Friday was my birthday. And I had a post in mind, about how I was turning 42 and feeling kind of awful about it. I know in theory, 42 isn't really that bad. But let me give you a little perspective from where I stand--by the time my mom was 42, I was had already been legally drinking for three years. She was also a grandmother, twice over.
So here I am, the same age, and just getting started with a baby. When I do that how-old-was-my-mom-when-she-(fill in the blank) math, it makes me feel old.
But anyway, back to why I didn't get the post up. And why I didn't get to Friday Round-up. And why I'm just now getting to the blog.
Thursday night, we GOT OUR TRAVEL CALL!!
Yeah, I can hardly believe it myself. Suddenly whining about turning 42 was pretty ridiculous because I had just given the best birthday gift ever!
The call came in the evening, and I was on day 4 of nursing the death-rattle in my chest. We had originally planned that if the call came this week we'd travel in the middle of next week to give me a little more time to get better. But our social worker in Korea will be out of town after Wednesday of next week and she really wanted to meet us. Plus, Thursday there is a holiday, so we had to speed up the plan and are getting on that big blue plane on Monday!
There's been a flurry of phone calls, last minute details, installing the car seat, buying tickets, booking hotels, that kind of stuff. I'm still sputtering and snotting all over, but I'm feeling better by the day.
It's still pretty surreal. Hard to believe that about week from now Little Man will be with us. By this time next week we'll already have met him! I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't a bit scared. I have a hard time wrapping my head around this whole change. I'm looking forward to it, of course, and do well with change in general, but the "idea" of change is always what makes me nervous and a bit sad.
I'm nostalgic about these wonderful years together that The Man and I have been able to concentrate on just us, and be selfish with our time and energy. I'll miss that casualness of our lives, and the spontaneity of our lifestyle. We liked being two.
But we are looking forward to being three. We are both ecstatic to think about what richness being a family will bring to our lives. We can't wait to see the world through a new pair of eyes, and being parents will help us grow in new ways. Explore new parts of ourselves that could only be accessed through this wonderful experience.
And finally, it's just a week away.
Enjoy the only link I'm putting up this week. I'll be back soon with details on the trip!
20 vs 40: Top 10 reasons it's awesome to be old
4.30.2011
4.28.2011
Feeling better
Oh thank goodness. I think I'm over the hump. Still feel a little peaked, but nothing compared to the past few days. My butt continues to be planted on the couch though, to make sure I'm well when we get the call.
In the meanwhile, I enjoyed looking at this photo essay about Korean adoption/adoptees. (Thanks to Yvonne for sharing it!)
Adoption: A Photo Essay by Jeanne Modderman
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| image from the essay by Jeanne Modderman |
Adoption: A Photo Essay by Jeanne Modderman
4.27.2011
One step closer
Wahoo! We are finally out of the visa center, and Little Man's paperwork has been sent to the embassy in Seoul. The last step before travel call!
There's a good chance we could get the call by the end of the week. However, I'm still sick as a dog. So, hoping that I'll be a lot better in the next few days and we'll be set to travel by the beginning of next week. I can't believe this day is almost here!
In the meanwhile, trying to make sure that The Man doesn't catch whatever the hell I've got. I've relegated him to keep a 6-foot perimeter from me, have bottles of hand sanitizer all over, and I've been sleeping in the guest bed. I toyed with making him go stay at a hotel, but that might be a little overboard huh?
There's a good chance we could get the call by the end of the week. However, I'm still sick as a dog. So, hoping that I'll be a lot better in the next few days and we'll be set to travel by the beginning of next week. I can't believe this day is almost here!
In the meanwhile, trying to make sure that The Man doesn't catch whatever the hell I've got. I've relegated him to keep a 6-foot perimeter from me, have bottles of hand sanitizer all over, and I've been sleeping in the guest bed. I toyed with making him go stay at a hotel, but that might be a little overboard huh?
4.26.2011
Book Review: Secret Thoughts of an Adoptive Mother
Classic timing! I managed to dodge a cold all winter long, but now, as we wait for the travel call, I come down with a whopper. Dr. thinks it's bronchitis and started me on antibiotics. And some heavy duty cough syrup. Hopefully I can kick this soon.
