The Jitters

Right now I am worthless at work. Seriously worthless. I have been trying to finish up a few last minute tasks on my last day in the office before maternity leave, but my mind is flying a thousand different directions, my stomach is turning circles, I think I might have heart palpitations, and I can't focus on any one thing for more than 5 minutes!!!

Is this what Pre-motherhood is like? There are exactly 4 days until I leave for China. Unless you don't count Tuesday, becuase we're leaving at the crack of dawn....which means, there are 3 DAYS between now and Tuesday. I can't imagine what we will do in those days- I know that we have some cabinets to paint, some baby room organization, I need to finish packing, there is a breakfast with the girls, but 3 whole days stretching out ahead of me. They seem so long, and somehow, short too.

I wonder if Madeline is sleeping now? Is she waking up and wanting some comfort? Is she sleeping soundly? Does she miss the little baby girl who slept in a crib next to her until just a month ago? Does she recognize the difference? When she wakes, will she lay quietly until she is picked up and changed or will she cry?

I think this is what Holly refers to as "Monkey Brain", and I've had it for going on a week or two now- your brain racing in a thousand different directions like a pack of wild monkeys. Yup, that's me. Monkey Brain. Jittery Jumbley Monkey Brain.

And then there were Flights!

At last, we have flights, we have hotels, we have organization...at least on the part of my itinerary! DEFINITELY NOT in my house!
I'm a little freaking out about being organized and ready at home, but at least all of my To China and In China travel plans & hotels are finalized! We fly to Guangzhou next week, stay one night in Guangzhou, then go to Guilin for 4 days to relax and have a little fun before the real excitement begins! Then back to Guangzhou the weekend after next, and we meet our children on March 9! I cannot wait!

I spent the last week booking tickets for both domestic & international flights. So far I've been impressed with the service I've gotten from Japan airlines. I called to book the "lap seat" back from China for Madeline, and they asked me, "Do you want baby food or baby meal?" Huh? So I asked, what's the difference? They said, "baby food is for babies up to 9 months, baby meal is up to 2 years." Okay, so I went for "baby food". Actually I thought, uh, I'll have formula and snacks, won't I?? But that's okay, if they are offering it, I'm accepting it! Then they said, "and one paper diaper..." I said, 'Oh, it's okay, I don't think I'll need one..." (again, isn't it my responsibility to pack enough diapers?) So we were talking a bit more and he said again, "and one paper diaper?" I said again, No, no worries, we don't need one. So about an hour or two later they call back for a few missed points, and one of which is "do you need a paper diaper?" So finally I relented and said, yes, okay, a paper diaper. After all, I'm paying $211 for the joy of holding my child for a 14 hour flight, I might as well get a free paper diaper out of the deal along with the "baby food!"

In other news- Jeremy is taking care of my Kitty while I am in China. We started introducing his two kitties (1 year old) to my Kitty (8 years old) last Friday and it's been...interesting. We've kept them separated for the first 3 days, then started to let them see each other and now we are letting them wander around the house at the same time while we are here. Right now Josie is very curious and wanting to see everything, but Cato & Clouseau are very anxious and hissing a lot. The problem is Josie has a very LOUD MEOW. So He meows, they think he is grumbling at them (he probably is), so they hiss, he meows in response, they hiss....just a little back and forth conversation like that. No one has been too aggressive- Clouseau has made one or two times like he's GOING to be aggressive, but so far okay. Just lots of standoffish behaviour and hissing. When we checked the Humane Society paperwork for their tips on introducing cats we found a line that said "it would be inappropriate and rare for a fight to occur..." Uh....do we really think that cats care what is appropriate or inappropriate????!

Let the 7 day countdown begin!

Travel Dates!!!!

At last! We have DATES!
Amazingly, the flight I've been counting on for the past 3 years is being cancelled 3 days before I leave! So yesterday was a tangled mess of Orbitz, travelocity, kayak, Lotus travel, Delta, Northwest, United, AmericanAirlines...you name it I probably visted their site or called about their adoption fares! It is amazing how just taking one ultra convenient Tokyo-Guangzhou leg out of the picture can make a trip from Portland to Guangzhou so immensely complicated! There were proposals of overnight stays in Hong Kong, Trains to Guangzhou, 15 hour layovers in Seoul and more, but in the end, we found a fare, and good times, and good connections, and it takes us straight into Guangzhou! And thank goodness....I thought I was going to explode yesterday trying to get it all arranged!

I'll be leaving for China on March 3rd, and home on March 20!
I'll be meeting Madeline on March 9!
Let the Countdown BEGIN!

TA & Consulate Appointment

At last....I was notified last Monday that my TA arrived....by last Friday we had been informed what we have a Consulate Appointment on March 18.

As of now, we still do not know when we will leave, when we will meet our daughters, when, when, when. The only thing I know is the date we will be able to return home to start our life at home together.

But as for any more, I'm still waiting.

I've been quiet on the blog because, well, what's to be excited about? Other families get quick consulate appointments. Other agencies communicate well with their families. Other families have already met their children and are nearly home again. But not us. Still waiting. Still holding my breath, as I have been doing for the last 3 1/2 years.