WISHES DO COME TRUE

As if you haven't already begun to believe my beyond awesome psychic - in touch with the universe capabilities...
A matter of years ago Kday and I receieved an ornament for our tree and I dubbed it as the "wishing ball." Not quiet sure if it's the true purpose of this little red ball ornament but I began a little nonsense tradition of writing down a wish, folding it up and locking it away inside the little red ball. It sits on the tree soaking in all the Christmas spirit and then it quietly hides away in the attic all year until next Christmas.... and when it's time to decorate the tree again the following year, the proof is in the ball.

Last year I decorated the tree while watching the movie "Eat.Pray.Love" and I remember jotting down a simple wish and slipping it into the ball - to be opened in 2011. I'm such a sucker for superstitions and you'll never believe what my little wish unfolded to read this year. This is for shizzle.

I most DEFINITELY don't have my inner body on the outside... but I MOST DEFINITELY am pregnant. How in the world do I do it?
Kday made me promise not to write any wish related to adding more children to our family by next Christmas. I think maybe for the first wish ever in my life I might lay off the baby wishing.... maybe. Ha!

PULL THE WHAT OUT OF THE WHAT!!!!

The Chef's

Miss Mary doesn't enjoy cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Last year we even resorted to deli sliced turkey sandwiches. It was awesome... but just didn't quite hit the spot. So my SIL, Kim, and I decided that it was our turn to grow up and learn how to be official woman folk and cook the meal for the entire family. 

My list of items to attempt cooking included: the turkey, green bean casserole, rolls, apple pie, banana cream pie, and gravy.
Meat scares me. I'm quite inexperienced in cooking meat. So when I saw what a raw turkey out of it's packaging looked like... I was completely and utterly grossed out by it. What in the --- are all those bumps on it, I asked Rita? Casually she explained that it's where the feathers are plucked out of the skin. Gross! Double gross! But the real fun happened when Kim watched me pull the turkey neck out of it's body. WHAT! I have to touch it!? Yes, and I did. And we almost peed our pants right there on the kitchen floor. I screamed with disgust and dry heaved more than once while we discussed the freakish touch, smell, and sight of a turkey's neck being pulled from it's body cavity. Wowzer... I sure have a new appreciation for those women who have cooked a beautiful turkey for me for the past 30 thanksgivings of my life. Imagine my equal disgust when it came to massaging butter and herbs on the pimply turkey skin... aint gonna happen people. Kim took care of that for me. I did however reach my hand all the way inside the body to stuff it with some miscellaneous seasoning items.

And after that... the rest of the dinner was history. 

Pies - easy. 

Rolls - burnt.

Green Bean Casserole - burnt and kinda gross.

Gravy - bland and runny.

Turkey - Ok, I think.

All the fixin's that Kim made were fabuluroso as well as the tasks Miss Mary handled.
The day was superb. I spent the entirety of the day with my lady friends in the kitchen and the evening watching Christmas Vacation and listening to my dad's laughter roar through the house.

FAVORITE PART OF THE ENTIRE DAY:

As my entire family sat around the table for about 45 minutes post meal and light heartedly discussed baby names for the up coming arrival. We joked about names like "buster, seven, francis, and chauncy." It was kind of a magical moment, sitting around the table with the ones I love and sharing laughter, inside jokes, and stories. I loved that we were discussing names... for a baby... my baby... the one I'm carrying in my belly. Surreal.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

MY LITTLE GIANT

Monkey went in for his 3 month check up (supposed to be a 2 month - but the MD couldn't squeeze us un any sooner)
He measured up fabulously and Buca did a good job of consoling her baby brudda after he got his immunizations.

Buca waited patiently in her chair eating snacks and reading books until it was her turn for the flu-mist

After earning her sucker and showing brudda how to be brave... she held his hand after his shots and he held onto her for dear life. 

It was a moment that tickled my fancy.

Sweet kids.

 He wasn't sure how he felt afterward, but a little tylen0l and a good nap did the trick and he's been sweeter than sweet ever since.

The Official Stats:

Height: 24 1/4 inches - 75th %

Weight: 13 lbs 9 oz - 75th %

Head size: 50th % 

Big fella.

Cute fella.

I'm head over heals in love with him.

BUBBA BUBBA BUBBLE BATH

Since moving into a multilevel home, other than the stair climbing workout, a few other daily challenges have crept up. And let's face it, the stair climbing is the only exercise aside from yoga and 1-2 short walks a week that I'm getting these days. It's a good thing. But something that presented as a trick was how to manage bath time when we reside in the basement and the only tub in the house is two levels up. Thank goodness for big sinks people. My mom's deep kitchen sink has proved to be the perfect cleansing hub. I'm sure it makes Miss Mary a little bonkers that I'm always bathing my children right after dinner in the middle of her kitchen while she's trying to chillax for the evening... but she' good to put up with me. Heaven knows I love a good bedtime routine for my kids.

