The Rooms...

...........are ALMOST done. We just got word that Nunu's Headboard has arrived and we will pick it up tomorrow and assemble it to the bedframe. YAY. I will post pics soon once all the final bits are in place.

Christmas shopping is DONE. YAY

All the weekends are full until the new year. YAY

That means that the wait until we hear about court is going just peahcy at present. Once we are not busy, and not working on stuff for them... it will become MUCH harder. I think the plan will be to SAVE more $$ and read some more books on attachment parenting.. Just can't be too prepared. Any suggestions?? Not all books are created equal. Let me know if you have any favorites, it would be much appreciated.

Happy Holidays .... ONE month until Christmas.... Crazy

4 WEEKS

4 weeks ago today our lives CHANGED FOREVER. It was a GREAT day and everyday since I have been happy and more postive. I am feeling back to myself again. I have a LOT to look forward to.

We are still prepping the girls rooms, it is SOOOO much fun. I havn't been posting too much, I know. I am just not needing the VENT time. I am not needing the constant info about HOW MUCH LONGER. It is nice for a change. I realize this may subside when we havn't heard about court.... and time is a ticking... but I am holding onto this PEACE as long as I can. I have a BUSY schedule until January so that will help pass the time.

I LOVE looking at the picture of the girls. I LOVE thinking about fun things we will do with them. Yesterday I went to Nezza Naturals here in Victoria to look at their Shea products. I got some Mango Shea Butter it smeels DEVINE, and is SOOO moisturizing. I also got some Shea Coconut Mouse (90% Organic Shea and Coconut oil), it is VERY rich and more like an oil. When I left I was thinking about how much fun it will be to bring the girls there and have them pick their own scents... Simple but made me smile.

Otherwise we are getting prepped for Christmas, and working. My work is CRAZY busy with Immunizing people with H1N1 and Seasonal flu shots.... on top of my regular work. I will be pleased when all people who want to be immunized ARE and we can get back to more time with our clients.... One day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY..........

to my daughter in Ethiopia, Nunush!!!! She turns 4 today. I can't wait for it to be official (being your mom)!!  We wish we were in Ethiopia to celebrate with you. Hugs from us to you!!!

2 weeks

two weeks ago today.... actually at this exact moment..... I found out we had a Referral!! Life is SOOOOOO much better post referral. I gaze at their photo every few minutes.... talk about them by name.... can picture their faces.... can plan for their arrival.... can DO stuff FINALLY to prepare... IT IS GREAT. It is also crazy it was ONLY 2 weeks ago... It feels like I have known them forever.... funny that.

My daughters (never gets old saying that!!!) are SOOOOO beautiful. My DEAR online friend H has agreed to take our girls a care package to Ethiopia when she flies... I just finished it today, and sent it in the mail..... PRECIOUS cargo!! To hold something in my hand and know our daughters will soon hold it is a REALLY great feeling. Thanks H!!!!!

Well that's me ..... happy girl.... almost healthy again.... but happy, which is all that matters right now.

now what

well not we wait AGAIN. So far the wait is much easier that the pre-referral wait... WAY EASIER... but it is only week 2.... so we will see. 

I am still home and still sick ..... hoping to feel better soon... I want to get to work.... on the girls ROOMS that is!!!

We have decided not to purchase clothes, shoes or car seats for the girls until we pass court... to be cautious.... and not jinx it.

But we are going to get the rooms ready and the toys ready and the books ready... we have been buying books and toys for quite sometime now... we are getting there. I have been on the couch... coughing my lungs out and planning out the rooms. 

I have also been researching how to do their hair in different styles and what products are essential for healthy hair and skin. I want to stick to natural products as much as possible. I have found the BEST advise on YOUR blogs so THANKS. Keep it coming!! (please add your favorites to the comments!!!)

I much prefer the 'natural' hairstyles as well. My favorites are the twists, dreadlocks, and afro with a headband. We will see what the girls have to say!! In their picture Nunu has dreads (adorable) and Kidist has cornrows (adorable again). Luckily I LOVE braiding, so I am ready!!

Currently on the room front we are selling the current furniture in the rooms.... then Kidist's room needs to be repainted... then the NEW beds are going in (not purchased yet).. I will post pics once they are done. Don't hold your breath it may take a while.

okay the TBC....

So I am home SICK with bronchitis (I am hoping as I also have ALL symptoms for the H1N1... I like denial though and bronchitis just sounds better.....) After the high of the referral I CRASHED, imploded, I am a mess.... I will hopefully be better REALLY soon.

