Ready, set...

I got "the call" tonight!

We are in "ready, set" mode for the next few weeks and then we GO!
We need to make arrangments to get ourselves to Beijing, and then to Xian, Shaanxi Province.
We will hold our daughter in our arms for the first time on Monday, May 7th, 2012!

Beijing is 14 hours ahead of Manitoba time - which means little Baby B is just going down for her afternoon nap, while I am getting ready to lie down for the night.  I often do that - imagine what she's doing and what time of day/night it is where she is.  We were given a sort of daily schedule for her, and according to that she naps for almost 3 hours every afternoon... Hopefully that's a special trait we can resume together when we come back to Canada! 

I found my 3 boys these great shirts at the Children's Place the other day.  They are all the same - a bright teal blue with white letters that yell out 'Most Awesome Big Brother'.  I hope to have them wear them to the airport when they come to meet their sister for the first time.  Madison wants one too - but we couldn't find a sister one, so I told her I'd print one up for her that said, "I love to change diapers"... she just rolled her eyes like she was a teenager - oh wait!  She is one!  My first baby is turning 14 this week. 

Some of our hopes and plans for this trip are:
~visit Bronwyn's birth city and get pix of interesting places close to where she spent her first year
~ask to visit the Child Welfare Institute (or at least get a pix of the outside of the building)
~locate her "finding place" and get a picture for her
~buy Sweet B squeaky shoes - (I am SO crazy about these - it's almost weird)
~pick up a jade bracelet for Madison and Bronwyn (Chinese tradition has mama wear this on her left wrist, closest to her heart.  Then the bracelet is given to daughter on her wedding day)
~if little B is up for it, do some touring and get pictures of her at different famous places in Xi'an and Beijing

I have already begun Sweet B's scrapbook - and all of these photo ops could go in that book and give her a more traceable "beginning". 

Oh - and I have to cave in and learn to skype.  I've resisted so far (for the same reason I still don't have an iphone - I feel railroaded into these electronic services by monster companies).  But there is no way I can go and experience such amazing things for over 2 weeks without connecting with the 4 little people waiting for us back home.  I've never left my kids for more than a week - and even that was hard.  Nobody better grow an inch  or lose a tooth while I'm not around to see it!

As for all the fears that seem so intent on chasing me down... I'm not listening.  Our promises from God and the little "coincidences" along our adoption journey have made it so very clear to us that this is God's plan.  And he who began a good work is faithful to complete it. 

So the next few weeks we'll be getting ready, getting all set to... GO!