Hurry Up and Wait

It has been a LONG time since the last post… sorry.

I've written several posts in my head, but none of them ever got any real traction, or took any real perspective.

Our friend Courtney used the phrase "Hurry up and wait," a lot when we were talking about filling out paperwork, waiting on docs from FBI or wherever, and it hasn't felt truer than it does right now- this is an adoption constant, and we feel it poignantly when we don't have new information. We were told that it would be like this- we would hurry to get things submitted, we would rush, rush, rush… and then it would be out of our hands.

This could get angsty pretty quickly, but what I'm going to write about is what we're doing during the waiting- so here's what we ARE doing, instead of what we aren't- our coping mechanisms.

* BOOKS! It will surprise none of you to find out that I've been cultivating the baby's library for years now- truthfully, since before we even started the adoption process. Library book sales, our childhood books, trips to Powells- it's a slow and wonderful process. Paul built an amazing bookshelf that is filling quickly- it's my way of coping in the day-to-day. We've had a bookshelf in the nursery for eight months, but the nursery was painted less than a month ago… obviously, this was a priority. Plus, it takes a long time to grow a good collection, and it's something I can actively contribute to- which isn't something I can say for the rest of the adoption.

* Prepping the nursery- we don't have a lot in there, but the room is painted thanks to some of our wonderful friends, and we have the crib and changing table- it's such a wonderful feeling to feel even remotely ready when we know that we will only have a month to REALLY prepare to travel and return with an infant.

* Projects- there are a handful or projects (like getting the garden ready-ish) that we have been/ are trying to finish because we know we won't have a lot of free time soon. It keeps the crazy at bay.

* Grants- even though we submitted them all a long time ago, Paul went back and checked them all- finding one that our agency hadn't followed up with, so it's paid off! He's had a no-stone-unturned approach to finishing the funding of the adoption. (And thank goodness- this part exhausted me.)

* Watching our friends' kiddos- some dear friends of ours have four kids- two biological daughters, and two foster sons- and Paul and I have been watching them every other Monday for months now for many reasons- we love our friends and want to give them the gift of time, we love their kids, we wanted to feel useful while we feel particularly useless, and Paul especially wanted to get more comfortable with the idea parenting even in the small ways.  It has been SUCH an enormous blessing to us, and we have loved every moment of it.



A lack of updates:
We're waiting.
Waiting for the referral, waiting to hear on the remaining grants… waiting.

We love you all and we're SO thankful for your continued support. Thank you!!!