And we're off...

Well, not today but I won't post again until we're in China (and that's if I can figure it out :) ). I can't believe I got to type those words, in China. This weekend was so nice. Aside from Saturday and our many home appointments, we were able to relax and enjoy our last weekend as "just a couple." I can't believe we'll have Zoe in just four days. If you read this blog, please think good safe plane thoughts for our trip ;) I think I'm so anxious about the traveling part (packing, paperwork, flying) that I sometimes forget there is a baby attached to this! I hope the TA's arrive for those of you still waiting soon! Eric and I will spread the word to be on the look out for you in a few weeks.

It's Always Something....

So with less than a week before we leave to get Zoe, I'm downstairs and notice a rather large water mark on the ceiling. I'm typing this while the plumbers are here fixing a leak that has apparently been going on for quite some time. With all the packing and running around we've been doing, this is just bad timing. On the other hand, better to find out now than to come home from China with the basement ceiling falling down! This is our final weekend to relax. I actually cried a bit last night thinking that this was our last Friday night as just a couple. Don't get me wrong, I'm beyond excited about getting Zoe; but I also love my life with just Eric and I (and Herman). I think I just needed to have a transitional moment....the first of many I'm sure!

I had a major shopping find yesterday. Okay, not major but it made me happy. I finally found powered electrolye packets. I had been looking all over for the Pedialyte ones but couldn't find them. Yesterday I found a generic brand at Rite Aid. I also picked up the final med I needed, lice meds (ick, like scabies, ick). I figured that if it was the one drug I didn't bring, it would be the one condition she had :)

Well the plumbers are almost done. Between that and getting our carpets cleaned today, it's been a very expensive Saturday!

Drugstore

I'm a little worried I'm going to be stopped at customs for drug smuggling. Just a sampling of the wonderful Western drugs we are taking to China with us:
Infant Tylenol
Infant Tylenol + cough and cold
Pedicare infant decongestant
Baby Vicks (not a drug but still)
Amoxicillan
Scabies meds (ick, ick, ick)
Antibiotic ointment
Infant Motrin
Eye solution
Oral rehydration salts
Children's benedryl

I feel like there are more but I can't remember. We have all the above in adult formulas as well (except for the scabies meds :) ). I really, really tried to pack lightly but Zoe's bag is pushing 35 pounds...all this for one 8 month old. I found an extremely helpful pharmacist at the Harris Teter near us today who was helping me with dosing information. It's scary to be thinking about giving medicine to a child where all the box says is "under 2 contact your doctor." The Orphan Allies kit had dose information for the things they provided but I was unsure about the rest of it. We're getting the carpets cleaned on Saturday and then I can spread out Eric's and my stuff and get the rest of the packing done. I went to Old Navy and bought some of their t-shirts for dirt cheap. Essentially it's going to be the same style t-shirt, different color for the entire trip :)

Does anyone know where I can get a three prong adaptor? Best Buy? Also, how sure is anyone that the black box that is part of the computer cord is actually a converter?

Busy!!

This weekend was wonderful but very busy. We went to our friends' (Ellen and Rick) home for a baby sign class. Ellen has the most beautiful nursery that I have ever seen set up for her daughter. She's such a talent AND she can also cook! Ellen and Rick hosted the rest of the October Mid-Atlantic crew (except for 2 who are in China) for a baby sign class. It was very interesting and something that I think Eric and I will try with Zoe. We relaxed a bit on Saturday night. Then on Sunday my mom and her boyfriend came over to help us set up the blinds in Zoe's room. Ed and Eric tackled the blinds while my mom and I went to BabysRUs to get Zoe a pack and play. I LOVE the pack and play! I bought a Graco model that has the diaper changing station, bassinet and play yard. It also plays classical music and nature sounds :) It will be nice to have some place to put Zoe where I know she will be safe if we're busy cooking or something. It took Eric and Ed a little longer (like 4 hours longer) than they thought to put up the blinds. Apparently the wood in our house is not only termite resistant, it's power drill resistant as well :) The blinds are up now and they look fantastic.

Today I sent off the rest of the money to our agency for our travel fees. Our travel coordinator accidentally upgraded us to a suite in Zoe's province but we're going to keep the upgrade :) I also ordered a Panda Phone so we can make calls home while we're there. I had to e-mail the panda phone folks and they got right back to me...but at the end of the e-mail they wrote..

Thank you for placing your order and have a safe trip? (question mark). When you're afraid to fly, it's not so great to see a question mark at the end of safe trip ;) Zoe is pretty much all packed. Despite warnings, I'm packing one bag for her and one bag for Eric and I. I just don't want to have to rummage through two bags looking for things. It's a nonstop flight so hopefully the bags won't get lost. (Remember Seinfeld?...JFK...Honolulu :) ).

A frequent question...

Am I the only one who keeps getting asked if I get to name the baby? It's a well-intentioned question, I'm sure. It's especially amusing when they ask after I tell them her name is Zoe Katherine.

A little over two weeks....

