Am I Gonna Get It Or Not?

I can't stop thinking whether I will be in the next batch of referrals or not. I hate the not knowing! I don't like being in this place where I am right at the cutoff. I may be in, I may not.

I will be ecstatic if I am in the next group, but if I am not, I can at least deal with it. At least I will have an answer. Boy, it is going to be a LONG weekend. I would love to have an answer on Monday.

What do you all think? Am I in? Am I not in?

Ladies Lunch

Several of us gals gathered at Kathy's house for a wonderful lunch on Tuesday. Kathy was the perfect hostess (as usual!) It was wonderful seeing Randi, Lisa and Maisie, Deb and LiLi and it was great to meet Amy, who is just about to turn her paperwork in.

These luncheons are not only fun, they are so informative for us futures moms with tons of questions. Thank you Lisa, Deb and Randi for being so patient answering all of my questions!

Maisie and LiLi are the cutest little girls. I wish I could scoop them up and take them home with me (but I don't think their moms would approve - LOL!). Above you can see LiLi playing with the Little Tikes Activity Garden. I purchased the exact item at the Big Toy Sale this past Saturday. I think it was a good purchase! And I couldn't get enough of playing peek-a-boo with Maisie.

We enjoyed the weather as we ate our lunch. Kathy had all of the fixins.

Here is Miss Maisie flashing me the pearly whites!

Saying Goodbye

I actually did it. I said goodbye to my job on Friday. It seems very surreal to me right now. I can't believe I actually did it. After trying for so long to have a baby, I really want to be a stay at home mom for a few years, and I am very lucky that I have the ability to do so.

A few months ago, a new managing broker came to the office, and he came with a lot of big ideas and new plans. Before I got too entrenched in his new vision and knowing that my referral was coming very shortly, I felt it was the right time for me to move on.

I started as a full-time employee seven and a half years ago. About four years ago, as I was going through my infertility treatments, I became very overwhelmed with everything and I tried to quit. I was very nervous that I might get fired by being out of the office so much. I went to my boss to turn in my resignation. Instead of accepting it, she asked if I would stay on as the ad administrator and go part-time instead of leaving. I was floored. I never even thought that would be an option for me. It was the perfect way for me to keep working and try to start my family. So the years went by and I continued on as a part-time employee. Now that my baby is almost here (finally), it is time for me to move on...

The office gave me a very nice send off. They had a luncheon for me with a delicious cake, and they gave me a beautiful card (with lots of signatures) and a VERY generous gift card to put toward items for Briana. And one of the agents gave me the cutest stuffed bunny that flaps its ears to music. It is adorable! I was so touched that so many of the agents showed up to say goodbye. Real estate agents have such busy schedules, I really didn't know who would be able to come to the luncheon. The agents jokingly told me that I was totally prepared for the arrival of my baby because I am already used to children not doing what they are supposed to. Ain't that the truth! I received lots of hugs and good wishes that day, and I am really going to miss everyone.

At the end of the day, I took one last look at my empty desk in my empty office and walked out of the building, feeling happy, sad and scared all at the same time. But, I am looking so forward to the new chapter in my life. It is time to start heavily preparing for the trip to China, and I plan on helping Doug get a few more websites off the ground.

Here are pictures of what was left of my cake and the adorable bunny for Briana...

Trip to Hilton Head

This is the view from our room in Hilton Head. The weather was beautiful, even though it was too cold to go swimming. One morning, we just walked up and down the beach. What we wanted was a trip in which we could relax and not really have to do too much of anything, and that is exactly what we did - relax. We won't be able to do much of that when Briana comes along.

Every tree in Hilton Head is draped with Spanish moss. The island is really beautiful, and it is truly a golfer's delight. One day, as I was drinking a strawberry daiquiri, I said to Doug, "It is pretty cool that I can drink on our babymoon." And then we both cracked up. If I was preggers, I wouldn't be able to sip sparkling wine, now would I? We had several really delicious meals, and at almost every meal we managed to get an ocean view. It is definitely a great place to get seafood.

The last day of our vacation, we stopped in Savannah for lunch and did some shopping on the riverfront. And after that, Doug took a little detour on the way home to stop in Macon so he could show me his childhood home. It really was a wonderful vacation. Below are a few more pics...

Ok - we are ready for our referral now!!!

Our babymoon

I really enjoyed the view from our hotel room.


Thank goodness Doug didn't fight in the Civil War...

Every tree is covered with Spanish moss.

