Thursday Message for Little B

It's almost 5:00 a.m. where you are now and you will probably be waking to a new morning soon. The high for you is 70 degrees and there will be rain for most of your day. As you are waking up I will be going to bed and, as always, I will kiss your picture and tell you goodnight (maybe I should be saying "good morning")? As I sleep I will dream of meeting you and holding you (as I will soon) and you, having no idea of my existence will play with other children (maybe in the little ball pit or with the plastic kitten or the ball?). I hope that you have fun today and that maybe you get to watch the rain out of a window and hear the music of it landing on the glass. I hope someone reads to you and holds you, but most of all I hope that you laugh and that you feel loved...

~mama

Congrats Tracey!!

My fellow pre-adoptive mom Tracey became an ADOPTIVE mom today!! Congratulations to you and little Vera. I am overjoyed with your good news. You really deserve all the wonderful things coming your way (and so does she). I am dancing with joy for you both.

much love.

~mama

Life is Good and Friends are Sweet!

Thank you everyone for your sweetness and thoughfulness. We have so many wonderful friends! I especially want thank CP for using her birthday as an opportunity to gather gifts for the orphanage! Your kindness and generosity is beyond words and leaves me with tears in my eyes and a super warm heart. I am very very happy.

love,

~mama

Wednesday Report

I spent the day yesterday working on the visa stuff and making some travel arrangements. I was surprised at the complexity of the visa application (addresses and phone numbers for past jobs and schools...dang) but managed to get it all mailed out by the end of the day. It made for a stressful day but ended it by lounging on the couch after a hot bath with a book. We also have our flights scheduled and a tentative hotel arrangement. The rest is done by the agency! I do have some phone calls to make but all in all things are moving right along!

thanks for following!

~mama

Happy Anniversary!!

We will meet the Little B on our 19th anniversary!! So happy to have travel dates in hand! Tomorrow I send off the Visa paperwork!

~mama

No News- According to My Opinion

They always say "no news is good news" but frankly I think "no news" kinda blows.

~mama

Dear B

Hi Little B,

It's kind of killing me knowing that you are there and I am here. I think about you all day every day wondering what you are doing. I watch the clock...it's bed time...you are asleep...it's mid day...you are playing (I hope). I can't wait to meet you. Every day seems so long. Every day without knowing when we will see you and hold you and know that you are our girl seems like an eternity. I hope we know something next week. Until then I will kiss your picture every morning and every night and wish you the best of dreams and the best of days.

~mama

Timelines

One thing that I always found helpful when looking at the blogs of others was the adoption timeline. It helped me to know what to expect (realizing that all agencies and regions worked completely different). Because of this I have decided to add a timeline to the sidebar. I have to say that my sidebar is getting quite full! I might have to take a few things off...maybe...I do love reading the blogs of others...and the gadgets are pretty fun...on second thought I think I will leave it alone. I hope other PAPs find the timeline as helpful as I did!

~mama

Patience is indeed a virtue

Things are moving along a little bit. This is a portion of the latest email:

"Have a great weekend and holiday as next week we get the ball rolling for a first trip!"

We've have also started working on paperwork that we will need before the second trip so we can stay ahead of the game.

The blasted Monday holiday is a blessing (for my need to relax) and a hindrance to our work here...but all good things come to those who wait.

I know in my heart that this can't me more true than it is today.

I can't wait to meet this baby girl.

~mama

Letter to the Universe

Dear Universe,

I am ready to meet my girl. Can you make that happen? She needs a mama and daddy and we need her even more. Can you give that to us Universe? Pretty please?

~mama

What's All the Buzz? Or How the Chipmunk Got Her Stripes

Ever since we started our Russian babymaking plan we called the little one the burunduk (chipmunk). This gradually turned into baby B or little B or The Bee. Which in turn has given me an obsession with bee stuff. I just found a whole nest (ahem) of cute bee stuff at Gymboree that I MIGHT have to get...A-DOR-ABLE. I should probably stop sharing all my finds! They will all be gone when I want to buy them! Keep thinking good thoughts regarding getting some travel dates. Oh, and also think good thoughts for my friend TF who is waiting for a court date for her little girly!! Thanks everyone.

hugs,

~mama

Ding Ding Ding!! Round 5...or 20

Hey- not much to report about here. Just working on round 20 (it seems) of the paperwork. Adoption is a world made of paper. Just when you think you're done *BAM* more paperwork...mostly asking the same thing. I have to say that I'd do a lifetime of paperwork for this little girl.

