We haven't updated in awhile, so let me try and catch everyone up and preview some upcoming things.
- Today I completed the required travel call with the international director of our adoption agency. It was a good call and not confusing (much). My only problem was that I had reviewed all the advice, materials and presentations a long time ago when I thought my husband wouldn't be available to travel with me. I had organized all my paperwork needs with that in mind. I had committed so much of that information to memory. Today was a lot of untangling and unraveling thoughts and expectations of how each step would go.
- I have a good lead on a travel agent to use for our trip. I'm planning to call her tomorrow and discuss booking the flights. Even though our Embassy date has not been confirmed, it is almost 90% certain. I hate to wait much longer. I also don't see how this new procedure is going to work if we aren't confirmed by the end of this week. It seems like the change will be a disadvantage to parents trying to plan a trip and not have to pay for booking late.
- M3 was visited over the past week by the director of the NGO that funded her orphanage. The director had a chance to tell M3 in language she could understand that we are COMING SOON. She also delivered a small gift package from us, took photos and reported that M3 did not seem sick at all. I'm relieved for that. I'd been worried.
- I am composing a list of must-do items that require others' assistance. Things like securing prescriptions for certain things, working out childcare back-up, etc. It's going to be interesting to be sure. The next few weeks will likely go by in a blur.
It won't be long and we will be on our way to meet our daughter. I had a very surreal experience this past Sunday when I attended a meeting for to-be pre-K and Kindergarten parents at my daughters' school. It was odd to sit there and realize--I really don't know if my daughter's birthdate is accurate. I don't have any of the paperwork required to register her for school. I have no idea if/when she will be ready for school or even the screening for school. I'm clueless as to what class or schedule she would benefit from or like. It was overwhelming.
By this point of life with my first two daughters, I might not always know the answers, but I knew them well enough to give it an educated guess. With M3? Not so much! The learning curve on something like this must be record setting. I hope we can both be patient and flexible with each other. She may need to be very tolerant of my absolute paralysis over wanting to get things right. I know that's goofy and I won't be right all the time, but I hope my attempting to figure out who she is and to help her figure that out too will work.
This weekend is our school's open house where open registration takes place. I will be handing in papers with lots of white space, I'm sure. The registrar will likely want to ship me to another school once this is underway! Oh, well. Once everyone meets M3 and she becomes a vibrant and integral part of that school, they will look back fondly on these early fumbling attempts by her mother to complete her paperwork...I hope!
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