One week from right now

Scott and I should be in a plane on our way to Russia. I say should because let's face facts, flights are rarely on time and our flight leaves Atlanta at 3:40. Two weeks from now we will have our girly with us and be in Moscow, and three weeks from now we will be home and getting on with life. Three weeks from today is my birthday too and I think having a new family member at home will make it extra special!

Since I only have week left to get ready, and one of those days is taken up by a holiday, you are right if you think I might be freaking out a touch. But it's really just a touch, I'm pretty calm about this trip. I'm more excited to get there and get our hands on her than anything else, and this time that feeling is overriding all other's. Our kids are so excited to get their sister here that they are counting down the days. They are also planning all the activities that she will to do with them. The sweet girly girl we met in May is about to become a tom-boy! They have plans for trains and dog games, but I'm hoping they will squeeze in a tea party or two also.

It's getting so close I'm not sleeping at night, I've been dreaming of adopting since I was little and dreaming of a daughter for eight years I can't imagine what it will feel like to complete those dreams.

Did I make a mistake??

Way back when, after we'd gotten our referral and before we'd been on trip one, I bought bedding for Miss PP. Since she was under two I assumed that they would have the kids sleeping in cribs still. This was great because we have a crib!! I bought a cute little bumper and dust ruffle and thought I'd done great.

Cut to trip one, the kids sleep in beds! We kept thinking that she would be better off in a crib, yada, yada, yada. But for the last few weeks I've been thinking that we made a mistake, she's already in a bed, wouldn't she be happier staying in a bed? I don't know what to do, so if you have any thoughts or experiences you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them.

Did I mention that two weeks from today we take Princess Pink from her baby home and off to her new life!!!!

Two weeks from today

we will hopefully become the proud parents of the world's cutest little girl!!!!!!

We have booked our flights, and they stink, but they cost a lot less than the good ones, and today we finished the Princesses room. The painting is done, the crib is up, the chair is in and Scott built her a great closet organizer. Saturday I washed all her clothes, and let me say it was very exciting to fold them!!!! This afternoon I got to put them away and organize her closet, it's starting to feel real. Scott is worried because his daughter, who doesn't live here ye,t has six pair of shoes and he only has four. I suggested he get a couple more pair if that would make him feel better.

We are definitely counting down the days.

Two Weeks

Two weeks from today we leave for the adventure of a lifetime. When we leave we will still be our little family of six, ooops big family, but when we return we will be seven. I am so excited and so nervous that there are times I can't tell which is the dominant emotion. I just want to get my hands on our girl and kiss her and hug her, but I'm so worried about her and how she'll take all the changes we are about to thrust on her.

This afternoon I'm busy doing Princess Pink things, which definitely makes me happy. I went through all the clothes we've bought her and cut off the tags and put them in the wash. The interesting thing is that I didn't need to do a dark load, everything is light pink (boy I hope she loves that color). I also got her chair put up her room, too cute!

Tomorrow I am attending a shower for Miss PP. I am so excited, but not because of the presents (lord knows if it's even remotely cute, I've already bought it) it's because I'm not sure that her little life was ever celebrated. I'm so excited to have an invitation and pictures to put in her scrapbook, so she knows that we were so excited for her arrival. I want her to know that she is loved and I want her to know that she is wanted so, so wanted.

Sneak Peak at the Princesses Room

This is the room we are working on for PP. We have ordered her name in painted letter to hang above crib, but they won't be here for awhile. Then I found a pink chenille roll arm chair on target dot com clearance for a song. I'm not sure what else I want to put on the walls.... maybe some book covers framed, or illustrations from inside my fave children's lit, I just don't know. I'm also trying to decide if the pink stipr is screaming out, put some words in me. The problem is what words. Decisions, decisions. At least they are distracting me from worrying about the trip.

Court Date??

Today four weeks to the day after leaving Magadan we got our release letter from Moscow!!!!!!!! YIPPEE!!! So now they are scheduling our court date for July 9th, a week later than I would have liked (Princess Pink's birthday is the second of July) but beggars can't be choosers and anxious folks like us will take any date!!

So now there will be a flurry of activity around our house while we get the final preparations for our girl completed. We just finished painting her room and it looks amazing, I'll post a picture late this week when the crib and curtains are up so you can see it completed.

