Be Still My Heart

Please be patient with us...we are trying to get information and pictures out little by little :).

We already have over 100 pictures of Alina! We saw her briefly this morning (green dress) before we completed A LOT of paperwork. We were able to go back and spend two hours with her this evening (pink shirt and pants).

I have details to share tomorrow, but what I can say briefly is that we met a little girl today who melted our hearts. We met a little girl who is full of potential. She is busy, and sharp, and curious and adorable. While she is not talking a ton, she understands everything that is said to her in Russian! (She did say "book" for us, though.) This is the first picture of us with her, taken by our facilitator, Marina:

Here are a few other of the many photos we took today of our "little tank":







Alina LOVED the photo book of her new family. She kept wanting to go back into the room and show it to her groupa and caretakers. Actually, she wanted to show them all the toys we brought along. She LOVED the phone and her daddy's Blackberry--she tried to take off with it :).

She carried the photo book, though, with her wherever she went. Her caretakers let her keep it with her overnight :).

When we were leaving, one of the women asked her to come back and give mama and papa a hug goodbye. She turned right around and stretched her arms out to me and gave me a huge hug. She then gave Chris a huge hug.

We can't wait to see her tomorrow! We will post more as soon as we can!

From dad....

Well, here Lisa and I sit after one of the most incredible days of our lives with no internet connection! It appears that my blackberry is our only lifeline out to our world. Now Lisa can type faster on a computer than just about anybody, but she's lost on a blackberry. She's asked me to attempt to "thumb" something interesting and I'll try my best, but trust me, I am not even close to being half as good as Lisa at capturing a moment so well with words (especially pecked with thumbs!). That being completely the truth, I'll be short until we re-establish communications.

Today was simply an amazing gift of a day! I've seen all 5 of my children born and today I just saw my 6th. It may have been a bit different, but it felt the same. This time my little girl came running around the corner and just stole my heart in the same way each of my children did the day they were delivered into this world. I'll leave the exciting details to Lisa, but I have learned many years ago to 100% trust my wife's instincts. With our little Alina, Lisa is still batting 1000! Alina is happy, healthy, loving, funny, playful, and already an important part of the Peele family. Lisa was 100% correct that day she told me "that terrible picture just doesn't show who that little girl is or who she could become". The story behind our meeting is great and will be best shared by my amazing wife. I better get working on the internet connection!

A Little Show and Tell

I know many of you are enjoying hearing about all we are learning about this area, so I wanted to share a little bit of that today. I will post more pictures as we go, but we are getting ready to board the overnight train to Alina's hometown, so I don't have as much time as I would need to cover this topic in depth.

Yesterday we toured a thousand-year-old monastery complex here in Kiev, as well as a few other historic churches, war memorials and museums with our driver's daughter, Olena. We had an amazing day, and learned so much about this country and its rich history.


Olena is fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, German and English. She speaks English very well, and we really enjoyed learning about WWII, Stalin, Lenin, The Red Army, the Orange Revolution, and the history of this country’s religion, architecture and culture from a Ukrainian perspective. It was a priceless opportunity.

Some things we learned: While the eastern part of the country is heavily Russian-influenced, the western part (including the Carpathian mountains) has a distinct Austrian influence. The western part of Ukraine is also predominantly Catholic. The eastern part is predominantly Christian Orthodox.

There is really an interesting mixture of architecture here in Kiev. Some of the buildings are opulent with intricate detail (designed to show the greatness of the Soviet Union), some are utilitarian Stalinist structures, and there is also some very modern architecture—all mixed together. The older area of town by the new Parliament building is very beautiful and established, with lots of old buildings and big trees. The crocus are blooming here, and I am guessing the trees and bushes will begin to flower in the next month. They are just beginning to bud. The monastery we visited had a courtyard which will be full of roses this summer and lots of magnolia trees. I bet it is gorgeous here in late June.

There are a lot of parks and other areas for leisure. Everywhere you look there is something interesting!

Yesterday, the main street that runs in front of Independence Square was closed to cars (as it is every Saturday). This huge street, and people just strolling or skipping right down the middle. It was so great.Here is a statue which symbolizes victory from WWII:

And check out this gorgeous display of hand painted eggs:



More to come of Ukrainian culture, food, architecture, history, religion...