So my solution to avoid running around the house - upstairs and downstairs - and gathering all the bath time necessities every night... the bath box.

It stows away under the sink nicely and has all the necessities. Diapers in each child's size, brushes and combs, detangler, baby oil, washcloths, powder, and of course baby lotions. I'm a weirdo when it comes to smells. It's a topic that deserves it's own entire post. So don't think it bazarro that I have a different scent of lotion and body wash for each of my kids.

 Layla scent is J&J's Shea and Coco Butter. Rider rocks the J&J's Vanilla Oatmeal. I'm still up in the air about which scent the newest arrival will use. I had better decide soon. Time's a ticking. 

Anyway, it keeps bath time organized and simple. I just whip out the box and a pair of PJ's and before I know it everyone is bathed, lotioned, and ready for bed by 7:30 pm - sparing me the post dinner run around chaos. 

SPENT

Layla passed out asleep on her floor after a weekend of fun

We spent the weekend getting totally organized and completely "moved in" around here.

We spent time trying out the new Double Chariot on a walk around the "hood."

We spent Friday night at the Nutcracker and picked out a snow globe for Layla.

We spent Saturday night as a family at the Christmas tree lighting at The Gateway.

We Spent a little money Christmas shopping and eating the worlds most delicious cookies.

And after all that....

Layla was SPENT.

SHOWERED WITH LOVE

The baby shower thrown for the baby boys was stupendous. I can't believe the generosity. Crazy generous.

Money tree that people donated to and the money was placed in the piggy bank and their name was placed on the tree with tiny blue clothes-pins.

D-licious home made caramel shortbread squares of heaven

Can one possibly over dose on these? I think not... because I certainly can't get enough of them

How darling are these "twin boy" gingerbread men!? Oh me oh my... my heart melted and I almost started to cry when I saw how cute and thoughtful these cookies were!

Grapes... another something that I can't get enough of these days. Yum!

The most fantastic punch I've ever devoured. I had 4 glasses. And still didn't get enough

The people who came to support us and this crazy exciting abundance of babies - are much appreciated. I can't thank everyone enough and the ladies who put this shower together were the sweetest. So thoughtful. Now I've got to get to work on the thank you cards.... time's a ticking you know :)

5%

Me Monkey

In an adoption class I once read that 5% of all infertile women are able to conceive. I also read the statistic that 5% of all women with infertility who adopt are able to conceive. Adoption does NOT increase a woman's probability of conception after a life of infertility. Adoption should not be minimized as just a simple way to fix a problem. The miracle and sacrifice is not to be sought after as a treatment for IF (infertility).

As a woman with IF, prior to becoming a mother, I heard the comment "Oh you should just adopt! I've know so many people that adopted and then got pregnant."
A) Yeah, like adopting a child is going to just miraculously fix my ovaries that have been dysfunctional since birth.
B) "Just adopt"... like it's so easy. People act like adoption is as easy as "just" go to the store and pick out a baby and bring it home.

Then the second stage of the comments came after we had successfully adopted our Layla. "Oh! You know you're going to get pregnant now right!?" I would just casually smile and think, "Ok. Whatever."
Besides, who cared... I had my perfect angel baby.

What people don't realize is, yes, you do hear stories of people adopting and then getting pregnant... but you don't hear ALL the stories of people who adopted and didn't get pregnant. That's less exciting - so nobody talks about it.

Now we're in the double trouble phase of the misconception that adoption is a cure all for IF. I HATED hearing the stories.... and now I AM the story. But I really don't want to be. The comment I get almost daily now is, "Oh that's how it always happens! You adopt and then get pregnant!" No, I'm sorry, thats NOT how it always happens. I never thought it would happen to me that's for sure! Am I glad it did? Absa-freaking-lutely! But I hate that I have become one of those stories that people are going to use as ammo against the next woman they know with IF. I know how blessed I am and I know it's a great story to tell. I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. Not anything. And I don't mind that my story will be told... I just mind if it's used as a "Just adopt and you'll get pregnant" story. Is that so bratty of me?
I just really don't want my story to bring a single ounce of guilt or frustration to any women who are still awaiting their miracle baby. Yes, some of us who adopt are blessed beyond measure to experience a pregnancy and birth. But also, there are many who adopt and that the end of their road to parenthood and there's NOTHING less miraculous or beautiful than that in and of itself. Adoption is a means to being blessed with a baby in your life... it's not a medical cure to a disease. I'm just part of the REALLY REALLY LUCKY 5%. Wow, I've never had good luck until now.