Baby K and other updates

Sweet Baby K is now 5 months old and just as cute as ever. We just got new pictures and measurements. She is just too adorable for words really. I can't wait to share her pictures.

She currently weighs about 14.5lbs (28th percentile) and is about 25 1/4 inches (55th percentile) and her head circumference is in the 22nd percentile per CDC growth charts anyway.

I wasn't expecting the new pictures so soon but it was a nice surprise. It has been one month since we first saw her face and now I have 7 fabulous pictures to stare at.

We also finished being fingerprinted by USCIS. We have our I171h already. We still aren't really sure what the next steps are but we know we anxious to get the ball rolling. I know time will fly and our house is so not ready physically for a second child. We need to remodel the basement, get new carpets, paint and I could go on.

In other crazy news, instead of quitting my job which I still will when Baby K comes home, for now I applied for a promotion. It gets me out of the day to day bank sales and more into management. We shall see if I get it or not. I have the peer support. I hope I do. The extra money would be nice especially with all the home projects.

We are also preparing for a vacation. We haven't been to California in 2 years and decided why not take Kiya back to California. I am a little nervous about traveling with a potty trained/training toddler. We have been telling her we are going on an airplane and that she has to sit in her seat and be quiet. We also let her pick out a special travel bag which mommy will fill with special surprises. She picked a little Dora back pack on wheels. So far there is a my little pony in it. There will be a magna doodle, some paper markers, snacks, and other little things she loves including beads and rubber spiders and snakes. Yeah I know. My girlie girl LOVES rubber insects and reptiles and yet also LOVES all things pink and loves to wear beads. We just roll with it. Doesn't bother me in the slightest though the rubber insects are kind of gross.

These next few weeks will be busy as I should find out if I get the promotion at work and we have to get ready for vacation. Fun stuff.

Then

A journey down memory lane of our first few days with our Peanut.

I can't get over just how tiny she was yet still so full of life. Those little hands that were in a fist much more than they should have been. Those little lips that held such a sweet smile. Those 5 little puffs in her hair. She was wearing 0-3 month clothes and couldn't grasp a toy in her hand. She was about 12lbs and 23.5 inches long and 5 1/2 months old. She didn't fit in the Ergo she was too tiny.

We could tell she was scared and nervous and those fingers were never far from her mouth. She was a very serious child while we were in Ethiopia. We were new, she was just warming up to us. She wasn't a fan of being held for too long and boy if she wasn't fed fast enough she was going to let you know. She loved her baths from day 1 and only graced us with a handful of blowout diapers. Our last blow out diaper was the day we returned home from Ethiopia in the Detroit airport. (Yes I am knocking on wood).

She was a tiny piece of perfection. Just looking at us with those big, intelligent eyes. We were hers and she was ours and we were finally together.

Here

On this day last year we were on our way to the airport. We were going to Ethiopia. We were coming home parents. I am still in shock that it has been a whole year since we made that 23 hour journey half way around the world.

I heard this song on the radio the other day and I cried when I heard the chorus. It is a Rascal Flatts song, called "Here"

"And I wouldn't change a thing
I'd walk right back through the rain
Back to every broken heart
On the day that it was breakin'
And I'd relive all the years
And be thankful for the tears
I've cried with every stumbled step
That led to you and got me here, right here"

My journey to motherhood was not easy. It was a long and winding road, but I am here and happier than ever.

In reality, as hard as the infertility was and as hard as losing the twins was, I know in my heart I had to go through those things to get me where I am today. There was a greater plan involved here. At the times that my heart was breaking I didn't get it. I was angry. I was hurt. I was confused.

Now I get it. I was meant to be Kiya's mom. No one ever said life was easy and I can attest to that. I survived 6 plus years of heartbreak and tears to get to my baby girl.

I can't believe I am about to write this but I would do it all again. All the tears, the years, the pain, the heart break, the stumbled steps just because I know it all leads to me being Kiya's mom and that is the best job in the world.

So in a weird way, I am thankful for the past. I learned a lot and I became a lot stronger. I knew that if I could handle everything life had thrown at me than I was more than ready to be a mom.

I am truly and eternally grateful for everything that has gotten me here. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else..okay except maybe Ethiopia. I am here. I am a Mom and I am blessed. Life is good.

Bring on the memories and the tears

This week is EMOTIONAL for me. Last year at this time we were gearing up for a 23 hour plane ride that would forever change my life and in some ways change me as a person.

