Here's where we are...

"In the I-800 process, after you are matched and your dossier has been sent to China (DTC) and logged-in (LID) (sometimes people are matched prior to their dossier being sent, and other times after), you will be waiting for the CCCWA (China Center for Child Welfare and Adoption) to issue you your Letter of Acceptence (LOA). Upon receipt, you will then file your I-800 (not to be confused with the I-800A which is filed as part of the process of completing your dossier). Once you receive your I-800 approval, the National Benefits Center (NBC) will send notification of your approval to the National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC will then cable notification of your approval to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China. You will then wait for the "cable letter" or "cable email", which is necessary in order to proceed with the next step. You will email your agency a copy of the letter or email, and they will in turn forward it to their staff in China. They will then deliver it, along with other documents you will have prepared, to the Guangzhou Consulate. The Consulate will then issue you the "Article 5", which basically states that the child you hope to adopt meets the Hague's definition of "orphan" and can therefore be internationally adopted. Your agency's courier/staff will pick up the Article 5 and deliver it to the CCCWA in Beijing. Then, you are waiting for the CCCWA to issue you your Travel Approval (TA). Once that arrives, your agency will secure your Consulate Appointment (CA) with the Guangzhou Consulate and then notify you of your confirmed travel dates."

To simplify it, here's a numbered list:

1. Home Study
2. I-800A
3. State Certification & Chinese Embassy Authentication of Documents
4. Dossier to China (DTC)
5. Dossier Log-in Date (LID)
6. Referral of Child!
7. Letter of Intent (LOI) for specific child
8. Pre-Approval (PA)
9. Letter of Approval (LOA) from China (This is what we are waiting for right now.)
10. I-800
11. Cable Letter
12. Article 5
13. Travel Approval (TA)
14. Consulate Appointment (CA)

These last 5 steps usually take 2-3 months, and when travel approval comes you can travel in about 3 weeks.  So we may not travel until November.  Did you get a pain in your chest as you read that, as I did as I typed it?  UGH.  I am the WORST wait-er in the world.  September sounds okay, yet still a longer wait than I think I can bear.  November sounds like torture.  UGH.  I think I'm going to listen to some John Waller, "While I'm Waiting."  Oh let it seep into my soul, God.