7/12/08 - I love weekends

I don't even know the date by Sunday night. Weekends are a whirlwind of family time. Great time bonding, tired time trying to avoid naps, and my favorite... the silly time. Silly time comes out of nowhere. Its those in-between moments when the joke is really stupid but we all get it. Its the giggles, the snuggles, the free kisses. Its really the reward of parenting, but it is greater than that because it happens between the three of us, not just with ds. This weekend the silly time was punctuated with the knowledge that soon its about to get richer by adding one more soul to the mix!

This weekend we had company visiting from out of town; cousins that ds loves. I had two boys sleep over saturday night and woke up to a household of three boys and of course the older fourth, my husband. Honestly, not a bad thing! But because of the family time, and the focus on savoring the last moments as a trio, Sunday night swept up on me like a ton of bricks. OH NO, I have to pack! Good news is, I took tomorrow off work just to do that.

So here's the logistics update. We are booked, I have tickets as well as a folder from the agency with every form we need. I have cash from the bank and a money belt to wear on the trip. I have all the required medicines, lots of distraction stuff, and diapers for all. I did manage to pack the orphanage donation bag. It is weighing at slightly over 30 lbs, which is perfect! (Note: for intra-China travel, suitcases must weight no more than ~40 lbs. For international flights the weight limit is 50 lbs. But how are you supposed to lose 10 lbs between flights is a small miracle I'd like someone to fill me in on. Forget the suitcase, I'll apply this miracle to my thighs!)

So here's the emotional update. I can burst into tears on a dime. Mostly for totally good reasons. The orphanage bag is predominately stuffed with supplies my friends have donated. Honestly, so much I couldn't get it all in the suitcase; t-shirts, dresses, boy clothes, girl clothes, socks, shampoo, combs, formula, developmental toys, pull toys, hydrocorticoid creams, socks and more socks. The things that didn't fit in the bag, I took to the adoption agency for my meeting with the three other couples that are traveling with us. I can say that all the donations, whether I carry them or not, are making it to kids in need/China. This is the kind of thing that makes me tear up - I know, pathetic.

Another big tear burst tonight, another adoption mom was reviewing photos from a disposable camera they sent to the orphanage which they retrieved when they pick up their daughter last month (talk about a run on sentence that I don't know how to fix!). She just emailed me the photos of her gorgeous daughter with my son tonight. The photos are amazing, its the first time I get to see my son smiling!! I don't think the Chinese Government has any idea how hard we work to keep these kids connected to China, to their peers and/or their region. Its amazing we have the technology to create this kind of network! Thank you Nicole!!



For those prospective adoption parents, or waiting adoption parents, you should know you can send a small package to your child. After we sent in our letter of intent, but before the Chinese authorities blessed the match, through our adoption agency we sent a small package; a disposable camera, a child-friendly photo album with 5 photos of ds1, dh and I, a small toy (slinky), a small stuffed animal, and some candies for the nannies (the nurses who take care of the children). The hope is when we go pick him up... in 10 days!!...We may receive the camera, which we can develop and give him/us photos of his friends and surroundings from before he joined us. Additionally, he will have seen photos of us, so we won't be a totally surprise.

The other tear jerker - your comments! Keep them coming! It totally helps. I have bought a travel stroller, travel scale, set aside tons of snacks to bring, as well as taken great counsel in your thoughts and words! Thank you. I am oddly calm tonight, I guess its because I haven't reached the crisis moment that I know is coming....when the suitcases won't close. But in the last week I've learned that we are traveling, booked the travel, completed all the documents, had awesome bonding time with my family and now feel more settled that we are leaving for an adventure of a life time. But this is not the first adventure or the last! The early adventures include, going to grad school, getting married and having the first child. This next adventure is to become a family of four. I'm not planning beyond this next adventure, but I know it only leads to more wonderful adventures to follow.

P.S. On the anxiety sleep. Good news, I got my period, drank a more than a glass of wine, and have been sleeping much better. Also very glad to have one less thing to pack on the trip, tampons!