It has been quite a while since I updated my blog, and seeing as how it's only a little after midnight and the house is unusually quiet, I figured now was as good a time as any. We have been so crazy busy getting ready for our trip to foster Soli in Antigua. For those of you new to my blog and don't want to spend all night reading the archives I'll give you the Reader's Digest....
*married to my very favorite person (see last entry for a pic)
*3 bio kids - 2 boys and 1 girl (9,6, and 3)
*decided to adopt in Jan.
*signed with agency in March
*paper ready by May
*baby girl born May 7
*received referral May 11 (and accepted it in my heart that instant)
*officially accepted referral May 13
*Dossier to GC June 19
*visit trip Aug. 10-13 - Amazing!
*DNA done Aug. 25 Finally!
*It's a Match! Aug. 30
*decided on her name ~ Soleil - Sept. 30
*PreApproval - Oct. 3
*Second visit trip Oct. 4-10
*Into PGN - Oct. 23
*Traveling to Guatemala with my 3 older kids to foster our baby in Antigua - Dec. 6
*Dave will be joining us for Christmas Dec. 20-27
It is amazing to me how many parallels there are between my pregnancies and this adoption process. I feel like the first trimester of this "pregnancy" was filled with tedious paperchasing and only a very vague sense of "baby" at the end of the seemingly endless road ahead. Not unlike the first trimesters of more physical pregnancies which are often marked (at least for me) by the seemingly endless nausea and vomiting and still only a very vague sense of "baby". But there is no proof of this baby...no fluttering, no hiccups, no belly to speak of. Until suddenly you wake up one day and the nausea and the paperwork are done. Your dossier is on it's way and the vomiting has ceased. It's the second trimester! And suddenly there is proof of a baby! A picture on your computer screen...a referral! And there are fluttery little kicks, and tiny little hiccups, and a tiny little belly. There WILL be a baby after all. The second trimester is a time of excitement and anticipation. Milestones are being reached...DNA, Family Court, Pre Approval, AFP, Hemoglobin and Ultrasound. You're feeling good and healthy and strong. You can endure. Names are being discussed and decided upon. And the baby's growing...new pictures arrive and the medical update says she gained 2 perfect pounds since last month. And the midwife says your belly has grown 4 perfect centimeters since last month. Amazing! And then the third trimester begins. Your belly is feeling rather huge and the PGN wait seems rather long. How can I possible make it to the end? You think you'll never make it! Swollen feet, heartburn, achy back, can't sleep and the agency calls....another Previo. This can't go on! But then one day you wake up with contractions...you're out of PGN! You thought this day would never come! You can't believe it's almost over! There's so much to do! Call the midwife, defrost the soup, book the hotel, call the relatives, update the blog! But labor is so long and hard! Why does it take so long to get pink?! Finally the midwife says, "It's time to push: soon you'll be holding your baby". And the agency calls, "Your pink slip has been issued: soon you'll be holding your baby". Thank God! It's almost over. And then suddenly your baby is in your arms and all the paperwork, vomiting, certifying, varicose veins, and the endless waiting, waiting, waiting are distant memories...
Tomorrow marks 4 weeks in PGN. Four weeks into our third trimester and I have been nesting, nesting, nesting. And I'm not the only one! Dave nests as much, if not more, than I do at the end of our "pregnancies". We put together the crib today (thought we wouldn't be doing that again until we had grandkids!). The baby clothes are washed and organized, toys and closets are being sorted, and the kids' rooms are rearranged. I took a monster load of "stuff" to Good Will the other day. Dave pulled out the garden (the tomatoes were taking over the entire back yard and our neighbors are utterly sick of us sending our kids over with more zucchini!), we sorted through our storage shed (why do I keep some of that stuff?), and we threw out an entire trailor load of rusty bikes and broken toys. I still have a monster big list, but I figure if I get 2-3 check marks a day I'll be done by the time we leave in a little over two weeks! Yikes! But if I don't go to bed soon I won't get anything done at all. Thank you all for checking in, and please keep us all in your thoughts over the next few weeks as we transition into our new roles as a family of six! ~Hugs, Heath
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