I'm so excited and now the nerves have set again. I cannot wait until July 14th, we'll be home with a daughter and US citizen. Today is a great Day!!!

Scenes from our Father's Day, in reverse order

To start I think Scott had an okay Father's day, he did things for everyone but himself, but they were all his idea when asked what he wanted to do for his day.

Tonight I downloaded "Let's get it Started" for the three big boys, someone at school had taught them the chorus and they wander around singing it and I thought they'd get a kick out of hearing it. So they're standing in the den in their jammies dancing and singing to the song when the word stupid is sung. They all stop dancing and cover their mouths with their hands and giggle like girls. The Black eyed Peas they're not, more like the Osmond Brothers.

We took Daddy out to a new pizza restaurant. He loves it the kids were as good as gold and I think that might be his favorite part of the day, well that and the left over pizza he brought home.

Even though it was Scott's day he offered to take me to the outlet mall I've been drooling over for the better part of a year. They had a Polo outlet, Gymboree outlet and a COACH outlet, which Scott encouraged me to go into!!! I felt so guilty that he was spending his day shopping for my wants that I couldn't bring myself to buy anything (what is wrong with me???)

The boys have been wanting Crocs and then I got a pair and they really wanted Crocs. So today we caved and got them each a pair. When two of your kids can't tie shoes, anything that is a slip on is a deal. They wanted those things you stick in the holes but I convinced them that those were for girls. So the thought we ought to by PP a pair and get her some. I had to draw the line. They have been wearing said Crocs all day and two of them are now sleeping with them. These kids have good shoes, it's not like they never get anything new, they are spoiled and yet they are sleeping with their Crocs, I was about to say I'll never understand them, but I am a shoe hound so I do understand.

I got up early made Scott his favorite breakfast and I let him sleep until 9, so I have to say his day did start on the right foot and now as it's winding down he is reclined on the couch watching something boring on TV.

I must say I do have the best father for my kids I could ever ask for, he is always there for his kids, makes time for them, plays with them (even the games I hate), and kisses and hugs them all the time. I am so glad that my boys will always grow up with and affectionate and present father, they couldn't ask for a better one. I can't wait to see how he's going to be with our little girl, I'll bet he's mush!

kids, paint, pens and still frustrated.

You would think that as the Mom to four very active and busy boys I would not have time to complain and gripe and groan about wanting to get to Russia to pick up child number five. To the people who think that, you're wrong. I find myself longing to get back there more and more each day, to the point where watching the video makes me cry and I've taken a break because watching it isn't helping me.

Some fabulous friends from our agency just saw Princess Pink when they went on trip two to finally get their two girls (Congratulations!!). They very graciously took some pictures of PP for us and I was so excited to get them. But then I look at her and her hair has grown, which makes me sad, and she's dressed like they normally dress kids in the baby home, not like they dress them for their parents (she has these obnoxious green tights on)and to me she looks sad. I know that I'm reading into it, but I'm certain that she looks sad because she walked out the door expecting to see her Mama and Papa and they weren't there. (when you're waiting crazy thoughts enter your head)

I am busy around here though. As a former teacher it annoys the heck out of me when teacher's all want these huge projects due at the end of the year. My kids are done with school and homework and their enthusiasm for the projects is nil, add to the fact that they are in first and second grade and you get just so-so projects. I just want to send an email that says what are you gonna do, flunk them? Projects done a month ago would have had appropriate enthusiasm and more parental involvement!

We are still working on painting the girl's room. when I say we I mean Scott because he won't let me paint. He is such a perfectionist he can't hand the task off. While I am grateful to get out of the work, I'd like to help paint this particular room, it's just not gonna happen.

Ink. did you know that if your very cute almost three year old gets an ink pen and draws several pictures on your new microfiber couch you can get it off? I was certain that death might have been in little J's future, but thanks to the internet I discovered that hairspray will take ink off. I'm a little concerned because J also used sharpie on the carpet and hairspray fixed that too. What exactly am I putting on my hair?? But hey, if this happens to you, you now know how to fix it.

