October - time is flying, well sort of!

As I am typing this Sukho the cat is purring in my lap...what a momma's boy. Since my last post we have sold our home and moved into a rental while our new house is being built. I feel like I lost most of my summer packing and moving and being indecisive about buying or building. That decision was made as we began to focus on the other events in our family namely my MIL battle with Leukemia. She is doing as can be expected, enjoying her time post chemo until her stem cell transplant. Facing all of this with great courage and humor, the next few months will be tough but her attitude, her faith and hopefully the future of tiny Baby H hugs will help pull her through.

On a sad note Faith past away this summer, but I will keep her happy face on the blog as it should be. Maybe there will be another photo to post in the near future, I can't see my in laws without a dog for too long.

A dear friend of mine was matched with a birth mother this week. She is overjoyed (I think a little stunned) at this next chapter is her life. She has been dreaming of motherhood for 13 years - my heart goes out to her as this has been a very bumpy road for her and her husband. Her bundle of joy is due the beginning of February and as she so eloquently said "I thought I was ready and now that it is here I'm not". You have 3 months, no problem.

I hope this finds you all well, and continually patient as you move through your process. I realize no adoption is alike, much like births they are all personal, and hopefully wonderful experiences. As I slowly creep up on the end of the year I remain optimistic - 2010 will be a good year, I can feel it...I have said this before but that is what I got right now. HOPE.

It is August!

So we past our 40 month mark this week, it came and went without much fanfare as most months do. I avoid the forecast sites, and lately I am sad to say I have been avoiding the blogs. My DH looks at the forecast sites...I can't be bothered to me it means nothing as no one knows for sure. My friends are having second kids now and although I am happy for them I am incredibly jealous. So to put it bluntly this really sucks, but it is what it is. We are growing individually and together due to this process. The odd thing about all of this is the people who get matched I don't feel jealously towards - perhaps because they know what it is like to want and wait. It is all silly really...

We decided months ago to move forward and sell our house, changing the plans slightly from completing an adoption and then moving. As luck would have it we have a contract on our home (fingers crossed all goes well), and are actively looking for another place to call home. Interestingly enough our hunting focuses around school districts and house set up for a little one - so that has been fun and quite different from our last house hunting experience.

Still hoping for a December match!!!

What's going on???

My SIL has told me I am a bad blogger - it is soo true, but then again what is there to say about the adoption. We had a slight moment of panic when the swine flu scare rumored to be stopping matching. I honestly threw my hands up in defeat - yet here I am and we are still moving, albeit slowly, inching closer to Baby H.

The biggest change brewing is that we have decided to sell our house, not such a little feat if you remember that we bought it as a fixer upper of sorts. So the last two weekends have been about fixing what we have let go and prettying up what we have yet to get to. Keep your fingers crossed, because we need to be out and in another before our little girl arrives. The saddest part about all this is that my MIL spent many days with me painting a fabulous wall in the baby's room. She told me today she is ready to help with another - bless her.

It amazes me how quickly one collects things - we moved in here and commented that our stuff didn't fill the house. Silly, silly - for now we are busting. Now I know why my friend E moves occasionally - she is a professionally packer.

We have so much baby stuff to pack it is amazing - always a good idea to be in a swap group and to have 3 or 4 Christmas lapse before one arrives. Kidding, that last part sucks. But Baby H will have lots of toys waiting for her. I let my friends kid play with one of the dolls from Christmas #1 and she was mortified! In my mind that poor doll had been in plastic long enough and needed some kid love.

So, there you have it a down and dirty update...I will try to be better. :)

Happy Easter!

Checking in, not too much to report - we received our updated 797C in the mail which gives us another 18 months of waiting before things start to expire again. If it takes another 18months I may be the one expiring. Will and I have been discussing the next adoption, which is crazy I know but hey we aren't getting any younger. In the meantime we wait impatiently for Baby H..buy a few things here, buy a few things there. We have started the ball rolling on the home addition - Momma needs a new closet and Baby H needs to evict Daddy out of her future one.

