Getting ready for baby!

I've decided that from now on I will post only positive posts (that last one was sortof a downer)! One of the other adoptive moms I've been talking to has suggested that instead of focusing on the wait, we should focus on doing everything we can to get ourselves ready for the baby's arrival. So here's what I'm going to do....

1. Clean all closets and some cabinets that I've been meaning to get to. I certainly won't have time to do it after the baby gets here. I also need to reorganize the computer room and take down the Christmas decorations. Oh....and work on my filing cabinet.
2. Start walking again. I need to be in shape for lugging that baby around.
3. Read more about adoption and travel to Vietnam.
4. Think about the baby's room. I don't want to really do any more until we get the referral, but I can make plans! Mom is going to make cute curtains and a diaper hamper. We already have the crib and bedding, wall hangings, and a dresser. Now I need to decide if we want to paint, or do a wallpaper border, and possibly buy a changing table and/or other shelves or dresser.
5. Work on my adoption education classes. Our agency requires that we do 30 hours of education before we get the referral. It seems like a lot, but I've really learned a lot so far and I'm so glad to be doing it. We have to take 3 online classes about international adoption issues, take child/infant CPR, and read about baby/toddler care. We also have to attend an adoption support group meeting. There is a group called "North Texas Waiting Families" that meets once a month, and we're going to go to the next meeting, a potluck dinner. It is a good place to meet families that are waiting and also who already have adopted kids. Hopefully we'll meet some moms who want to have playdates! We'll also go to a Vietnamese cultural event (I think we're going to go to a Tet/Asian New Year celebration in Dallas).

All this plus work should keep me busy and help keep me from dwelling on the wait (I hope!).