pregnancy vs adoption

I've been asked if I think adoption or pregnancy is harder. My friend was surprised when I said adoption is harder. But yes, pregnancy is so hard. These are some of the things I don't like about pregnancy:

1. eating so much protein + extra calories
2. no sugar
3. so many many vitamins and supplements
4. back pain
5. maternity clothes
6. nausea
7. rude comments from strangers
8. exhaustion
9. sciatica nerve pain 
10. labor(!!!!)

But for all those things I can't stand about pregnancy, there is something awesome about (in my experience) pregnancy: certainty. I know I'll have a baby. All of the work and pain and exhaustion is worthwhile because I know in the end, there will be a sweet baby.

With adoption, we have a lot of work but no certainty. For example:

1. paperwork (mountains of it)
2. book reports on chapters upon chapters of ohio foster care/adoption training
3. fundraising, a lot of it.
4. waiting. waiting. waiting. waiting with no certainty that at some point there will be a child for us.

In contrast, we could get pregnant and be guaranteed a baby in the next 10 months(ish). Pregnancy is hard, but the certainty makes it easier, in a way.

I'm still thrilled to be adopting though. We've wanted to adopt for almost 10 years and I'm so glad that we had the $ to begin the process and that our wonderful friends have donated the funds for us to be able to continue this process.

I am much too easily discouraged.