In the meanwhile, I'm getting some reading done. Just finished "Secret Thoughts of an Adoptive Mother" by Jana Wolff. It's a really good read and I'd recommend it.
Wolff addresses a lot of the things adoptive parents think, but don't ever say out loud. She covers topics like having your personal and financial life analyzed and white parents raising children of color. And delves into things every adoptive mother must have quietly considered like what happens if I don't fall in love with him? This isn't the romantic, happy version of adoption. But it is real.
It was a really quick read and written with humor. She writes as an infertile woman who adopted domestically. She confronts her infertility right upfront (first chapter) and adoption was her only option to become a parent.
My only issue with the book is that Wolff seems to have a bias towards domestic adoption, and some of her barbed honesty is directed at international adoptions. This comment really bothered me: "There are many more Asian babies than African-American babies adopted by Caucasian parents: as if the yellow-white combination is less interracial than the black-white one." Whoa lady.
What's really ironic about that comment is that she did not set out to choose an African-American child (the birth mother chose them) and throughout the book talks about her naivete about adopting a child of color. I am shocked that she would effectively body slam other adoptive parents choices. As she defends in the book, those choices are personal and not anyone's business.
The debate between international/domestic aside, she does give voice to some of the universal fears of adoptive parents about the process and parenting after they come home. And I might be warped, but knowing others have had those fears makes me feel a little more comforted.
In the meanwhile, I'm getting some reading done. Just finished "Secret Thoughts of an Adoptive Mother" by Jana Wolff. It's a really good read and I'd recommend it.
Wolff addresses a lot of the things adoptive parents think, but don't ever say out loud. She covers topics like having your personal and financial life analyzed and white parents raising children of color. And delves into things every adoptive mother must have quietly considered like what happens if I don't fall in love with him? This isn't the romantic, happy version of adoption. But it is real.
It was a really quick read and written with humor. She writes as an infertile woman who adopted domestically. She confronts her infertility right upfront (first chapter) and adoption was her only option to become a parent.
My only issue with the book is that Wolff seems to have a bias towards domestic adoption, and some of her barbed honesty is directed at international adoptions. This comment really bothered me: "There are many more Asian babies than African-American babies adopted by Caucasian parents: as if the yellow-white combination is less interracial than the black-white one." Whoa lady.
What's really ironic about that comment is that she did not set out to choose an African-American child (the birth mother chose them) and throughout the book talks about her naivete about adopting a child of color. I am shocked that she would effectively body slam other adoptive parents choices. As she defends in the book, those choices are personal and not anyone's business.
The debate between international/domestic aside, she does give voice to some of the universal fears of adoptive parents about the process and parenting after they come home. And I might be warped, but knowing others have had those fears makes me feel a little more comforted.
4.25.2011
It never goes away
She's a funny neighbor. In her mid-70's if I had to guess. She's the kind of person you fall in love with immediately. When she laughs, it's a full belly laugh. She leaves presents of back-yard grown produce on our porch. And she jumps right into your life, asking questions that an old friend would ask.
We've lived next to her and her husband for the past 5 years. We love them dearly, and they were some of the first non-family people we told about our adoption. Her joy for us was pure and open.
I have wondered though the years, why M didn't have children. She dotes on the kids in the neighborhood and her fridge is covered with photos of her nieces and their families. I asked her about it once, and she sort of danced around the answer. At the time, I thought it was just M, easily distracted and sometimes a little dingy during conversations. I cringe at the thought now.
Her excitement for Little Man's arrival has been growing right along with ours. This weekend, as our dogs played together in the backyard, I pulled her into the house to see his room. Tears filled her eyes. "I've got baby envy," she said, fanning her downturned face.
I wasn't sure what she meant. But when she looked at me, I suddenly knew. I had never stopped to think that perhaps M didn't have children because of infertility. I assumed her decision to be child-free was a choice.
Her eyes teared and the story tumbled out of her now. She had married late in life. She wanted children and found out she couldn't have them. They considered adoption. But her partner's children were nearly adults and who wants to start over at that point and....