Mission Accomplished

I met Kathy at the Kid’s Big Toys Consignment Backyard Sale early Saturday morning on a mission. My mission was to find a mailbox just like the one in this picture. This is a Little Tikes mailbox, which has been discontinued. Well, mission accomplished! It was the only mailbox at the sale, and I got it! Kathy has one, and Lisa does as well and said Maisie really likes hers. Then Jackie managed to find one a few weeks ago, and she told me she would be on the lookout for one for me. So you don't have to look anymore Jackie - LOL!

I also found a Little Tikes Activity Garden and an adorable cash register that makes a scanning noise. Too cute!

And I am so proud. Kathy did not buy anything! She showed such amazing restraint! But she did help me creatively shove the items in my car. She just returned the favor that I did for her last year - ha!

My Visit With Debra

Last week, my childhood friend Debra came to visit for a few days with her husband David and son Spencer. Debra and I met in the 4th grade when she moved to Miami from England. I moved to Georgia in the 8th grade and we have stayed long distance friends ever since. I can't tell you how much fun we had reminiscing about old times. I have old notes, invitations, cards and pictures that Debra couldn't believe I had kept all of these years. She brought her yearbooks and I brought out mine and we talked for hours about pretty much everything. We couldn't stop laughing at the notes I had kept. Ahhhhh, teenage angst. Pretty hilarious! The notes pretty much contained information on who liked whom and who didn't like whom. I guess that is all you care about when your twelve. Right before I moved from Miami to Atlanta when I was 13, Debra made a prediction (which she actually didn't remember making, but I did!). She told me that when I moved to Georgia, I would marry a man with red hair & freckles and drove a truck (that is what my friends in Miami thought Georgia folks looked like back then). I told her "That won't ever happen." Well, if she wasn't dead on...actually, Doug has strawberry blonde hair and drives an SUV, but close enough. Here are then (5th grade) and now pictures.

Oh, I can't begin to tell you how in love I am with Debra's child! He is amazingly cute! Doug and I were so excited because Spencer seemed very comfortable with us, and Debra said that Spencer doesn't always warm up to people that quickly. I hope that is a precurser to how Briana will feel toward us when we finally meet her. Debra is a great mom, and she and David are expecting baby number two in August.

And what is really wonderful is that Debra is half Chinese, so she will be able to answer lots of my questions about Chinese culture!

Here is a little slide show of our visit!

Back To Reality

I'm baaack! Doug and I had a wonderful time in Hilton Head and we didn't want to come home. Really didn't want to come home. I will post about the trip soon. But, we did have to come home and reality hit me smack in the face.

I am frustrated...

I still don't have Briana's crib and my dresser yet. I was told we would have to wait six weeks by the Baby's Room, and now it has been over six weeks and they are still not in. I hope they will come in by the end of the week.

I looked at the rumor boards today - which makes me an idiot. They really bum me out sometimes. I don't think we will be in the next batch of referrals. October is huge, and I think the cutoff will happen right in front of us. If we are in the next batch, I will be very surprised (and of course ecstatic.)

The newsletter from my agency came in e-mail today and I found out the CCAA will be closed the first week in May for Labor Day. Will that delay May referrals? I have no idea.

I got in my car today and I had a flat tire. I couldn't go out and run the errands I needed to. Doug got home this evening and put on my spare. I wanted to get my car washed today because it is filthy after driving to Hilton Head.

I want my vacation back. Can I have it back please? Pretty please!!!

New Closet System

All I can say it that Doug is amazing! The closet in Briana's room is kind of small, so we thought having a closet system would be the perfect solution for more space. He ordered the system from easyclosets.com, and it was delivered last Friday. I got home from work and there were about 20 boxes left on the front porch. We dragged the boxes in the house, and Doug put together and installed the whole system over the weekend. It is so beautiful!












Unfortunately, we still don't have the crib and dresser yet. It is supposed to come in this week - fingers crossed!

And, I had a wonderful time with my childhood friend Debra who was in town Monday through Wednesday. I will post all about that next week.

Doug and I are going on our 'babymoon' this weekend to Hilton Head. I will post when I get back!

And Finally, Neat Thing We Have Done Since LID #10

Neat Thing #10
Beatles Love by Cirque du Soleil!

Doug really surprised me with this one. I had heard rumors that a Beatles themed Cirque was coming to Vegas but I never really thought anything of it. Doug got an e-mail about the show and bought tickets months in advance - that is the only reason we were able to go. The show opened the week before we went, and Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono and Ringo Starr were in attendance. I had no idea what a big deal this production was. Pretty cool!

