Same old, same old

We've had another very good week! We still can't believe that January has gone by so quickly and we are just about to hit February. This is very good news for us as we are really looking forward to spring and hoping we will get to bring our little guy home in late spring!

We made a few more huge strides in the adoption process this week! We received our Favorable Determination Letter from USCIS this week! That is a huge relief as their office was not impressed with my fingerprints. This is also good news as we would not be offered a referral until this piece of paperwork was in place. So we are good to go, nothing is going to stop us now :) and we have NO MORE FINGERPRINTING - Yay!!! Until next time....... and hopefully my fingerprints will be in tip-top shape by the next time :)

We also moved a few more spots on the road to our baby boy this week. It is so hard to predict where you actually are in line but we are somewhere between 7 and 9 on the wait list! So single digits all the way now :) I'm really liking this single digit stuff - definitely feeling really close to the call and we're working on our plans for the call.

We are assuming (unless it comes on a Friday) that I will be at work. They will call me at work and tell me that "we have a little boy that we would like to talk to you about" (seriously, can't wait to hear those words!!!). I will go crazy, leave work as fast as I can (while trying to maintain the legal speed limit. Peter is concerned that I should not be allowed to drive after getting such exciting news!) I will call Peter and let him know that our case worker will be conference calling him in a few minutes. I will get home and call our case worker back (hopefully be able to get a hold of her) and Peter and I will hear all about our son. His name, his birthday, his family story and why they put him up for adoption, his health information, his weight, how many fingers and toes he has, his personality - etc.etc.etc. and then she will send us pictures! So looking forward to seeing his face! After we ooh and ahh over the little guy Peter will drive up to the agency's office and get the referral packet while I let the world know that we have a son and get started on printing his pictures (we are not allowed to post his pictures anywhere online) . We want to get started on the referral packet as soon as possible. The sooner we turn that back in, the sooner we get a court date, the sooner we pass court, the sooner we get to bring him home! That evening we will show his picture off to anyone and everyone who wants to see what he looks like :)

So we have a plan. The best part of families having a plan - it NEVER goes according to plan. Something crazy will happen, I will miss the call so instead they will call Peter. Who knows, but I can't wait to see how our story unfolds!!!

Otherwise, life is more of the same. Working hard for both of us. Peter studying all the time. Both of us very tired at night. Same old, same old. We can't wait to mix it up around here :)

Preparing

One of the most helpful and insightful aspects of this adoption journey has been walking thru this journey with other adoptive families who are using the same agency as we are. When we were in the paperchase it was so helpful to be able to talk and share with families who were in the same spot we were and I also loved hearing about referral day - that has been the day we were waiting for and concentrating on - getting our paperwork turned in, getting wait listed, and getting our referral!

The reality that referral day is going to be here SOON is so exciting. I know I am going to be an emotional mess when I get to see the baby I've been praying and loving in my heart and imagining for months!

At this phase in the process though, I think the most helpful blog posts are those of traveling families. Gotcha Day is the big day that our baby will be put in our arms and from that point on he is ours! Now that moment is very touching and very exciting, but sometimes it is not so picture perfect - the babies cry and scream and can be very afraid! Even more important to take note of is "Gotcha Night". Yeah, that is the parental experience from what I am reading.

Now, I have cared for many babies for many days and many nights - I know how to handle a crying baby and I have experienced sleepless nights but can I just say, that Gotcha Night makes me really nervous. We will be in a foreign country with a baby we just met hours before and don't know anything about - he will be terrified as he will be experiencing his own grief and loss and we are supposed to try and comfort him. We will love him and we've been looking forward to meeting him for months, but he will have no clue who in the world we are up to the moment we pick him up for the first time and take him away from everything he knows. Yeah, not going to be picture perfect, but it is a normal part of the process that we need to prepare for and expect.

One of my blogging friends who just returned a few weeks ago summarized it perfectly: Here is her take on Gotcha Day and Gotcha Night: http://www.thebfamilyblog.com/


"After lunch, A took us back to the Union, where we were scheduled to meet with Almaz, the director of Hannah's Hope, at 2 p.m., to complete our Embassy paperwork and, more importantly, walk to the orphanage to meet our children. It was hard to focus on the paperwork knowing that such a huge a turning point in our lives was so imminent.