She looked me square in the eyes, standing in Little Man's room, and told me how lucky I was and how happy she was for us.
And I knew she meant it.
The wound of infertility is deep. That searing burn to create a child might fade over time, but it can flare up at any moment. It never goes away. No matter how old you are, no matter how happy you are for other people. It stays with you, even when you've created a family through adoption, or long after your childbearing years are over.
*****************
This week is National Infertility Awareness week. Infertility affects 7.3 million people in the U.S. This figure represents 12% of women of childbearing age, or 1 in 8 couples. (2002 National Survey of Family Growth).
You may be aware of it, but chances are, you know people who are living with infertility. Learn how you can support them, and educate yourself on the issues.
http://www.resolve.org/
We've lived next to her and her husband for the past 5 years. We love them dearly, and they were some of the first non-family people we told about our adoption. Her joy for us was pure and open.
I have wondered though the years, why M didn't have children. She dotes on the kids in the neighborhood and her fridge is covered with photos of her nieces and their families. I asked her about it once, and she sort of danced around the answer. At the time, I thought it was just M, easily distracted and sometimes a little dingy during conversations. I cringe at the thought now.
Her excitement for Little Man's arrival has been growing right along with ours. This weekend, as our dogs played together in the backyard, I pulled her into the house to see his room. Tears filled her eyes. "I've got baby envy," she said, fanning her downturned face.
I wasn't sure what she meant. But when she looked at me, I suddenly knew. I had never stopped to think that perhaps M didn't have children because of infertility. I assumed her decision to be child-free was a choice.
Her eyes teared and the story tumbled out of her now. She had married late in life. She wanted children and found out she couldn't have them. They considered adoption. But her partner's children were nearly adults and who wants to start over at that point and....
She looked me square in the eyes, standing in Little Man's room, and told me how lucky I was and how happy she was for us.
And I knew she meant it.
The wound of infertility is deep. That searing burn to create a child might fade over time, but it can flare up at any moment. It never goes away. No matter how old you are, no matter how happy you are for other people. It stays with you, even when you've created a family through adoption, or long after your childbearing years are over.
*****************
This week is National Infertility Awareness week. Infertility affects 7.3 million people in the U.S. This figure represents 12% of women of childbearing age, or 1 in 8 couples. (2002 National Survey of Family Growth).
You may be aware of it, but chances are, you know people who are living with infertility. Learn how you can support them, and educate yourself on the issues.
http://www.resolve.org/
4.22.2011
Friday Round Up
Hello Sunshine,
Over 6000 miles still separate us. That's a long way for a Mommy to send her love. Can you feel it?
Today we found out that we are one step closer to you. The visa paperwork is finally moving, and hopefully we'll be getting on a big blue plane in a week or so!
Soon, very soon, we'll all be together. The wait has been hard, but we are comforted knowing you are loved and safe with your foster family in Korea.
All of our lives are about to change, Sweetheart. And I'm excited at all the firsts that are ahead of us. Daddy and I lay awake in bed at night, talking about bringing you home and our hopes and dreams as a family. We've been waiting a very long time for you, Little Man.
Your great-grandma reminded me that when I first see you I shouldn't scoop you up and smother your puffy cheeks with kisses. But boy is that going to be tough! I know that we will be strangers to you, but your face is as familiar as my own reflection.
My heart melts when I think of your skin against mine. Of your beautiful brown eyes. And picturing you in your Daddy's arms...oh shoot. Mommy cries every time at the thought of that.
So my sweet boy, just a few more days to go. We are sending our love across all these miles. Sleep well darling, and know that people on both sides of the world love you more than you can ever know.
Until we meet,
Mommy and Daddy
***************
To become a family: Getting to Know You
To imagine: Hardware Store Fort
To be family: So What
To know: Chopsticks
To eat sweetly: Korean Sweet Pancakes (Hoddeok) – Fully Home Made Version
To rant: Things That Make Me Feel Like A Big Grouch
Over 6000 miles still separate us. That's a long way for a Mommy to send her love. Can you feel it?
Today we found out that we are one step closer to you. The visa paperwork is finally moving, and hopefully we'll be getting on a big blue plane in a week or so!
