Zebras

So my title has absolutely nothing to do with my post. It's just what popped into my head. So I realized something yesterday...I want something to be going on. I am a city girl and I love the fast pace of city life. (For those of you who don't know Aaron's job has brought us to a (wonderful) small town in northern Missouri.) All summer we have traveled so much. I loved it! Lately we have been in town for at least 4 weeks in a row and I am starting to feel a little stir crazy. Well to be totally honest and you may think I'm crazy I have been having anxiety. At first I could not figure out what it was. Then I realized...Life has slowed down, the courts are closed in Ethiopia, chats on the list serve have slowed WAY DOWN, People rarely update their blogs....We are not getting out of town anytime soon....I feel just a little claustrophobic! Here is what I know: I know everything is all in God's timing! I know that things will pick up again come October I know we have already made it through almost a full month of the court closure. I know I need to enjoy this time with George and Aaron while it is just the three of us. I know I can use this time to get ready (I refuse to get shots until I have that little one's image in my head). With all of that said I appreciate everyone who reads and responds to my posts, your messages are truly an encouragement and "something" to do during this time of waiting. Thanks to all of my friends and family for your encouraging phone calls and support. I know I am going to look back on this and laugh at myself. I know I will think what was I in such a hurry for? Okay well I already feel a lot better, I do still wish there was movement somewhere from someone... and if not movement in the adoption world maybe we could have some movement on the home front. A little traveling would be nice. Speaking of traveling (totally knew subject). Aaron and I have decided we should get away for the weekend just the two of us. Are their any suggestions on how we can do this have a wonderful time but stay on a budget? Also this would be our first time away from curious. (We are treating this as a trial run for traveling to Ethiopia.)

Names

Well I want to update you on an unofficial #6 for the girls list. Apparently there were two infant girls who were matched with families. So we get to move from 8-6. I feel like AAron and I are pregnant and we are having that discussion of which gender we would like to have A BOY or A GIRL. Obviously we are ecstatic to have either one but it is still fun to wonder. As of right now My heart is leaning towards a girl and Aaron's towards a boy. I wanted a girl when I was pregnant with George and I couldn't be happier with my precious, awesome, totally cool little boy. Soo we are leaving it up to God's perfect plan. Funny thing is we are really left guessing since we are #6 on Boys and #6 on Girls.... Soooo anyways, We have been talking a lot about names and Well by "we" I mean I have been talking a lot to myself, out loud, in the company of my husband (who is not listening). I have been working my tail off for us to have names picked out so that when we see him or her we can say she or he definitely looks like a ...... I am not one of those people that can see them and then out of the blue pick their name based on what I feel. I picked Curious George's name (his real name is Aaron Wesley Jeremiah Rye) and once he came out and I brought him home I called him Kyle(not his real name) for like 3 weeks. I was delusional and thought for sure he "looked" like a Kyle. Well he does a little but it is not his name and I am so glad we had his name picked before I met him. Well long story short I told the hubby of mine that he no longer had the power of Veto for names until he gave me 10 possible names. (They had to be workable and not cookie or fluffy or whatever weird mood he was in). Well He failed and did not have the names to me by the deadline I had picked. On Sunday afternoon I was online looking up names, and I found a girl's name I really liked. I found this name and I thought of a super cute nickname to go with it. I thought Self there is no way that Aaron is going to come in here and like this name. So I prayed about it. I prayed that God would give me kind words (if Aaron tried to veto it) but I also prayed that if Aaron vetoed it that he would have a few names to contribute. I was reading down my list of favorite names and their meanings(we are really really into meanings). As I was reading them I read my favorite name, nickname and meaning, and Aaron stopped me he said read that last one again. I did and he said to me.... ....... ......I love that name! I love the nickname and I love the meaning. Then he said what about ......for her middle name. My husband picked her name! I am so glad and now it feels totally worth all the veto madness I went through to get here to the place of the perfect little girls name!

