Hormonal Holiday Greetings

These holidays have been a whirlwind of emotions for me. One minute I'm up, the next I'm down. I'm festive! I'm cranky. I'm giddy! I'm numb. It's feeling less like Christmas and more like early menopause most days... Today, I am trying to focus on being festive. We had a lovely, wet snow yesterday; the kind that sticks to the trees and makes everything look postcard perfect for Christmas. And tonight we're having our coffee crowd friends over for cocktails and dessert. I made frozen mint chocolatinis. Mmmmmmm. Of course I had hoped and hoped that we would finally see our daughter's face before Christmas. But that was more about my mother and my in-laws than me. It would have been wonderful to share that moment with them in person, rather than via phone calls and emails. I know we will see her very, very soon, and most of the time I am at peace with that. What has been the most comforting thing to me these last few weeks (and months) is the wonderful online community I have discovered. I was not a blogger, chatter, poster, or any of those things a year ago. Today, some of the people I feel closest to are those I have discovered online. First there is Diana, who is not a true "online friend," since a co-worker introduced me to her. We have gotten to know each other through emails, coffee chats and a mind-numbing 7 weeks of Mandarin classes, and she has been unfailing in her support and kindness. Then there is Emanuel, who posts on my beloved Rumor Queen site. Of course, her posts are less frequent since she came home with her daughter this summer. When I found out she lived in my area, we had lunch, and I drooled over her beautiful girl from Chongqing. Her blog isn't public anymore, but she posts updates and photos often, which is like water in the desert for a waiting Mom like me! And then I met C (whose fabulous blog is PW protected, sorry). She has the same 9-9 LID that I do, and we started commenting on each other's blogs. That turned into a few emails, and now she is a friend that I can't wait to meet in Guangzhou. I so enjoy her intelligence, warmth and snarky sarcasm. Sunnyice discovered my blog a while back, and now she is a blogger too -- my apologies to her husband. We've also met for coffee, and next we're going to introduce the husbands. It's so very match.com... We have a great deal in common, and I can't wait for her to get her referral (her LID is Dec '05) so our girls can play together! Finally, there are the others I hope to meet in China -- Sparky, Kikalee, maybe even American Family. Plus there are so many other bloggers who I've learned so much from, like Chicago Mama, JenEx, Mrs. Figby, Mary Mia (I won't link to you all since most folks know where to find you)... The list is quite long actually. I never thought that I would find the comfort I have in this community. Thank you to all of my wonderful friends who have helped me keep my chin up over the past year. Let's all have a joyful New Year, full of hope!