It's So Quiet...

Well, Isabel is safely stowed away with my sister Patti in Wisconsin, and the house is strangely quiet. Even the cats keep walking around, bewildered at the lack of noise and activity. Other than the gaping hole in my chest, I'm doing fine. I miss her so much, but I know that this is the best course of action. Two weeks is, relatively speaking, a very short time, and the peace of mind I've achieved by making the decision to leave her home is invaluable.

I'll be busy today, running last minute errands and packing and unpacking and repacking. One nice thing is that I will be able to accomplish a great deal in far less time than it usually takes when my little helper is here.

In the end, I think this is better. Now Richard and I will have two solid weeks to focus our attention solely on Madeleine. I am hoping that we can make some small (or better yet large) strides toward bonding before we get home and rock everybody's world when the two girls meet.

I've been so busy of late making arrangements and getting everything in order that I haven't taken a lot of time to ponder the fact that we will be meeting our new daughter in just a few short days. This morning, I've had a couple moments of pure joy and excitement as I think about that meeting. We will soon be a family of four. We will soon have the two daughters I've always dreamed about. And very soon, this quiet will be gone. I can't wait.