There really is a baby coming!

Today was a bit of a reality check for me. A surprise package arrived in the mail. It contained 2 sippy cups, 3 baby bowls w/ lids, stacking bath cup toys, crayons, a Maisy movie, a board book, a toy phone (that speaks English and Spanish), and 2 TY teddies one blue one pink. It was from my cousin in San Diego. It was so thoughtful and unexpected. I, of course, had a mini freak-out. (I'm lucky I was able to talk to my Mom.) For some reason this present made it hit-home with me that at some point there is a baby coming to live here. It's funny because as you all have seen we have the crib and the bedding, we've painted the nursery and even decorated it. It was the sight of sippy cups and plastic bowls that made me realize everything is going to change. I need to make room not just in one room in our house but in our whole house. I need to clear kitchen cupboards and bathroom shelves. There is a baby coming to live with us. For always.

We have been very lucky to receive many wonderful and fun gifts from friends already. Once I'm able to upload some picture I'll show off some of them. Last night a friend gave us her rocking chair. Grant is pretty stoked about it, it's old fashion. I'm going to buy some cool fabric and make cushions. I hope our baby likes to cuddle and rock!

Also today we were contacted with our sponsorship paperwork. Hopefully we'll have some time together on the weekend to go over it, sign it, and then get it in the mail. It's all coming together, the last 24 hours have proven that!

I hope good news for everyone waiting for court dates and medicals/visas. Tomorrow is Friday and in the international adoption scene that's a pretty big deal! Tonight my prayers are with your families.

Praise!!

I have amazing neighbours. Our PC died a couple of weeks ago. One afternoon I asked my neighbour if I could use their computer to check my email, they let me. That night they showed up at my door with an old work laptop. It was great and got us back on-line over the weekend. On Monday we couldn't get the computer to turn on. Grant took it back to them, thanked them for letting us use it and offered to pay for it to be repaired. Not only would they not take money from us, they lent us another laptop to use! They are truly great. We are very lucky to have them as neighbours, they are always ready to lend us whatever we need whether it's a couple of eggs, their truck, or their computer! Everyone should be so lucky.

I also have an amazing husband. He called me last night on his way home from school and asked me how I was. I started crying. I was having a bad day. When he got home he had a bouquet of lilies for me. What a sweetheart!
I know that this blog is getting boring because of lack of pictures. Grant and I have been researching our next computer. I'm pretty sure that we have made a decision. We should be buying it this week, I'm hopeful that it will be here by the weekend! We are getting a mac book! We've both wanted to make the jump to mac for quite sometime so our PC dying was the perfect motivator.

Thank you to everyone who made comments on craft projects for me to do. No Mom you aren't getting a Christmas card from us this year. Not because I'm mean, but because Grant and I are not celebrating Christmas. Because you are special I will send you a New Years card. I have decided on a few projects. I'll post pictures as I finish making them. Thanks for the inspiration!!!

Project

I'm in need of a project. Trouble is what kind of project can you do when you don't know the age or gender of your child. I'm having a bit of trouble lately. I'm getting very impatient. Grant tells me that we haven't been waiting a long time and there is no need to get anxious. I'd just like to be able to work on some projects. Problem is am I making things for a boy or girl, for a baby or toddler? A lady posted on one of the boards that they have been waiting 10 weeks for a child of either gender under a year. We have not been waiting that long yet so that lets me know I've got a lot more time ahead of me...

One of my close friends is pregnant and she's due in April. Initially that's when we thought that we'd be bring our baby home. (now it's looking more like August) It's fun watching her belly get bigger. But I'm having a bit of trouble with it. Surprising to me it's not that I'm not pregnant. I'm over that part (for now). It's that she knows within a week when her baby is going to be here and she knows within a couple of pounds how big her baby is going to be. Planning is much easier!

I keep fooling myself into thinking that waiting to bring our child home will be easier than waiting to be matched. I know that I will be waaaaay more impatient then. But at least then I'll be able to make appropriate projects! I'm trying to read books right now but I'm not enjoying it. It's making my already overactive imagination work overtime.

I need ideas. Help me out. I'm very crafty and can make just about anything! Please send me your ideas of projects that I can make for a child of either gender, under 24 months, and that may or may not be living with us in the next year....oh man.

Christmas Song

Grant and I are without the internet at home. Last night we went to our local library to check our email but due to strike action they have turned off access to the internet. So no luck. Today I'm at work and using my coffee breaks to try to get my cyber fix!

A Dad on one of the yahoo boards I belong to posted this link to an adoption Christmas song. I don't have the guts to watch it myself. Anyone who knows me knows that I cry really easily. The Tim Hortons commercial where the Grandpa brings the Dad a "double double" while the grandson plays hockey gets me every time... The one that currently has me sniffling is the bank commercial where the Aunt is starting a university fund for her new nephew in Winnipeg (it's the fact he's adopted that gets me) One day when I'm feeling impenetrable I'll check it out but for right now I'm just sharing it.

I encourage all of you whom are braver than me to check out this video and let me know all about. Thanks.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rcPBA9-wyZE

Rice

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

I was just made aware of this site today and I had to share it! Tonight in about 10 mins I donated 1000 grains of rice and registered at 34 vocabulary level. (Beat that!)

Here is some information that I took off of their FAQ page....

Free rice began October 7 2007 to date 1,897,053,670 grains of rice have been donated.

Who pays for the donated rice?
The rice is paid for by the advertisers whose names you see on the bottom of your vocabulary screen. This is regular advertising for these companies, but it is also something more. Through their advertising at FreeRice, these companies support both learning (free vocabulary for everyone) and reducing hunger (free rice for the hungry). We commend these companies for their participation at FreeRice.

Who distributes the donated rice?
The rice is distributed by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). The World Food Program is the world’s largest food aid agency, working with over 1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. In addition to providing food, the World Food Program helps hungry people to become self-reliant so that they escape hunger for good. Wherever possible, the World Food Program buys food locally to support local farmers and the local economy. We encourage you to visit the United Nations World Food Program to learn more about their successful approach to ending hunger.

How does the FreeRice vocabulary program work?
FreeRice has a custom database containing thousands of words at varying degrees of difficulty. There are words appropriate for people just learning English and words that will challenge the most scholarly professors. In between are thousands of words for students, business people, homemakers, doctors, truck drivers, retired people… everyone!
FreeRice automatically adjusts to your level of vocabulary. It starts by giving you words at different levels of difficulty and then, based on how you do, assigns you an approximate starting level. You then determine a more exact level for yourself as you play. When you get a word wrong, you go to an easier level. When you get three words in a row right, you go to a harder level. This one-to-three ratio is best for keeping you at the “outer fringe” of your vocabulary, where learning can take place.
There are 50 levels in all, but it is rare for people to get above level 48.

So go on, challenge yourself. Better still copy this and email it to your friends!!

Good Morning!

Grant and I are eager beavers and we set up the crib, bedding and all, the weekend after our paperwork went to Ethiopia. We figured why not! We have been diligent about keeping the door closed and the pets out of the nursery. My ironing board is still set up in there (since my laundry room reno isn't done yet) and so every morning I go into the nursery to iron my work clothes. We must have left the door open a crack because this morning I was greeted by someone sleeping in the crib....


Miss Sativa! No wonder she slept in late today! We'll really have to make sure that door is closed now...