And ALINA!

A Song in My Heart, Feathers in My Hair

We had the most amazing experience last night. There are truly no words to describe what we saw and how we felt as we stood in historic Saint Sophia's square and watched the open-air performance of a circus troupe from Marseille, France.

The experience is beyond description--we will never be able to fully capture with words or pictures, the sights, sounds and emotion of the night when acrobats dressed like angels emerged from the cathedral and flew across the square on high wires. What you see in the picture below are feathers, not snow. They were gorgeous, and people reached up, smiling and laughing, trying to catch them as they fell.

I had to choke back tears as we stood in that square, tucked in among thousands of Ukrainian nationals, trying to take a mental snapshot of this incredible, once-in-a-lifetime night. The people here are proud, and they should be. This is a beautiful and vibrant country. There are many intersecting layers to the past, present and future of Ukraine. There is a very rich history with both tough and uplifting aspects.

This is the life our little girl comes from. It is a life that--unfortunately, for some reasons--is not in her future, but is part of her nonetheless. And now it is part of us. We will take her home with a great respect and appreciation for both her country and ours. We would never have had these moments, these deep and incredibly meaningful moments, if it were not for her and this journey.

We are so happy that so many of you are taking it along with us. We are all enriched through it...

Pieces of Life Here

We picked up the official referral paperwork today which allows us to meet Alina! There are street vendors right near the SDA building, and we asked our driver if he could wait a few minutes so that we could to do a little bit of shopping. We found a few items to take back home for the kids and for Alina's memory box.

Small Ukrainian flags and colored pencils in the style of the traditional Matryoshka dolls are a few of the items we decided on yesterday. Bartering with the street vendors was interesting. In the end, we got a small discount...not a substantial one :). We had a wonderful time browsing items of particular meaning to this country and it's rich culture. I plan to take more pictures of some of the shops and vendors so others can see what we're seeing. This is a beautiful, fascinating country!

Cost of food in Ukraine

An interesting look at groceries here:

Huge bottle of water (6 liters): $2.38

Large bottles of beer (16 ounces): 52 cents each

Pepsi Light (12 ounces): 61 cents


Small bottle of Evian water (16 ounces): $2.50

Small container of instant coffee (Nestle): $7.50

Imported products are expensive in general. But groceries are really inexpensive.

Eating out is much less expensive than eating in the larger, metropolitan areas in the States, like NYC or Chicago. Dinner here in Kiev, for example: A whole pizza; salad of tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella cheese, 1 large beer, 1 glass of pinot grigio and 2 cappucinos...$35. Drinks are very inexpensive, compared to in the States. Maybe that is why many, many people drink beer with meals (?). You can also find meals for much less than this example.

The news is good on this front. There are plenty of great options for food in Kiev...and the price is right :)! Be patient and adventurous with your food choices. You will find foods you enjoy here!

From Experience

This post is for others coming to Kiev as part of the adoption process. While it is fresh, I wanted to jot down a few quick tips based on what we have experienced. This is very stream of consciousness, but hopefully it will be of help to some of you :)!



Each family will have a unique experience, but some of these things will be the same for everyone...



Have a contact person and phone number in case your flight plans change for some reason! Ask for one if it is not offered to you!



Don't be surprised if your accommodations here are not exactly what you were hoping for :). If you are really concerned about where you stay and have to have lush accommodations, you could always book a room at the Hyatt downtown...it is $550 a night!! Our apartment is not upscale at all, but the bed is comfy, the view is gorgeous and the location is good. It provides exactly what we need--a place to stay while we are here!



Toilet paper is not always available in restrooms, and when it is, it often feels like a paper towel. Just sayin'. Bring some if you need soft tp. Bring a couple of travel-sized rolls regardless for emergencies.



Tap water is not for drinking. Or for brushing your teeth. There is no ice (but most of the apartments have a small freezer, so pack an ice tray to fill with bottled water if you feel you must have ice). Many drinks are served warm and bottled water is often carbonated (if you are ordering in a restaurant, especially).



This city never sleeps. Everyone smokes. Everyone. (Okay, maybe not small children, but most everyone else.)



