In the Meantime

Wow! It's amazing how much there is to do before we go. Not just things like get house/cat sitters, clean, meal plan for when we get back (freezing food is my big plan), get baby supplies, get more luggage (shop for luggage that can get destroyed but is still sturdy - ummm??? - Cheap and good do not go together but who wants to struggle with luggage on a LONG trip with a new baby?), try an figure out what lotions/hair care products to get (baby has different skin and hair needs than we do for being a baby and being black), get leave/time off at my jobs set up, get her added to our healthcare, get the rest of our vaccinations, get some things fixed in the house, baby proof the house, figure out travel plans & expenses. Make sure I don't miss a detail on steps to get her home - little things like making sure that our home study extension was wired to the embassy in Addis and that we know Amari has passed her TB exam before we go, getting another document notarized, backing up all of our data, sending to ourselves in an email of it all for back up while we are traveling on top of all of the copies we have to carry with us - do I have every bit there ( for example - all of our last years tax return - REALLY have they SEEN one of ours???? I've so many W2's it silly!!! - evey page scanned in to the computer save to a file, then printed out to take with us). Not to mention the seemingly GOBS of paperwork that still needs to be done. It's amazing what my printer has had to spit out in the last week. Oh yeah and we need to make a will, buy extra cat food and kitty litter, get a packing list, pack, get our donations together for the kids in Ethiopia at the orphanage and the House of Hope, read more about adoption parenting and attachment for our trip so that we are ready when we get her- those are some crucial days and when we first get home, looking at the post adoption paperwork, adding to Amari's baby/lifebook.... This is just off the top of my head you know, not from the many lists that I am trying to check off. I'm sure there's plenty I've left off... WOW!

It helps to be elated and excited otherwise I think I'd be really overwhelmed. I almost was the other day when I got our travel email from our agency (I've already read the packet they sent and I so though I was getting ahead) then when I went to the link for a government website to get the additional forms that I found out we need to fill out. OMG. A stack as thick as my finger of papers - I'm not kidding. I haven't even read it yet.

WOW!

And see she's growing and changing all of this time without Mark and I to love on her and give her the care she really deserves and needs. I just want to GO! NOW!