Our very first Family Day is Saturday. I am in shock that it has been a year. Sunday is Mother's Day...that is a LOADED day for me and deserves its own post later in the week.

My heart belongs in Ethiopia. It always will. I miss Ethiopia every day and this week just brings it even more to the forefront.

I know I will be crying a lot this week. Maybe not for everyone else to see but there is just so much swirling around my head and in my heart. These tears are tears of joy, tears of remembrance and tears of sadness.

This week on blog will be reflections of a year ago and hopes for future years with a few pictures of the every adorable and loving girl that I am proud to call my daughter.

Changes

A piece of my heart is in Ethiopia. It always will be. As I mentioned in a previous post, I miss Ethiopia. I want to see more, hear more, learn more, enjoy more. The short week I was there was just not enough. I tried to soak up as much as I could.

Well, we just found out that as of right now the process to bring our son home has changed. It may change again but as of today, the Ethiopian government is requiring adoptive parents to be present at the court hearing. In essence, that means two trips to Ethiopia, one for the court hearing and then one to bring home our son. There aren't a lot of details as to how this will work but we are kind of excited about it.

Why? Well, we would get to meet our Little Man sooner and hug him, love him and just see that he is doing well. Don't get me wrong, it will be so hard to leave that first time without him. I guarantee I will cry and cry a lot. However, with the additional trip we can travel around the country and absorb even more Ethiopia.

Also, because of these two visits, our son would come home on a IR3 visa which would make him a citizen the second he hits US soil. It mean less paperwork and no fee for filing the COC.

I do feel for the families that have recent referrals or are very close to receiving a referral. This news was sprung on the whole adoption community yesterday and for some families that doesn't leave a lot of time to budget for a second trip or find childcare, or get time off of work etc. Since we are years away, we can figure these details out. I pray that all the cards fall in to place for these families caught in the middle and the unknown.

Because of the lengthening timelines, we are also discussing bringing Kiya with us for one of the trips. She could be closer to 5 when this happens and I think it would be great for her to go and see where she was born and to start to experience Ethiopia first hand. We haven't made a final decision and likely won't until it gets closer but the seed has been planted.

I am anticipating that things will likely change again before we even get close to a referral, I am just hoping that this recent change will help Ethiopia stay open to international adoption. There is still a fear that our son will not be from Ethiopia. I try not to think about it too much and am really hoping for the best.

I think about Ethiopia just about every day. Some days more than others. I am itching to go back. We talked about going again before our son but with these new changes we likely will just wait until we travel to see our son and then bring him home. So for now we will just sit back and wait and see what other changes are coming, after all this is international adoption so we at this point expect there will be more changes.

And we are back

I know bad blogger again but this time I have a really good reason. I was on vacation. We went to San Antonio in hopes of finding some nicer weather and spending time with family. We had two beautiful sunny days...and well we won't talk about the other days. We had a good time hanging out with Kiya's godmother/Auntie Sarah and her boyfriend Jerod. Kiya was quite smitten with Jerod. It was really cute.

I was looking forward to the time off but not to the travelling with a toddler. Let me go on the record here and say the Kiya never ceases to amaze me. We had to get her up at 3:30am the day we left and she was such a happy girl. She was waving and saying hi to all the other passengers on the plane. She ate well and slept well the whole way there.

On the way home we had what turned out to be an almost 5 hour layover in Detroit--yeah not fun nor planned but darn snow storm was a brewing. She did beyond great. She wasn't such a fan of eating by this point in the trip but she was a very pleasant and happy girl. She played with her toys and books, waved at some more people and then slept most of the way home on the plane.

While in Texas, we discovered that the poor girl was teething something awful. This led to some crabby times, a whole bunch of not eating and not the best sleeping. Overall she did really well and was pushed to her limits. She was a super star and I was really proud of her.

We had to cut a few things short a dinner here (too late) and the Alamo (she decided to pee her pants), but overall we had a great time. Kiya was beyond thrilled to spend so much time with her Grandma and Grandpa. Though if I have to speak for Kiya I would say the highlight of the trip for her was the pool.

Wow does she LOVE water. She has quite the frog kick already and she at first accidentally stuck her face in the water and we expected she might freak out but nope she just kept doing it. So cute.

We took her to the zoo for the first time and she kept calling things dawdee or doggy when she was awake. She seemed quite fascinated by the fish that swam in the pond where the hippos live. We got her a stuffed hippo since she loves her belly button book so much.