Now, I have seen several Cirque shows, and they are all pretty similar, containing lots of acrobatic and aerial acts. This one was very different. Though there were some acrobatics, it consisted mainly of interpretative dance and interesting stunts to various remastered Beatles songs. During one of the songs, several performers rollerbladed. There were speakers built into each chair in the venue so the audience could get the full musical experience. There were always a lot of people on the stage at the same time and a lot was going on at once. At first, I was waiting for the usual type of acts to start, but then I realized that this was totally different show and that wouldn't probably happen. I have to admit the show was very colorful and psychedelic and in the program, one of the lines actually says "Have A Nice Trip." Wow - ain't that the truth. I guess the Beatles were on drugs in the late 60's when they wrote some of their greatest hits.

Doug and I absolutely loved the show - it was amazing. We are big Beatles fans. At the end of the show, the audience gave a standing ovation. Unfortunately, the Asian couple sitting next to Doug remained in their seats looking pretty confused about the whole thing. I guess it is the type of show that you either love or just don't get!

Thanks Janet!

After my public declaration of being a Fanilow, Janet had a little giggle at my expense. I really didn't mind - her comment was hilarious! But, she was so sweet and wrote a post for me on her blog making some embarrassing declarations of her own. What a brave woman!

Thanks Janet! :)

Neat Thing We Have Done Since LID #9

Ok - I am REALLY nervous posting this one. I am positive that I will get teased by my fellow bloggers and will probably keep getting teased for a very, very long time, but I can't deny that I am...a Fanilow.

Neat Thing #9
Barry Manilow Concert!

In my defense, a little back story...

I was born in 1973. I believe Barry Manilow made it big in 1975. My parents were big Barry Manilow fans when I was growing up. They saw the Barry Manilow Live concert in the late 70's and brought home the double album. I played that album over and over, and my favorite part was when Barry Manilow sang the jingles he had written. I was fascinated that Barry Manilow was actually the Band-Aid and Dr. Pepper jingle guy. Almost every time my parents got in the car when I was a kid, Barry's greatest hits cassette was pushed into the player. I knew the words to "American Bandstand" by heart. How many 7 year old kids can say that? Very few I am sure.

Now I admit, I am a bigger fan of Barry Manilow's earlier music than with the albums he puts out now. My sister is also a fan (remember now, we grew up with the same parents), and she and I dragged our poor husbands to see a concert when Manilow came to Atlanta years ago. What troopers... That was Barry's last tour. The last one. Never to tour again. When I heard that Barry Manilow had a show in Vegas, I mentioned in passing to Doug that it would be neat to see one day. I honestly never thought that Doug would incorporate the show into our Vegas itinerary. See - my husband is so great, he endured not only one Manilow concert, but TWO. He is truly a keeper.

When we entered the Hilton that evening for the concert, most of the people waiting in line had probably eaten their dinner around 4PM that afternoon. There were maybe a handful of younger people there, but they were pretty few and far between. We entered the auditorium, and Doug had reserved really great seats. The concert was fun and very entertaining - not just Barry sitting at a piano. Doug enjoyed the show, but after the concert, he lovingly stated to me that this would be the last Manilow concert he would be attending with me. I am fine with that - he did good. So on this trip he got Star Trek, and I got Manilow. I think that's fair (even if Doug doesn't - LOL).

So that's my story. Please be kind. I am fragile!

That One Special Toy

Lookie, lookie! This is the swap gift a received from Michaela last month. The theme was "That One Special Toy". It is the Learning Puppy, and I absolutely love it! I know Briana will too - thanks so much Michaela!

Waiting Families Pizza Party

Saturday night, the Waiting Families group got together for a pizza party and dessert potluck hosted by Stephanie and Jason. It was held at their Rainbow Factory Direct Showroom that houses all kinds of swings sets and play systems. Let me tell you, the kids were not the only ones having a ball on these playsets! It was so great seeing everyone again, and of course getting to know new people too! A big thanks to Stephanie and Jason for being wonderful hosts and again thanks to Kathy for organizing the event! (And I borrowed one or two pictures from a couple of other blogs to add to my slideshow, so thank you - hee, hee!)

So What Does This Mean For Me?

I am so bummed. The word out in internet land is that the CCAA has told the agencies that the cutoff this month is October 24. If this is true, then this is so not what I wanted to hear. I figured if the CCAA got through the 26th, there was a really good chance I would be in the next batch. It sounds to me like October 26, 27, 28 and 31 are pretty big log in days, so it is very possible that the next cut off could happen right in front of me and I won't get a referral until May. Ugh - this is so not how I wanted to start my day.

16 Months

We have been logged in 16 months today. I can't even believe I am saying that. I really, really hope we don't have to wait too much longer. My patience is wearing very thin!