Her Name

Ananya means

matchless, incomparable, without a second, no other, unique

Sophia means

wisdom

This is our wonderful daughter's name. To us it is special. It is her given Indian name. Her name is strong as I hope that she is.

Come home soon baby doll. Mommy is missing you badly.

The First Baby Shower

The first baby shower is over now. We had about 35 people. It was nice. Everyone brought orphanage donations. We have 14 bottles of shampoo, 11 bottles of lotion, 20 bottles, and 6 crib sheets (there were other odds and ends as you can see). I've had some clothes donated to take with me as well. We have 2 suitcases filled with things. All that shampoo and lotion is heavier than I thought. Anyone who was at the shower, I would like to thank you for your gifts. It was wonderful of you to spend the day with us. The waiting still drags on but it will be over soon I know. Soon I will forget all this waiting as I'm busy with my 2 angels.

Waiting

I just don't know that the wait is ever going to end. It's hard to believe that in maybe 2 months we will be the parents of 2 kids. That is so wonderfully amazing that I can not even describe it. I'm so anxious to get over there. It has been a month since we received our NOC and it really feels like YEARS. Patrick is taking the wait so much better than me right now. I guess it helps that he has been insanely busy at work. I have a list of things that need to be done and I can't figure out where to start. I've started packing. I need to go get the suitcases that my wonderful friend, Elizabeth, is letting us borrow. I have washed all of the baby clothes. It was 2 loads all together so I really don't think this munchkin needs any more at this time. Our first baby shower is on August 20th at Grandma's house. There will be at least one more to follow. I hope that we get alot of donations for the orphanage (as Grandma put it so wonderfully, Ananya has everything she needs and would like to leave some things for her friends.)

In about a month we travel to San Francisco for 4 days. It will be the 2nd time in 8 years Patrick and I have gotten away from home alone.

We were informed by Dillon that a new judge has replaced the other new judge who wasn't doing his job. Hopefully by early next week the families ahead of us will have their guardianship papers signed. I hope this for them so our case will move up.

This wait is getting harder by the day. I look almost every day at new pictures posted on blogs and on the Dillon site of the children who are home. My mind has temporarily decided that this is make believe and there isn't a baby at the end of the process. I can't even begin to imagine the day is coming when I finally after all this time can hold my DAUGHTER.

I love that word. My daughter. Our daughter. Anthony's sister. It amazes me.

I've rambled enough now. Those that know me personally will know that even now I could dwell on the subject for days on end.

The Wait Continues

I just wanted to post a few pictiures of our preparations for the big journey. The last is of part of the blanket I am making for her. The days are breezing by and yet at the same time they seem to drag on. It has been alittle over 3 weeks since we recieved our NOC. We are waiting for guardianship to be granted. The last several cases have seemed to have taken 4 weeks. I have been marked off of the schedule at one of my jobs after our trip to San Fransisco. I hope we get to travel that soon. Ananya is 17 months old. I can't wait to meet our baby. I have already started to pack as a way to pass time. The end is near and we'll all be together.