It was an action packed trip and we are glad to be home. Weren't sure we were going to make it for awhile given the weather but we did. Now if we can just get Miss Kiya to eat on a regular basis and sleep without screaming that would be fabulous. (I gave in and let her nap with me on the couch....couldn't take the screaming and she settled in and snuggled with me for over an hour). Tomorrow we hope to get back on track and back in our regular routine. Wish us luck!

Vacation summary

So since we had limited Internet access for parts of our vacation this will be a summary of everything else to try and catch up.

Actual travel: Kiya is a pretty good traveler as long as we are moving. Sitting on tarmacs waiting to take off is not fun for an almost 11 month old. Once she got settled she slept the majority of each flight we took. It was great. We got lots of comments about how good she was.

Actual vacation: Lots of fun. We went for Dave's college reunion and it was nice to catch up with some old friends. I got to visit with some old co-workers and see my 'second' family. I have 3 families really. My family, my in laws and then my BFF's family and I have always been close too. I have known and been a part of Stacy's family for 19 years (wow--that makes me feel old). We were BUSY. Each day has lots of stuff crammed into it. Too much really, we could have used one more day.

Accommodations: We stayed at our favorite hotel for 2 nights and then house sat for a friend and watched her 2 dogs. That was an adventure. Her dogs have similar personalities to mine. Herbie was sweet and loveable(just like Sebastian) and Jack was NUTS (just like Badger). It was fun though. They kept us on our toes but we enjoyed it.

Kiya: She is FABULOUS. She was so good. She tried a lot of new foods including halibut, beets, sourdough bread, butterfish, zucchini, buttered noodles with Parmesan cheese, and did great with all of it except the sourdough bread. She HATED that. We have a funny video of her trying sourdough when we were are the Fish Market. too funny. I will have to figure out how to upload video as it is pretty funny.

The highs: Seeing friends and having a night out with the hubby. Kiya hung out with a friend of mine and did great. It was the first time a non family member had to put Kiya down for the night. I was not excited about that part but Kiya did great. She woke up when we picked her up and I was still able to give her a small bottle and cuddle before we put her back down for the night.

The lows: We gate checked our stroller in San Jose but it didn't show up in Minneapolis. They checked it all the way through to Madison. We packed the Ergo in the checked luggage since we had the stroller. We let me tell you, hiking it through the MSP airport with a lot of carry on bags, 2 hungry/grumpy parents and an over tired baby was not a good time. We were lucky to get to our gate to find one of the nicest people ever. She offered to entertain Kiya while Dave and I grabbed some food. No worries she was never out of our site and I am shocked I let a complete stranger hold my child but Kiya seemed okay and she could see us the entire time.

We had a great time and the weather was near perfect. Was good to be back in my old stomping grounds again but alas it is so nice to be home.

Will post pics later today if I get a chance.

Journey to Peanut

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ready to go home

By the time we got to Wednesday, we were ready to go home. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED Ethiopia and I can't wait to go back but we were done. Both Dave and I had not been feeling super great. Eating was a little bit of a challenge and there was no electricity all day on Wednesday and it was our first full day with Peanut.

There were really no scheduled activities that day. There was supposed to be a hair braiding class but since a bunch of people hired a taxi and went shopping they didn't have it. We did order Metro Pizza that night and hung out as a group eating in the dark. It was a blast.

Peanut was doing well. She seemed to still be battling the upper respiratory infection from the previous week. She ate like a champ, slept through just about everything and has a smile that could melt your heart.

We went to bed early in order to face a full day of packing and getting ready to go home. The trip home was VERY tough as Dave and I were both VERY ill by this point and doing our best to just keep going. All the while Peanut was perfect. Really I mean it. On the flight from Addis to Amsterdam, she slept the entire flight. Thank goodness for the bassinet. She was awake for the whole flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. Not fussy just awake and if you have ever tried to keep a 5 month old entertained for 8 hours when all you want to do is sleep or throw up--trust me it was less than fun.

Once in Detroit she decided to blow out her diaper before we got on the plane which was nice in a way and then she slept the short flight from Detroit to home.

We really have the best little girl and feel so blessed that she is a part of our family. We came home with a ton of extra diapers and clothes as she only blew out 5 outfits I think. She hasn't had a total blow out since the Detroit airport--knock on wood. I know enough poop talk but for those who are adopting and facing long flights it is a constant worry about how this will all work out.

We are still settling in to a new normal and I promise once I have more time I will find a way to put a bunch of pictures here. I will try and at least post a few later today.

