[arthymom]

I am already supposed to be ON LEAVE now, thinking Sofia would be home already.

Now I am getting sadder and sadder since I was supposed to go on leave this academic year.

I was hoping to stretch out our leave time to include the summer months, but that leave time keeps shrinking.

Anyone else worried and/or sad about this?

[kathleenmarie]

We are still waiting on clearance for referral, but I was hoping to be able to time a first visit during one of my vacation times. I teach in a 12 month school, but we get five weeks during they year. Just hoping it all works out!

[b_fettes]

Hi, we hope to be in PGN this week. We both teach in Ireland. We get 12 months off for adoption with pay - not full pay for the entire term, after 6 months the wages become basic. I just want a happy conclusion soon. I love my job but would love to be saying asta luego to it for a year as it would mean my daughter would be home! Last time my school allowed me to take 19 months off and it really was brilliant for our son but I don't think that is possible this time.
Mary

[braedensmommy]

Hey, neighbor!
This is too weird...my husband and I are both teachers, too, and we live so close. Braeden is 15 months old now. I went through the blues BIG time last year because we thought that we would be picking him up in May and it turned into August so I can certainly relate. We actually entered PGN on March 3 of last year and didn't get out until almost five months later so I can DEFINITELY relate.
Hang in there!!!!!!
Megan

[StefB]

Guess what, Arthmom. Not only are we both mothers-to-be to August 1 babies, but I am a teacher, watching my potential leave time dwindle while I await my PGN out, etc...

I had it in my head for months that she would be home in February (if I was really lucky) or March. Now I'm praying for an April pickup. I thought I'd take my 4 weeks paid leave, 8 weeks unpaid (FMLA), roll right into summer vacation and have a nice 5-month chunk of adjustment time to spend with my little one. Plus, I was simply looking forward to the shortened school year! I really do think we'll both still get that. Our stay-at-home time period is better than most.

My hopes are high for both of us.
Stefanie

[JosieWales]

Arth, I also am a teacher as you know...I didn't expect to get him home before school's out, or at least not much before...but WE STILL MISS HIM!

[shoegirl06]

I can definitely feel for you! We figured Libby would be home by May/June and I would have the summer to spend before going back to work. It didn't happen. We left for pick-up 3 days after I started teaching and I took the 1st quarter off. I'm VERY fortunate that my district has an excellent adoption leave policy.

All I can say is that when it's supposed to happen, it will. Although I felt powerless at times during the process, our daughter came home at a great age (10 1/2 months) and we're blessed beyond measure!

Good luck!!!

[JosieWales]

Originally Posted by b_fettes

Hi, we hope to be in PGN this week. We both teach in Ireland. We get 12 months off for adoption with pay - not full pay for the entire term, after 6 months the wages become basic.

WOW!!! I am extremely envious. We work too darn hard here in the States!

[arthymom]

I hope for us waiters that the "timing" works out ok in the end.

We teachers are lucky to have the summer (ok, I'm moving to Ireland...12 months of Irish luck ...LOL...)
but we teachers are luckier than folks in professions without longer breaks in the U.S., true.

However, like StefB I had it in my head that things would work out a certain way, and gave us so much lead time (referral in August and I thought March homecoming for sure...) StefB, we have to get out soon!

Megan (braedensmommy), I can't believe that you and your dh are both teachers too. You must have jumped out ofyour chair when you read my post. Pming you in a moment!

Take care fellow educators. Hoping for good timing for all of you too ;-) And if not, hoping for that confidence that when our babies come home is ok too! Given the current "scare" I guess we should just be happy to have them come home whenever.

[spidermanteache]

Oh I so could have posted this exactly 3 years ago! In 2004 on March 1, we received our Preapproval that we waited 5 months to get. I so wanted to be done with teaching in either March or April so that I could have the remaining school year off and all of the summer. Well, low and behold, on March 31st we found out that we were out of PGN and we traveled on April 17th.

Keep the faith, it will happen. I lived through Hague and a bunch of other terrible delays. Your little ones will come home!