Now for the predictions:

China has 34 days of dossiers to be processed before they get to your dossier. China currently processes about 3.8 days of dossiers each month. Our best guess: 2009-12-05

Although a picture of my little one would be a great birthday gift for me - I say what I have said many many times in my head (I'll abbreviate as to not offend)....WTF! Depressing, very depressing. Enough said.

I am sad to report my favorite blogger has signed off to give her child some privacy, I can certainly understand this but she was so enjoyable to read and I will miss the posts. I wish her, her husband and Ruby the absolute best.

Some of you have asked about my nephew, he is home finally and in therapy during the week. The progress is slow but he is getting there. He has come out of his shell in some ways and is still keeping his parents busy!

Catching up..and fingerprints.

We got our third set of fingerprints today. The new location in Philly is fantastic..clean, quick and for once my fingerprints were done with little trouble. We were done in 15 minutes, no kidding. Maybe they are tired of seeing us. The guy who checked us in was shocked we had been waiting so long for Baby H, said he would call directly to China if we wanted! Funny.

We have had a crazy time lately, my nephew was in a car accident as you may have gathered from the previous posts. He has made remarkable improvements but still has a long way to go. He is in a rehabilitation center at the moment being his stubborn self - but then again what 18 year old wants to hang bunny pictures on the wall? Can we get the boy a video game, a computer, a cell phone - anything more relevant to his generation?!!

Our friends Sarah and Matt are on the way home with their lovely little one Lily. It has been fabulous to watch their experience, get updated pictures everyday - all I have to say is thank you for the internet!

Lessons...

I learned what a mother's anguish is like last Friday, torn between two children at two different hospitals. I learned that staying up 24 hours is harder as you age. I learned that siblings need one another. I learned that teenage boys have a bond of friendship like no other. I learned that it isn't all about what you do, but how it is done. I learned your body is an amazing machine and it needs time to heal. I learned baby steps are required when faced with something scary and unknown. I learned how a family pulls together when needed. I learned how strong parental love can be. I learned life is precious.

I learned that seatbelts are not an option.

FACEBOOK

Ok, this is a love/hate relationship.
Love - I have reconnected with a few old friends, I'm talking elementary school here. So you are probably thinking what do you have to talk about, honestly not much but it is nice to see what these people look like after so much time, what they are up to professionally - if you can 'see' them doing that job. Hey who knows where you will end up and who your adult friends are. I have found recent friends too. Life is busy and hectic and people have good intentions, but alas people move away. Love or is it hate, or is it sad?? I guess you can see pictures and keep up without getting involved in some long conversation or actually talking to each other. Hmm, jury is out on this for me. I wrote letters, I like to receive real mail, real letters - but that seems like a thing of the past - takes too much time in this fast paced world.
Hate - this thing is a cesspool of people wanting you as a 'friend'. I quote 'friend' because there are people that never gave you the time of day back in the day. Odd really, now what would I say to those people? Nothing. I am not out to collect 'friends', how does one keep up with hundreds of 'friends' - you say a few nicey nicey comments and never talk them to again. Maybe it is a network thing, I don't really like you but you may have people in your network I do like...who knows. Now I have friends who I see everyday, not to mention family members who I talk to regularly. For instance my sister - honestly I can pick up the phone I love to hear her voice and what is really going on in her life. Or how about my friend Holly from work, I can walk to her cube - but never the less, they are my 'friends' in FACEBOOK.
Dangerous? You betcha, I about died the first time I was tagged on an old school photo. Perhaps I don't want old school photos of me out in cyberspace, perhaps I don't remember some photos, perhaps I look like a total dork. Let us talk about exs, okay lets not, you all know what trouble that can lead too.
So, I will admit it is addicting I have been on it more than I ever thought I would be - but in the end I have found you or you have found me and if accepted lets hope our friendship will outlast last FACEBOOK.