The meeting with Almaz took about an hour and concluded with her asking (in her cute Ethiopian accent) "So, are you ready to meet your kids?" Everyone scurried around to gather their cameras, camcorders and diaper bags and we headed out the gates of the Union and turned down a nearby cobblestone path. The walk only took about 4 minutes but was so heavy with anticipation that it seemed to happen in slow motion. We had all seen the videos and pictures posted by families that had traveled before us and had walked that walk in our imaginations hundreds of times before. We approached the red "All God's Children, Inc." gate--was it really happening or was it a dream?

Almaz opened the gate and a crowd of curious older children quickly gathered around us. She asked for the A Family to join her to enter the orphanage and recruited a couple of other people to film and photograph them meeting their precious little twin girls. After a few minutes, the As emerged with their babies, followed by one of the special mothers holding another family's little one. About every 30 seconds after that, another baby was brought out, with all of the families watching eagerly as it was brought closer to see if it was theirs. Everyone was scurrying around filming and photographing everyone else's first interactions with their children, until their own child was brought out. Miss K was the last baby to come out. We recognized her big brown eyes as soon as her special mother stepped out onto the front steps. As everyone else was busy getting to know their babies, Hus-B handed the camcorder to one of the Hannah's Hope drivers and I handed my camera to Almaz herself to capture the special mother placing Miss K in our arms.

It was a moment in time that we will always treasure. This child that had been born in our hearts even before she was born to her first mother--this child that we had longed for and prayed for for years, that we had loved from the core of our beings from the moment we first saw her picture in September, was finally here, ours. She quietly snuggled into me, seeming unsure of what was happening, but willing to trust my hold. It was an immediate connection on Hus-B's and my part. Hus-B eventually coaxed a smile out of her with some of his silly antics, but her interactions with us remained tentative.

After an hour or so of bonding, taking pictures and mingling with the other families and their babes in the courtyard, we walked into Hannah's Hope to see Miss K's home for the past several months. We walked upstairs and several of her special mothers crowded around us to love on Miss K. One in particular wanted to hold her and spent several minutes hugging her, holding her close, whispering to her and sobbing as she said goodbye. The special mothers' love of these children is simply amazing. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to give so much then say goodbye. Over and over again. She asked if we would send pictures, and we promised we would. She showed us Miss K's bed--not the one that a previous family thought was hers--but one of two little cribs cozily situated in a room about the size of a walk-in closet. Her special mother laid her down in the crib and then entertained her in what was a special game the two of them had enjoyed. Her special mother flapped her arms and said "MaMaMaMaMaMa" as she swooped in toward Miss K in the crib, in response to which Miss K kicked her feet and just squealed with delight.

The sun was setting and it was getting cooler outside. The special mothers were starting the children's evening routines and the just-united families began making their way back to the Union Hotel. From this point on, these children were our total responsibility.

We exchanged good-nights in the lobby and made our way to our rooms, wondering what adventures this first night would hold and what stories would be shared the next morning at breakfast. . .

The typical adoption story climaxes with "Gotcha Day"--that glorious, momentous, longed for day when parent and child are finally united to be family forever. When it all starts to feel real, however, especially with infant adoptions---is Gotcha Night.

Back at the Union Hotel, the little ones in our group began to realize that their routine was being disrupted. Nothing was familiar. They were tired. They were stressed. Their beloved special mothers were nowhere in sight. Their little worlds were being turned upside down. In our adoption education classes, we were advised that most infants cope with this traumatic change in one of two ways--they will either shut down and just want to sleep, or they will cry and openly express their grief. Most of the babies in our group chose to vocalize their unhappiness. Their cries echoed through the thin walls and hallways of the hotel that night. It was heartbreaking. And then there were the parents, many still dealing with jet lag, trying to make bottles, change diapers, comfort their babies--still trying to get to know them and figure out how they liked to be held and soothed--all in a tiny hotel room in a developing country. Not so pretty or romantic, but part of the process just the same.

Although I held Miss K for most of the time while we were at the orphanage, once we got back to the hotel, she wanted nothing to do with me. We could tell she was exhausted. We changed her diaper and prepared a bottle for her. As I tried to rock her to sleep, her big brown eyes would get heavy and start to close, then just as they shut, they would suddenly pop open and she would catch a glimpse of me and scream. She would clench her little fists, arch her back, stiffen her legs and wail. We could only imagine what was going on in her head--the memories, the emotions. I was not her first mother. I was not one of her special mothers at the orphanage. I was a clumsy, uncertain impostor. At times, she tried to get cozy; it seemed as if she was trying to take her mind to someplace familiar and comforting, pretending to be back in the arms of someone she loved. But she was too smart to convince herself to fall for her own game and just as soon as she would start to drift off to sleep, she would startle herself back awake, look at me and cry a sorrowful cry as huge tears rolled down her cheeks.