Kiev is BIG--around 3 or 4 million people! It is a little intimidating. It is also very beautiful and there is lots to do! We have found it to be relatively safe. Speak English quietly though, and behave conservatively. In other words, don't draw attention to yourself and shout "I'm not from here?!" Most people will know that anyway...there aren't a lot of foreign visitors...and apparently we stand out :), but it is wise not to be obvious in ways you can control.



Don't carry all your money with you and do not get into your money pouch in view of others. Carry a few hundred grivna with you at a time in your pocket or bag. Any other money or essential identification should be concealed.



For those wondering what to pack: The women here carry ornate or embellished bags and wear jackets with lots of detail. Their clothes and accessories are not plain or simple and are generally very fitted and feminine. People here like to dress up.



The women are wearing boots and trench coats or leather jackets--no flip flops or sandals or white sneakers (fashionable, European style sneakers, flats or comfy shoes are being worn but they are always dark and subtle). Bring at least one pair of comfortable shoes...you will be walking quite a bit...on uneven surfaces, etc. All of the women wear nylons or black tights with dresses, skirts or shorts and boots or very high heels. If you plan on having bare legs, bring nylons or tights. Black pencil skirts and black slacks are very common. A pop of color (yellow, purple, red, fuchsia) in a coat, bag or shoes seems to be in fashion. As is dyed hair...platinum blonde, dark black, red-red. If you are trying to fit in, I wouldn't suggest capri pants or jogging suits. **This changes as the seasons change! In the summer, women wear all kinds of clothing and shoes. Nylons are part of the dress code in the office, but nylons are not worn all the time in warm weather.



Men wear very similar clothing to what men in the States wear. They look more European, though...not a lot of running/gym shoes or sweatshirts, but rather stylish jeans, sweaters, button down shirts...that type of thing. We have seen zero shorts. On anyone. We have seen tight leather pants on many people...men and women...but that is another story altogether ;).



People seem to care about their appearance, but wear the same clothes over and over. When you look around, everyone appears to have worked at getting dressed. People are not sloppy. For sure.



You should be prepared to "pack light" but don't skimp on your essentials (like medicines and items absolutely necessary for comfort--a particular pillow or pair of shoes for example).



While you can purchase many things here, it might be tough to locate a store in which to purchase the item, and it is tough to read boxes/communicate with people. The facilitators could help you in a pinch, but do try to bring plenty of whatever you always use! I tried to pack travel sizes of some things and I should have known which things I did not want to run out of.



Consider cutting down your clothing items rather than other essentials. If you are packing gifts, pack small items.



Carry on a small bag that you can store under the seat in front of you with essentials, including Aleve, Advil, Tylenol, whatever works for aches and pains. Pack eye drops (it is dry in the plane), lip balm and gum or mints (your mouth will feel nasty, trust me!) in your carry on. Pack important papers, a pen, contact info. and passport in your carry on.



Make sure you buy a bottled water once you get past security and put it in your carry on as well...plus a few heavy duty snacks (like Clif bars), because it is easy to miss meals and you don't want to be hungry or thirsty. An eye mask and iPod or something with headphones is awesome for the long trip (the lights come on/people come over the P.A. and keep you awake otherwise).



carry-on essentials:

Travel toilet paper

Melatonin (or another sleep aide)

Tylenol, Motrin, Alleve or Excedrin Migraine

Eye drops (with redness relief and without)

Concealer...Lots of it ;)

Food/Water

Gum, mints, Colgate wisp disposable brushes

Notebook/Pen

Decongestant

Downy Wrinkle release

Hand sanitizer

Documents

Passports

List of important contacts

Sleep mask/travel pillow

iPod

adaptors (and an audio/video cable for an iPod)



Wear comfortable clothes for traveling! You will be in them for 24 hours! If there is space, bring an extra outfit in your carry on bags (yoga pants and cotton dresses are good choices for women--they roll well and take up little space).



A few other important tidbits: You will be given an "immigration card" on the plane on the way into Kiev (pronounced "KEEV' here). This is for customs. They have more at the airport if you need one for any reason, or if you don't get one on the plane. Don't stress about customs...it is easy and quick. The card you fill out is very basic. We did not fill in the line about Visas (they ask what type and for how long), but I don't think that applies to people who are adopting. It seemed to be fine. We put our facilitators address as our location in country. (We had no idea where we were staying!) They did not count our money or check our bags in the airport here. (Neither was checked at home, either...other than the usual security screening.)



