I just found out that the CCAA issued referrals for log-in dates of Nov 6, 2006.
Why is this significant?
Well, our Dossier was logged into China on Nov 6, 2006.
Way back then, the wait from log-in to referral was 10-12 months.
But many things changed and that wait began to grow and grow and grow.
Let me explain some basics.
10-12 months was the wait time for a "perfect" healthy baby.
China has the 'healthy' list and then they have the 'waiting child' list.
A 'waiting child' is one that may have something 'wrong' with them.
It could be something so very minor - like a birthmark, or it could be something a little more serious - like missing limbs.
Children are often also put on the 'waiting child' list because they're 3 or 4 years old or older - most people want babies. Their only 'problem' could be that they're not a baby.
Our agency, America World, is a Christian agency and one that works with China in placing these 'special' children.
On the 'healthy' list, your name moves methodically along until you get to the top. At that point, China matches your name with your child.
If someone opts into the 'waiting child' list, then you fill out a (another) form.
This form is about various needs that you feel your family is open to and would be equipped for.
That form is submitted to your agency only - not to China.
When China releases a new list of 'waiting children' to the agency, the agency checks to see if they think any of the children on that list would be a good match for your family.
If they find one they think will fit into your family, they call you.
If that's YOUR child, then the agency contacts China.
China pulls your paperwork out of the massive stack of people waiting for a 'healthy' baby.
Now, you can start the next step on your journey to your new family - traveling to get her.
As the time started to lengthen, we decided we didn't want to wait and wait and wait.
As realistic parents of 2 biological boys, we already knew that NO child is ever PERFECT.
(We also knew that we weren't getting any younger.)
After about a year on the 'regular' list, we decided (okay, felt led) to go with the 'waiting child' list.
David and I discussed it and filled out the form.
We tried to be logical about it.
For instance, we don't have eye insurance, so we marked 'no' on vision problems. We have good dental insurance, so we marked 'yes' on things like that.
Anyway, once we were done, we took our list to the boys and discussed it with them.
Made a few tweaks here and there, and submitted it.
It wasn't long at all until we had our LEILA.
She was on the list because of cleft lip / palate.
Her lip was already fixed when we got her - due, I believe to the generous organization called Smile Train.
We had her palate fixed after coming home.
Totally fixable 'problem'. Not a problem. Perfect in fact.
We've never once regretted that.
It's been 5 years now since we got 'OUR call'.
5 years that we've had and loved our perfect healthy baby rather than sitting around waiting for her.
IF, we were to ever go back and do this again - we would go 'waiting child' immediately.
We wouldn't even fool with the other.
But back to today.
IF we had waited it out - we would have gotten 'our call' today.
I'm sure we would have been over the moon thrilled.
But we have missed the last 5 years.
We’re David and Lois McBeath. We live in Point Pleasant, WV – a small town along the Ohio River on the western side of the state. We have 2 sons. Austin is 15. He’s a sophomore at Pt. Pleasant High School. Darrell is almost 12. He’s in the 6th grade at Roosevelt Elementary.
We actually began our adoption journey more than 10 years ago. I saw an ad in the newspaper about Chinese babies. We called about it, but it just wasn’t even feasible at that time in our life. All these years, it was always there, stuck somewhere in the back of our minds. I don't know why exactly – it just was. The thought never completely went away.
We also talked off and on about having another child. Our house was only 3 bedrooms, and we know the boys could have been in a room together, but we didn't want to do that if we didn't have to. In the spring of 2006, for some reason (I don't recall exactly what) - it came up again. We started thinking and talking - why not? So we started checking into it more. We did a lot of research online. The more we found out, the more we felt a calling, a desire and even a need to do this.
We started the adoption and added onto the house all at the same time. It took about 6 months to get the paperwork together. Then about another month after we sent it to China for them to translate it and 'log us in' (11/6/06). That's when we started to officially wait.
We finally got "THE CALL" on 7/13/08. It was a Sunday afternoon! After 2 ½ years, we are finally going to get our baby!
We actually began our adoption journey more than 10 years ago. I saw an ad in the newspaper about Chinese babies. We called about it, but it just wasn’t even feasible at that time in our life. All these years, it was always there, stuck somewhere in the back of our minds. I don't know why exactly – it just was. The thought never completely went away.
We also talked off and on about having another child. Our house was only 3 bedrooms, and we know the boys could have been in a room together, but we didn't want to do that if we didn't have to. In the spring of 2006, for some reason (I don't recall exactly what) - it came up again. We started thinking and talking - why not? So we started checking into it more. We did a lot of research online. The more we found out, the more we felt a calling, a desire and even a need to do this.
We started the adoption and added onto the house all at the same time. It took about 6 months to get the paperwork together. Then about another month after we sent it to China for them to translate it and 'log us in' (11/6/06). That's when we started to officially wait.
We finally got "THE CALL" on 7/13/08. It was a Sunday afternoon! After 2 ½ years, we are finally going to get our baby!
Leila Ann McBeath, formally known as Shun Xi Yi, was born on Oct 29, 2007. She had a cleft lip and cleft palate. The lip has been repaired, but not the palate. (We'll have to do that when we get her home.) She's in the Children's Welfare Institute of Shunde District of Foshan City, which is located in the Guangdong Province, in the southern part of China.
Shunde, the hometown of flowers, is one of four cities under the jurisdiction of Foshan City. Covering an area of 806 sq meters and with a population of 1.05 million, Shunde City is situated in the middle of the fertile Pearl River Delta, between Guangzhou and Hong Kong. It was set up as a county in the 3rd year (1452 AD) of the Jintai reign of the Ming Dynasy (1368-1644), and conferred with the administrative status of a city in 1992 by the State Council.
Foshan City is also where the actor Bruce Lee was from.
Shunde, the hometown of flowers, is one of four cities under the jurisdiction of Foshan City. Covering an area of 806 sq meters and with a population of 1.05 million, Shunde City is situated in the middle of the fertile Pearl River Delta, between Guangzhou and Hong Kong. It was set up as a county in the 3rd year (1452 AD) of the Jintai reign of the Ming Dynasy (1368-1644), and conferred with the administrative status of a city in 1992 by the State Council.
Foshan City is also where the actor Bruce Lee was from.
No comments:
Post a Comment