She finally fell asleep once Hus-B took over. Perhaps he was so different from her previous caregivers that it was less confusing to her. Or perhaps it was just his special Daddy's touch (our older girls both prefer for him to put them to sleep as well). He walked around, gently bouncing her and patting her back. If he tried to lay down or lay her down in the Moses basket or between us in bed, however, her eyes would pop back open and she would start crying again as soon as he would let go of her. I tried to relieve him a couple of times--to no avail. All night long, we heard other babies crying throughout the hotel. It was somehow reassuring to know we weren't the only ones.For most of the night,

Hus-B stood and walked around our room and held Miss K as she slept. He eventually successfully laid her down between us and she stayed asleep. He thought it must be about 1 a.m. since the call to prayer had not yet begun (we later learned that the time and duration of the chanting is different each day). He picked up his iphone from the nightstand to check the time--4:55 a.m! Since we had to be ready to leave for our 9:00 Embassy appointments at 7:30, we had a scheduled a 5:00 wake-up call. Afraid the ringing phone would wake Miss K back up, Hus-B tiptoed out the door and rushed downstairs to cancel the call. He arrived at the front desk at the same time as the desk clerk--who obviously wasn't expecting to run into any guests--showed up to make her 5 a.m. calls. She was so startled when he came around the corner that she almost jumped out of her pajamas. Her usually perfect hair was going in every direction. But our room stayed quiet and Miss K stayed asleep.

I got up and got dressed while Hus-B and Miss K slept for about an hour. I excitedly looked through all of her cute clothes to choose an outfit--and matching hairbow, of course, for her to wear to the Embassy. At about 7:00, the three of us went down to breakfast where we met up with all of the other bleary-eyed new parents and laughed and sympathized with each other as stories of sleepless first nights were recounted over crepes, oatmeal and Ethiopian coffee. Miss K appeared to like her rice cereal mixed with formula. Despite the rough night, she woke up bright-eyed and cheerful."



This journey is NOT a fairytale. It is real and it is painful and very difficult. It is a journey we signed on for knowing it would be happy and sad. I value these "real" blog posts so much as we prepare to meet our son for the first time!

What's Becoming a Weekly Update

This has been a really low key week, not too much to report. Things just feel really "normal" and we're enjoying that. It seems like 2009 was such a busy year and stressful year so to enter 2010 relaxing and enjoying what time we have left of just the 2 of us - is nice!

We have a few things left to take care of for the adoption. We are quickly approaching single digits on the boys wait list and a lot of advice from other families with our agency is telling us that things move very quickly from time of referral to travel. It is time to think about the not so fun parts of preparing to travel: Medications and vaccinations: I am not afraid of needles, I take shots easily and I donate blood (with the BIG needles) always with complications, but I somehow always end up going back to do it again. But to be honest, something really freaks me out about getting multiple vaccinations in one day. I guess I handled it when I was a baby, so I should be able to deal with it now.

Here is the list of vaccinations we are getting:

Yellow Fever - (some people get the vaccine, some don't. But after seeing how high the mortality rate is if you get it and seeing as there is no treatment option if you get it, besides just being watched - we will probably be getting this one!) 20% chance of flu like symptoms after getting this vaccination - oh joy!

DPT - It has been awhile since we got our DPT boosters so we are both planning on shooting this one up! Bring on the sore arm!!!

Hep A - Thankfully we have both gotten our 3 part Hep B vaccinations but it is highly recommended that we get our Hep A vaccination as we are being told that more than likely we will be exposed to Hep A while in Ethiopia. Apparently this is a 2 part vaccine that should be followed up in 6-12 months but some vaccination is better than no vaccination so we'll get started on it!

Typhoid - We have 2 options with this one. A shot that prevents typhoid for 2 years or an oral pill that will prevent it for 5 years. Since there is a decent possibility that we will return to Africa in the next 5 years, we will get the oral one. I have heard that there is a very good possibility of getting sick after taking this one - yay!

There is also a possibility that the doctors will want to give us a booster of polio and a booster mmr - since there have been advances in those vaccines since we were children - we will see when we get there.

So 3, possibly 5 vaccines. Plus we are debating going into Ethiopia early and site seeing our child's country. We may try to go and meet our compassion sponsored child and if we do that, and leave the big city of Addis Ababa - there are MORE vaccines we will need to get - including menengicocal and rabies vaccines. We would also need to take medication for Malaria so that possibility is still up in the air, but we will start with the basics for now.

