Expansion...

This pregnancy seems to be going so fast! I know it will be torturously slow when I get really big and it hits 104 degrees, but for now, the weeks are flying by. She will be here before we know it. I have gained 16 pounds! Eeek! I eat what I want, when I want it, so I guess that's not too bad. When I look back at my 10 week photos, I feel like I was a tiny little thing, and I sure didn't think so then. Funny how your perspective changes with your body. I also googled "breast lift". Ya never know! ;)

22 weeks along now...

Okay, I forgot to do this before...Haha, Laura. EPOH is awesome, too though!





When I bought this necklace from the amazingly talented Cathy, I knew I wanted to use it in photos. Of course, when Catherine does my actual maternity shots, we will get a better one. Cathy's necklaces are beautiful and delicate and romantic and have so much meaning. I could be her marketing manager!
Click here to see more.




Adam was able to feel Mallory kick for the first time last night. His face showed what I hoped it would...excitement and awe and love. I got teary thinking about how excited I am to bring our daughter into our perfect little family.

Mama Trauma!

I was so sure he wouldn't cry!
I was....wrong.

But it only took about 25 minutes, and he only cried while she was braiding it.
The other adults in the shop were very nice and reassured me that I am not an evil mother, and that most of the kids are much more distraught. Anyway, now that it's all over, Charlie loves his braids and I think he looks adorable, of course.

Penny Death Pig

A few weeks ago, Adam and Charlie were sitting on the floor of our bedroom, hard at work at a project. I came in to check it out, and saw them filling this glass pig with pennies. I asked Adam why he was doing that and I think the response was something like, "Cause it's cool!". I asked how you get them out and he said. "You don't...if we ever have to smash this pig, boy, did we screw up!".
About a week later, I noticed the heavy penny pig in my office. I think he ended up in there when Charlie had asked Adam to see it while he was working. I thought to myself "Okay, we gotta find a place for this thing!". I didn't think anything else of it. A couple of days after that, the pig was downstairs in the kitchen in our designated clutter spot. (You know you have one.) Adam was in there, so I had a little moment. I held the pig up and used my mom voice...on my hubby. "Adam, THIS pig has no home. It just...doesn't GO anywhere, and everywhere I go, it's like...there. Find a place for it to stay!" I pushed it to the back of the counter and forgot about it.
Later that night, as I was getting ready to crawl into bed, and what else was gracing my nightstand? You guessed it. I was DOUBLED OVER laughing, and Adam was cracking up as well. Thus the pig was dubbed Penny Death Pig, because he was surely stalking me and waiting for the right time to pounce and coin me to death. A couple of nights later, I went to my spot on the couch for some TV. He's in my chair! Yesterday, getting in the passenger side of the car. He's in my seat! He's at the top of the stairs! In my chair at dinner!
I don't know how long Penny Death Pig will continue to haunt me, but I DO know that my hubby sure knows how to make a girl laugh. :)

Happy Bunnies...

Easter was awesome! Charlie had a blast, and so did we. The only downside: I may have been a little leniant with the candy consumption that day, and that is ALL he talked about yesterday. Pease?? Candy, pease?? I have created a monster!
Here are a ton of pics....Enjoy!
Dyeing eggs the night before.

Crazy Bunny!

Charlie and the eggs...

Charlie and Daddy...

Babies!

Checking out the loot...

He's a happy bunny!

And a sleepy one, too...

Prizes at Patty-Poo's, too!

Thanks, Patty-Poo!

Bubbles!

Buddies!

Where did all those eggs go?

Expert Egg Hiders...

Me and this sweet hubby...

The Bells...

Pop and his boy...

Me and Catherine

Me and Jess, and our hot matching shades...

Love for Mom!


Bubbles for Owen...

And Charlie Fekadu, too...


Hope everyone had a great holiday as well!
Love to you....

Am I still tagged?

I waited so long, and now everyone else's random 10 things about themselves are all done. Oh, well. I am turning in my homework late!
Here goes:

1. I drink pickle juice right out of the jar. This is not a pregnancy thing, it's something I have always done. It's just so dang yummy.

2. I have a serious hair complex. I was teased beyond belief as a child for my unruly, frizzy hair. It made my entire school experience less than what it should have been. I wore my hair up almost every day in high school and usually still do. I am working on getting over it.

3. In my early twenties, I was in a 3 year relationship with a man who was twice my age. It was something that most people did not understand, but it was not like you would think. We thought we were pretty normal, for the most part, and we had some good times.

4. When Adam and I were in Paris on our honeymoon, we went to the Louvre. We were in the room with the Mona Lisa and people were getting yelled at constantly for taking photos. The guard was scary mean and was taking cameras from people. Now I am not very rebellious, but something in me had to know if I could do it. I turned off the flash, held the camera just at my waist and clicked the shutter. I was holding my breath until we were safetly out of the museum. Once alone, Adam said, "Did you get it?" I grinned at him. I now have a tiny, fuzzy thumbnail of the famous painting, and I feel kinda guilty about it, even now.

5. I am envious of people who have unfaltering faith in their religions. I have always felt like I am searching for the thing I can believe in without thinking in the back of my mind..."really? that can't be it!". I don't want to have faith just because I should, I want it to be real and true, and so I am looking and waiting.

