Adoption is "lovingly" referred to as a paper pregnancy.
Well, I think that after this week, we can officially say that I'm in hard labor! Over the last week, I've experienced a myriad of emotions. From elation, to gratefulness to exhaustion to fear to pain. I've run the whole gamut but this time, I can't medicate lol. I would even swear that I'm nesting (although you might not be able to tell it by the looks of my house). I have all of the necessary items for successfully bringing baby girl home (I think...a lot of things have changed in the last 15 years). I've organized and sorted and thrown away or donated excess "stuff" that we don't need. I've gotten some precious help from some great friends and have been blessed by so many well wishes and prayers in this last week that I'm moved to tears at times.

Today I had an unexpected trip down the road after my visa application and passport were lost in the mail. There was only one chance to replace my passport and that was in Aurora, Colorado which is about 6 hours away. At the last minute, I called work and told them I couldn't work today because I had to take a road trip. I think the tears that were flowing prompted the powers that be to mercifully grant me the time to make this trip. All the while people were praying that I wouldn't have to replace my passport and fill out the visa application again but most of all that travel would be allowed to take place as has been planned.

God's got my back!! He heard the prayers. My mom was gracious enough to go with me and she has been and continued to be a great reasoning force for me. Somewhere around 3 hours into our 6 hour drive I got word that my documents had arrived at the visa processing place.
So many people were praying for exactly that to happen, so if you were part of that chorus, I thank you! I thank you! I thank you!
There was one small problem with the application that I sent in, so I spent a bit more time filling out another application but it is now correct and in the right hands. I'm told that there is enough time for it to be processed and mailed back to me. NOW, call me a little bit gun shy, but I'm a bit nervous that the same thing could happen when it comes back to me next week.
Again, I'll ask you for your prayers that my visa will arrive before Saturday, the 6th and that I can put all of the random and furious thoughts that are flying around in my head to use. I have good ideas in there, but they just need to come out sometime other than 2 a.m.. Ha, that's my most productive time these days.

I stopped to get the mail on the way home and inside was the best mail I could have asked for (OK, maybe I would have liked to have seen my visa and passport, but that's going to be next week). Take a look!!!!! Such a sweet sight! It gets more real every day. And my countdown is now at T-9. WOW!