Once you get your bags at the airport, you will exit through another set of doors toward ground transportation. That is where the driver will be waiting for you. (The customs and baggage claim areas are restricted.)



Have your driver write down the address of the hotel or apartment you are staying in. That way, if you should get lost or tired of walking, you can take a cab back!



If you go to restaurants, ask for an English menu right when you walk in. We have found that many places have these.



A few good links to have:



currency converter



sight-seeing



wood fired pizza--Pizzeria Napule on Mechnikova Street (yummy, a nice experience, also has a menu in English...and no mayo on the pizza! Very reasonable prices in a nice setting).



It is important to try to learn a few basic words and phrases in Russian. Even if your pronunciation is incorrect, people will appreciate your effort...and even a few basic words will greatly help your interactions here.



Words you should know (for sure...there are others to know, but these are a must):

One - "ah DEEN"

Two - "dvah"

Three - "tree"

This - "eh-tah"

That - "eh-tah"

Hi - PREEV-yet

Thank You - "spa-SEE-bah"

Please/You're Welcome - "pah-ZHAL-uh-sta"

Yes - "da"

No - "nyet"

How much? SKOL-ko"?

Coffee - KO-fee-ay

Water - VO-da

Goodbye - DAS-vee-dan-ya

Excuse me - iz-vee-nee-tee

Kiev - "KEEV"



A note about the markets...they are everywhere and most have a place to change money for you. You will only buy a few things at a time because you need to be able to easily carry your items to your apartment or hotel. If you see this item:buy it!! Our driver talked me into buying one and I wish I'd bought 12. It takes like strawbery cheesecake, but is a frozen treat. YUM. If you like chocolate, you will love the selection here in the markets and elsewhere. If you drink Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi, look for Coke Light or Pepsi Light. There are plenty of beers and spirits in all the markets--way more than any other beverage by far :). Cheeses, pastries, and smoked or cured meats are all particularly good.



When you first go to the market, be sure to get a couple of large bottles of non-carbonated water. You will need it for drinking, making tea or coffee, and for brushing your teeth. Plan on purchasing at least:



-Milk ("moloko")

-Juice

-Items for sandwiches (lunchmeats, cheese, some type of bread)

-Fruit

-Yogurt

-Toilet paper--a few rolls

-A few snack items (chips and crackers are easy to find & cheap)



It is time for bed! I hope that helps...and I will add to this post when I think of other things!





**New:



Be careful on the streets and sidewalks! Watch where you are walking. It is easy to focus on looking around. You will get hit if you do this in the street or on the sidewalk. Trust me. Cars fly by and everyone walks pretty fast. The sidewalks and stairways are uneven and there are potholes and cracks all over the place. And people park (and drive!) on the sidewalks.



Other Packing Essentials (I will add to this as we go):



Beyond whatever clothes, toiletries and medicines you plan to bring, you should consider also bringing:



-At least one pair of very comfortable shoes

-For women--a season-appropriate scarf (to cover head if planning to visit churches, and to use as a scarf or wrap if needed)

-A large Ziploc bag with smaller baggies, a few rubber bands and paperclips

-Tape, scissors, gift bags, tissue paper, ribbon, pen, note cards and other wrapping items for small gifts

-Small food items that you may really appreciate having while you are away from home: Tea bags, oatmeal packets, soup packets, microwave popcorn, peanut butter, breakfast/protein bars, packets for water (Propel, Chrystal Light). We did not bring peanut butter, but many people do. I don't think you can get it here. I do wish we had brought microwave popcorn!

April 8, Post II

We have been busy trying to find our way around Kiev and taking in some of the sights of this amazing city. It is huge! I have lots of photos to share later today (and some information for families traveling here), but the big news for now is that our SDA appointment is finished! Here is a picture of the SDA building:

And a picture of the side-door entrance we were taken through:

Our meeting was very quick. We sat down at a small round table with our facilitator and the representative from the SDA. Our dossier and Alina's file were on the table. We were asked to show our passports, then asked about our family (if we have children of our own already) and why we would want to adopt a child with special needs. We showed a few pictures of the kids, our house, and a few of just Bridget. The woman with the SDA smiled and said (through our translator), "It looks like children with special needs are well cared for where you live." It seems like she understood right away that Bridget is a valued member of our family. We also told her that Bridget and Alina are less than 9 months apart, and that we think having each other will be very special and important for them. She smiled again when she heard that.

