Getting ready!!

It's starting to feel real! We are still waiting for our invitation to travel, but our agency expects it soon and has given us a hotel worksheet to rank our room choices! And yesterday we mailed our applications for Chinese visas, the passport stamps that will allow us into China!

Our caseworker said we may travel in February which is right around the corner!! It's doubtful we can get in and out before Chinese New Year which begins on Feb. 18, but we might be able to travel at the end of the month or early March.

It's finally time to get ready! We pulled out the toddler bed Emily once slept in and set it up next to hers (see photo in post below). I also finally bought a few outfits for Olivia. We'd saved all of Emily's old clothes EXCEPT for the size Olivia might be--a few years ago a mom from church really needed 2Ts and at the time our fertility record wasn't looking so good. At least I now have a legitimate excuse to shop :) We still need to reorganize Emily's closet to accommodate two girls, but this readying process is making us all feel like Olivia really is coming :)

I've now got to get serious about making a packing list and going shopping for all those obligatory "gifts" for all those in China involved with our adoption (drivers, orphanage director, staff, etc., etc.-- down to the notaries in some cases). I hear they really like getting Marlboros, but I just can't fathom putting cigarette shopping on my must do list.