Secondly, and more importantly,
WE HAVE A REFERRAL!!!
Yes, that is right. We accepted a referral for a delicious little 17 month old boy off the waiting list. We are super excited! We have decided to name him Isaac. And we will keep his Ethiopian name as his middle name. Or one of his middle names (we are still debating just how many names he shall have... the more, the merrier, no?!). :) We'll see.
But while we are counting our blessings and celebrating, we are humbled by the thought that somewhere in Ethiopia, a mommy is without her baby tonight. And while we are thanking God for this amazing blessing that is about to come into our lives, we'll be sure to say a special prayer for her tonight too, and we ask you to do the same.
So what is next from here, you ask? Well, let me tell you. First, we wait for a court date. Once we pass court, he is officially and irrevocably ours in the eyes of the Ethiopian government. (We expect this to be some time around late January.) Also note, we cannot post or distribute pictures of him until that time. Then we will travel to Ethiopia, and scoop him up, and take him home. Then we will live happily ever after. This also will require re-adopting him in the US, so he is ours officially in the eyes of the US government, lest we be forced to live out our days happily ever after in Ethiopia.
So now the REAL waiting begins. The waiting where I know precisely for whom I am waiting. And he gets older every day without me. And I can only pray and trust that he's being well fed and cared for. For now, I have no choice but to trust that he is. The alternative would make me insane(r).
I have a baby boy!