Soon, very soon, we'll all be together. The wait has been hard, but we are comforted knowing you are loved and safe with your foster family in Korea.
All of our lives are about to change, Sweetheart. And I'm excited at all the firsts that are ahead of us. Daddy and I lay awake in bed at night, talking about bringing you home and our hopes and dreams as a family. We've been waiting a very long time for you, Little Man.
Your great-grandma reminded me that when I first see you I shouldn't scoop you up and smother your puffy cheeks with kisses. But boy is that going to be tough! I know that we will be strangers to you, but your face is as familiar as my own reflection.
My heart melts when I think of your skin against mine. Of your beautiful brown eyes. And picturing you in your Daddy's arms...oh shoot. Mommy cries every time at the thought of that.
So my sweet boy, just a few more days to go. We are sending our love across all these miles. Sleep well darling, and know that people on both sides of the world love you more than you can ever know.
Until we meet,
Mommy and Daddy
***************
To become a family: Getting to Know You
To imagine: Hardware Store Fort
To be family: So What
To know: Chopsticks
To eat sweetly: Korean Sweet Pancakes (Hoddeok) – Fully Home Made Version
To rant: Things That Make Me Feel Like A Big Grouch
4.21.2011
I got you babe
Day 13 of NVC watch and I'm about to hole up with the cheese puffs and watch Ghost (that movie always makes me bawl my head off, but so does Dirty Dancing....perhaps it's just Patrick Swayze that makes me cry.).
Either way, we still aren't NVC in. Waiting when we knew we had months to wait was tolerable. Waiting now that we are down to days/weeks, is making a basket case out of me.
Clearly madness has set in, because yesterday I cried when I heard this song:
I feel cheap and pathetic. At least it gave me a reason to look at the video though. I remember watching them when I was a kid. Doesn't Cher look pretty?
Either way, we still aren't NVC in. Waiting when we knew we had months to wait was tolerable. Waiting now that we are down to days/weeks, is making a basket case out of me.
Clearly madness has set in, because yesterday I cried when I heard this song:
I feel cheap and pathetic. At least it gave me a reason to look at the video though. I remember watching them when I was a kid. Doesn't Cher look pretty?
4.20.2011
Baby Shower!
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| Me and The Man arriving at the shower. |
Some of the highlights:
*Our awesome friends C, G, and ML organized the event. These are three super smart ladies who have supported us throughout this whole process. They've cheered us on every step of the way. I really can't tell you how much I look up to these guys--for guidance, comfort, and love. The care, attention to detail, and thoughtfulness they put into the party means so much to us!
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| Party favor boxes that read "Welcome Baby!" |
*The party favors had Little Man's sweet face on boxes (so sad we can't show his picture on the blog!) with "Welcome Baby" printed in Hangul. The boxes were also filled with Korean sweet treats! They also had the cake printed in Hangul.
*We had great Mediterranean food, which made it such a multicultural event. And boy was it GOOD!
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| The Entertainment |
*C knows we LOVE books and she found these great Korean-themed books, which she had scattered around the room for the party. We especially love the board books that have animals, letters and the alphabet in Hangul.
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| Special books |
When we came home, we started unboxing things and putting them away in his room. My heart somersaulted a few times when I walked into the kitchen and saw a sink full of sippie cups and baby dishes. It suddenly got very real.
Now, just waiting for that damned Visa to go through. It's been 12 days since the I600 approval. Mama is getting very impatient.
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| Friends! |
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| The cake. |
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| I think I'm salivating over the cake as The Man does the cake cutting. |
4.17.2011
Intersection
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| Image from Street Photography in Korea |
4.16.2011
Friday Round Up (on a Saturday)
(I think Christy is the biggest fan of the Friday round up. So even though it's coming out on a Saturday, this one is dedicated her!)
Alright team. Settle down. I know we are getting near the end, and Tuesday's announcement that the I-600 was approved has some of you flying high, but we need you to come back down here. There's still some things that have to be done, and we need you in the game. Stay focused!
