Today, Jan 16, 2007, I received my first trip travel dates!

I will be heading to Moscow and Tver on Saturday, February 3 and return on Friday, February 9.

I am so excited, yet also very nervous and scared. There is a lot to think about! I am very anxious to meet this little girl!

Cindy and I have started getting things together for this trip. I must admit that I have never packed this early for a trip before! Just goes to show how anxious I am!

Not much more to say at this time.

Keeping my fingers crossed that all is well with this little girl!

Christy

1.12.07

Well, last night represents one of the last steps in completing my entire dossier! My homestudy needed to be updated, and my new social worker at CHI needed to come by for a quick look at the house. Thankfully, everything seems to be moving in the right direction. I am just waiting for the travel dates. It may be that Cindy and I end up spending our birthday in Russia! Don't know for certain yet, but it is a definite possibility.

I learned that I will definitely not be able to receive updated information about the little girl. I am not surprised to learn this given the holiday situation. So, as soon as they let me know, I will be heading over there to meet this little one and determine if she really is my Katie.

I know that it sounds sooooo cold to say something like that, but there are just so many things to consider. I have values and beliefs that I need to uphold for both my sake and for the sake of my Katie to be. I also have to think about the future and what the needs of this little girl may be. There in lies the need to sound somewhat cold. Who will be able to look out for Katie in the future (when I am gone or no longer able) if she has special needs? That is not an easy question to deal with.

However, I also have to have a certain amount of faith. No child is perfect, and neither am I. I can only do the best that I can do and hope that that is/will be enough.

In the meantime, I keep working on preparing myself for Katie's arrival home. Butter and Abby definitely know that something is up. Butter will just walk into Katie's room and start sniffing around. I don't know if she realizes that it will be a little girl who will be joining the "pack", but she knows things are changing! Abby just walks into Katie's room when I go in there and just lays down. It is too cute! Abby also knows what the suitcases mean. Butter hasn't had too experience much with that, but a good bit is coming.

Gotta get back to the daily grind!

Christy

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

My head is in a whirlwind right now. I had hoped to receive current info regarding the little girl that was referred to me, but with the Russian holidays, that hasn't happened. So, I am going to travel and see how things go. (I am a little concerned with some of the information that I have regarding this little girl, currently 16 months old.) I don't know how everything will turn out yet, but I know that somehow, someway, I will bring home the little girl that is meant for me.

I have been updating a good portion of my paperwork. Any document is good for a year from signature or from the date of notarization. The notarization has bitten me. Several things needed to be current, within 3 months, of court, but others would have been ok except that the notary's commission expired. Drats! At least I made sure to have saved them on the computer, so they really weren't difficult to redo.

As part of updating everything, my new social worker needs to visit my home. Abby and Butter will be delighted to have more company. They don't get to see as many people in the winter: not as many kids outside playing and coming over to play with them. Soon, they will have a permanent play buddy. The only thing that worries me is Abby and food. She will be taken off of her diet for a while once Katie comes home. A few extra pounds on Abby may not be great for Abby, but I think it will help with the adjustment of having Katie around. I chuckle as I write this as it will be a big adjustment for all of us!

I am currently waiting to receive travel dates. I won't hear anything until at least Monday, the 15th, again due to the Russian holidays. Cindy and I are getting excited about going. Heck, we have even started a mini version of packing. We have heard that luggage is frequently 'lost' in Russia, and want to plan and pack carefully. There are some things that are ok to not have, but there are other things that we just don't want to risk. Also, we don't want to haul around too much stuff! I won't have my sherpa with me on this trip!

For those who don't know, I frequently travel with my brother, Mike. I affectionately refer to him as Sherpa because he frequently helps me haul my stuff. OK, sherpa is the polite name: the usual name is 'Pack Mule'. Love you Bubba!

I hear that it is still very cold in Russia. That is usually ok with me, as long as I don't need to be outside for very long. Of course, I will have to take a coat and all that jazz. Having to drag a coat around is not my idea of fun, but it sure beats freezing!

Mike and Cindy are both in San Francisco working. I think that Cindy will be back to St. Louis for good very soon. Mike had officially moved back to Virginia, but is now on an assignment back in California. How ironic!

As you can tell from my ramblings, I am very nervous, and anxious, and excited, and thrilled, and a whole host of other feelings. I just need to believe that my Katie has the ability to grow up and make her life choices.

So, hopefully, I will know more next week (at least about travel dates!) . . .

Christy