We will also be a walking pharmacy in Ethiopia :) I figure it is better to be safe than be sorry and it is time to start collecting drugs!

Elevation Medication: Addis Ababa sits at an elevation above 7500 ft and the city itself goes as high as 9800 ft! That is a high elevation and so we've been warned to bring elevation medication with us because the elevation can upset your stomach and cause your chest to hurt.

Ciprol: The mother of all medications and a lifesaver if we need it. It will kill any bacteria!

Sleep Aids: We will be taking something with us, probably not Ambien, but maybe Nyquil or Benedryl, something so that we can sleep on the loooong plane ride and the first night there. No sleep aids after we get the baby though, cuz sleep deprivation just comes with the territory!

Acidophilus: To prevent stomach issues

Pepto: For stomach issues

Immodium: For stomach issues

and many many more for all the different things we may encounter :) I know after reading this fun stuff you are just dying to hop on a plane and go to Africa aren't you?


We have still not received our clearance from USCIS, but should be getting that any day now. Our agency told us not to start stressing until we are in the top 5 on the wait list but seriously, I fully expect to be at least at #6 on the wait list by the end of next week so I am hoping that we get that clearance soon so I can stop worrying :)

Not much else to report. Just working and waiting to meet our son :)

Time keeps on flying

Another weekend is upon us. I am enjoying the fact that work has slowed down and I am getting my three day weekends back. During my crazy month of December I was just too tired to put the effort into things that needed done. I have FINALLY got caught up on laundry and am almost caught up on housework. I am doing much better at keeping my workout commitments and also spending daily time with God which sadly, tends to be the first thing I skip out on when I'm busy. Now that I am caught up on rest the evenings seem much longer and the weekends go much smoother and I have time to do some things that I want to do too!

Peter is currently in taking another CPA exam. Whew, this CPA has been quite the challenge for him. The thing is, he is an amazing accountant, he excels at everything he does at work but he just stinks at taking tests. We were talking last night about how we haven't had the right frame of mind with him and these tests. We cannot succeed at anything in life if our focus is not right. God doesn't want us to go it alone and we haven't relied on God like we should for even these tests. Peter has poured the last 2 years of his life into taking these tests. He comes home from work and studies all night and sometimes late into the night. The first 2 years of marriage he was in school and after graduating he never took a break, he's been studying since we got married! It will be so nice to have a husband after this is all over :) He really wants to be done with these things by the time he's a dad and so that is what we're praying for. If not, we'll keep doing what we're doing and keep plugging away until he does pass them all! There is only so much he can do - study as much as possible and pray about it and see what happens. The worst part is the wait, waiting 6-10 weeks for test results is no fun at all!

I am doing great with my workouts. I'm losing some weight (not a lot) but this week I took a fitness evaluation and I am making some great process! I am losing inches which is what is most important to me :) In every area I have slimmed down and in some areas I have slimmed WAY down! It is definitely motivating me to keep plugging away :)

I did get in touch with USCIS this week. They try to make it impossible to get any one's contact information but I searched and searched (gotta love Internet) until I found someone to talk to :) Our application was under review and our fingerprints had already been processed and approved (yay!) so we should be hearing a determination very soon! Will the US government find us fit to be parents? Seriously, I wish everyone had to go through a screening process before being able to become parents!

Adopting has been an exercise in faith and patience and we've had it easy. Adoption gets way harder than this has been! I am just thankful that God is taking it easy on us! We want our baby more than anything and knowing he is probably out in this world right now, but not knowing how he is, whether he is safe or if he is hungry is really difficult. We don't want this process to be delayed by anything, we want to get over there and get our little guy in our arms!!! Adopting is something that we really want to do again someday, but it is such a journey of the heart from start to finish that I just don't know if I can handle it again anytime soon. I have heard once we get him in our arms it will all be worth it and we will be more than willing to start the journey again - we shall see.

That reminds me of this verse that a friend sent to me this week:
James 1:2-6
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

This verse was so perfect for me this week :)

Another weekend down!

It has been quite a week in the Keyser household - or maybe I should say quite a year so far! A lot has happened already and the most exciting being getting a little nephew :)

On Tuesday of this week we got our updated wait list numbers. Our agency's home did not take in many children in the month of December due to the fact that they were moving so any movement was a pleasant surprise!



We were able to take 5 links off of our girl chain putting us at #31 for a girl!

