The Night Before Final Call...

Ok, starting tomorrow after the BIG call (assuming we get the call) we start actually preparing to leave. Really it is more like we start "arranging" to leave. And let me tell you, leaving involves lots of arranging. Arranging for one of the dogs to go to a kennel, arranging for Auntie and Tio to pick up and drop off from day care, arranging for travel, arranaging and rearranging suitcases. It will be the weeks of arrangements culminating in the day of leaving.

As this arranging starts, the reality of leaving La Nina hits and it makes me sad. Two weeks is a long time to be away. We will really miss her. As much as I would love for her to be with us to welcome the newest member of our family, it just isn't practical to take her. This is not a trip for a 2.5 year old who likes her naps, her own bed and her little routine. This trip is about keeping appointments, waiting in lines and signing forms in a foreign country. Unfortunately, none of it is very fun for an energetic 2.5 year old. So, even though it is going to be hard to leave her, it is the right decision for our family.

Waiting, arranging and leaving all sound so neat and pretty. While it is easy to write about these stages as if they were clear and distinct, the stages flow together until the actual moment we meet Maggie. And it is so nice to know we are getting closer each day.