I’m not there yet but I will be soon enough. Thought I would plan ahead and make a list (yes Amy, another list got those margaritas ready for the intervention yet?) of things to do while waiting for the adoption to be complete. Feel free to add your own in the comments section.

• Teach yourself to knit by the time the adoption is complete, you can have an entire wardrobe complete for your child – through age 12
• Stalk other people’s blogs and compare time lines
• Obsessively check message boards to check up on gossip and compare timelines
• Rearrange the furniture in the nursery weekly
• Go to the mall and stalk families with children who look like they might be internationally adopted
• Stock pile diapers, baby wipes, baby lotion, and baby soap
• Launder the wardrobe you have purchased for your child repeatedly then reorganize the closet and dresser. Again.
• Practice your glare in the mirror for anyone to who dares to ask if you have heard when your child will be coming home
• Learn Spanish. Impress the kid at the Taco Bell drive thru by ordering in Spanish.
• Practice Car Seat installation drills. Try to get your time down to 45 seconds for correct installation.
• Get used to the feel of the Baby Bjorn carrier by carrying the cat around in it.
• Seek medical attention for the scratches from the cat. Replace shredded Baby Bjorn.
• Check email for 37^th time for messages from your agency.
• Call husband and ask him to send test email to ensure email is working.
• Check voicemail for the 24^th time in case agency called while you were checking email.
• Call husband and ask him to leave you a voice mail to ensure it is working correctly.
• Check voicemail again in case agency tried to call while you were talking to your husband.
• Take deep breathes and try not to come unglued when people tell you that you have to keep living your life normally until you get “the call”.

Fortunately, I hear it is like childbirth in that all of this fades once you do get The Call.