Bogota here we come!! (not the one in New Jersey)

We got our travel date! sweet! We're leaving this Sunday, March 1st. Can't wait. We meet her on Wednesday March 4th. We'll get there at 10:30 pm or so and we planned to have a few days to chill and try to get used to the altitude. Bogota is about 8600ft above sea level and the last time we were that high we felt like dookie. Good plan right? Get there early, acclimatize.  NOT, says our agency. Let's see if we can move up the date that you "get" her to the 2nd or 3rd! Whaaaaat?! Wait that's a good thing, we get to be with her sooner right? but... our lil' heads might explode if we get there Sunday night at 10:30 and have to go see Mariana first thing the next day right? but maybe that's better, no more waiting, BAM, right into it. 

As you can read, the thoughts come in fast and furious with no real logic, just raw emotion at this point. Whatever happens will be fine and just what is meant to be right? If we're a little tired and edgy from the altitude that is probably a good precursor to parenthood from what everyone tells me. 

Now to finally pack and clean up and do all the last minute stuff necessary to leave your house for 4-9 weeks. -And just for those keeping score at home: it's Colombia not Columbia. It's Hilary not Hillary. It's Mariana not Marianna. It's the "birth" Mother and Father not the "real" Mother and Father. Whew, there, it's done. 

Waves

I ran myself into the ground over the weekend trying to finish everything. The word we got from the agency on Friday was "don't buy any tickets yet but pack your bags". Sweet! That really cranked the pressure up a notch. Holy shit I have to finish all of these half finished projects! See friends/family, have some Joe/Hil quality time, finish hanging the glass door, meet with John who is watching our cat and apartment while we're away, etc, etc, etc. Then Monday we wait to hear from the agency about this impending travel date, checking email every 5 minutes. Finally Hilary just calls and hears " oh, it should be early March" AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH I know I've stated here before that I won't get excited until I'm on the plane but I couldn't help it after that last email on Friday. So I had to slow down and chill and breathe and now I'm sick. I've got a cold. No wonder I suppose. Well, I have time to fully recover now. I guess I have to realize that there will always be a list of stuff to get done. I also know it's important to enjoy things in the moment. There is such a big event on the immediate horizon that sometimes it feels like a tidal wave approaching. I can see the shadow growing and extending past me. If only I could run fast enough I could get in front of it and be prepared for its land fall. Really what I need to do is be still and close my eyes and let the water come over me and do what it will. -And try not to project what I'll see when I reopen my eyes. 

the little people are coming, the little people are coming!

I hung up the laundry to dry today and there was a pair of little person pants in there. Another first. Just in case I wasn't thinking about it at that very moment here was another reminder. Mariana's coming soon!!

no check, check, check...

Waiting on the FBI. I guess those days when I was in the mafia are coming back to haunt me. Hilary got her "No Criminal Record" letter back from them. Me, I'm still waiting. Damn that RICO Act.

Yesterday we went and got our Hep A vaccines for travelling to Colombia. Also our medical stamp of approval from our doctor. We rounded it out with picking up some more passport photos for our travel visas. Our Mariana checklist is shrinking. 

Tunnel Vision

I'm so freakin' excited sometimes I could jump out of my shoes. Legs bounce and my heart starts beating faster when I think about Mariana coming to live with us. I've heard from so many parents the "get as much sleep as you can now" thing. It made me wonder why that is the thing everyone says before the "it's the most wonderful experience" thing. I know how cranky I get when something messes with my sleep. In fact I spent Monday and Tuesday working straight through the night into the next day and I was pretty crabby about it. And for what? a paycheck? The payoff with children has to be higher. I guess I'm just trying to focus on the good stuff that will come along with her. Obviously, I'm still operating with stars in my eyes. I think I'll worry about all the broken nights sleep, puke and shit cleanups, food throwing across the room etc. when I get to it. For now I'm happy to drive along with blinders on, focused solely on the clear lane ahead.

Mariana doing the Robot

This one is pretty cute too huh? My friend Morgan said it looks like she's doing the Robot.  She looks very young in this one but already dancing, nice. We only have these 3 images. We've disected them quite a bit. I think we might take a few more photos when we're there with her. Considering that Hilary took over 1000 photos (on film mind you) on our honeymoon you can bet this will be one of the better documented little girls you can imagine. 

We spent the day yesterday installing the glass shower doors in the 2nd bathroom. We want that bedroom/bathroom ready for whoever wants to come and stay over. It's done now. Y'alls can all come stay in Brooklyn now. 

Who is this little girl?

I feel like looking at this one today. My buds at work liked this one better because she appears to be smiling. Ok, I like them all. 

I'm still on cloud 9. I had a hard time focusing on anything today at work. I mean who really cares about that crap anyway? Superbowl ad blah, blah, blah. There's a little girl out there who is our daughter and she needs us. She just doesn't know us yet. How weird is that? We're a family and we've never even met each other. 3 people from 3 different places coming together as a unit. I dig it. 

Today I celebrated by going out for hand pulled Chinese noodles with my fellow shop mates. Always a good time. I also got a card from a friend at work, pink naturally, with a little dress on the cover. Funny but it wasn't until I saw that card that I realized on some deeper level that we're going to raise a little girl and what that entails. Sure, pink is for girls right? Well, not really. We don't buy into that stuff  but many others will. That's cool, she could be a girlie girl. Or not, she could be a girl who's into power tools or Power Rangers or chess or dolls or swimming or who know what else. She'll be her own person and I'm so damn curious to find out what that is. What is she like? What is she going to grow up to be like?