I am committed to providing updates...or should I be committed?

OK, mental health is no laughing matter. So, before anyone emails me about being potentially insensitive, please know that I think our country needs to do more, earlier, and with less stigma than we currently do for those who suffer from mental health problems. I also recognize that some of society ills are caused by our lack of attention to this issue.

With that disclaimer in mind, I have no idea what I was thinking with all of the different activities that I am involved in this fall! Actually, I do..more on that in a second. However, I think I am going to frame it all with the hope that I am just preparing myself for how busy my life will get when our little munchkin or munchkins come home to Matt and I. It has not been lost on me that most bloggers are dedicated to their updates before they bring their little ones home. And, then, like Ohio States hopes of a national championship in football, they are gone. (I AM a Gator, after all).

Seriously, this update is more of a "G and Matt" update rather than an adoption update because THERE IS NOTHING TO REPORT. **sigh** Our only adoption news is that I have begun to work on our lifebook scrapbook. I have contacted family and friends near and far and asked for pictures of Matt and I. Thank you to everyone who has sent us some. We have them printed out and sorted by theme. Next step, actually making the scrapbook. I went to a local craft store and purchased 2 sets of scrapbooks because I couldn't decide which one I liked better. Of course, I brought them home and Matt and I looked at the styles, colors, and inserts to determine which one we liked better. Now, I need to go return the one not selected and purchase "embellishments" and decorative pages. Who knew scrapbooking was so complicated? I know that I am probably making it waaaayyy more difficult than it needs to be, but its a book that represents us. How difficult is THAT?

So, as my mind spins aimlessly about our adoption, I have chosen to distract myself with a ridiculous schedule: full time work, full time student, fall football season, company and traveling and responsibilities at the local university-all of the reasons why I am feeling overwhelmed.

Unlike a biological pregnancy, with an adoption there isn't a clear end in sight. There is no "due date." I recognize that most due dates are not accurate, but generally for a non-premature birth, you kinda know how much time you have to prepare for a child. With an adoption, we can move quickly through the process, as in six-nine months. Or, we can move slowly. There really is no way to know how long the adoption will take until you are in the middle of it. Essentially, it's only when the months tick off the calendar with no referral do you realize just how long the process will take. So, I am not quite sure if and when we are actually supposed to be working on tasks around the house- i.e. painting the nursery, purchasing clothes, toys, books, and furniture, a baby gate for the pool. It kinda feels too early to be doing those things. And, who wants to jinx the process?

So an update on us...

We are still waiting for the contractor to help us with our Tropical Storm Fay damage. Hopefully, one day this week he will be able to get us on his schedule. While our damage was not extensive, we do need to replace a door, fix a ceiling and fix our back porch.

Matt sees the light at the end of the tunnel for his graduate degree. He anticipates finishing his Master's in May (be on the lookout for that post). By the end of December, I will need to make some pretty big decisions about my coursework. I need to decide if I am going to continue the PhD track or switch over to the EdD. track. The difference between the two is significant and may have long term consequences. If I want to pursue an academic career at a research I university, I will need to continue with the PhD. If I want to remain a practitioner or work at a non-research I institution, then an EdD is perfectly acceptable. The difference is in the cost between the two (about $15,000) and the length of time my coursework will take (another 12 months full time or 24 months part time) are factors in my decision. It is something that I am struggling with as I am not sure exactly what I want to do when I grow up. It's the same kind of decision women everywhere face as they seek to find balance between the sometime competing interests of work, homelife, and personal ambitions.

And, really, I know that when our little munchkin or munchkins come home all of this waffling will be moot.