We will have to wait longer for trip #1

As our dossier documents are expiring this month, we need to get them over to Russia, translated, legalized and registered. This process could take 8 weeks or more. I really am wondering how I am ever going to get thru this process. I still find it hard to believe that we can be given this little little angel as our referral, but a Russian family could still adopt her until we go to court. It feels like my pregnancies all over again. I hope I can find strength during this hard time. In the meantime, shopping is good! I found the cutest little pink snowsuit for $15 and decided to pick it up "just in case" we don't go to court until fall/winter. In Russia, when the weather is cold, you cannot take the children out of the baby home unless they are in a snowsuit. So, we're prepared.....I thought it was better than scrambling to get one if we need it when they are triple the price and I won't be able to find the size I need.

Check is in the mail!

I went to the bank today and got a cashiers check so we can officially accept our referral and wait for our invitation to travel to Russia to meet her. It sounds so awful to call her a "referral" ......she is a precious little girl with eyes that melt my heart, not a referral!! But, shes not ours yet so that is the term I will use. Right now, its eay to keep myself busy with all the things we need to do to get ready. I need to get some passport pictures taken for our visas, we need to update our fingerprints in Los Angeles (like our fingerprints have changed!!), I need to make sure we have a reliable method for checking Steve's cell phone messages while over there so we can keep the business afloat, get extra batteries for cameras, camcorder, laptop....what else?? Oh yeah, come up with a NAME for the little princess. I'll also try to put together a small photo album to leave with her & leave some disposable cameras to try to get the baby home workers to take some pictures for me. I'll wait to get anything together here at the house until after the first trip. I'm still so afraid that things could fall apart.

And good news, her head circumference is at least on the charts! That really encouraging to hear.

We spoke with the IA Pediactric doctor

And all truly looks good, shes just small. I'm ready to hop on a plane and scoop her up take her home! Oh how I wish it worked that way. But for now, we just get to keep running around, trying to update our homestudy and our dossier, and cross every finger and toe and say a prayer and hope it all works out!!

Today we received our referral!!

I'm still in a daze. There are so many things to do to make this happen, but I can't seem to concentrate on anything except the picture we received of her. Her blue eyes are beautiful. Its so hard not to get attached already. Steve & I need to sit down and have a good heart to heart tonight about going forward with this whole scary process. We have to get updated madicals on all of us, a new marraige certificate, and sign tons of papers....all ideally in the next 2-3 days! The doctors make that pretty impossible so I'll just have to do my best. More to follow.......

My son wants to be a "Pedicure"

Dylan told me he wants to be a Pedicure when he grows up.....?? Steve was quite happy to hear this! He's thinking all my nail appointments are rubbing off on our boy. We asked him if he knew what that meant. He said YES, its when you make pets feel better and fix them when they're hurt or sick. OH - Pet-a-Cure!! Too cute. He knows Madison talks about being a Veternarian when she grows up so he wants to be a Pet-a-cure too, just like big sis.