1 year anniversary, Part 2

Month 5, 9/8/06 - 10/7/06
We start our 3rd month in the hotel, prepare to close on the new house and start to pack all that crap we lugged to the hotel. We have surpassed stir crazy due to the hotel and moved right into insanity. The big dig is taking over our backyard, I tell Eric NO, he can't keep the front end loader as a toy for Magpie. I am a hardass.

We visit a local antique festival, longing for an antique dresser for Magpie's room, but we pass on it, afterall, where in the hell would we store it? While we were Motorcycle shopping we dream of the day we can get Magpie her first dirtbike, complete with training wheels. E also buys Magpie the leather biker jacket I adored :) She is soooooo going to be one of the coolest kids on the block.

The wait is nearly 14 months.

My favorite posts this month are: A Rose by Any Other Name and Looks Like We Made It

Month 6, 10/8/06 - 11/7/06
We close on the house, painting like crazy before the movers show up in a few days, sleep on an air mattress in front of the fireplace and wonder what we'll do with all the space after living in 200 SF for 10+ weeks! We unpack bit by bit and discover in nearly every box broken items, some heartbreaking. I travel to Phoenix for business by way of Chicago and on the way back I am able to meet the wonderful M, another ALT who happens to nearly share our LID. We hope for the chance to cross paths in Beijing and/or Guangzhou. It was a fantastic chance to be crossing paths within hours of each other at O'hare. Fate?

We watch Fall unfold in our backyard and discover Monet hard at work painting an incredible scenery, my drive to work through the mountains provides me the never ending chance to see the beauty of nature and there is a calm, wonderful, serenity about it all. We celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary with some very romantic weekends out and about, culminating with an incredible gourmet meal at The Publick House. No Vegas return trip this year, perhaps another, too hectic.

My favorite posts this month are: Monet , 101 Uses for a Leaf Blower and This Post Brought to You By the Number 5

Month 7, 11/8/06 - 12/7/06
The first anniversary of Sophia's death, 11/19/05, it was a horrible time for E and I, it laid heavy on our hearts all the way through to Christmas and into January. She was never far from our thoughts. We have some incredibly deep conversations with our closest friends and family about Sophia, I am forever indebted to them for their willingness to get involved and talk.

We spend Thanksgiving surrounded as we normally do, by some of my favorite people from childhood, familiar faces, much laughter and many tears too. It was an emotional roller coaster for us given the anniversary of this month. We also spend a lot of time sharing our thoughts about China, Chinese adoption, pregnancy, etc. Our friends S&M have stood beside us so often, we are honored to have them in our life.

I join the ALTs and they provide E and I sense of relief and belonging.

My favorite posts this month are: Nov 17 - 19 2005, How Much Time has Passed and The Noise of Your Life.

Month 8, 12/8/06 - 1/7/07
We select a Christmas tree and decorate the house for the first time in 2 years, we never celebrated in 2005, it's a difficult time still this year. Her ornaments, her memory, they are everywhere, combined with the ornaments we've already purchased for Magpie, it's a emotional time as we decorate. We put on chipper faces for people for the holidays and try to just 'get through it all'.

We decide that if we reach Sept of 2007 without our referral, we're using our vacation to go to Germany for 2 weeks. We have resigned ourselves to the very real fact that it's likely our wait will be 2 years. I finally pick out a pattern for the 100 Good Wishes Quilt.

The blog is now 1 year old and there have been more than 300 posts in that time. The wait has climbed to 15 months.

My favorite posts for this month are: Holiday Cheer, Why China , It's a Dogs Life and How Fit are You To Parent