My Big Sister

I wanted to dedicate this post to my big sister and the fact that her birthday was yesterday and she turned 30. Now I will be honest I thought that 30 was the new 20 and therefore not "that" big of deal. After much research (interviewing my post 30 friends) I now stand corrected and I have discovered that it is a HUGE deal! Especially to the person conquering this milestone. So here it is.... When we were kids my big sister was the absolute coolest, most beautiful, most perfect big sister One person could find. Now don't get me wrong this does not mean we did not fight. We definitely did. It just means that no matter what she was doing she made it look so cool, I wanted to do it too. No matter what she was wearing she made it look good (I can remember coming downstairs to leave for school, seeing what she was wearing I would run back to my room to change into something that resembled what she had on.) She has always had perfect hair, perfect skin and the ability to get an amazing tan! Don't get me wrong, she by no means was high maintenance, when I say she made anything look cool, I mean she played soccer and so was often sporting a t-shirt, umbro shorts, and a scrunchy in her hair. SHe still Looked GORGEOUS! She is super humble. She would never lead anyone to believe that she agrees with any of this stuff that I have written about it her. But it is all true! Just ask my Mom! I can remember her picking on me, but the second one of her friends would start in she was the first one to tell them to back off (or else!) I was sooo proud of her! I remember passing her in the halls of our High school and telling everyone there's my sister!

As kids (and to this day) She has always been able to let out the most amazing burps ever! We have grown up (i Use the term 'grown up' very loosely) always able to share secrets. Usually the kind of details you would never tell another living soul.... She gives the best advice. I have never felt like she was judging me. She always gave me the advice with no strings attached. It was usually wisdom from her own personal experience. With four kids and 10 years of marriage under her belt there is plenty of wisdom to go around!

There is no one in the universe who can make me laugh harder than her. I LOVE THAT! She has always been there for me ALWAYS! I am talking 3:30 in the A.M. Always. You know someone cares about you when it is 3:30 in the morning and you have just awoken them from what was probably the most amazing sleep ever, and they pretend like they have been awake just hanging around (waiting for your call) Just so that you won't feel bad, for waking up their entire house! THAT IS A BIG SISTER... I love her so much! My whole life would be totally different if I didn't have her. Happpy BIrthday STAST!

Fat cat

This is our overweight cat. His name is Romeo and he definitely lives up to his name as he is very lovable. That was of course before his diet. When Romeo was a very tiny kitten (yes he was small once) he developed some sort of an allergy we will call it feline asthma. Now when Romeo gets this "asthma" he has to get a steroid shot. We need to do this about twice a year. Well our vet informed us once again that with this shot he will run the risk of getting feline diabetes. She said that his weight problem could make this more likely. Then she used the O word. She called him Obese. Well this really hurt Romeo. He has always felt more like a small dog than a cat and to call him obese was a real reality check. Well when we got home we put him on a strict diet. He still eats the same food he loves just half the amount. This means his bowl is often empty. He is angry with us! Which for Romeo means the silent treatment. Even when I went to pet him just now he licked the spot where I touched him, as if to say "don't give me your pity pats." Well all we have to do is get him down to 15 lbs. and we can put his food back to "normal."

I am sure you are guessing by now there is absolutely NOTHING going on here but waiting....Oh I should post pictures of the crib in our room, but I really want to get the bedding first, so you'll have to settle with pictures of our fat Romeo.

I do have a curious George story...

The other night he had been talking in his bed for about 1 hour so I went in to settle him and say it was time to be quite. When in I went in there this was our conversation....

Me: Curious it's time to go to bed

Curious: Jesus died on the cross

Me (startled and rather impressed): Yes he did he died for our sins so that he would raise again and live in our hearts.

Curious (literally starting to fall asleep, and oblivious to my response): I died on the cross for God so that I could sing to him.......

I had nothing to say..what theology is that? and where would I have taken it? Well I didn't need to think for long because the silence was soon filled with him singing (very sleepily) "At the Cross." The scene that played out before me was super cute and very humerous...I wonder what had been going through his precious little mind?

