Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Day 218

Every time I write the journal entry day I hope and pray that I never get to Day 400...the number holds no significance beyond the fact that I can't imagine holding out that long...But I suppose if you asked me on day 6, how I would feel on Day 218, I wouldn't have been able to imagine it either...

Anyway, the nursery is done!!! It's, by far, my favorite room in the house and I frequent it often...Many nights I sit and rock...and dream...and pray...I do want to put a monogram over the bed, but I can't do that until we know the sex and name of the baby!

My final addition makes my heart smile every time I see it...It's the perfect little ROCKSTAR side table!

I found a similar model at Marshall's Home Goods Store for $120.00. My bargain brain wouldn't dare let me spend that much, so I took the idea and scoured local Salvation Armys for months until I found the perfect [$10] piece! I should have taken a before and after shot....It was a nasty dark brown, water-stained plant stand that had 5 more shelves to it. I worked my magic...and viola! A perfect side table to someday hold bottles and burp cloths and journals!


I'm done feeling sad and depressed [for now!] and pulled myself up by the bootstraps, this week. I first thought about how much I love the nursery and how it really has been a labor of love for me. I ordered the furniture in May and continued working on the room for months! I bought and returned so many items trying to get the perfect look...I love that I was able to do that. So, then I started thinking...why not throw my full-force energy into similar baby prep tasks, while I have the time? My love-to-run-on-lists mind started working overtime thinking about all the fun things I could do. So, that's that. My new plan to work through the no-baby blues, includes the following:
  • Finish reading "What to Expect The First Years." I read through a few chapters this week and am learning so much! Each chapter brings up points that I never thought about before. Why not be uber prepared and "read up" before the baby comes?
  • Choose a pediatrician. This will take some research because I want our baby's doctor to be African American, as well, and I don't know of any in our area (no PC way to inquire about that over the phone!)
  • Figure out whether or not we're going to do cloth diapers. (I'm on the fence for a multitude of reasons).
  • Type up our official baby names in a Word document with meanings/verses/etc, so when the time comes we're prepared. Right now they are floating around in my head and on scrap pieces of paper!
  • Get the diaper bag ready for the hospital in case we get a last minute call. This, of course, includes finding the most perfect "bring baby home" outfit and a phone list of who we are going to call (in order of importance)
  • Call the insurance company for the paperwork (even though we can't submit it yet, it would be nice to have on hand)
  • Apply for adoption grants to help alleviate some of the cost.
  • Sign-up/attend classes that might help Ben and I feel more "expecting" (BRU has one next week on health and diaper care)
  • Make enough meals to last a month and freeze them. (I've actually been wanting to do this for awhile. Even without a baby, it sure would be nice to just pull a homemade meal from the freezer each morning, for dinner that night!)
That's all I have so far...but I figure that will keep me busy through Christmas! If you're new to my blog you're probably thinking, "Oh! They must be matched!" No...not even close! I know it's a little crazy...maybe a little too optimistic to think we won't be matched and have to wait months...but this is the only way I know how to deal with the emptiness. If I do nothing, I cry. Keeping busy, however, makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something...like I'm that much closer to getting the call.

I probably am crazy...but, hey! at least we'll be the most prepared adopting parents you've ever met!!!
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Update: So I live for our agency's monthly newsletters which provides agency stats. The baby boy trend continues! In November there were 9 domestic babies adopted and 6 of them were boys!!!

33 comments:

  1. I LOVE the baby's room!!! You are very talented!!!! I think my favorite thing in the room is the "cow carpet" so cool!! =) I hope you have a great day!!!

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  2. Wow, I am uber-impressed by that table, so great! This post made me laugh because you sound exactly like I did in my over-prepared post before Evie came. :) The Word spreadsheet of name ideas gave me a chuckle...great idea! :) If you want to chat about cloth diapers I'm happy to dish, I promise I won't evangelize just because I'm using them...e-mail me if you want to!