So here's what we know: right now our paperwork is en route (via the Postal Service...I shudder to consider all the things that could go wrong with that scenario) to the National Visa Center. That takes an average of 7-10 days to arrive. Mr. Postal worker is the wild card in this scenario. We all know how sensitive they can be--let's just hope that he's feeling happy and walking down streets filled with flowers and rainbows.
Now, the NVC guys, those guys are killers. Lean, mean, paper slugging machines. They are the closers in this game. At the NVC our papers will be scanned into the system and given a number. This step is called NVC IN. This is good. We are not NVC IN yet, but hopefully will be early/middle of next week!
The next step is approval of the papers and notification of the embassy. This is NVC OUT. This is very good news.
Fingers crossed that NVC IN and OUT will happen this week. Can you send some good mojo our way and hope for a speedy process?
Wahoo! We are rounding the base at third and ready to bring Little Man home!
In the meanwhile, we are spending this weekend frantically finishing projects, shopping for thank-you gifts to take to the foster family and social workers, and putting our house together following Paintagedon.
Oh yeah, and we have a baby shower on Sunday! We are so excited and can't wait to celebrate with our closest friends!
So much happiness. Hope you have a great weekend!
_____________________
To tell the truth: Spin your story: Gingerbread Jam
To laugh: 9 Things You Shouldn't Do While On The Potty
To get it out: Domestic Enemies of The Adoptive Mom
To grow: Eggshell flowerpots
To cherish: To My Little Bug on The Eve of Everything
To make your mouth water: Cinnamon Leaves-Sweet Bread Recipe
To have fun: The Fishing Hole Roll
Alright team. Settle down. I know we are getting near the end, and Tuesday's announcement that the I-600 was approved has some of you flying high, but we need you to come back down here. There's still some things that have to be done, and we need you in the game. Stay focused!
So here's what we know: right now our paperwork is en route (via the Postal Service...I shudder to consider all the things that could go wrong with that scenario) to the National Visa Center. That takes an average of 7-10 days to arrive. Mr. Postal worker is the wild card in this scenario. We all know how sensitive they can be--let's just hope that he's feeling happy and walking down streets filled with flowers and rainbows. 
Now, the NVC guys, those guys are killers. Lean, mean, paper slugging machines. They are the closers in this game. At the NVC our papers will be scanned into the system and given a number. This step is called NVC IN. This is good. We are not NVC IN yet, but hopefully will be early/middle of next week!
The next step is approval of the papers and notification of the embassy. This is NVC OUT. This is very good news.
Fingers crossed that NVC IN and OUT will happen this week. Can you send some good mojo our way and hope for a speedy process?
Wahoo! We are rounding the base at third and ready to bring Little Man home!
In the meanwhile, we are spending this weekend frantically finishing projects, shopping for thank-you gifts to take to the foster family and social workers, and putting our house together following Paintagedon.
Oh yeah, and we have a baby shower on Sunday! We are so excited and can't wait to celebrate with our closest friends!
So much happiness. Hope you have a great weekend!
_____________________
To tell the truth: Spin your story: Gingerbread Jam
To laugh: 9 Things You Shouldn't Do While On The Potty
To get it out: Domestic Enemies of The Adoptive Mom
To grow: Eggshell flowerpots
To cherish: To My Little Bug on The Eve of Everything
To make your mouth water: Cinnamon Leaves-Sweet Bread Recipe
To have fun: The Fishing Hole Roll
4.12.2011
This wait
My friend mentioned that she tried imagine how this wait feels. To know someone else is caring for your child and the only thing you could do was to wait. (How much I love her for this!) It is one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do. This whole process has been a lesson in patience, but mostly learning to trust tolerate a process and a system.
Sometimes it really feels overwhelming. And sometimes I'm at peace with it.
So....I couldn't sleep the other night and I went all 1981 and wrote this poem. Suffer through it to see how waiting feels to me, or just scroll to the bottom for the latest update!
OK. You made it! And evidently we are making it too. Yesterday our I600 was approved! So, (keeping fingers crossed here) we could be traveling in about two weeks! Wahoo!
Holy crap. So much to get done!
Sometimes it really feels overwhelming. And sometimes I'm at peace with it.
So....I couldn't sleep the other night and I went all 1981 and wrote this poem. Suffer through it to see how waiting feels to me, or just scroll to the bottom for the latest update!