So .... the TBC

My husband and I are REALLY close to my parents... they are our #1 supporters of this adoption. We HAD to tell them first... but they were out of the country... off on a golf holiday. So I texted my mom "we got the call"... I waited 15 minutes or so.... nothing... I called her cell..... no answer... I left a message..... we got the call!!!! so call me. Then about 5 minutes later she called... FREAKING out!! I don't really remember the conversation other than I told her we had TWO daughters... she was SOOOOOO excited, my dad was SOOOOO excited. We chatted for a bit (I think). It was the BEST telling her!!! She now has 4 granddaughters aged 3, 2, 2, and 6mo. (our chidren are #1 and #3.... our youngest is born the SAME month and year and my sisters oldest!! so cool)

So then I called my sister, who was at the airport picking up my grandparents who were visiting from Sask. I said "your finally and AUNTIE!!! she said "what???" I repeated myself.... she FREAKED and asked what we were getting... I said "IM NOT TELLING YOU" " meet us at my aunts house in an hour and a half and we will introduce you to our children..." She freaked out. My family is AMAZING I LOVED calling every single one of them!! Kevin and I had decided about 2 weeks ago.. that WHEN we did get our referral we would meet in the middle (my aunts house) and show everyone together... we didn't run it past my aunt in advance... because we know our family is amazing and we also didn't think we were that close... ha

I then called my grandmother, who was crying and all choked up. She said she NEVER thought she would live to see this day.... I was all choked up... She has been knitting things for OUR children for years... most of which will be too small now... so she plans on knitting some more.

Then I called my cousin.... she cried.... and I told her we were all meeting at her house so tell her mom we would be there soon. 

I then get a HYSTERICAL call from my aunt... I cannot understand half of what she is saying... so funny ... she is demanding I tell her the specifics... has all these reasons why I MUST tell her... I am a rock and tell her I WILL when I SEE her.

I then get a text from my mom... she says "Congratulations again, you are going to b awesome parents"  (side note... my mom was feeling VERY sorry for herself that she missed out on the party... she kept texting me and trying to FEEL connected... cute)

I then called my other cousins invited them to my aunts....

We swung in our house... fed the dog...emailed my parents the girls picture... texted my mom... swung into liquor store and got 3 bottles of bubbly... and headed up island to my aunts... 

So all in all there was Kevin, myself, my aunt and uncle, their two kids, my cousin (her parents couldn't make it d/t work), my sister, brother in law, 2 nieces, and 4 grandparents there to celebrate our REFERRAL. WE had bubbly ordered pizza and starred at our girls it was GREAT. 

My sister brought me a book to remind me of the season I became a mom... it is Duck and Goose find a pumpkin... LOVE IT. (FALL is my FAV... and 13 is our lucky number... Kevin and I started dating 13 years ago this month... funny hey)

I then a a text from my parents... "Your girls are beauties, little one looks like mom" They went out for dinner, had a bottle of wine and had their own little celebration!! 

We left my aunts a few hours later.... Kevin called his family.... his own story to tell. We swung by his brother and sister in laws to tell them the news. They were thrilled!! Their oldest is also born the same year as our youngest... she was excited to be a 'tuzin' again!! CUTE

We arrived home and I had to go to work the next day (bummer) so had to prep for that... all I wanted to do was CELEBRATE!!! I texted all my friends... and talked to a couple of them... It was so SURREAL to actually tell people we were PARENTS.... NOW we wait for it to be official. I have bonded with them and LOVE them already. I do not know how you couldn't. 

Now we are going to prep their rooms.... but wait to buy clothes until after we pass court. We have lots to do now... paint, sell furniture, buy furniture, decorate.... YAY SO FUN (well once I am feeling better)

Referral Story

Okay so I now realize why it takes so long for people to post the referral story... life instantly changes and your mind is fuzzy and happy, and you function at a different level than before. 

Also work has been SOOO crazy with the flu season's arrival. So here it goes....

We arrived home from New York on Sunday morning.... we had a GREAT trip and we were VERY sad to be home. Monday at work I was tired and very sad. I wanted to go back to New York as it was the best distraction we have had since we started this process. It was busy, fun, exciting, worry free and completely selfish!!!!

Tuesday I awoke to a dream that we had received a referral for triplet three year old boys.... now what some of you do not know is that we had increased our request some months back to include three children under 55 months... so this was a possibility... I was soooo excited. I have thought ALL along that we would get boys, 2 or 3 and if we did get a girl it would only be one. Anyways I was excited to be dreaming about the referral again as I hadn't for about 18 months... this was positive. I then told Kevin I was REALLLY  annoyed that I was going to have to readjust my time line ONCE again as we were obviously NOT getting a referral by Halloween... I was SICK and TIRED of re-scheduling this imaginary due date and I was mad. I think it was a combination of getting back to work after a holiday, work being sooooo busy, and still not knowing ANYTHING about when the referral would come....