We removed 2 links from our boy chain putting us at #16!

The sibling chain has not moved since being wait listed and we are still #14 for siblings.

Even since getting this update we have seen a lot of movement - we are guessing that we are now #29 for a girl and #12 for a boy. We anticipate continuing to see lots of movement in the coming weeks and it is very exciting.

On a negative note, this Friday we were notified that we would now have to have our Favorable Determination Letter in hand before being able to get a referral. This is a new rule our agency is putting on family's to protect the children in their care but it has got us on our knees. When I was fingerprinted for this, the USCIS office did not like my fingerprints but sent them in anyway. We weren't overly concerned about it but now we NEED that letter. So we pray (a lot!)! We are expecting to hear word sometime this week on the decision so any and all prayer is appreciated :)


In other stuff. I had the opportunity to win a "party pack" from Jello and 2 wii games - Your Step Fitness Game and Just Dance game. We had a great time eating new (and free) Mousse Temptations from Jello. They are only 60 calories and were actually quite tasty :)

Peter can sometimes get in the spirit and be a total goober. Here he is showing off the free headbands they gave us!

Then it was time to play. Peter and his family enjoyed playing the Just Dance game. It appeared it was quite the workout!

Peter once again being a goober. I stole his warm coat so he decided to wear mine home. I laughed at him the entire way home :)

I got to meet my precious little nephew this weekend!!! He is so cute and so tiny and so lovable :) I could hold him for hours (okay, so I have held him for hours). He is such a good and

content little baby.

Here are some pictures of him at (almost) one week old!!

Yep, it has been a good week. I expect this week to be equally as wonderful. I expect to continue seeing lots of movement on the wait lists and I also trust that God will provide our Favorable Determination Letter this week!!!!

In Getting it Together - I didn't have the best week. I have been so busy that workouts took a back seat. I gained 1 lb but am still 2.6 lbs under my starting weight. I am still eating good though. I am back on track and I can feel that I am getting in better shape which is my main goal! I expect to see great results this week!!!

Cutie!!!

This little guy is just way to cute :)



Seriously, it has been way to long since we've had a baby in the family. I can't wait to meet Johnny hopefully tomorrow night! Yay :) I just had to share more pictures of him because he is just way to cute!!!

I am so happy that everything went well. With my first niece the whole situation was very scary. My SIL had to have an emergency c-section and we were all very nervous. Fortunately Jezzie was okay but my SIL had a long and difficult recovery as she lost a lot of her body's blood supply.

The second time around the c-section went well, but Jillian was born sick with a milk allergy and it was very sad.

I am so relieved to hear that my SIL and little Johnny are both doing great!!!

Isn't he just adorable in his little policeman outfit :)

I love babies! Especially this baby :) Watch out little guy, your aunt is crazy and is going to smother you with hugs and kisses and love :)

One Proud Auntie!!!

Today has been a great day! I have been lookin forward to January 4th for months. Today is the day I became an aunt for the 3rd time! Being an aunt is one of my favorite things - I love my niece's more than anything and there is nothing I wouldn't do for them. My sister-in-law experienced 2 miscarriages in the last year and that was really tough for them and for all of us. Fortunately she has had a great pregnancy and we were all anxiously anticipating the birth of baby #3!!!

I kept my niece's for the night. My goal was to keep them up as late as possible last night. The c-section was scheduled for 7:30 in the morning but they knew that mommy and daddy had to be at the hospital by 5:30 so that was when they wanted to be up. (but there was no way I was going to allow that to happen) Unfortunately with the swine flu going around the hospital is not allowing visitors and so we were going to skype with a webcam from the hospital.

So last night we took them out for blizzards (they asked for them and so who am I to say no!) and then we watched a movie and ate popcorn. They went right to sleep at 11:00 last night and I had to wake them up at 7:00 this morning so my plan worked :)

We got them all bathed and dressed and then we waited! They got to talk to mommy on the webcam and watch them get all ready to go to the OR. After mommy left they kept waiting. They did not know that it would take a few more hours before hearing about their baby.


Jillian fell back asleep while waiting. She played for a while but sleep eventually took over. They were so excited to find out if they were getting a brother or sister!!!

Around 10:00 we got the news we had been waiting for! and ...............IT WAS A BOY!!!

Baby John (or Johnny) was born at 8:07 AM weighing 8 lbs 1 ounce and 20" long. He is beautiful!!

We were wondering who he would look like, we think he looks a lot like his big sister Jezzie!