This Wait.Hovers like fog on a wet morning.It wilts me.Drinks from my confidence.Nibbles on my dreams.Mocks my mother's heart.
I pretend it's not there.But it will not be ignored.It rings in my ears.Jabs at my chest.A chill I cannot dissipate.
This Wait.Cannot be rushed.Cannot be cajoled.It's a test, tailor-made for me.But patience has never been my friend.
Together we sit,like old maids on a porch swing.Argue and fuss.I shake my fist at her.When.
She leans over and whispers in my ear."It's true, I am sometimes difficult.But I am also delicious.Delectable.Divine."
I pause.Reconsider.
A new view.For without The Wait,there would be no you.
All this is part of our story.And for you my love,I will gladly wait.
© Cheese Curds & Kimchihttp://curdsandkimchi.blogspot.com
OK. You made it! And evidently we are making it too. Yesterday our I600 was approved! So, (keeping fingers crossed here) we could be traveling in about two weeks! Wahoo!
Holy crap. So much to get done!
4.11.2011
Shoe fetish
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| Real Simple-New uses for old things: Kid's edition |
Isn't this a great idea? Love the simplicity of it. And the uniqueness. So fun to see exactly how they've grown and a keepsake of their favorite little shoes.
But what would you do with the lonely mates?
4.08.2011
Friday Round Up-4.8.2011
Friday! The Man has to attend a conference all weekend, so it will just be me and the fur babies. We'll try to stay out of trouble.
I have a lot I should get done this weekend. But I have to admit that with the dark shadow of a possible government shut-down looming, all I want to do is curl up on the couch and watch movies that make me cry. Since we are awaiting immigration approval from the US side, a shutdown would put delay our process. USCIS and other government workers would not be processing paperwork for our I600 or the visa. To be so close...I can't think of it. You can read more about how a shutdown would affect the international adoption scene HERE.
Trying to stay positive. Think happy thoughts.
So I'll try to stay busy. On my weekend agenda is--more painting. Ugh. Just two last coats to get the kitchen cabinets finished, and then we can reassemble the whole lot. Yay! Looking forward to crossing another project off the list. And having the utensils back in the kitchen.
I'm also heading to Drawstring Studio, a fun modern fabric store. She sells a lot on Etsy but also has a cute brick and mortar shop. I'm hunting for material to try and tackle THIS crib skirt. (Yes Mom, I'm going to a fabric store to search for material to sew with!) I really don't have the time to make the skirt, but haven't found one that I like at all. This may or may not (most likely not) get completed before Little Man comes home, but who knows??
And of course, I will be sleeping in every morning this weekend. A must. Have I told you how much of a sleeper I am? I can easily snooze until 10 or 11 just like a teenager. I never seem to have outgrown that. Getting up at 8 a.m. for work is still a challenge for me. I know, I know. This will change. But until it does...sleep!
Sweet dreams!
_______________________________
To celebrate: Travel Call! (AKA, Dena and Brad's big news!)
And to celebrate a little more: We have Max
To make: Spring Puppet Printables
To laugh, in that "I'm never going to be that kind of mom but I probably will" way: How Do I Bad Mommy Thee, Let Me Count The Ways
To cook: AeHoBakJeon, Korean Pancake
To gain insight: I'll grow up to be just like mommy, right?
I have a lot I should get done this weekend. But I have to admit that with the dark shadow of a possible government shut-down looming, all I want to do is curl up on the couch and watch movies that make me cry. Since we are awaiting immigration approval from the US side, a shutdown would put delay our process. USCIS and other government workers would not be processing paperwork for our I600 or the visa. To be so close...I can't think of it. You can read more about how a shutdown would affect the international adoption scene HERE.
Trying to stay positive. Think happy thoughts.
So I'll try to stay busy. On my weekend agenda is--more painting. Ugh. Just two last coats to get the kitchen cabinets finished, and then we can reassemble the whole lot. Yay! Looking forward to crossing another project off the list. And having the utensils back in the kitchen.
