We are finally working on some things for our adoption. We have both applied for our passports and should receive them in about 4 weeks. We have also downloaded a program to create a will. It seems strange to make preparations for a child that isn't ours yet but it is required for our homestudy. We decided that if anything we're to happen to us Ava's guardians will be Michelle and Dan and they graciously accepted. Tomorrow I need to take a trip to Walmart to buy 2 fire extinguishers (which we should probably already have). They are another requirement for our homestudy. We also need to get our life insurance.

I frequently visit a message board called Adoptions.com It is a great forum where I can talk to other girls who have completed adoptions from China or are currently in the process. I have learned so much from these girls about the adoption process. They keep on top of all the current information coming from their agencies. The new talk is that there has been a great increase in families adopting from China. This is somewhat due to families switching from the not so stable Russian program. There is also talk of the Guatemala program shutting down in 2007. The increase interest in the China program has resulted in more families being paper ready than the number of babies that are paper ready. China is also trying to promote domestic adoptions but with the current beliefs of Chinese people it will be years before domestic adoptions are widely accepted. The China Center of Adoption Affairs is responsible for processing international paperwork. They have a small office in comparison to the large number of applications they receive. The CCAA prefers to work very closely with International Adoption agencies and strives to keep the adoption process as personal as possible. Because of this it is very unlikely that the CCAA will increase it's office staff. All of these factors could result in a longer wait for Ava. The current wait once your paperwork is submitted to baby is 10 months. There is speculation that the wait could extend to 18 months. The thought of having to wait 18 months for Ava is heartbreaking but she is worth the wait. We really feel in our hearts that our daughter is waiting for us in China. So we will stick it out if the wait does extend to 18 months. China still remains the one of the most stable international programs and is not at risk of closing. Wait times have fluctuated in the past from 14 months to 8 months. We will just keep our fingers crossed for a shorter wait. If it turns out that we have to wait 18 LONG months I will keep myself busy by shopping for Ava :)