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  3. I Love the baby's room. so precious! And, for the record, you could get a last minute call when you least expect it. we got "the call" less than 24 hours before we met our son. even more miraculous, just 5 hours before "the call" our agency said it would be at least three weeks before our profile would be shown to birth parents. God moves mountains to get the right baby to the right mommy and daddy. I had faith before our adoption, but now I truly have a testimony to God's provision and devotion to those who knock.

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  4. I love your nursery and your list! I've been thinking a lot about things I can do over Christmas break and I think I'll borrow some of your ideas!

    Also I have some info on a GREAT class over here in the Ann Arbor area. I'll try and email it to you. The cost is $75 but it's geared towards adoptive parents in particular. I think we're going to go, but probably not to the one in December.

    Hugs to you,

    Melba

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  5. Yes, keep busy...you'll be glad you did when the day finally arrives!! God Bless!

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  6. You're so crafty. I need to start searching the thrift stores for furniture that I can make look as nice as you have that table looking. I would have never thought that you paid less than $75 for it. The nursery is perfect - your baby is very lucky to be coming home to you. I'm praying every day that you get your call soon!

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  7. That is gonna be one rockin' baby!!! And Blessed too! To have a mommy with such fun decorating skillz (not to mention refurbushing skillz!)

    PS - I WANNA ROCKSTAR BLANKIE!!!

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  8. It looks WONDERFUL! Wow, so unique and just plain COOL :)

    Your to-do list is awesome, but also making my palms clammy because I have yet to do almost each of those things. I agree that you should be prepared - you never know!

    Can you shoot me an email if you have a second? holly_mcmillan (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  9. I love the nursery, it's amazing. Just like you! You really did such a stellar job, you have every reason to love it so much. ;-)
    I am glad you are feeling better and finding strength to focus on other ways to pass the time until your baby is ready. God is faithful to those that trust in Him and the more you prepare, the more you are trusting that he will bring you that baby!! You are a constant reminder to me of what faith is worth in this life.

    And for the name thing... I am a freak, but I went out to tinyprints.com and tried different name combinations on different birth announcements in different fonts and somehow that helped me secure my favorite names. Just seeing it in fancy script on a gorgeous (overpriced) birth announcement made it even that much more real. ;)

    *hugs*

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  10. Your nursery rocks!! Seriously. You did an amazing AMAZING job. Everything about it is fabulous.

    I'm praying that your sweet arms get filled with a baby very soon!

    ~~HUGS~~

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  11. Love the nursery - so adorable and unique!

    RE: AA pedi. Our insurance's website allows us to search for doctors based on their specialty, sex, location and race, among other things. Check yours and see if it has the race question on there!

    :) Carrie

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  12. You should definitely cloth diaper (and make your own baby food, too). We use BumGenius 3.0 cloth diaps on our little one and I LOVE them. They are soooo easy to use! E-mail me if you want info. or access to our adoption blog (I talk about cloth diapering a little bit on there).

    veggiegirl @ wi.rr.com

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  13. The nursery is so unique and totally cute! I love it. I also love the list! It is so me! Hehe!

    A lot of times, when I make a dish of food, I will make a double batch and freeze the second half. I would bet that would get you going on your goal in no time.

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  14. I LOVE the nursery ~ its amazing! You are very creative!! And I got a good chuckle out of your lists because I do the same thing!! I always have a list going to keep me busy otherwise I just fret wondering when that call is going to come. I think being prepared is smart..you never know when that call is going to come... keeping you in my prayers.

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  15. I love your frugal nature! I love seeing old junk turn into new stuff we love!

    Your lists are awesome and you will be so thankful for everything you are able to cross off that list BEFORE baby gets here!

