Shopping and Packing

Sherway Shopping is dangerous stuff for soon to be Mama

The final countdown is on.  Tomorrow I leave for Russia which may be today when you read this.  I have powered through the to do lists thanks to my helpers and just have a few items remaining.  I have sent my Dad on a perfect bib quest that led to a call involving a fairly in depth debate over bib print.  Pirate (because he is a treasure) or puzzle pieces (the process is a puzzle) because they are out of the bees and there are no birds.  These are conversations I would never had envisioned.  I have also researched bottle nipples which I'm sure Dad would have been happy to have been delegated so he can run around saying "nipple" legitimately.

Mom has been to the bank for me since I work the same hours as the bank to pick up fairly large sums of US cash.  She'd call me every morning and inquire as to the US exchange rate and wait for my "go" to get it.  Buy high mom, buy high!

Cat arrived home once day after work with Camilla extract and a Glow Worm. Her co-worker told her that the combo of this homeopathic cammomile extract and the glow worm were the vital duo for getting baby bird to sleep on the plane. Fingers crossed for us and the passengers that this remedy leads to some peaceful slumber on board.

The electronic section of the packing is perhaps the most challenging.  Since this trip is solo, I don't have my sister built in entertainment system which is irreplaceable but I have to try to find some distraction so I am turning techy for new ways to occupy the wait times.  Here's my list....

•  netbook with external dvd drive and dvd's, 
• an iphone with apps to translate, calculate, communicate and the whole first season of "Parenthood", 
• camera (point and shoot) I will miss my SLR but it's just too bulky and ever ounce counts
• KoBo (never used one but Holly is lending me hers for the trip) It's loaded with an even amount of chick lit and instructional toddler non-fiction
• Flip Camera (the same one I took for trip one and LOVE) I have two hours of priceless video and it's ready to take another two hours.  Most days we would upload the videos and Grandma and Grandpa would get to wake up to more of their grand baby.  

The luggage situation is this.  I have half the suitcase and Baby Bird has half.  The packing challenge is that I am only allowed one bag on the way there plus the stroller.  So I am attempting to use my new awesome (thank you BFF Joanna) diaper bag as a "purse" with a smaller purse/wallet hidden inside plus a little rollie bag as my "carry on" then "Big Red" (my Russian suitcase) for everything else.  I will also shrink wrap the stroller (thank you Angel friend Holly) and check that as an additional item for the trip there since I will not have a baby in it.  I wonder if I put a doll in it I could get away with taking it to the gate?  I could then get very irritated when they said that I could not have a stroller for my beloved doll...... hmmm... not bad except that I may end up air marshalled and off to Russian jail instead of off to Russian Court so ex-s-nay that idea.

I have one last minute paper to pick up at the agency that goes with me to Russia and a couple more items on the list then it's time to do the final pack.  Today is my last day at work before my leave so it's lots of wrap up paperwork and hugs from my co-workers.   Tonight is dinner with the family and closest girlfriends then tomorrow I am leaving on a jet plane to board for the final leg of the adoption journey.  Do I feel ready? I still wake up in the middle of the night with random things to add to the list such as baby toothbrush and non scented travel laundry soap but I know that I have everything that I truly need for the journey.  Anything I missed I will find in my travels and anything else I wasn't meant to have for the trip.  My next post will be from the airport

xo