Getting Somewhere--Bit By Bit

Just after publishing my three hundred days post, I got an email back from our agency answering a question I had asked about our dossier.  I had asked about being OOT, or out of translation.

The process goes something like this:
1. Get documents together (dossier)  .....
2. Send them to Ch*na (DTC)   .......
3. They are received and logged into a central system (LID)
4. They are fully translated, word by precious word
5. They show in the system as out of translation (OOT)
6. They are reviewed to be ready to compare a child's medical files against the family's approved home study and immigration paperwork (Reviewed)

Then, after a family is matched:
*The family writes an LOI (letter of intent)
*The LOI prompts a Match Review (to make sure the family's paperwork and the child's paperwork are compatible, ie: the family is approved by immigration to adopt the age and special needs that are listed)
*Letter of acceptance (LOA) is issued as long as everything matches up

Then the LOA starts the process toward travel to pick up that child (generally LOA to travel is about 10-12 weeks).

Well, my email said we are all the way through the top six points.  We are Reviewed!  That's exciting because if we had been matched right away, we would have been waiting for our dossier to go through translation and review anyway.  Many people wait over 70 days, and some up to 100 days just to get to the step we are already on.

It also means that when we are matched, we will probably get the LOA very quickly (fastest I've seen is 2 days, but most are close to a week), and we will be on our way to pick up our daughter much faster.  This way, when we see her little face, we'll be about 2-4 months away from picking her up, rather than 4-6 months away.

All of this being said, I'm frustrated today.  It is looking like next May is a very real possibility for how long it might take to get that precious referral and match.  :(