Frustration

I realize that we've only been home three weeks, but I would like to hear about a court date now! I have this dream that we'll have Princess Pink and be home with her by her birthday. It just seems like each day that passes makes the dream a little dimmer. I know that my process has been very painless compared to others, but I just want PP to have a real birthday with her family. Yes. we'll still have a party for her after she gets home even if it's past her birthday, but I really want this to come true for her.

In other news, I finally got up the guts to start painting the room. It's going to be pink and green and the bedding is pink, green and yellow and has flowers and butterflies. I have been scared something would go wrong and I would have this room just mocking me, plus J was still sleeping there. But we are moving onward now and preparing for our new future.

I have been so frustrated these last few days and snippy at S, but being a wonderful hubby he understands and is so nice to me. I'm not sure how I got so lucky, one great hubby, four fabulous boys and one pretty princess. when I list it like that life is good.

Visits day 4 and 5

Continuing on with the story of our trip, we got visit Princess Pink on Saturday and Sunday in the Mornings only. Sunday was with special permission so we could say goodbye. I have trouble keeping the details of these two visits separate, they kinda merge into one in my mind, but that's because they were the best visits of our trip. PP was smiling at us, we didn't have to tickle her or do something to get her smile, she just smiled on her own. When we kissed her she would come back for more!!! Nothing melted our hearts more than that. I even managed to catch she and Scott kissing on video. She just seemed to come out of her shell and was more into us. She also said two words in English during these visits, ball and peek-a-boo. So after these two visits we were feeling really good about her and her ability to attach to us, when of course we had to leave.

Now since we've been home everyone keeps saying, wasn't it so hard to leave her? I am going to be very honest here and say no, it was actually pretty easy. This is because we missed our boys so much, and we walked into this knowing we were leaving her there from the get go. And there is a part of you that feels bad about taking this little person from everything that she knows, even though we know life at our house will be better for her. I also found myself not allowing myself to fall head over heels for her, because I was still fearful that something would go wrong. Now, as we sit here waiting not so patiently for a court date, I find my self longing to go back and get her. As we watch the videos, all the time, we have let our guard down and allowed ourselves to fall in love with our beautiful little girl. It's a strange thing this adoption, it seems like nothing is quite like we expected, but our little girl, more wonderful than we ever imagined!

Visiting, day three

On Friday, on the way to the baby home, Scott and I commented that we hoped we'd get to see a music class like the family before us had. Well when we got to the baby house they had already been to music so they set up a little class just for us to see. They took out Princess and the two cutest little boys this side of our four and did some singing. The kids didn't sing, but the music lady played piano and snag and the kids played bells and maracas on her instructions. Then they did a little folk dance too, it was so sweet and so nice to know that although the kids don't live in a family they're still getting the best care these people can give them.

After music they had us take PP to the "sensory" room I thought it was very cool that they had such a place. There were all kinds of textures and movement opportunities in the room. Unfortunately, the sensory teacher was there and PP likes her so we had trouble getting her to interact much with us. The sensory lady then took us into the light room( to me it was what a room where people would go a do drugs would look like. This made Scott hoot, because I have no clue about these things but in my imagination this was the same as some drug trip room) There were the moving light pictures from when were kids on the walls, lots of the light up lava lamps, those fiber optic light things and strings of lights. She turned on the new age music and we sat and watched, it was strange.

For the afternoon visit we went back to the PE type room by ourselves. We decided to take out all the toys we had brought and lay them around us and let PP lead the way for play. She was initially unwilling to get near Scott, he was so sad, but a cookie cleared the way and she was fine. She would bring books to us and we'd point to the pictures and read, she went for the purse and we spent a lot time playing with it's contents and I finally tickled her belly and we got her to laugh. PP was so into the game she started lifting her shirt to let us get to her belly, it was a great moment. Scott and I had wondered is she was just not ticklish, or not ticklish because she hadn't been tickled. She was also beginning to smile some in the meeting and was babbling more. She kept saying la-la, and we thought it was babble, but we learned it means baby and we did have a baby doll there.

We felt like PP was getting more comfortable with us, not necessarily attaching, because she was still glad to get back to her group, but when we would arrive to see her, she walked right over to us and took my hand.

On another note a wonderful family from our agency arrives in MAgadan today and goes to court tomorrow to get thee two girlies. Please keep them all in your prayers as the form their new family!