we are IN . . .

PGN. case entered on 11/8. just found out this morning. how do we feel? EXCITED that we are in and are that much closer to the end / RELIEVED to know that this WILL end soon and our lives will go on / SCARED that so many things could still go wrong / ANXIOUS to meet our daughter and bring her home. i am filled with so many emotions today. everything has moved so very slowly in our case up until this point. we are praying and hoping that we are in and out of PGN quickly, that things go smoothly.

some friends threw us a couples baby shower on satuday, 11/10. it was so much FUN! it was at our house so everyone could see the nursery. no, the crib is still not finished. we put it up for the shower, but it is not painted yet. it still looked fabulous though :) just with the crib in there it seems so much more REAL. like we really do have a daughter coming :) i'll post pictures later today.

YAY for case movement :)

wine.

"wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance." ~Benjamin Franklin

i have to agree. i'm having a glass as i type and i feel better already.

i am feeling exhausted tonight. exhausted with the adoption, exhausted with work, exhausted with life. i'm ready for a break. i'm ready for something to go the way i want it to go.

i am missing my jilli tonight. she is the one i could call at 10pm to have a glass of wine with and chat. if only she lived here again. i get to see her this weekend. i'm ready for that too.

i feel like my life has been on hold since we started this adoption. i'm ready to start living again. i'm ready for my daughter to be here, with us, where she is supposed to be.

i'm ready for alot of things. i'm going to finish my wine and then i think i'm ready for bed.

GO TEAM!

we did it! on saturday, 3 Nov 07 i finished my first 10K race! this picture was taken after our cool down and a little breakfast . . . it was AMAZING! i think i'm addicted! this is a portion of our running group . . . Mitchell, me, Michael G, and Ben . . . i totally would NOT have made it without them :) we plan to keep training and will be doing a half-marthon this spring . . . at least that's our goal! so cheers to running - we should ALL get moving!!!

photos :)

i had this lovely surprise in my inbox today. i can't wait to snuggle her!

update . . .

medical update : as of 10/15/07 : 17 pounds, 65 cm long, healthy, active, coos, holds her head up, follow objects, last immunizations received

case update : out of family court (FINALLY!), still waiting on PA from the US Embassy (est 60 days from 10/9/07)

Stella is almost exactly the same length as our English Bulldog, Meg :) that makes me smile :) I, of course, have a photo of Stella as my background on my computer and I stare and smile at her everyday. i try to imagine holding her and having her here with us . . . it's impossible for me to imagine what it will be like??? i have no idea . . . but i can't wait!!!

The Room. (so far)

ok. so my list wasn't COMPLETELY realistic. i DID however get a few things accomplished! i framed and hung her artwork (see on the left), i painted and hung circles (see on the right), and i made and hung tissue paper poofs on the ceiling. not too shabby! the poofs glow when the ceiling light is on. i LOVE the poofs. my husband was making fun of me because i was getting so excited when we were hanging them. ignore the hodge podge of furniture. that will all be gone. the crib will go kinda in front of the artwork on the left, but a little away from the wall. a chair will go on the right side of the window. this weekend i am painting a little side table to go beside the chair. THEN, roomwise, that's it except for the crib! i do have to organize all her clothes and diapers and things. right now our clothes are in her dressers because michael is building us a new built-in dresser. there are 2 blank walls that i'm going to leave open for photographs of her and of guatemala once we get back. i suppose it's still a work in progress, but i'm happy with it so far!

TO-DO:

this weekend i have a rather ambitious to-do list . . .
OPERATION STELLA'S ROOM
plus clean house
plus give dogs bath
plus complete new flooring in guest bath
plus hang pictures/paintings in house
plus start painting moulding in living & dining room
plus sew & hang new curtains

ummm, probably NOT going to all happen
but wouldn't it be lovely to be Super-Woman (or bewitched!)