Court date in hand!

We got our court date!  It came a few days earlier than expected with the subject line, "Surprise news!" I don't think I read anything in the email except the date; I just scanned and scanned, searching for the name of a month and a number or two.  We'll be flying back to Russia the second week of October.

The court date is two weeks later than what we were hoping for, but we are thrilled nonetheless. Having that concrete date in front of us feels amazing.  If our court date goes well we should be bringing out little man home right around (American) Thanksgiving.  Actually we'll be traveling for our court date on Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.  Couldn't really think of better holidays to mark these momentous occasions in our lives.  Grateful for every step forward in this journey.

I don't know if the "nesting" instinct pregnant women experience is hormone related or what, but somehow it has kicked in for me.  I've been buying little boy clothes, prepping our diapers, evening cleaning our basement!  John and I spend yesterday turning this disaster into a neatly boxed and shelved dream.

Denim cut-offs.  Is there any more appropriate choice for basement cleaning?

After.  So much tidy loveliness.

There's also a whole list of to-dos that I'm making in my brain.  Decide on a pediatrician.  Buy shoes to go with the outfit I bought for our court session.  Plan freezer meals.  Make freezer meals.  Start putting our little man's "life book" together.  Buy a book shelf for his room.  Decide on the best way to hang the floating shelf I bought for his room.  The list goes on.

I like this nesting instinct though; it's an experience I didn't expect to have, but I like it.  It's not even that I like it because it makes me feel like a typical first time mom (which it does), but that it is a sign to me that the end is near.  The end of the anticipation and the fulfillment of our preparation.  Our get ready season is moving into a be ready season and soon the ready part will lop off and we'll finally be.

We'll be ready.
We'll be done the waiting.
We'll be a family. 

Thirty-five days until we travel.  One week in Russia.  Thirty-five days of waiting after that.  And then, at last...

we'll be.

xo