Paper, Paper, Everywhere Paper

Last night, The Boss and I sat down to compile the many packing lists I've been collecting. One of the many benefits I've found in this community of bloggers, and more specifically adoptive mom bloggers, is that they are so willing to share information. So I set about picking the brains of those who have done this trip. I really keyed in on those who have done it more than once. Momma didn't raise no dummy - why make the work harder on myself when there are plenty who have paved the way already?! All of these moms have been gracious to send me the lists they worked from, most of them gathered from other moms who have gone before them! In addition, we had some items listed for us from Living Hope to coordinate into the planning.

Here's the pile we started with (note that the pile
consists of about 6-8 separate piles of 3-5 pages each!):

Here's the final compilation of all the notes and lists and ideas we've been collecting. I have no doubt that I will be exceedingly grateful for this particular skill that The Boss possesses, when we actually start placing objects in suitcases. And more so when we go back to China for Aidan's baby sister. . . someday . . .

I'm an old-fashioned kind of girl, so while The Boss was busy creating his handy dandy spreadsheet and organizing it into neat little categories, I was making hand-written lists. Things to buy now for the trip. Things we still need here at home. Car seats and strollers I especially love. Questions for the doctors and for the agency. My lists have been penned neatly into my handy-dandy notebook, which will be my constant companion until we are home and settled in.

Finally, it occurred to us late last week that the one thing we missed in all of our planning, charting and organizing is our immunizations. With travel dates now only weeks away, we are too late to start the process now, as many of the ones "recommended" for adults are series of immunizations to be done over a specified amount of time and in a specified order (according to our doctors' directive). After consulting with them, we agreed to let that one go and trust the Lord to protect us. The immunizations are not required for us, they are just a series of recommendations to consider. We did a good job of tracking and completing the kids' shots, so we feel okay with the steps we took to protect them from things Aidan might carry and to protect Aidan from childhood illnesses she is not equipped to fight. Please pray with us for our protection and health. We made the best decision we could under the circumstances, but I admit that this question is one that sometimes interrupts my sleep. . .