All The Things

Cooking meals, homeschooling, creating time for each of my people, working, and keeping the house clean (enough)... my usual... is just one small part of all that my brain is processing right now as we prepare for Ivy. Bullet Journaling helps a ton, but I still feel a bit like my mind is on a hamster wheel, thinking about (in no particular order)...

• Where we are in the process, analyzing each step and trying to figure out when we might be traveling (June????)
• Preparing Lainey emotionally for this big change, sharing a room, sharing her toys, and making sure she really gets it that there will be enough love to go around. 
• Creating a family photo album to introduce our family to Ivy 
• Writing a letter for her foster family
• Preparing her new room, clothes, etc.
• Stocking up on little toys to leave in gift bags for the little ones when we are gone (they will get to open one little gift each day that we are gone)
• Creating our packing list and trying to remember all the little things that were helpful to know the first time around (plug adapters, extra toilet paper, shower caps, etc.)
• Wading through immigration paperwork, and assuring that every line is PERFECT in order to not cause any delays because of minor mistakes
• Downloading Chinese cartoons from YouTube and loading them up on this little guy.
• Learning Mandarin (as much as possible, any way) and preparing emotionally for the frustrations that are sure to arise from the language barrier
• Creating emotion & potty cards to help Ivy communicate with us
• Wrapping up our grant paperwork
• Creating / buying gifts for her foster family and her orphanage caregivers
• Learning all about her medical conditions and where to turn for help
• Preparing the paperwork for the international adoption clinic so we can get in to have her assessed soon after we return
• Checking in on our medical insurance to get ready for all the visits and specialists
• Praying through her transition and the loss she is about to experience once again
• Applying for our Chinese Visas
• Preparing to take time off of work
• Helping prepare Canaan for his role (he's coming with us! Whoop!), as well as preparing him to experience China (learning all about the Great Wall, etc.)

Saying all this sounds a bit like complaining, but really even with the heavy load, it's all still so exciting that we are getting so close now to our baby girl! Aaaaanndddd... if you want to bring me all the coffee and all the hugs, I'd be okay with that. ;)