I will just let the Holy spirit work that one out.....;)

Massages

Have you ever just sat and wondered, "what would be the positives of throwing out my back?" Well one major one is that you can justify the expense of getting a massage. We found out about 3 years ago that when you go to a Chiropractor and you put it on insurance (isn't that what its for) Insurance companies can look at what you went for and say "hmmm, this person throws her back out every two years so we aren't going to cover it." So we had some excellent advice to pay for it out of pocket. Well last time I did this I received about 4 chiropracter treatments and my super generous Mom and Dad payed for a massage. Well the Chiropracter said that was an excellent way to speed up recovery. Well living here in a new place I was worried about going somewhere new when I love my chiropracter back home (in Saint Louis). Soooo, my sweet man said lets pay for a couple of massages instead. Well from this whole situation I have learned something about myself. I know that everyone was born with a purpose I have discovered mine...(careful this is going to get deep) getting massages. Yes I know it will be a difficult calling but I am willing to embark on this journey :) So now you might be thinking "How do I throw out my back in order to justify massages?" Well the last 4 times were very silly things lets see: picking up the phone off the floor, picking up a baby (okay totally legit), picking up the phone off the floor (wow I need to review keeping the phone somewhere else), and scooting our dogs bed (pillow) across the floor. There it is! I do have to tell you if you are considering this just know that your back pain doesn't go away. Days when you wake up pain free by bed time it hurts so bad. So this is definitely a down side worth considering. Oh and one more positive thing. When I came home from my massage, Curious George informed me that He had also thrown out his back and needed a massage. He had also touched my arm and discovered it was really oily (from the massage not lack of bath) He asked why and when I told him they use oils to massage me he then informed me that he needed oils for his massage. So we got him all ready for bed and he layed down (I hid some baby lotion so that he would think it was massage oil) and proceeded to give my precious baby boy a massage. When George was little I gave him baby massages every night before bed with this exact lotion. Oh the sweet memories this brought back. He layed so still and absolutely loved it. Aaron was worried we had created a monster. I was happy to have such a PRECIOUS moment with my little boy (who is 3 and getting not so little anymore :(

Correction

Sorry Everyone I need to correct how far along I am....

If we are having a girl I am actually more like 2 months pregnant....Because we are

On the Girls list.

And if we find out we are having a boy We are about 4 months pregnant because we are #

"Pregnant"

So I have decided that I am about 4 months "Pregant." give or take a month. No we are not finding out what we are going to have until about hmmm....maybe the 5th or 6th month. So are any of you sitting there with your mouth gaping open? Well I have decided I am going to start putting the adoption into pregnancy perspective because I get to justify so many more things. Here they are in no particular order... 1). I can start picking up super cute clothes for our little one. Guessing the age, size and gender is actually kinda fun (for now!). 2.) We are rearranging so that we can get used to the new setup. We are moving the crib from George's room into ours so that He and We can get used to seeing it in there! 3.) I can obsessively think about names. (I am pretty settled). 4.)I can start making lists from other people's bloggs who just traveled so that I can be ready to pack and travel! (I had a bag packed for the hospital when I was like 7 mo preg....You know just in case:) 5.)We can start collecting and setting aside donations! 6.) We can start setting aside diapers. When I was pregnant with curious george we started buying diapers, a bag a week so that we had them saved up when he came home. It was a huge life saver and it helped financially when we were needing to buy other things (like a $250 breast pump.) 7.) Food cravings, sleepyness, and being cranky. I think I can justify these....? Well I was hoping to accomplish putting this whole waiting thing into more "exciting" terms. It is exciting when people are pregnant because you count down with them. I feel like every time someone talks to me I am counting up. Interested by stander: "so how much longer do you think?" Me: " Oh this is a really quick program so I am thinking probably a little over a yearish..(me last may). Interested by stander (last fall): "So do you have a referral how much longer do you think?" Me (smiling politely): No we should probably be done and have our referral by the middle to end of the spring. Interested by stander (Last spring): "So do you know how much longer" Me(looking desperate): "Nope we still don't know probably sometime this summer, we're praying we can TRAVEL before the court closes in Aug." Interested by stander (This summer): So are you going to get to travel before the courts close?" Me: " No we would need a referral before we travel...Probably 6 more months." So I give it to you in this way for 2 reasons: 1. The interested by stander is trying to be excited and encouraging by keeping up with our process. The second reason is it shows how I am having to tell them more and more and more time. Doesn't it just sound nicer to say I am about 4 months along in our adoption pregnancy...We will soon find out the sex (1-2 months) We are looking at delivering in Ethiopia sometime in January... Doesn't that just sound hopeful and exciting? Well the count down is on and the diaper buying will help me! (Wow I never thought I would say buying diapers would "help me" I remember counting down to not need to buy them anymore. Weird)