Inspired

I am inspired today to write in a blog that is user-friendly and on which my friends can comment. I have a website with a bit of a "blog," but which isn't postable (well, it could be, I suppose, but I haven't had time to figure THAT out, and this is easier), and I haven't done a good job keeping up with. But it's got my basic information on it. Well, now, almost.
The biggest news is we've just adopted. I'm going to publish a bunch of photos on a PhotoSite soon, but this is my first venture into blog territory for the word-y angle. I just feel like sharing tonight. Charlotte Regina Lim is the newest member of our family. She was born April 30 in Raleigh, North Carolina, to a wonderful birth mom whom I have come to respect and admire greatly. I had to stay in NC for two weeks until the two states cleared us to come home to Alabama. It was stressful not being with my family and having to constantly be in touch with lawyers about what piece of information was needed that day or hour, but it was rather relaxing to be there alone for a while. I was holed up in a hotel room and had no responsibilities other than taking care of Charlotte (and keeping in touch with lawyers...). My children were taken care of by friends and family and then by Marce (he was with me for 5 days and then came home). They missed me terribly, as I did them, but they survived just fine. I didn't have to cook or clean or do anything in particular. I slept when Charlotte slept and ate good meals and watched a few movies and meandered slowly around nice malls in Charlotte, NC. It was freeing not to have all the other responsibilities at the same time. Just me and my new baby.
Now she's not completely legally ours yet. We have to still go through the court and get the adoption finalized. But that will come. We love her and are enjoying her tremendously. The three older sisters are fabulous with her, and Brianna, who just turned 11, is a great help. She is very useful to her old mom, who's not getting any younger, by the way. I celebrated my 37th birthday in the midst of all this and it wasn't fun. Too much stress. But I don't at all mind being 37. I feel in the prime of my life, except that I'm not sleeping through the night all the time! But hey, I have plenty else to enjoy and appreciate. Sleep will come later, right?
You might be interested to hear that Charlotte is black/African-American, whichever you prefer to call her. So we are building a bit of a little U.N. I'm white, Marce is Filipino, our three older girls are mixed, and the new baby is black. I figure we need a Hispanic baby... or not. I think I've got my hands full right now. So we will probably have some interesting conversations over the years with Charlotte, and we have already had interesting conversations with perfect strangers (well, primarily me, as I wandered around in public with the baby). They have all been very supportive and positive. We are aware that there will be a few issues to address, but mostly, I don't think much about how she looks, except that she's cute as a button! She's just a doll.
She's my baby, however she came into our family, and I love her. She is such a blessing. I always said that when I had a new baby, I was meeting a perfect little stranger each time. This was the same -- I was handed a new little stranger to get to know. Just came a different way. But I didn't feel any different as I have gotten to know her. It's been really a neat experience.
OK, so that's the end of my inaugural post. There will be more to come, more often than not, I hope.