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  16. I love your curtains, and of course everything else too. You should start designing nurseries. You would be great at it! :) I don't think you're crazy. I think you're being the perfect adoptive mother! You're son or daughter is so lucky! :)

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  17. Glad you are feeling better..for now! I so know and remember well how it feels! Your list is great and will keep you busy! As an amom of two that were 'last minute, come and get your baby' calls, having the room and the bag ready is a great thing to do! You never know if you will have the wait it out match or the come and get him/her call! Being as prepared as you can will keep your heart and mind busy!!
    Thinking of you nearly every day!!! Anxiously waiting with you!
    Love in Christ!
    Becky

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  18. I feel like I'm having de ja vu! :) I did exactly the same thing a few months ago....I still have the list. :)(and I'm STILL working on it! :))
    I just know that when you get matched it's going to be so special ~ your goodness and love just radiates through your words. God has something very special in mind for you. :)
    And I absolutely LOVE your nursery. I would spend lots of time in there too!! :)

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  19. You, my dear, are quite the nursery designer! What an amazing room for baby to come home to.

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  20. Please visit my blog when you get a chance and help me with my latest post!

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  21. OMG! I so love the nursery! Every last tiny detail is perfect! Great job! :)

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  22. What an awesome room! I totally could've written this post before Lily was born - I think I had the same "to do" list:) Finding an AA doctor was important to me, too, and we love Lily's pedi.
    All of those things will prepare you and let you feel, most importantly, like you're actively involved in the process.
    I can't wait to see your little rock star! :)

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  23. You are a girl after my own heart, making lists to prepare. I did that, too, while we waited for The Call. I'm glad we did, too! One thing you might want to add, if you haven't already: make an address list to give to whoever will throw your baby shower, if you haven't had them already. I did that during the wait and there is no way I would have had time once we brought him home. We, too, had a hospital call.

    Also, you are smart to have the nursery ready. People told me to wait, but I'm so glad we had the essentials ready. All we had to do was install the car seat, wash the linens and newborn clothes, and assemble the pack n play and we were ready to go. You idea about packing the diaper bag is genius. I should have done that, too, as I was too nervous to do it properly with such short notice. While we had almost 48 hours from learning about him to picking him up, my brain was too scattered to try to remember what all we needed to pack.

    I laugh in understanding about the name list--we still have ours and it makes me smile looking at it. I'm so glad we did, as there is no way we could have picked a name in such short notice. We picked out names that would work well for twins, too, just in case. I love the name we chose together during calm moments.

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  24. Love the baby's room!!! LOVE IT!

    Dori

    doripink@carolina.rr.com

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  25. Oh, the baby's room is just beautiful! You guys did an amazing job setting it up. I am very impressed with your list... it gives me some good ideas as well.

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  26. Your nursery is gorgeous! I love love love it! I also love your list, as making a list of to-do's is probably my favorite pastime :) Just reading your list got me hopeful of all the things to look forward to when preparing for a baby. Have fun and enjoy getting it all done!

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  27. I swear I believe it's the cutest nursery I have ever seen, I think all the time it won't be long before I have a grand baby nursery to plan (hopefully a little while...ha..neither of my kids are married..ha) and I am saving your nursery for ideas, love your goodwill table...I see that type of table all the time now I might have to "create" my own masterpiece, I realized today that when I get to your blog I pray before I try to open it, "Let there be good news..."

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  28. What an incredible nursery! I am completely impressed, not to admit a little jealous!!

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  29. Hi! I'm not sure if you receive Adoptive Families magazine but I just received something from them that I wanted to forward to you regarding the holidays. If you would like it just e-mail me at jmeturg@yahoo.com :)
    Jamie

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  30. I've been thinking about you lately. I hope all is well. I can't wait to hear an update. :)

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  31. just thinking of you guys...
    Praying for you,
    Jen

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  32. I love love love your babys room!! I did want to throw one comment out there though. I noticed the bookcase in the corner. You prob. have already done this but make sure you secure the bookcase to the wall. Little ones are always pulling up onto things and it doesn't take long for something to fall on them. I have a little one crawling and learning to walk at home, he pulls up on everything, so it's on my mind. Hope you don't mind the comment. -kriss

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