Week 1 PR (post referral)

I really want to keep this as a journal for B.  I want her to know how much she meant to us before she came home.  So the counting continues.  We are one week post referral, waiting for a court date.  What have we been doing:

-studying her picture, imagining her little body adding a different energy to the house.

-preparing a little care package for her-photo album, love, cardigan, and a small toy

- because she is considered an older child (2+) we were able to write her a letter that Gladney will translate and read to her.  Wow!  What a gift to us, but more difficult than I thought it would be!  What do you write to a toddler who has never met you?  We went the "we love you and are getting ready for you" route.  We also were able to include a photo.  (See above.)  We had to wait until 8:30 before everyone was home at the same time.  We made a poster (cropped because it has her name on it) and then took the picture with the timer mechanism.  Yeah!  It turned out, with a couple funny out takes where we were trying to figure out how to work the camera:)

-stalking those returning from Ethiopia to see if they may have caught a glimpse of our little girl or captured her in a photo

-serious nesting.  See post below on patience.  Wow, did I fail yesterday to show patience.  I was a bear to any and all that made a mess.  My kids do something that I refer to as a "Frosty" as in the snowman.  They come into the house and disrobe as if they had melted and left their clothes in a puddle.  I usually have a sense of humor about it, not these days.  I went back and read my post....today I was better.  I hope to be even better tomorrow.  I have time (unfortunately).  I do not have to get everything organized and set for B this week.  

-even more motivation to workout.  I want to carry her around...I need more upper body strength.  by product of working out-more energy and I feel strong and healthy.

-lots of praying-to keep her healthy, to prepare her little heart for a change, to prepare us to meet all of her needs (emotional and physical), speedy and successful court date

-talking and emailing friends.  I have made some amazing new friends in the past year.