The "Looking on the Bright Side" Post

Have you ever felt that if you didn't have bad luck, you'd have no luck at all? Well, our log-in date was September 9, 2005. The official update posted last night by the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) showed a cut-off of September 8, so we missed this batch of referrals by a day. Yep. One day. So this is the point where we focus on the bright sides, right? Actually, I'm more than a little surprised to find us quite able to focus on the positives. In fact, it has been like a weight off of our shoulders. We know we are next. That sounds like such a simple phrase, but only other waiting parents really get what it means to KNOW you are next. C really said it best -- "We're the nextest next you can get. No one--I mean no one!--is more next than we are!" There are other bright sides of course. First, we pretty much know the rough time frame when we'll travel - late Feb/early March, which makes FMLA time off much easier to plan. Second, flights are cheaper after Chinese New Year. And, in chilly Minnesota, being on leave in March/April/May is slightly better than Feb/March/April since we might actually have a few days where we can be outside. There's a conference I had hoped to attend in the beginning of Feb. And my friends who want to throw showers can actually have a little planning time to do so. We're going to try to relax and enjoy the holiday season. I might even do the full tree thing. Just knowing, really knowing that we'll see her face for the first time sometime shortly after Christmas makes it so real. So solid and reassuring. I'm no Pollyanna, really, but I'm feeling so good about things right now I have truly surprised myself. This roller coaster ride is over. OK, don't laugh, I do know that there are many ups and downs to come in parenting -- more than I can possibly imagine. But this particular ride is finally coming to a close.