random thoughts

I think I am going to have to pull an all-nighter tonight. I have two stories due tomorrow at noon. My research and telephone calls for it are done, but now I have almost 10,000 words of notes, in addition to powerpoint slides and PDFs with charts and tables, all of which needs to be condensed into two stories, one being just 800 words and the other being just 400 words.

I'm very tired because last night we were at the "Eclipse" premier, which was at midnight. We bought the tickets a long time ago before I knew I would be on such tight deadlines this week. It's also a rarity that we go out to a movie anymore so it was a nice treat. For the most part we are only watching movies at home and I've been cooking dinner every night and packing lunches every day, because we are trying to prepare for the arrival of Baby S, in addition to paying the adoption costs. Luckily, I am fortunate to receive press tickets to many things, which allows us to get out of the house for little or no money.

We have a payment due soon to pay for Elizabeth's rent and expenses for the month, like we do every month between now and December. Our next large payment to the attorney for legal fees is due in September.

We also have started to check out the baby stores so that we can have an idea of how much the crib, stroller, car seat, etc. will cost. Everything is so expensive. My mother came along once and told us not to worry about the stroller as she is planning that as a gift when Baby S arrives. A friend of mine who is pregnant suggested we register at the baby store; maybe when it gets closer we will. Right now we are just hoping Baby S is healthy, which we will know in about three weeks (two weeks after the amnio procedure is done.)

I am on a forum board for couples who are adopting, and have asked for advice on what to say and how to act when I meet Elizabeth next Tuesday, and have gotten great advice. It was suggested that I remember she is a person on her own, and to try to talk as little as possible about the pregnancy and Baby S, and just get to know her and ask her if there is anything she wants to know about us that she doesn't already know. I go back and forth between being nervous and excited about meeting her next week.

Our beautiful greyhound, Penny, just climbed up on the couch making her way between Steven and me, as I write, and Steven is going through a box of comic books that his father sent back to him after going to a signing for him in Charlotte, N.C. Now our cat, Shakespeare, got jealous, and just joined the party. So the four of us are here together on the couch in the family room. Our dogs and cats have been (and still are) like children to us, and we hope they adjust well when Baby S joins our family. I think it may take a little adjustment as they are used to receiving tons of attention, but our "fur-kids" love "skin-kids" so it should be an easy adjustment.

OK, this was already too long of a break. Back to work for me.....