Wednesday morning comes... I head to work and Kevin gets off night shift and heads home. (We live about 45min drive from work/ our agency). I head out of the office for a busy morning... two home visits (new babies) to see. At my second home visit my cell phone rings... I think nothing of it and apologize to the family and turn off the ringing. We head to the bedroom and are looking at the baby, discussing his weight gain.... and again my phone rings in the other room.  I wrap up the visit.... still thinking nothing of the calls.... I get in the hallway of the apartment and try to call Kevin.... No answer.... I get out of the elevator... try again.... busy..... I walk to my car.... try again.... get Kevin and he says "DO YOU WANT TO MEET OUR KIDS TODAY?" and I say "OMG ARE YOU SERIOUS?"  ...... I am freaking out, the world becomes blurry.... I want to RUN to our agency and see what we are getting.... I am constantly saying "OMG" and "I can't believe this".... and other natterings... I ask Kevin were he is and he has left the house, forgot the social workers number on the table at home, and about 30 minutes away, he then says WE CANNOT GO TO THE OFFICE UNTIL 1:30 (it is 11:30) because they are having a work lunch and will be out of the office until then...... "WHAT WE HAVE TO WAIT TWO HOURS".... I am trying to wrap my head around the fact I have to wait 2 hrs..... I say but it is only 1130... I could go now... Kevin says "but I am 30 minutes away and by the time I get there it will be 12:00 and they will be gone... so it is at 1:30" DAMN I just wan to go NOW.. I ask if he knew ANYTHING and he said NO.... okay so ONE THIRTY..... 

I now drive CAREFULLY under the influence of a referral... to my sister office (10 minutes away).... I was supposed to cover adult clinic from 1:00 to 3:30 and get off work at 4:30... okay how am I going to get out of this???? I arrive and call my boss.... "I am becoming a mom today.... I am supposed to be on adult clinic this afternoon and I can't be!!!! HELP" So we try and figure out who will do it as I was called from my office to cover as we are soo short and soo busy ..... crap..... I start getting the clinic set up.... prepped.... etc.... And then it hits me HUGE SMILE.... STOMACH FLIP FLOPS..... I am REALLY going to see our kids today....YAY.... Okay focus damn it..... I continue to prep.... KEVIN arrives... I go outside... tell him where to park... I cannot leave yet... no coverage.... I realize I did not date my parking pass, no keys no pen... (and the parking people are relentless so i must do this) I run inside... Get my keys and pen... yada yada.... Kevin is now parked and coming toward me we hug and blabber on and can you believe this.... yay

okay back to work.... man it is hard to concentrate... I keep making mistakes... talk to my boss again... she is working on it but can I start clinic? as the other nurse is REALLY busy and hasn't had lunch.... okay this is MY referral day.... I haven't had lunch and I CANNOT FOCUS... I explain that I am a hazard !!!! and should NOT be doing clinic.... she agrees.... she will get a replacement.... so basically it continues like this until 1:20... I think I charted my home visits... set up clinic.... but who really knows???

We head out in one car now as neither of us is really capable of driving... but we are only 5 minutes away.... We are walking up to the building and Kevin asks "what if it is only one?" I say... we made it really clear we wanted 2 or 3. He says but it could be 1.... I reply "we are really going to have this conversation NOW?" No lets just go inside......

We go inside and everyone is smiling and congratulating us... we are beaming... come on.......some hugs.... comeon......Our social worker takes us into the conference room with a folder and we all sit down.... She asks how we are doing and we say "GREAT" 

SW: what do you want to know?

me: is it just 1?

SW: NO

me: how many?

SW:2

us: OMG.... smiles banter excitement

SW: now what do you want to know?

me: sexes

SW: two GIRLS

me: can you repeat that?

SW: TWO GIRLS

Us: OMG GIRLS..... I NEVER thought we would get GIRLS.... OMG.... smiles banter excitement

SW:Now what do you want to know?

ME: ages

SW: almost 4 and almost 3

us:OMG.... smiles banter excitement

SW: now what do you want to know?

ME: picture!!!

She shows us the picture... and we MELT... Omg they are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BEAUTIFUL we are teary.... omg we have TWO GIRLS.... OMG OMG.... 

We take a while letting this all sink in...... then we go through the referral info..... WE are OVER the MOON.... COULD NOT be HAPPIER

We discuss what's next.... we hear some of it..... I text my MOTHER/FATHER WHO ARE OUT OF the COUNTRY..... we knew this would happen..... but they have to be the first to know..... and wait for their reply..........TBC