6. I have always been very worried about how I am viewed by other people. I have recently become aware that some people, even those close to you, may secretly not like you, for whatever reason. The more settled and happy in my life I become, I give a shit less and less.

7. I always wanted my name to be Julie. And maybe people would call me Jules. Sigh.

8. When I was in middle school (I can't believe I am telling this) our group of kids at the bus stop saw something weird in the sky. (Yes, really). There were about 10 of us. One girl's mom called all these UFO people and we ended up in a magazine and on the Fox show, Encounters. To this day, I really don't even remember what it looked like. (I guess TECHNICALLY, it is unidentified, right?)

9. As a child, I really wanted to see a ghost. I checked out books in the library on how to find them, and I would ask my grandmother constantly if anyone had ever died in her house before she owned it. (The answer was no.) I searched for secret passages in every house I went in, and checked all our photos for strange happenings. The closest I ever got was...see #8.

10. When I saw Seigfreid and Roy in Vegas when I was 21, President Clinton was 2 tables away from us. He had 284673 people with him. It was pretty cool. The show was just "eh".

Okay, mine are pretty random...! It was tough to compete with the fab ladies that came before me. :)

And now, for our reading pleasure, I would like to tag...
Jessica
Catherine
Jennifer
SarahC
April
Cathy
Erin
Rachel
Carrie

What a Week!

Last week flew by, and every night I was jonesing to blog about our events. That video pretty much took all my blog time, so let's catch up!
Wednesday
was our 3rd in a row weekly playdate with our good buddies Owen and Catherine. We took the boys to lunch at Chic-Fil-A and then to the city park. It was Owen's first time, and it was so much fun to watch him take it all in. Charlie is an old pro, and ran from slide to slide making Mommy nervous. I know we looked like the paparazzi, Cat with her Nikon, and me with the camcorder. Hey, new moms, what can you do?



The week before that, Cat invited us over for pizza and painting. It was a blast!




Wednesday
night, Charlie and I trekked up to Atlanta together to meet some of our wonderful Ethiopia group at Queen of Sheba restaurant. (Can you say YUM?) We got to meet Diane and Atticus in person! What a great pair they make. We also visited with Stephanie, and talked about wonderful hypothetical things with her. The people who work there are amazing and warm and it just brings me back to being in Addis. Charlie really took to one of the guys, who pretty much babysat while I mingled and ate dinner. It was so nice to see that connection is still available to us. CF ate a boatload of injera, and made some great new friends. On the way home, the sunset was hitting the buildings downtown, and everything was pink and orange. Charlie was in his carseat, barefoot, laughing and pointing at all the "big bewdins!" The city has never looked so beautiful to me. Needless to say, once home, good sleep was had by all.
Thursday
afternoon was our big 20 week visit with the doctor. Unfortunately, it was the first visit Adam has not been able to make. So, I thought it would be great fun to share it with my MIL, Alice, my mom, and Charlie. Alice and I drove up and met my mom, who managed to sneak away from taxland for a while. Mallory is now DEFINATELY a girl. (So there, hubby! Hehe.) She looks great, and we have been declared...drumroll, please...totally normal!!! (Well, pregnancy wise, anyway). We go back in 4 weeks, but the next time we see our girl will be when she makes her grand (and surprisingly easy and painless.....?) entry into the world.
The pictures are blurry, but here she is:




After the appointment, we rushed home to meet our social worker, who was coming over for our 6 month post placement visit. Yes, 6 months! How did it happen? I have no idea, but we had a great visit and she was (of course) impressed with CF and my amazing mothering skills. Ahem. Hopefully we will see her again with our next adoption! (There, I said it!).

Friday
brought Adam home to us! We spent some time together in the morning and afternoon, and then it was time for our much needed Girl's Night Out. Our "sorority", Alpha Beta Phabulosa, meets once a month for a night out. This month we had pizza (I eat a lot of pizza) and bowling (which I sat out, but watching was just as fun). These ladies, wow. I cannot imagine my life without them. We have a bond between us that is easy, fun, real, honest...everything you could want in girlfriends. Plus they are all crazy fun....See for yourself:












Saturday
we headed for a visit with our friends L and B and thier son...(also from Ethiopia). L & B were the very first friends we made in this journey, and their advice and support has been priceless. Charlie and their son have had an arranged best friendship for a long time, and I think it's actually starting to work! They are so cute together. You will have to take my word for it though. I think L and I were all camera'd out. We had a nice visit, and great pizza. (Yummmm). Then we braved the weather to head home. It wasn't bad...just a little rain.
On the way home, we dropped of Prince Charles at my parent's house for a sleepover! They were excited to see him, and we were excited to sleep in today. ;)
Next we decided to give in to our cravings (Adam- Chinese takeout, Heather- PIZZA and a salad....and a chicken sub....hehe) and veg in front of the TV to catch up on Survivor and Lost. It was a great night together, and YES, everyone...Lost was awesome, and yes, I cried! We went to bed and slept from 11 pm to 11 am. I feel like a new woman today. Between this gorgeous weather, my sweet family, and all the exciting plans we have coming up, I don't know what else I could ask for.
Happy Sunday!