My Danish Daughter

I am nesting- I am working on getting her room all put together (got the bedding set, curtains, etc. this weekend!). I find a way to bring her up in most conversations. I am counting down the days until August 1st.

Turns out, being "foreign exchange pregnant" isn't much different than being normal pregnant! Only that when she gets here, she'll already be sleeping through the night and eating solid foods! Certainly, I won't find her sitting on the kitchen table, emptying my billfold contents into a glass of water. 

Her name is Julie, she's from Denmark, she's 15, and we've emailed back and forth a few times. She is so sweet and super cute! Since Derek will be away most of the time she's here, we'll get to hang out and do 'girl stuff.' I think we'll be a good match together. I'm already trying to plan fun things to do while she's here. Of course there's the trip to GA for when Derek graduates from basic training, but I am hoping to take a (long-overdue) trip to visit a cousin in Chicago and maybe a short vacation to Colorado before school starts. Then maybe I can get around to doing all of those things in Kansas City that I always tell people they should do when they visit, but haven't done yet myself.

I hope she likes it here and that she'll make good friends! I am praying for her daily and that I'll make a good mom to a teenager, despite my lack of expertise in the area. I am hoping that I can be the "cool" mom (doesn't attempting to be "cool" ruin all chances?) and that we will both learn a great deal through this experience.

It's a bittersweet countdown, knowing that every day she is closer to being here that it's one day closer that Derek will be leaving. But, honestly, I think it will be so good for me to be able to have a new role to take my focus off being a single-mom for several months. In fact, it gives us something in common and will help me be more understanding to what it must be like to her to be without her family. Only 142 more days to go!!