Countdown: is it accurate?

Yesterday we got an email from our adoption agency about our May 8th court date, here it is:

I hope all of you are doing well. I know that you are getting very excited as your court date approaches. I’m sending this letter to address some of the questions and concerns that you all may be having regarding your May 8th court date and the visa interview date, as well as to let you know what you can expect from here on out as I know that many families are anxious to make travel plans.

The date that you have been given for your visa appointment is only a tentative date. Actually visa appointment dates are not confirmed until at least one week after the adoption is approved in the court. Previously visa interviews were held each week, approximately 3 weeks after court, however, as of March 2009, visa interviews are only conducted every two weeks. The visa appointment dates in May and June after your court date is completed are on May 28th, June 11, and June 25. We are hoping that your visa interview date will be May 28th, however, we can not know for sure until your adoption has been approved in the court, and all of the child’s paperwork has been completed for the visa interview after court. So many things can happen between now and your court date, and even after court, that we are unable to confirm a visa appointment date until all of these processes have taken place. We are all trusting that everything will go perfectly for all families of course.

We realize that some families have been given a different visa interview date who have court dates May 8th. Initially June 4th was given out as the tentative visa date as this was still when the visa appointments were being conducted every week. Since that is no longer the case, June 11th was presented as a tentative visa appointment date, as well as May 28th.

After court is approved, we will be having a travel call with all families who have a court date on May 8th in order to help to prepare you for your trip. As well, all of the paperwork and documents for the child must be prepared and ready for the visa interview before you travel. These documents include the adoption decree, birth certificate, passport, visa medical, and for families adopting a child 2 years and over – a TB test. These documents must be presented to the visa officials 1 week prior (no later) to the US Embassy in order for the visa interview to take place the following week. We are trusting that all of the families paperwork can be done in a timely manner. As well, the US Embassy, where the visa interview is held, will only hear up to 10 cases at a time on the same day. Therefore we will have to see how this will all play out for all families. Fourteen families is the largest number of families that we have had going through court at the same time. Generally there are 3-5 families at a time; so I really encourage all families to be flexible as we move through these processes.

Some families may have their visa interviews actually on May 28 and others June 11th, or later, if everything does not go like clock work in Ethiopia.

The tentative dates that we give to the families are really an estimate so that families can start preparing their minds and have a general idea of when they can expect to travel. We will keep you posted as we find out any information regarding your visa appointment after court, or sooner if we hear, and hope that all of you will be able to travel as soon as possible.

I know that you are coming up on a time of great anxiety. We understand and want you to know that we are here for you. Your adoption consultant is happy to answer any questions that you might have. You may feel free to contact myself as well with any questions.

So, when we tell all of you that these dates and times are up in the air and we are on pins and needles because of this emotional journey, hopefully you will see this and understand why. I can't imagine having to wait till June 11th or 28th! I will die! I am already over the edge, how are people supposed to be patient and understanding? We all have lives, jobs, and most of us don't have huge bank accounts that enable us to buy plane tickets one week out--around $2-3,000 a piece. We also have to book all of our accommodations ahead of time and figure out who will cover our jobs, take care of our children and/or pets and forget about planning anything else in our lives. Either I need some meds or we need to petition our government officials to change the frequency of visa appointments. 2 weeks may not seem like a lot of time in their eyes, but to me and my child--it is forever. Can you imagine if you are in labor and arrive at the hospital only to be told they deliver babies on the second and fourth Thursday of the month and they have limited spaces available so you may not be able to be seen for a few weeks! Well we are pregnant and I want my child now, not next week or next month--NOW!!!!
So if you are reading this and are wondering how I feel about waiting, or the swine flu or my business or anything else in my life, I don't care! All I am really worried about is ELLA. I want to go to sleep and wake up on the plane going to get her--everything else is of little consequence. I just hope that I don't have a mental breakdown before that.