Pre-Trip Preparations, Excitement, Anxiety...

I have been running ragged trying to not only get ready for my trip, but also to finalize everything here at home in preparation for Gabriella's arrival. I tried to prepare as much as possible beforehand knowing that I would not have much notification before I would have to travel, but the to-do lists never seem to end. My biggest obstacle right now is trying to limit my packing for her and I to only one suitcase...a feat that seems next to impossible for me and, in five trips, has not been accomplished! I have never travelled to Guatemala with fewer than two checked suitcases and two carry-ons. Hopefully this sixth time will prove successful! I have to try extra hard this time since we will have a baby travelling home with us and will have a difficult time if we are bogged down with tons of bags.

Ken will be driving my mother and me to Logan Airport in Boston at around 3:00 AM tomorrow morning; our flight leaves at 6:00 AM. We have a one hour layover in Atlanta and arrive in Guatemala at 11:30 AM Guatemala time which is 1:30 PM Eastern Time. We have always flown US Air through Charlotte, but as of September 2nd US Air is discontinuing their Charlotte/Guatemala leg, so this trip will be a bit of a change in routine for us. Gabriella will be dropped off to us at the hotel at 3:00 PM Guatemala time. I am so excited to see her and anxious to see if she remembers us. It is wonderful to think that from that point forward I will never have to "give her back" as I have had to in the past. She is mine forever!

Ken finished installing all of the child-proofing "devices" around the house last night. We are both very excited. We are also curious about what it will be like when she is home and, at times, a bit nervous...all of the same nerves new parents feel - will we be good parents, will we make the right decisions for her, will we be so exhausted that we won't even be able to see straight, etc. It will be amazingly different to have a toddler as part of our household. I find myself going through my daily routines and picturing her as part of it. We are also very nervous about her adjustment. This will probably be a tremendously stressful and potentially scary time for her and we have to work very hard to make her feel secure and loved.

This part of the journey that we are about to complete this week has been filled with lots of excitement, anxiety, sadness, fear, tears, and stress, but we are finally at the end of one road and embarking on another. This trip to Guatemala marks a major turning point for both Gabriella and me and is an enormous event in what will become our history. This trip will be forever burned in my memory and I look forward to looking back on it with happiness as I reminisce about it with Gabriella.

So starts a new chapter in our lives. I am thrilled to begin this part of our journey and am so excited to share this journey with all of you.

Susan, Evan's mom, shared this poem with me today and it is perfect for this occasion:

One last road to travel-
One last way to go.

One more day to forever-
Just to let you know.

The wait is finally over-
The journey now is through.

And know this comes to let you know,
Dreams really do come true.