If you're reading this now that means you figured out the private blog thingamajig. Thanks for following along on our journey and giving us support. The support (and advice) you give makes the process that much easier.

~mama

Art for the Nursery...On a Dime

I can't believe that I just discovered Cavallini paper! This stuff is so beautiful and it only costs $4.50 a sheet!! Many of these would look cool framed in a vintage or vintage/mod nursery. You can find them online or at some paper and stationary stores (see link above for a good selection). You can also see them being used as decor here. Enjoy and let me know if you like them too!!

~mama

Stay off the Internet

Ugh. I was just reading an old blog about a couple that went to Russia a few years ago to meet their referral and the baby had been adopted in-country when they arrived (in the car anxious to go to the baby home and then BOOM...bad news). They then had and met several other referrals they had to decline for medical reasons...also another one that was adopted out right before they traveled. The blog has no ending. It just...ends. Reading this made me feel a little sick to my stomach. I haven't always had the best luck. When something is going great I often think that it has to be too good to be true. I'm guessing the rollercoaster of joy, fear, dread, elation, REPEAT is common with adoption. I just hope this rollercoaster leads to the right place...

I should really stay off the internet.

~mama

P.S. Did I mention today that she is beautiful?

One Week

In about 30 minutes it will have been one week since I knew you were waiting for us (Daddy called me!). In about and hour...it will have been one week since we saw your beautiful face for the first time. I have smiled more this week that I can ever remember...hopefully we will get travel dates soon so we can hold you in our arms and kiss your little face. Until then my love, play hard and sleep tight.

~mama

The Clock is Ticking...

REMINDER! If you want to follow Hearts on Strings please send me your email in the next day or so!! If you have already sent it you are on the list! If you haven't sent it then...well, not so much. Please send NOW.

~mama

Eye on the Prize (you'll want to read this one) wink wink

and....

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

waiting to set travel dates!! I have to keep pinching myself!! Is this real????

Setting the blog to private in the next week or so, so if you want to keep following send me your email address NOW.

Over the moon,

Mama

Singing Songs

I found myself singing while making dinner tonight...then realized I was singing "Wish you Were Here." I wonder where that came from...

~mama

Hoping for (Karma?)

I had a strange feeling that we would get "the call" while I was away in Seattle last week. We had a referral a year or so ago (way before we were ready or expecting one) while I was traveling on business in Philadelphia. I think much like watching a pot boil...referrals happen when you are looking in the other direction. I tried to focus on work and the trip in hopes that our pot would boil. I did a crossword puzzle that had my first name in it AND the word Russia (Karma?) the restroom attendant at the airport said "pazhAlusta" and "spasiba" (Karma?) I ate at the Russian bakery three times (Karma?) and had a drink called Leninade (Karma?). I thought my stars might be shining in the right direction. At last we didn't get THE call, but we did get A call. When you are working on your dossier and home study you are in constant contact with your agency. Once this is done and you have sent a check things get quiet during the wait. This is stressful for the type A people. Hearing anything- good news-bad news or a "how do you do?" is always good. It makes you feel a little less like your living in some dark dream floating on a sea looking for a place to land. Anyway, she called to say that my lack of fingerprints has me in less regions and that is what is taking longer. She wanted an update on my fingerprint situation. They spoke to the Mister since I was away and my coordinator is out until tomorrow so I will call tomorrow night to see what she wants me to do. I might do my prints once more to see what happens. If they work (not likely) it will put us in more regions and move things along faster.

I had a dream Saturday night that I had a little blond boy. I was buying him a t-shirt with the staircase by MC Escher printed on the front. A tiny little t-shirt with all kinds of stairs leading no where and everywhere at the same time. Do you think this means something?

On that note I will leave you with a photo of my cheese and onion roll from Piroshky Piroshky and my Leninade.

Love to you and thanks for listening.

~mama

Girl Whiles Away Her Summer Waiting For The Phone To Ring

I saw this headline on Yahoo (it was from Dear Abby) and I had to read it to make sure it wasn't about me...