Planning Challenges

I'm a planner,I like to research and plan ahead as much as possible.  Don't get me wrong, I like spontaneity as well but generally speaking I like to know what is happening.   Heading into the adoption process there are so many unknowns and this makes it difficult to plan.

Lately we have been planning our summer vacation to Boston and Washington, DC, as well as a trip to

Coors Field to see the Cubs play the Rockies.  By July or August it is possible that we will be matched and have our kid(s) placed with us so how do we plan for this.  We have decided to buy 2 extra tickets to the Cubs vs Rockies game, if we haven't been matched then we will sell the tickets.   Boston is a little more complicated as we have an entire day planned at Fenway park - tour of the park, lunch, batting practice, and a Cubs meet and greet.   Buying 1 or 2 extra tickets that we may not need now is a little crazy so we are holding off on that for now.  After we are approach the end of the home study process we may re-evaluate and purchase extra tickets for that as well.  

In addition to travel we are stumped on how to plan for the arrival of the kid(s).  When you are pregnant or adopting an infant, showers usually get thrown for the expectant parents and many items are purchased in advance - cribs, car seats, clothes, toys etc.  You know that these items are needed so it is easy to purchase them in advance.  We don't know what age our child(ren) will be, what they will need or even what gender they will be.  This makes it difficult to start to purchase items in advance.   All we can do is start saving money to be prepared to go on a massive shopping spree once we are matched.   Part of me thinks it will be fun for to go shopping with our kid(s) to pick out a paint color or furniture for their room, but part of me thinks so much will be happening that it would be nice to have things set up ahead of time.

I know that everything will work out and all this worry may be for nothing.  I have to learn to embrace the unknown and unexpected throughout this process.