In a little over two weeks not only will I get to finally hold Zoe, but I will finally (FINALLY) have a long term absense from work. I haven't had break over 5 days since our wedding 3 years ago. While I can not wait to get my hands on our little girl, today I'm actually more excited about the break from the job. I love my job, I really do. I really enjoy working with and helping the kids and their families. The administrators I work with are top notch, and the teachers are pretty great too (being that I met Eric at one of my schools years ago :) ). However, when I decided to get my Ph.D. in an area of psychology I was drawn to the education field for the same reason as most folks....say it with me......summers off, snow days, spring break! In Northern Virginia it is very difficult to find a 10 month job so here I am schelping away in a 12 month administrative contract (has to do with the federal law IDEA which goes by actual calander rather than school calander year). No summers off, no snow days, 2 days for spring break. It starts to get draining working every day with kids where something has gone wrong. Obviously as a school psychologist I don't get asked to consult on the happy, straight A children. We've had a lot of crises that have required responding to in the past month, and it's starting to be very draining. I really need a break.

Since Eric and I both work for the same district we get 12 weeks of shared leave between us for FMLA. Our 2 weeks in China counts as 4 weeks of FMLA leave. Luckily our trip falls at the end of the school year so Eric won't have to cut too much into my leave time, but it's important for him to be home with us when we get back for the bonding. I've also been saving leave for years now knowing about our situation. Once I'm off FMLA I can take annual/sick leave since I have been accurring the days. This way I will be able to be home with Zoe until after Labor Day. Otherwise I would have had to have gone back at the beginning of August...and I would have been very grumpy. But it all worked out and now I can't wait to go!!

Pictures from Shower!

For some reason blogger is really slow today so it would only load these 4 pics. The top one is of our cake. I am a pastery person..I am a fan of anything made flour, eggs, and sugar :)
This is the line that everyone hung their 100 good wishes quilt squares on. The wishes were so original and many of my friends gave me pieces from their own kids' baby blankets, which made it even more meaningful.
How cools is this gift presentation? One of my friend made a clothes line out of ribbon and used clothes pins to attach baby clothes. I may have to steal her idea sometime. So creative!
This is just me...but look whose picture is on the table! I had no idea they made copies of Zoe's picture.

CA and flights!

We got our CA confirmation today and our flights are booked! I'm so excited and scared to death all at the same time! Those of you who know me know I'm terrified, absolutely terrified, of flying. Now you would think that a valium or something would help but I'm too much of a control freak to take one. I need to be aware in case we need to make an emergency landing. Yes, I realize there is something wrong with me :) I would like to thank the powers that be for giving Washington Dulles the nonstop to Beijing flight. It's the take offs and landings I'm not a fan of. (ugh, I hate ending sentences in prepositions).

In other exciting (for me) news, my classes are finally over for the semester! I taught 5, count them 5, graduate courses this spring. Two of them were on-line so they probably count as 1/2 or 1/4 classes but I still had to participate in online discussions and grade assignments. Last semester I taught 3 classes (1 was online) but the university I do the majority of my teaching with ran into a bind at the last minute filling adjunct faculty positions so I helped out. It's good experience (not that I ever want to be a full-time professor) and I know I will not have the time to carry anywhere near that load after we bring Zoe home.

I still need to post pictures of the shower and will do that soon. I also need to write the thank you notes from the shower but that is another story.

TA!!!!

Woo hoo! TA has arrived! Now we just need to wait for our CA but we may be leaving a week earlier than we originally planned! I gotta get a move on...both at work (to tie up loose ends) and in the packing realm.

I had a meltdown at my not so friendly, very poor customer service bank today because they wouldn't help me with the new money issue. The people at our credit union were so fantastic though. When the tellers heard what I needed they all opened their drawers and were flipping through the money looking for "good" bills. I wasn't even a member! Of course I promptly joined the credit union. What wonderful people!

I'll post pictures later of my shower. I have to tell you, it was overwhelming in such a wonderful way. There were about 30 friends and co-workers that attended. My friends Beth, Wendy, and Amy threw me the shower. We had wonderful Chinese food! They also had ordered special fortune cookies that had sayings with Zoe's name in them. Everyone also brought a quilt square for Zoe's 100 Good Wishes quilt. I was so choked up when I read over them. My friend had also made me a, for lack of better word, fancy copy of the Legacy of the Adopted Child. That poem always makes me tear up. Zoe is going to be one well dressed little girl. We also got some very cool toys. Herman does not quite understand why he's not allowed to play with them. He's going to have some adjustment issues :)

Sorry for the typos, I'm sick again (I think it's just allergies) but I have "medicine head" from the antihistimines :)

Waiting on TA/ My baby is 8 months today!

Have you seen all the gorgeous babies that were referred this month? Wow! Congrats to all the new mommies and daddies! I'm so happy that the CCAA mailed the batch off before the holiday. I know this is going to be a very special Mother's Day for a lot of us.

We're still waiting and waiting on our TA. The first two weeks after we saw Zoe's picture were like a dream. I barely slept and was so excited. I now feel like I've gone back to pre-referral status. It's really too hard to keep up excitement for 7-9 weeks :) I love looking at her picture but wish I had more, or different, or older, ect. She is 8 months old today and I can't wait to hold her. Some others with our referral date got their TAs on Tuesday so I know ours will or should be coming shortly after the CCAA returns from their week long break.

My friends are throwing me a baby shower on Saturday. Ironically, I'm going to be one of the only people at my own baby shower who is not pregnant :) That's a bit odd don't ya think? Eric's school threw him a shower on Tuesday and we got a lot of BabysRUS gift cards. I think we'll be able to put those to good use! One of the best gifts was a baby relief kit full of baby meds, which coupled with the one from Orphan Allies, makes us good to go on that front. I have a doctor's appointment today to get a script for my own antibiotic. I keep telling Eric he needs to go too...I'm not sharing :)