Physicals.......check

Well after I sweetly convinced (conned) the Dr. into getting Scott and I for our physicals today I am proud to announce we passed! We don't have blood/urine results back, but I'm pretty sure we're good to go. We should have all papers for our home study in by Friday and a copy to us by Tuesday. Folks, that is two weeks and two day for a home study. I think we deserve an award!!

Racing

Today I called our Doctor's office to beg to get in for physicals for the home study. Imagine my surprise when they said we could come in tomorrow! So all we need to finish this all important part of the adoption process are the physicals and Scott's employment verification letter. After that we should be good to go.

I am still struggling with trying to plan what will happen when with this adoption (failing miserably at letting go and letting God, but that's a whole different post) so as I see that we could start the 1600A process very soon I start to imagine travel in March. Tthis is like the most optimistic time line ever, but hey, a girl can dream. Then I think of all the things we would need to do and buy and I panic. Plus Siberia in March!?!? May might just be more realistic and warmer. But the trugh is, I don't want to be realistic, I want her here now.

Pink, Pink, Pink

Today I bought the very first piece of pink clothing for Grace. This is something that I have wanted to do for more years than I care to admit, and it felt great when I did it. But now that I'm home and staring at the darling outfits I picked, I feel empty. I realized that although I really want to dress the little angel that is about to enter our lives, I want her here more, I want to know what she will look like, what will make her giggle, and whether she like cars or dolls. I want to kiss her cheeks and tuck her into bed. It's not all about the shopping, but don't be fooled there will be plenty of that, it's about the love we have to give to princess pink.

In other news today was our final home study appointment, we just have two more things to get to Dru and that part of the adoption is done. We are moving along, but not as fast as I'd like. I'm working the whole "let go and let god" concept, but my inner control freak is dying to get out. Hopefully I'll learn new levels of patience because of this adoption.

Final Home Study appointment

Tomorrow is our final Home Study appointment, once this is done we pass a vary large hurdle in the adoption journey. We have been cleaning as though the Queen was coming to visit, and I'm still worried it's not clean enough. With four boys running around I can only reach a certain level of clean and then I can go no further. I'm sure if she looks she'll find stray Lego's, light sabers and hot wheels hidden all over the place. If we can just get through this process soon there will be stray Polly Pockets, Barbie shoes and hair bows laying around, what a change that will be!

Tonight I read the letter of reccomendation written by my best friend, it made me cry. Normally I'd say she's lying, but I know this is how she really feels about Scott and I as parents and about this adoption. I couldn't ask for a more supportive and wonderful friend. Good thing, she'll be Grace's God mother!

Home study

In this whole adoption journey, nothing so far has intimidated me like the home study. I know that we are good parents, raising really great kids, but to have someone look at your family and judge it, and then make a decision about whether you can adopt this person you're dreaming of, is pretty scary stuff.

Sunday we had our first appointment. S said I didn't sleep all night before, and I thought well at least you noticed. I was really nervous, plus we were taking our kids to her house, after a Ferry ride, and really early in the morning. In my mind this spelled disaster, but I guess only if disaster is spelled s u c c e s s! We love our social worker, she loved our kids and the whole thing just went great. She comes to our house this Saturday and then we're mostly done. I'm trying to get the place sparkling, but I have beings working against that effort. Friday night I'll be a cleaning machine, hopefully I can get S to do the toilets ;-) I'm crossing my fingers that all goes well.

We told the boys

I'm behind in my blogging, but life with four kids doesn't leave tons of free time. On Saturday we told the boys, to say that they were excited is an understatement. B is thrilled and wants his baby sister NOW, A and M are excited too, but not as vocal about it.

After we told the boys B said, Mom you would probably like a girl since there are so many boys here" A responded, "yeah, but there will still be more boys than girls!"

On Saturday afternoon the boys were all coloring and A and B both made welcome to the family signs, how sweet is that.

Things are moving

When we talked to our agency director she encouraged us to move fairly quickly with the paper chase and home study because in the next few months we will have the opportunity to get a pretty quick referral. So, yesterday I interviewed home study social workers and selected one, and she wants to come over for our first meeting SUNDAY! I'm not sure I can be ready that soon, aren't I supposed to clean like the the Queen herself is coming to visit? I'm not sure I can be up to Queen standards by then, my kids have been home from school for days. As badly as I want this, when things start going so fast it instinctively makes me want to step back and slow things down, get them under my control. But, since I'm trying to let God be on control of this process, I guess I'm going to go with the flow. I'm sill a lot excited mixed in with a healthy dose of fear.