I'm also heading to Drawstring Studio, a fun modern fabric store. She sells a lot on Etsy but also has a cute brick and mortar shop. I'm hunting for material to try and tackle THIS crib skirt. (Yes Mom, I'm going to a fabric store to search for material to sew with!) I really don't have the time to make the skirt, but haven't found one that I like at all. This may or may not (most likely not) get completed before Little Man comes home, but who knows??
And of course, I will be sleeping in every morning this weekend. A must. Have I told you how much of a sleeper I am? I can easily snooze until 10 or 11 just like a teenager. I never seem to have outgrown that. Getting up at 8 a.m. for work is still a challenge for me. I know, I know. This will change. But until it does...sleep!
Sweet dreams!
_______________________________
To celebrate: Travel Call! (AKA, Dena and Brad's big news!)
And to celebrate a little more: We have Max
To make: Spring Puppet Printables
To laugh, in that "I'm never going to be that kind of mom but I probably will" way: How Do I Bad Mommy Thee, Let Me Count The Ways
To cook: AeHoBakJeon, Korean Pancake
To gain insight: I'll grow up to be just like mommy, right?
4.07.2011
Odds and ends
I've been sorta quiet lately. It's not that I haven't thought of you! Just seems to be other things eating up my time. And I don't feel like I have much to say. Odd huh?
So, first, no new news. A friend asked if I was tired of hearing the question "heard anything yet?" and the answer is no. I'm frustrated that we haven't heard anything yet, but love the fact that so many people are interested and waiting to hear something new! Just can't wait until we DO have new news to share!
Our I-600 is still at USCIS although it has now moved to the National Benefits Center in MO. I have no idea what that means except that we are still waiting. They have quoted me the *official* line stating that they have 75 days to complete our file, but we know lots of folks who have had it done in 4-5 weeks recently. Let's hope those pencil pushers keep things moving. And that the government doesn't shut down. Gulp. I have no idea if that would stall our paperwork or not. Too freaky to think about Must move on.
Preparations...his room is nearly done! Here's a sneak peek. I'll share the entire thing with ya soon. (See the birch crib? That's the one I belabored over in IKEA for hours. I think it works in here!)
The painting fun isn't over yet---we've also been painting in the kitchen and refinishing our cabinets. That project was started in the fall and has been S.L.O.W. going. What ever possessed me to decided to sand all those cabinets down and repaint them? (And how did I manage to convince The Man to go along with this crazy plan??) But boy, do they look good. The final round of painting will be finished this weekend. Woohoo!
Oh, and when we aren't painting, we've found a few super fun things like these:
And we've also been grown ups and bought some grown-up parent type stuff like these things:
I think the Tropical Pug is beginning to suspect something is up.
So, first, no new news. A friend asked if I was tired of hearing the question "heard anything yet?" and the answer is no. I'm frustrated that we haven't heard anything yet, but love the fact that so many people are interested and waiting to hear something new! Just can't wait until we DO have new news to share!
Our I-600 is still at USCIS although it has now moved to the National Benefits Center in MO. I have no idea what that means except that we are still waiting. They have quoted me the *official* line stating that they have 75 days to complete our file, but we know lots of folks who have had it done in 4-5 weeks recently. Let's hope those pencil pushers keep things moving. And that the government doesn't shut down. Gulp. I have no idea if that would stall our paperwork or not. Too freaky to think about Must move on.
Preparations...his room is nearly done! Here's a sneak peek. I'll share the entire thing with ya soon. (See the birch crib? That's the one I belabored over in IKEA for hours. I think it works in here!)
Oh, and when we aren't painting, we've found a few super fun things like these:
The dinosaur thing is pretty fun. Great for eye/hand coordination too. The activity block might be a bit ahead of him right now, but he'll grow into it. In the meanwhile, Pogo our kitty seems to think it's a great place to rub her head.
And we've also been grown ups and bought some grown-up parent type stuff like these things:
I think the Tropical Pug is beginning to suspect something is up.
4.03.2011
Press Here
No, don't press there.
"Press Here" by Herve Tullet.
It's an amazing book and I just LOVE it! It's full of creativity and imagination. All the things that make a good book great!
Must have.
"Press Here" by Herve Tullet.