We were then read some information from Alina's file: Her parents abandoned her at the hospital when they realized she had Down syndrome. She has no siblings and has a very small Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), which incidentally, is exactly what Bridget had. (Bridget's ASD was tiny and had closed by her first birthday. We do not know if Alina's is closed yet.) That was it. The whole meeting took about 5 minutes. We go back tomorrow afternoon to pick up her official referral paperwork.

It does not look like we will be able to meet Alina until Monday. Many things are closed on Saturdays, and social workers are not working, so we cannot have our first visit at the orphanage until the beginning of next week. We will leave on Sunday for her town. We still do not know if we will travel by train or car...all of our arrangements are made for us. We just wait for the call :).

Although we're disappointed that we won't get to see Alina this weekend, the extra few days means that we will have a little bit more time here in Kiev to explore (and there is way too much to see in the short amount of time we were originally scheduled to be here!). We need to do any sight-seeing now--next time we are here, we will have a toddler :)! Kiev is a unique combination of historic and modern structures. It is an international city and is very vibrant and interesting.

Today on the way to the SDA, we passed the Parliament buildings and Saint Sophia's cathedral (which is over 1,000 years old). The SDA is next door to another beautiful, old church. Our facilitator took this picture of Chris and I in front of it:


I've saved the best for last. It is a BABY PICTURE OF ALINA!! For other families coming here, bring a wallet-sized photo of your child and they will trade you for the picture in your child's file (most often a baby picture). This is a picture of a picture--so the quality is not great, but we are thrilled to have it! Here is our little sweetie when she was tiny:

Big Day Today

Our appointment with the State Department of Adoptions (SDA) is today at 12:30 pm. Our driver is picking us up at 11:30, even though the SDA is not too far from where we are staying. It is imperative that we are not late :)!

We will get to see our complete dossier as well as Alina's file (including her baby picture), and will get to hear more about her background and the circumstances which left her without a family to call her own. We may get information about her current condition and any health or developmental issues...or we may not. We have no idea what to expect in that regard...all we know about Alina is what is listed on Reece's Rainbow.

We will get our official referral hopefully by Friday afternoon, and then will head to her region to meet her!

Blog Pause

Please excuse, in advance, a temporary lack of blogging here on Bridget's Light. We are in Ukraine getting ready to meet Alina and bring her home. We're merging Bridget's Light and Loving Alina shortly, so stay tuned for a whole new blog from the Peele family :).

In the meantime, please follow our journey to our newest family member on Loving Alina.

The Adventure of a Lifetime

We woke up this morning and can see clearly that we have been dropped right in the middle of Kiev :).

We arrived in the dark late last night. After a good rest, I can finally see straight enough to post here:)!

I can say already that this is (by far) the craziest thing I have ever done. I am feeling very much out of my element and comfort zone, but I'm excited. I very much like having a plan, and an idea of where I am and what to expect. Chris, on the other hand, loves all the unknowns and flying by the seat of his pants. He is having the time of his life.

I will try to post a couple of times each day with some interesting details of our trip. For the other families on their way over here--this part of the process is exhilarating and exhausting, fascinating and humbling. All I can say is: be prepared for an adventure :).

Details from yesterday:

After being in transit for over 24 hours (including a 1 1/2 hour flight from Columbus to Chicago; an 8 hour flight from Chicago to Munich--with 2 extra hours on the runway due to a weather delay--which caused us to miss our connection in Munich, hence the ensuing 6 hour wait in the Munich airport; and a 2 hour flight to Kiev), we landed at 11 pm Kiev time. Getting through customs was fairly quick and easy.

