9 Days

Our adoption worker came by this morning for our monthly visit, and we're all set. Even though we are short on our "continuing education" hours for our foster care license, it's all fine since we are closing our home anyway.

Our home is full. I had no idea that it was possible to love a child so much. I mean, I heard other people talk about their love for their children, and honestly it all sounded a bit sappy - a lot of hyperbole. But it really is beyond words, and I never knew I was capable of these kinds of depths of emotions. I really had no idea.

Bit-Bit went to the cardiologist and had her EKG checkup. The good news is that the flap/hole has not enlarged and there are no major problems. She'll go back for another checkup when she is 3, but beyond that it will just be in the back of our minds as she grows up, and maybe someday when she is about 7 or so, we'll have the flap surgically closed. But we feel relieved that she got a clean bill of health (from a pediatric cardiologist, no less).

Cookie is doing well - wearing "big girl" panties a lot these days, and even waking up at night to tell us she has to go potty. It's nice to only have 1 set of diapers to change. She's so intelligent it's tough to keep up with her. She is still all about snuggling, which we still love.

I wish more adoptions were this easy for folks, I really do.

Countdown Begins! - T minus 15 days

October 3rd, 3:15 pm - Bit-Bit will have a new name and very, very happy parents (and sister, and Grammy and Gramdpy, and Aunts and Uncles...).

Hope Springing Eternal

Well, apparently emails are flowing asking all involved if Friday, Oct. rd works for the adoption hearing/finalization.
Praying it happens.
So ready to move forward.

Today I'm going to finish designing Bit-Bit's adoption announcements so they can be mailed out as soon as possible.

Latest Bit-Bit Pics

From summer vacation at Grammy and Grandpy's house - pics courtesy of Grandpy:

Please Let It Be October

GAL came out on Sat., which means he files his paperwork and we wait for a court date. Our judge does them once a month, so the next date is October 3rd. If we don't get on the docket, we'll have to hope for November. We are so tired of all this. Really. Freakin'. Tired.

In more news, Cookie had to have an abscess removed from her posterior. ER, sedation, and recovery were our weekend. She is fine - just very sore and on massive antibiotics that we have to practically shove down her throat b/c juice and chocolate milk don't mask the taste enough and she's older and wiser. She WILL NOT take it on her own. And one is 4 times a day. This for 10 days may kill us.

No one in our house has gotten any rest to speak of.

So. Tired.

A General Update

Still no housecleaner. I need to look harder. House is filthy. Carpets are being cleaned on Monday, as well as sofa. That will feel like a start.

Not sleeping well - both kid-os very restless and waking up every hour it seems.

Teaching 5 classes already feels insane. But the insanity feels good. I feel like I'm truly contributing to the household again. Any work-outside-the-home moms identify with the need?

I have an actual OFFICE again here on campus - one I share with two other very nice part-time faculty members. Michael and our friend Mina helped me paint it. It looks wonderful and smells like fresh paint (which I kinda like).

Back on Weig*t Watc*ers again. Dang it. I apparently partied this summer something awful and gained a whole heck of lot back again. I'm still under where I was before, but was woefully unaware of just how out of hand my weight had gotten yet again. It feels like a big failure, but I am glad to be back on track. With 5 classes, I've not much time to eat, so I think I'll do pretty well this semester again. Summer darn near killed me with being home so much.

My goal - 25 pounds gone by the end of this semester (mid-December). That way, when Christmas comes, if I eat a goodie or two I won't bust out of my jeans.

Marriage - OK (I think). Sadly enough, there isn't much time to talk or even reflect and it seems that kids take some of the joy of your marriage away (even though they bring their own new joys to the table). I miss our time together and it seems we've lost the ability to have a decent conversation with each other. We try. It is just SO HARD.

No word from Bit-Bit's GAL yet. I'll call our adoption worker later this week if I still haven't heard anything from him.

Life as a whole is good, even though so much seems in great disarray at the moment.

I still wish my house was clean. I need a solid 3 days with no kids and nothing else to do in order to get it in the shape I'd like. Oh how I wish I had help. We may just have to hire a babysitter or cancel class one day so the kids can be at daycare and I can work on the house. I don't know how folks do it, I really don't.

But...life is good. It really is.