It's an amazing book and I just LOVE it! It's full of creativity and imagination. All the things that make a good book great!
Must have.
4.02.2011
Blog Round-up
Well folks, we are making headway!
I've finally come out of my "ohmygodwerehavingababy" funk. Being in said funk, you would expect I would have launched myself into a phase of unprecedented productivity, but alas. Instead I was just highly emotional and belabored even the most simple decisions.
Take getting Little Man's room ready--how could I possibly figure out what color to paint it until I knew EVERYTHING that was going in it? Which meant lots of research and producing full color mock-ups of the two potential designs. Ridiculous. And anal. Both of which I admit to fully.
I obsessed about tiny details like what color the blinds should be, and made multiple trips to the paint store, and put five, yes five, different colors on the wall until I found the *right* one. And stood in IKEA for over an hour as I debated the visual benefits of having a birch crib, or a white one.
The Man has been especially patient through all this. Much appreciated because I'm driving myself a little nuts.
I know much of this is because I'm totally type A about this stuff. And to be fair, any time we paint a room I get pretty nutsy. I blame it on being an artist or left-brained, or something along those lines.
But sometimes I overly focus on things in order to get a little control in a situation where I feel out of control. And the culprit this time is the final processing with Little Man's immigration stuff which is driving me totally bat-shit crazy. We have no idea how fast they are going to process it. We have the official line which says they have 75 days to do it. Ugh. But lots of folks we know have had it done much faster.
So, instead of putting my nose to the grindstone and getting stuff checked off my giant list of to-dos, I waffle over blue-green and green-blue.
Fortunately, I think that funk was replaced by the more urgent realization--we need to get stuff done! So, his room is now painted (and I love the color!) and the crib is assembled (post on that to come later) and we are now tackling some other projects in the house.
Yay!
Happy Weekend!
___________________________
To be a family: Taking it all for granted, happily
To make you smile: Hip Hip Hooray! (This is a super awesome party planning site. Makes me want to plan something soon)
To make for baby: Soft counting cubes
To remember how he's grown: Shoe Shadow Box
Projects to plan: Little Stitches for Little Ones (Yes Mom, I'm thinking about sewing!)
I've finally come out of my "ohmygodwerehavingababy" funk. Being in said funk, you would expect I would have launched myself into a phase of unprecedented productivity, but alas. Instead I was just highly emotional and belabored even the most simple decisions.
Take getting Little Man's room ready--how could I possibly figure out what color to paint it until I knew EVERYTHING that was going in it? Which meant lots of research and producing full color mock-ups of the two potential designs. Ridiculous. And anal. Both of which I admit to fully.
I obsessed about tiny details like what color the blinds should be, and made multiple trips to the paint store, and put five, yes five, different colors on the wall until I found the *right* one. And stood in IKEA for over an hour as I debated the visual benefits of having a birch crib, or a white one.
The Man has been especially patient through all this. Much appreciated because I'm driving myself a little nuts.
I know much of this is because I'm totally type A about this stuff. And to be fair, any time we paint a room I get pretty nutsy. I blame it on being an artist or left-brained, or something along those lines.
But sometimes I overly focus on things in order to get a little control in a situation where I feel out of control. And the culprit this time is the final processing with Little Man's immigration stuff which is driving me totally bat-shit crazy. We have no idea how fast they are going to process it. We have the official line which says they have 75 days to do it. Ugh. But lots of folks we know have had it done much faster.
So, instead of putting my nose to the grindstone and getting stuff checked off my giant list of to-dos, I waffle over blue-green and green-blue.
Fortunately, I think that funk was replaced by the more urgent realization--we need to get stuff done! So, his room is now painted (and I love the color!) and the crib is assembled (post on that to come later) and we are now tackling some other projects in the house.
Yay!
Happy Weekend!
___________________________
To be a family: Taking it all for granted, happily
To make you smile: Hip Hip Hooray! (This is a super awesome party planning site. Makes me want to plan something soon)
To make for baby: Soft counting cubes
To remember how he's grown: Shoe Shadow Box
Projects to plan: Little Stitches for Little Ones (Yes Mom, I'm thinking about sewing!)
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