17 months since our LID! On the 16th of every month, we put another month behind us in our wait. I hope I didn't confuse anyone with the 3 year anniversary that I posted about a few weeks ago. In this process there are several "milestones" (see the My Story section for a timeline of events). If you consider the "beginning" of our journey from when we made the decision to adopt, it has been just over 3 years. In a practical sense, our journey as far as the Chinese government is concerned began on April 16th, 2007. This is the date that our paperwork was accepted by the Chinese government, and is referred to as our "Log In Date" or LID. It is this date that determines when we are matched with our daughter. Every month, a set number of LID dates are matched with a child. In this manner, we continue to move up the list until they are matching those people with a LID of 4/16/07. At that point, the Chinese government will match us with our daughter, and we will see her face for the first time. The big question that remains is how long it will take them to refer the LIDs between 2/9/06 (the date referred to this month) and our LID of 4/17/07. That remains to be seen. And, of course, that is assuming that we get a non-special needs referral (NSN). We have also submitted an application for a child with special needs, and potentially could receive a referral at any time for a "waiting child" or child with special needs (SN). In the case of waiting children, the referrals are expedited when a match is made, and you essentially "jump ahead" in the line. It is the uncertainty of the process that is hardest for me to accept. I believe that the time will come for us to meet our daughter when it is meant to come. I am trying to be patient and believe that there is a plan out there that we have just not been filled in on yet! For now, we continue to pray for patience and faith that this road will lead us to the daughter we want so desperately to bring home to her forever family. ~Ali
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