The calm before the storm

It’s been  a couple of months since my last chapter, and the constant question from our loved ones is, “do you have any updates?”

The answer is yes, but it is also a little boring and anti-climatic.

Over the past few months our dossier (adoption paperwork) has been sent to Armenia, translated, reviewed, and we were officially approved to adopt a baby in Armenia by the Armenian Central Authority. We were approved by the U.K Department in September. 

Many of you would be shocked to discover that things are actually moving along quite quickly. Nothing about this process is fast, although we have been so impressed with the speed that the Armenian government has worked to translate and review our dossier, especially at a time where they were in the midst of mass peaceful protests, and much of the country was shut down. 

Now that we are officially approved to adopt from Armenia (by Armenia) we suspect a match is very close, obviously we don’t know for certain, but we are very hopeful. 

The past few months have been extremely hectic, but it has actually worked out perfectly. We sold our city property in January and moved to a rental for a short period, and in May finally moved to the Welsh countryside where the grass is lush and horses peek over the fence to say hello. All of the moving around, and tending to our then three year old, now four year old (where has the time gone?) has kept us distracted which really has been a huge blessing, as I think I would have gone completely crazy if I felt like I was just waiting for something to happen this entire time. 

In the midst of the chaos, I met an angel.

Well, a lady living in Europe who recently adopted a baby from Armenia, and by met, I mean have extensively chatted to her. To us she has been an absolute angel, completely taking us under her wing, and engulfing us with love and knowledge. I really can’t explain how wonderful she has been, how helpful, how supportive and protective of us. She has shared so many tiny details we would never have known, and she has prepared my heart in a way that I never could have done on my own. I stumbled upon her story by chance, and decided to contact her, and I could not have wished for a better outcome. She has calmed many of my fears and worries, and has generously and graciously shared her time and her family’s journey through Armenia and life after adoption, which is so important.  

On our journey I have made many new “friends”,  and slowly, in a country that doesn’t really support families who are adopting internationally, I have made my own support system of international adopters or families hoping to adopt internationally.  I makes us feel hopeful that our child won’t feel alone in a place with a rather low number of international adoptees. 

Everything has settled down after the move, our wonderful Canadian helpers (my sister, and my parents) have returned home, our boxes are slowly emptied and pictures find their place on the walls of your new home. We prepare. We prepare our hearts and minds and our home to welcome a new little one. We tell our son, “not long now” with baited breath, we take a step back from the outside world to care for ourselves, and our son, and we enjoy the calm before the next beautiful storm washes over us.