to do so with complete honesty.  But we are growing increasingly paranoid about information getting “out”.  So I thought it would be a good “check” to see who is still reading by changing the password and having people who want to continue to read these posts (full disclosure: they will not be happy, perky, optimistic posts), please email me at alixromanov@yahoo.com for the new one.

Thanks.

Here is my niece at her junior prom.  I did her makeup.

So…in an effort to stay away from my computer and give my email correspondents a brief respite from all of my over-analystical emails, I headed out to the mall today.  Mall at Short Hills in Short Hills, NJ.  Best mall EVAH.

Anyhoo, before I left, my mom gave me the disapproving look.  “You’re going out to spend money?”  No, I’m not.  I just need to do something that doesn’t revolve around the adoption, that doesn’t have me hitting my email refresh button or stalking blogs to see how many days other PAPs’ I600 approvals come in…

Guess what Mom thought I should do?  Stay home and work on the nursery! Yep, the nursery.  The room I walk past every time I go to my room.  The room with Matthew’s first teddy bear, my diaper bag, toys, blankets and clothes.  Yep, the way to get my mind over the current crisis is to…work on the nursery.

Sometimes I think my mom underestimates just how difficult this is for me.  She means well, but she’s a doer.  I’m a thinker, lol.  She can’t sit and read a book - she’d rather organize the basement.  Me?  I’m perfectly happy catching up on a whole week’s worth of Judge Judy.

Look - an exciting new update from our friends at the Embassy

June 2008 “Fact Sheet”

 This stood out to me:

In most cases, U.S. Embassy Hanoi notifies the prospective adoptive parents with a decision on their petition to adopt the child within 60 days. The current average processing time is 45 days.

If the case cannot be adjudicated during this time, then the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides a written explanation for the delay to the prospective adoptive parents.

 If I have to read one more pat on the back from USCIS/DOS on how smoothly Orphans First is running, I’m going to scream.  How dare they assert that families who are beyond 60 days are told what the delay is?  It’s not true!!! 

I’d also like to mention that USCIS/DOS didn’t even attempt field investigations until some families’ 60 days were already up.  Funny how that doesn’t make the statistics or the news release.