ETHIOPIA HERE WE COME!!!

Packed and ready to go. There is actually another green suitcase that you can't see. So much stuff it wouldn't fit in frame :) All bags have been weighed and we are under the 50lb weight limit:)

I am still in shock that this is actually happening. I am going to Ethiopia. I am bringing home my beautiful daughter. YEAH!!!!!

We were also blessed with a growth update today. Peanut now weighs 12lbs and is 23.5 inches long. WOOHOO!

Will I sleep tonight? I hope so but I am not sure. We took our first dose of Malarone today to ward off Malaria. So far so good. No crazy side effects. We both felt a little out of it about an hour after taking it but after that nothing. Let's hope that continues. In reality, I am not really worried about getting Malaria since we will be at such a high elevation for most of our trip but I thought better safe than sorry since we are leaving Addis for a day.

I cannot access my blog while in Ethiopia but I can email posts to it so that is the plan. I don't know how often I will be able to get on the computer but I will do my best to post as often as I can. I will also have a journal with me to write down things as they happen and as a record of things that I won't post here on the blog for privacy reasons.

Ethiopia here we come!!! Hang on baby girl Mom and Dad are a little more than 15 hours away from boarding that plane. Can't wait to meet you and kiss those adorable little cheeks.

Ready?

That is a loaded question. I want to say yes but I am not sure that is possible. The bags are packed (pictures to come tomorrow) and I am so ready to be a Mom full time yet in some ways I feel like I am not ready.

Physically, I will be at a very high elevation and will try to ward off altitude sickness with lots of water and taking time to get adjusted.

Mentally, I am a basket case right now. I keep forgetting where stuff is and what I did with things. In fact while writing this I forgot which bag I packed my sandals in so I went up and checked....

Emotionally, I am ready to be a Mom but I am not sure I can prepare myself for all of the emotions that are about to hit me. This will be the most emotional journey of my life and I need to be fully present and absorb it all. I can't really predict how things will go and what I will feel. One thing for sure is I packed A LOT of extra Kleenex.

I can't believe we are this close. In less than 48 hours I will be on a plane and on the way to my baby girl. Every time I stop and think about that it brings tears to my eyes. My life is about to get flipped upside down and I couldn't be happier about it.

Travel schedule

6 DAYS!!! I am just about ready to zip up those suitcases!!! So excited :) Can't wait :) Need to breath :) Need to sleep :)

Okay so a few people have inquired about what our schedule looks like while we are in Ethiopia so here it is.

Leave US on Wednesday
Arrive in Ethiopia on Thursday evening. Our agency has their own guest house so we will stay there and have most of our meals there also.

Friday: Orientation and MEET PEANUT for the first time. We cannot tape this meeting but our agency does for us. We then have to leave for a little bit but get to come back and hang out with Peanut.

Saturday: Visit to the care center and observe the nannies and learn Peanut's routine. In the afternoon we go on a shopping trip and then that evening we go to a traditional Ethiopian dinner and show.

Sunday: Mother's Day!! We leave very early for our trip to Hossana in the southern region. We hope to meet Peanut's birth family and visit the intake center where Peanut spent her first few weeks. Whew--talk about emotional day. We don't get to see Peanut that day.

Monday: In the morning we go to care center to hang out with Peanut some more. In the afternoon we go to a museum and some other sights. We get to visit AHOPE which is where the gloves I have collected will be donated. We will also get to tour CHSFS Ethiopia facilities.

Tuesday: In the morning we will enjoy a special going away celebration with the nannies. We then take custody of Peanut and have an Embassy appointment in the afternoon.

Wednesday: Free day to hang out at the guest house with Peanut and the other 8 families in our group. Possible extra shopping trip :) There is also a hair braiding class in the afternoon.

Thursday: There will be an Ethiopian cooking class in the morning. The rest of the day will be spent packing and getting ready to leave that evening.

Friday: Arrive home with our little girl!

Others have asked for a packing list so stay tuned. I will post that tomorrow. For now it is back to cleaning the house and loving on my sweet pugs.

Peanut is 5 months old!!!

My little girl is 5 months old today! I wonder what she is doing? Sleeping, eating, playing, sucking her thumb....

All I know is that I get to see her with my own two eyes next week. WE LEAVE IN 7 DAYS!!! Hang on baby girl, your mom and dad are finally almost there. I pinch myself daily to make sure this is all real and say lots of prayers.

