The Stork has been rerouted

You know when you make a wrong turn and your GPS says "recalculating...


Chris and I got some big news on Friday.
Our agency received a referral for a little on in Hungary, but they didn't have any families in the Hungary program who were far enough to accept, would we be interested?  The little one could be home as early as Christmas, though more likely January.
Of course, it was a holiday weekend (Columbus Day) and Chris was heading out of town with friends.  Camping in an area with spotty reception.  I got the phone call as I was leaving work, getting a ride with a colleague since Chris had my car.  She said "What ever decision you make, I know it will be the right one."
Well I weighed my options: wait possibly 2 more years for the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice to give us a referral, keep looking at Bulgarian waiting children (only to have the child sent to another family, even after the NGO promised the child was being held for us).  The child waiting in an orphanage, not getting enough stimulation, attention or nutrition.  I would visit my child, then have to wait 4-6 months to bring him home, all the while he is receiving less than optimal care.  But Bulgaria is not all bad, we know the language, the cuisine the culture.  We'd be able to bobble our heads yes and nod our heads no, know that the draft is much worse than second hand smoke and to keep all the windows closed.  We have lots of Bulgarian friends (even neighbors) and our child would stay connected to his/her birth country culture.  The costs of the adoption are slighter less and we have two more years to come up with the money. 
Or do I choose Hungary?  The child will be home by January 2013.  How certain are we that this child isn't going to be sent to another family.  Hungary has few international adoptions, only about 4 to the US each year.  NGOs are not involved, does the government show the profile to more than one family?  We don't know the language, and it is hard.  Unlike any other language- not Romance, Slavic, Germanic.  We have to go to Hungary where the child is put in our custody the first week.  Then the mother stays 4-6 weeks until the adoption is finalized, but the father can go home after the first week and return for the last.  I will be alone in Hungary, for 1 month with my newly adopted child and unable to communicate.  Hungary doesn't do a waiting child program and we can't have any information on the child until our documents are approved and we accept the referral.   But the child is in a foster home and has already received appropriate medical interventions for special needs (which will most likely be minor).  The Hungary program fees are higher and the money is due in December 2012, 2 1/2 months. 
We had to get back to our placing agency ASAP. 

We decided to go for it.  We're have our home study amended, updating our US Immigration forms and waiting to hear from the Hungarians to see if we are accepted.  And if we are, we are going to be fundraising like crazy!

Our stork is Hungary Bound!