The final stretch

Friday can not come soon enough. My last week of work....FOR MONTHS! I can not express how much I am looking forward to minutes, days, weeks of just going through each day one at a time with our son. I know the days will fly by and I'll greet them with exhaustion, but to be able to put 100% attention and focus on our little guy makes me feel so lucky and fortunate to be able to do so. And to think...I wasn't even really considering a maternity leave when we first started this process. How in the world did I think that?! I thought I would take maybe a month off (if that), but once I saw his little face it became my number one priority. Take care of him, love on him, watch him, make sure he's adjusting and that he is healthy. I am doing a lot of thinking about his adjustment & bonding with us. A lot of adoption prep and training has taught us to be prepared for him to have issues bonding and attaching at first. He is not used to sleeping without a "crib mate." He is not used to having his every need met. He is not held all day or soothed when he cries right away. These first few days and weeks with him will be so important. I have to warn friends and family now, please do not take offense if you do not hear from us right away when we get home. It's so important for him to identify Josh and I as his number one providers. We want to make sure he's healthy and adjusting okay as soon as possible and that is our priority when we get home. We have doctor's appointments scheduled right when we come home and I'm sure I'll feel better once he's been checked out in the states. Hopefully, this bonding and adjustment will happen very quickly. I want him to get to know our lives and everyone in them. Plus, it's summer time almost. I have so much anticipation to put him in a stroller and cruise around town.

This is the latest photo we have of our son. I stare at this several times a day and can barely hold back tears each time. I just look at those eyes. He just looks so curious to me in this photo. I wonder what his story is. I wonder about his birth family, his history. I pretty much wonder everything about him.