Rush

Suddenly, we’re in a bit of a panic around here. Everything is all in a rush.

I can’t believe we’re getting down to WEEKS before we bring our beautiful baby girl, no longer a mystery, home to us.

We are woefully unprepared. The problem with all the accordion waits in the adoption process is that you never *really* feel engaged, so you do what has to be done at any given time to get through to the next stage. Homestudy home inspection tasks are done to pass your homestudy, but then the pressure eases off. Paperwork gets done as quick as you can, sent to where it has to go, and then you wait. There’s just no rush to get everything done because it’s such a long process, and there’s no one to inspire your activity until the very end.

Well, we are nearing the very end.

So it’s time to get cracking. I have baby linens to wash. I have to haul all the furniture out of my girl’s room so I can vacuum and shampoo the carpets, and wash and paint the walls. All the furniture has to be moved back INTO her room, put where we want to have it for when she is home. I have to get the kitchen organized with places to store her bottles and food and dishes. I have to get all her clothes put away, or stored, or whatever we are going to do with them.

All these things could have been done earlier, but we procrastinated. Not knowing who would be joining our family or when made it difficult to clean and organize when the dust would just gather again and many things would be moved in and out of the room as we stocked shelves and drawers.

There will be last-minute things, too. We have to buy some of the essentials of baby life, like a stroller and toys and an exersaucer, that we haven’t gotten yet. We also have to buy some “perishables”, like medicines and food and formula — stuff that is time-sensitive. And we have to prepare for our trip, so I’m going to have to start planning, cooking and freezing meals for the first few weeks we are back. And we’re going to need luggage. Duffel bags from our coaching days just aren’t going to work for a round-the-world trip.

All this on top of work that I have taken on, to earn a bit of money to help offset all the expense of adoption and preparing and travelling.

So, as you can imagine, things are suddenly getting a bit rushed around here. Not that I am complaining — it’s a good thing. It’s just a bit overwhelming, and a bit stressful. But these are times when you have to keep your eyes on the prize, and hopefully that will make light work of the weeks ahead.

I can’t believe we’ve gotten this far. I can’t believe we are this close.

BDH wants to go TOMORROW if possible. I am a little shellshocked at the list of things to be done. I’d prefer a couple of weeks to prepare. I like to be organized.

Somehow I doubt that will be the case. But I will do my best.

I’d make a list, but part of me thinks I can’t afford the time.