9/13/06 Last post in country

I expect this will be our last post in country. I was called away to speak to someone back home so left abrubtly. Communication is difficult. We get internet in a business center in the hotel and sometimes cannot get access. It took us a few days to figure it out. We can't call out, have arranged for our family at home to call us once a day at 6am.

Today we are glad this is our last day. Sleep has been the biggest challenge. We started out with a disadvantage because we left at night (Thursday) and were already awake over 30 hours when we arrived here. We were going on 44 hours by the time night came on Saturday. As some of you know, I can barely sleep in my own bed, so I have been quite the wreck. Michael isn't doing much better though I've heard him snore some. I finally had to tell him to stop saying, "I'm so tired" because it was getting on my nerves. We are strung out on sleep aids and still only sleeping about 4-5 hrs. a night and can't nap AT ALL. We wake at 4 am as do the other couples here that are here for the same reason. We have had a wonderful time socializing with them (10+) and have joked about having group therapy at 4am in the lobby. It's really like summer camp for PAPs. (prospective ____ ____) I am prone to crying jags and our host keeps saying don't cry. In fact, today I'm going to cry all day with no shame at all! I am afraid she thinks it's because of something undesirable about the baby, and of course nothing could be further from the truth! Hopefully somebody will just knock us out when we get home and we will sleep through the weekend.

Did we say we have tickets to the ballet tonight - a whole other story!

Of course our biggest sadness is to leave peanut. Our host promised me she would visit and hold her and of course I cried (again). I mourn for her to go back to the world of minimal interaction with faces. The caretakers work so hard but it is all they can do to meet the basic needs 24/7. Please pray that we can expedite all the remaining paperwork required so that we can get a date for court (2nd trip) as quickly as possible.

We would love to show you photos here but we hope you will understand it may cause some problems for us until things are finalized. We will certainly use other methods to share once we are home! All we can say is that she is adorable and a great fit for our family in every way - except that she is as active as son #2 part.

Please tell anyone you know who is in this process home or abroad to stay with the course. The children need homes and it is such an honor to personally be a part of this. We know the process is grueling in multiple ways but so fulfilling and worthwhile in the end. Pray, pray, pray that the other babies we saw get homes too -- soon. I am making a point of speaking to them while they sit on their chamber pots (potty training for babies because they don't have diapers).

I am glad you are enjoying the blog and we will talk to you all soon! Thank you for your prayers and your comments. We love reading them!