Just thinking about her and our trip brings tears to my eyes. I can't wait to hold her in my arms and kiss the cutest cheeks I have ever seen. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I could be so in love with a baby I haven't met. She is part of my every breath and thought. She is with me always and soon she will be with me physically. FOREVER!

I am going to actually have the family I have always dreamed of. I am over the moon excited to see this dream come true. Okay, I had to pinch myself again to make sure this is all really happening. We are so close. Close to being united with our beautiful daughter. There is no greater gift to be had.

Last travel related shopping trip?

I am hoping that today was my last travel related shopping trip. I found a great pair of sandals to bring on the trip so I am SUPER excited. I found my map that we will hopefully be able to give members of Peanut's birth family. I really think I have everything else. Fingers crossed that when I start checking things off on the list, we have it all. I really think we do. Wow.

After all these little odds and ends were purchased, I headed over to the baby food aisle. You see for some crazy reason I missed the info that Peanut starting eating cereal 1 time a day in Ethiopia a month ago. She also gets orange juice once a day in the afternoon. I had the info but I guess in all the excitement I didn't retain that piece of info. I bought a box of rice cereal.

Wasn't really thinking solid foods until today. I have the bottle thing down. I have been there done that times 2. I was ready for that. I am not ready for solids. There is going to be a learning curve here. I am however not bringing cereal to Ethiopia. If we find we need some I will buy some there and then get some to bring home to ease the transition. You see the cereal Miss Peanut is eating right now is sweetened. Rice cereal is not. Hence the potential problem. I have heard from other adoptive moms that mixing cereal with baby food, fruits preferably, usually work. We shall find out...

We also got our room assignment yesterday at the guest house. We are upstairs in the main guest house, the one they serve the meals at. We have our own bathroom which is nice. Based on previous travelers review, our room is small and has character. Can't wait to see it, we will just have to make sure we don't lock ourselves in and be nice to the 'ghost'.

9 days

That's right we have officially hit the single digits. WE LEAVE IN 9 DAYS!!!!!

My to do list is starting to get smaller. Dave laughed at me yesterday as I was cleaning out the spice cabinet. Way over due on that one so since I am in full nesting/cleaning mode I figured why not.

We were able to cross moving the wine rack to the basement off the list this weekend which was good as that was bugging me. We have this nice wine rack that holds glassware as well but is so not child friendly so I wanted it moved to the basement before we left.

As for packing, I don't know what I would do without space saver bags. The only person in the family that is fully packed is Peanut. Wow, I like the sound of that.

I am working on packing Dave and I but some things we may still wear so can't pack those yet. My latest issues is shoes. If you know me, then you know that I LOVE shoes and I HATE socks. I know things will be dusty in Ethiopia but also warm during the day and chillier in the morning and evening. I have packed flip flops for the shower and am thinking I will pack another pair of shoes and then obviously wear a pair so three pairs total. That is pretty good for me. I can pack 2 pairs of shoes just for a weekend away. I just don't know what shoes to pack. Something comfy, easy to get on and off, breathable, cute...this is going to be a work in progress.

Exciting that I am to the point where I am thinking about what shoes to pack!!! I have all our paperwork done and ready to go and in my carry on. I have 2 suitcases full of donations that are packed, weighed and ready to go.

I still can't believe this is all happening. I am going to Ethiopia and I am coming home with my daughter. I think about this and smile. I even started to tear up in the grocery store when buying yogurt. I was looking at the expiration dates and figuring out which ones I had to eat before we leave. That little thing brought tears to my eyes. That was most likely my last grocery shopping experience without my daughter in tow. HOLY COW!!!

Fingers crossed and say prays please for a dear friend whose court date is today and for another friend who now has court on Friday. Off to run errands for the dogs--I still need to get them packed up and ready for their little vacation.

Leaving the bubble

I am very blessed. I am married to a wonderful man, have a beautiful daughter, tremendously supportive family and great friends. We live in a nice neighborhood with a park near by and are fortunate enough to own our own home. I live in a bubble. I have most of my life only to step out briefly when volunteering at shelters or working in the Tenderloin.

I am 12 days away from leaving my bubble and I couldn't be more thrilled. Not only do I get to meet my daughter and bring her home, but I am blessed to be able to spend time in the country of her birth. To walk the streets that her family may have walked, to be in a place where I stand out. I won't have my bubble, my comfort zone.