Our driver, who was waiting for us at the airport, gave us a cell phone with pre-loaded numbers for our contacts here in Ukraine. He took us to the market (a story in itself!--where we bought a little bit of fruit, cheese, lunchmeat, yogurt, Coke light, juice, bottled water and beer), then brought us to our apartment(s). (He actually brought us to the apartment we were supposed to have...and there was someone already in it...which we discovered at 1 am, after climbing 5 flights of stairs with all of our bags. After some calling around--and waking our facilitator--we found another place to stay. The great news is that Plan B has an internet connection...the other unit did not)...and we were able to connect via Skype with Jennie, Sara and Bridget before bed. We hope to have a video call with the rest of the group today.

Here is the view out of our top-floor window:

We are waiting for a call from our facilitator with our plan for today and tomorrow. We are hoping to take a walk down the street and check out some of the shops and restaurants nearby.

Nancy--we have the same cell phone and apartment that you used :). Nikolai says hi to you and Sveta!

Kristin, Jen and others traveling soon--I have written a list of essential items for the flight and important details to know for the beginning of your stay here. I will try to get that to you today or tomorrow.

We miss everyone! We are feeling good overall, though, and are ready to get this show on the road. I'll post again later today...

Getting Closer

We are in the Munich airport on our way to Kiev, Ukraine! Our appointment with the State Department of Adoptions is on Thursday, April 8th, and then we will travel by train to Alina's town. We hope to meet her on Saturday :).

"Hi, Shadow!"

Bridget has always loved her shadow. We're at the beach, and she discovered it on our deck today. She was captivated by the way her shadow looked when she swung a frisbee from side-to-side. "Hi, Shadow!," she would shout from time to time.



Bridget is loving the beach. She keeps saying, "Mommy, shoes. Beach!"

She is our honorary and official flip-flop washer. She's got complete control of the foot shower by our deck. Got sand on your shoes? Bridget is your gal :).

Here she is watching Max & Ruby and eating her snack of Goldfish in the late afternoon sunshine:

Stay tuned for more from the beach...

Leaving Soon :)

We found out today that we will be leaving in less than 2 weeks for Alina's country! Our appointment with the State Department of Adoptions is on Thursday, April 8th. We are thrilled and overwhelmed at the same time. There is so much to do!

It is hard to believe that we are so close to meeting our new daughter.

We are enjoying a few quiet and relaxed days at the beach before we come home to finish preparing for our (even bigger) trip.

Please keep us in your thoughts as we move forward in the final phase of our journey to Alina...

Look Who We Met!

We had a wonderful surprise last week when we found out that we were next in line to get the T21 Traveling Afghan. The best part is that it was hand delivered to us today by a very special delivery person:

We were so happy to have the chance to meet our blogging friends Sarah and Joyce--now friends in real life :)!

Bridget and Sarah hit it off right away. Bridget wanted to hug Sarah--tight--and pat her leg. You can see their immediate connection in our pictures from this morning:

Handing the afghan over:
Bridget tried to give it back :):


Sarah showing Bridget the journal that travels with the afghan:

Buddies:

I could have watched the two of them all day. What a great way to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day!!


*Don't miss their posts about the day (including more pics). Find those here and here :).

Making a Difference

The Starfish Story

adapted from The Star Thrower
by Loren Eiseley (1907-1977)

Loren Eiseley was an anthropologist who wrote extensively. This story has appeared all over the web in various forms, usually without credit given. Sometimes it is a little girl throwing the starfish into the ocean, sometimes a young man, once even an elderly Indian. In any form, it is a beautiful story and one that resonates with people all over the world.

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

Nesting

How many rolls of toilet paper can I cram into my laundry room cupboards? It looks like we are going to find out!

I can't seem to shake the nesting instinct, and I am stocking my house as though we will be unable to get supplies of any kind until next Christmas :). I even pulled out--and used--the steam cleaner that has been sitting in our upstairs hall closet for the past two years gathering dust. (I knew there was a reason I purchased that thing!)

We are only 3 1/2 months into our paper pregnancy, but we're already within weeks of meeting our newest little one. In a typical pregnancy, I am just beginning to get over the morning sickness.

I may not be posting much over the next couple of weeks, although I will certainly post any big news, such as a travel date ;).

We are headed south for a family vacation, where we'll spend most of our time building a huge sandcastle, enjoying the sunshine (and each other!) and collecting seashells. Just what the doctor ordered :)...