Awake at Last

January 2, 2008

Okay, the holidays are over. Whew....that takes it out of you, doesn't it?

Adoption update: We've got all our paperwork done! At leat everything that we are responsible for. We are waiting on MN and CA to get our authentications back to us, all the other ones are here. And now we wait for the I-171, which I know will take awhile. And once that gets here, well...then we send in the dossier and wait for a referral! So we're almost over the hump of paperwork and into the valley of the wait. And a long wait it can be, as evidenced by recent events with other families.

The good news is, at the end of January or so, FIVE families will be travelling to get their beautiful babies. And I say beautiful, I've seen the pictures. Oh, they're amazing. The parents are so proud. And it's taken so long. I can't imagine what that will feel like when it finally arrives. I can't wait to see his picture. Every time I think about it, I cry.

In the meantime, Marc came up with a brilliant idea. We have formed TEAM HALL at our house, which means we are getting into shape to go get our son. We've got a sheet of paper on the wall where we are keeping track of weight an exercise so we can egg each other on. AND...I've finally started taking my vitamins again and trying to remember my steroid inhaler, to keep my asthma under control. My mother thinks I should visit a travel clinic before we go, just to get some advice.

She's right, though. We had a scare at Christmas and I landed in the ER with an asthma attack that my inhaler couldn't stop. I had come into contact with a mouse nest while cleaning my old blocks up for Dagny and that was all the trigger I needed. I haven't been to the ER for asthma since 2002, but that kind of put the fear of God into me, so now I'll try and control it. My doctor will be so happy.

Speaking of doctors, we're going to start getting our shots soon here, so we'll have those all done and won't have to worry. Should be good (see the sarcasm there?). I'm terrified, of course. Who wants to get vaccinated for scary diseases? I have it in my head that I'll get them... *snork* I'm so paranoid.

We had a good Christmas, with too many presents for the Dagster. She now has a kitchen set, food, and pans which she loves, more books, and more clothes. She's growing like a weed and starting to insist she doesn't need a nap. How annoying. She DOES need a nap, she just fights it. *sigh* We're working on that. And the whole potty training thing. I really wanted that done already, but she doesn't show any interest in GOING on the potty, just sitting on it and reading books. She must have learned that from her grandfather.

Another NY resolution? Journal more. At least once a week hopefully, just to keep everyone informed of what's going on with us and to keep my thoughts in order. Hopefully with this paperwork almost done and things returning vaguely to normal I'll be able to get myself on a better schedule and feel better about things. At least, that's my goal.You know how they say toddlers don't like change? I don't either, honestly. I can deal with it, but I prefer to be where things make sense and are the same. Such a homebody I am. Maybe this is the year to break out of that, too?