The Definition of "TAP" (The Adoption Process)

Thank you all for all your responses! It touches my heart to know that you care about us. I have been finding myself with a phrase that has grown quite common to my lips, "The Adoption Process." (TAP) A person might ask if we are planning on having children and I say, "Why yes we are! We just started the adoption process." I was thinking about this today as I was prepping some i800a forms and I thought, What am I saying? What does this mean, The Adoption Process? It sounded quite elusive. I've decided that in 12 months from now, I will be much more qualified to give an informed definition but for today, July 27th, here is what it means to me. It means seeing every child under the age of 5 and wondering if our child(ren) are on their way into this world yet or are they perhaps already here? TAP means that while I am reviewing hotel reservations and flight information at work, I am really wondering when I am going to be booking 2 tickets to Africa and 3 tickets to Houston. Starting TAP means that every night, instead of grabbing a coffee with friends, I would rather throw the switch on my laptop and work on our dossier, the paper work that the governments and agencies require to run the background and in-home checks and to match you with your child(ren). TAP means taking typing breaks to relieve your writer's cramp from the past 14 pages of forms you have been filling out. The Adoption Process means laughing and dreaming of your coming family.