I think we should all walk outside our bubble at some point in our lives. We need to see with our own eyes the reality that is this world we live in. I am so grateful that I get to see this. I am going to a place that I never dreamed I would go and looking back I feel I was naive. Who wouldn't want to go to Ethiopia, it is beautiful and the people are beautiful inside and out.

I know I cannot really prepare myself for what I will experience. There will be an overwhelming amount of emotion. The joy of my daughter, the sadness and loss for her birth family, the pleasure of meeting new families, the reality of life on the streets, the smiles on the faces of children with HIV... It will be emotionally draining of that I have no doubt.

What will I do with this experience, I don't know. I hope to come back to my bubble with knowledge and a reality check. With the realization that while I feel I am doing something that I could and should be doing more. What does that look like? I don't know yet. I am hoping for Ethiopia to speak to me.

One thing I know for sure is that Ethiopia is part of me and part of my family. I cannot and will not ignore that and I will do what I can to help those that need it in this beautiful country. The country that gave me my daughter. It is the least I can do. I will forever have Ethiopia on my heart and am anxiously awaiting my trip. And while this trip will be long and difficult at times, it is good for me. I need more perspective and need to broaden my horizons if not for me than for my daughter. I want her to see and know how much we love Ethiopia and I want more than anything for her to be proud of where she came from.

Travel plans

Well I have spent the better part of the day on the phone but here is a list of things we can check off of the very long to do list.

1) Buy plane tickets--done :)
2) travel insurance--done:)
3) make reservations to have the dogs boarded--done
4) make Peanut's first doctor's appointment--done
5) schedule first post placement meeting with social worker--done
6)wait for travel approval letter from state of WI--got it
7) finish paperwork needed for embassy appointment--done
8) get Peanut on health insurance--done
9) pack--working on it
10) breathe--trying to
11) eat--oh yeah should probably do that

These next few weeks are going to be a whirlwind of activity. We have to pack, go to Rocketfest (4 yr olds birthday party), go to a wedding and make sure we spend extra time with the pugs since we will be boarding them for 10 days.

I'm back :)

Well my break is officially over. I AM BUYING PLANE TICKETS TODAY!!!! We got the call and the confirmation we have been waiting for. We leave in 19 days!!!!!

3 weeks from today I get to meet my precious little girl for the first time. I get to hold her in my arms and kiss those adorable cheeks of hers. I am going to be a wreck. I just know it and it will all be caught on video but oh well. My dreams are coming true.

This is really happening. I am really going to Ethiopia and coming home with my beautiful daughter. I want to take the whole experience in and cherish every minute of it. This is a trip of a lifetime and if I am so fortunate I will get to spend Mother's Day with some of Peanut's birth family.

Now I really do have to pack. WOW! That one phone call today made my weekend. 19 days baby girl. We will finally be united as a family. I can't wait. Good thing I have lots to do to pass the time...

Nothing....

Well I still don't have plane tickets and I don't have a confirmed travel date. I am not happy about this and don't have a lot of positive things to say.

As a result of my funky mood, I am taking a break from blogging. I will be back once I can buy plane tickets. Until then I will try to enjoy endless hours of Guitar Hero, hugging my pugs and some Fat Elvis ice cream.

Next time I post, I promise it will be good news. So until then enjoy the sunny days...

Gloves, gloves and more gloves

There it is. My suitcase is full of gloves!!! And I weighed the suitcase and it weighs exactly 50lbs :) Thank you to everyone that has helped me reach my goal. I have another bag full of sterile gloves still to pack but overall my goal was to fill a suitcase and thanks to all of my wonderful friends and family, I did just that. Thank you also to those friends who sent money and infant vitamin drops. The money will be used to buy more infant vitamin drops. Along with the gloves and 4 large cans of soy formula, I will be bringing about 26 boxes of infant vitamin drops.

No news on buying plane tickets. We are waiting for Peanut to have her US Embassy physcial and once that is complete we will get definite travel plans. My specialist is extremely optimistic (her words) that we are traveling in the May 7th group so leaving the US on May 6th.

Her confidence spurred me to go to the basement and get the suitcases and then I packed the gloves. I haven't packed anything else yet but am just about ready to. Peanut's stuff is ready to go as in it is all laid out and just needs to be put in a suitcase.

I am hoping we hear soon about definite travel plans and then I will be more motivated to start packing other things. It was a big step for me to just get those suitcases out of the basement. I have been in a pretty bad mood but I figured I am traveling at some point so I will still have to pack eventually so why not start now.