10 Hours

In 10 hours from now, our plane will be leaving. In 5 hours, we will be tucking our children into bed and crying as we tell them goodbye for 16 days. It's bittersweet to be leaving, really. We have been longing for this moment for SO long! Now that it's actually here, I have a pit in my stomach that I have to leave my other children. We bought little presents for them (mostly at the dollar store) to open every day while we're away. After we got them all lined up, I got SO sad! Look how many there are!!! 16 days is a LONG time!

The only other time I've ever left them is when we went to Russia. That was for 6 days and I missed them fiercely! This is for 16 days, and I don't know how I'm going to make it!
The sweet side to this bitter is that we will FINALLY have Mr. Milo in our arms! It honestly doesn't feel real yet! I know that probably sounds bizarre! His room is ready. All his clothes are washed. Half of my suitcase is full of clothes, bottles, binkis, and diapers for our little man.

As I was washing some last minute items last night, I got very nostalgic. At this point in the game, adoption feels very much like giving birth to a child. We've been preparing for months and months. We have anticipated this moment with joy and excitement! Now that it's finally here, there is also some fear, nervousness, and anxiety about how it's going to be. I know everything's going to be okay, but we will have some major adjusting to do once we're home. Life will never be how it is right now. We will never have three kids again. We will never be a "typical" family. We will always have a son with special needs from here on out. While we are elated by this and have been devoting such a major part of our lives to bringing him home, it's also a bit nerve wracking! How is he going to fit in? How are the kids going to adjust? How am I going to adjust? It's an adventure to say the least!
As I pack the last few items and say my final goodbyes, I can't wait to get to China. My husband and I love to travel together and this is going to be an amazing adventure! We're coming, Milo! And I know the time will pass and we'll be home before we know it. I know the anxiety will fade quickly as well. I have a feeling once that little guy's in my arms, all my fears will go away. I know this is the path we're supposed to be on. I know he's our son. Meeting him and getting to know him will just solidify that.
Here are some pictures of Milo's room! All the furniture has been used with all three of our other children. My mother in law made the DARLING bedding and drapes! We have a few more prints to hang on the wall, but the frames didn't come in time.

I'm planning to do A LOT of rocking with the little man in this chair!

The next time I post, IT WILL BE FROM CHINA!!! Before I go, I wanted to share a blog entry that I absolutely loved. It explains perfectly why we're on this international adoption path. To read it, click here.