Such a cutie! I can't wait to get to hold him!!!

After getting him bathed and cleaned up they sent us a few more pictures. He was enjoying his nice warm sunlamp. With 2 energetic sisters lets hope he is a content little guy!

Daddy already has Texas Longhorn booties on his boy!!

What a special and great day! I am amazed at how I can fall so in love instantly with my niece's and now nephew! Being an aunt is great :)

10 Things I am looking forward to in the New Plus GIT week 2

Like I stated in my last post, last year was really a test for us. We had a lot of tough days. Even after making the decision to adopt, the paper chase and waiting have not been easy. We dealt with a lot of things that we did not know how to deal with but we made it. We are stronger and maybe even better people for the things we had to face last year. So with this new year upon us, I just know we are going to have an awesome and amazing year!!!

So with that I give you my top 10 things I am looking forward to in the new year. (They are in chronological order)

1) On January 4th I will become an aunt for the third time. I am super excited to meet my new baby niece or nephew. Yep, we don't know what it will be and that just adds to the suspense. It has not been an easy road for my brother and SIL but after experiencing two miscarriages we are all very happy and excited for this little one to get here!!!

2) Getting away for a couple of days sometime in January or February. It seems like our weekend get-aways are becoming scarce so we value each one more and more! I am really looking forward to just getting away for a weekend together!!!

3) I am looking forward to referral day. The day that our baby gets a name, a face, and a birthday! I know that day will be filled with a lot of different emotions. Excitement, happiness, but caution as nothing is for sure at this point. I am sure we will also experience sadness as our baby's story is told to us and we grieve for the loss they've experienced in their short life.

4) Getting the news that we've passed court! I know this doesn't necessarily sound like a big day but it is probably the most important day on this adoption journey! This is the day that our child legally becomes our son or daughter!!! It will definitely be a day of celebration as we welcome our first Baby Keyser :)

5) Gotcha Day! The day we've been waiting for. The day we will walk into Hannah's Hope and be handed our little one! I know this will be quite the day and I cannot wait!!! There is no way to put this day into words and I am sure we will be experiencing a lot of different emotions on that day as we take our little one to the hotel and get to know them and allow them to grieve the loss they have just experienced.

6) 4th of July. I imagine that this will probably be our first holiday celebration with our baby. We may get to celebrate Mother's Day and Father's Day this year but this would be the first holiday surrounded by friends and family!

7) Our 4th wedding anniversary! Every anniversary is a special day and our 4th will be no less special than any of the others. Every year of continued partnership and commitment is worth celebrating if you ask me :)

8) Our trip to Disneyland in September or October. Disneyland is ALWAYS something to look forward to!!! This trip is going to be extra special as it will be Dash's first trip to Disneyland. We've already planned which rides he will do first and who gets to hold him on which ride - Yep, we are going to be those nutty parents running around Disneyland that are more excited about everything than their kids are :)

9) I am not sure when this event will take place, but I am confident that it will happen this year. I am looking forward to being married to a CPA! Peter has been working so hard the last 18 months to pass his CPA exams. It has been a battle and a struggle for him but I just know he will succeed this year and become a CPA and we will celebrate and party when that day gets here!!!

10) Baby's first Christmas. This Christmas was hard but I know that next years Christmas will be fun and exciting as Dash will be experiencing it (or maybe we'll be experiencing it for him) for the first time.


There is quite a bit to look forward to this year and I am looking forward to documenting it all right here as it happens :)

So My Getting It Together Week 2 update:

I will be honest and say that I have not eaten as well this week. Mainly because I haven't been eating much of anything. I have a cold that has gotten me pretty good and I haven't really been hungry so I don't think the eating has really played a factor this week but I do need to try to eat more responsibly.

Working out has proved to be a challenge this week. I did get my Monday workout in but the rest of the week has been a major fail in this department. I have just not felt well enough to workout. I have a cough that will not stop and that wreaks havoc on my back problems. My cold is slowly getting better as of today so I may try to workout today but my back pain is really high today so we shall see.

Like I said last week, I fluctuate weight a lot so I am not really concerned with the weight as much as my measurements. Sometime this week I will take some new measurements and see how I'm doing. The greatest advantage with working out is that I feel so much better and am so much more productive when I workout. So this week I am up 1.6 lbs over my last week weight but still down 3.4 lbs over my starting weight. That is sufficient for this rotten week as I did not do well at keeping up my end of the bargain. Hopefully I feel better soon and get back going in the right direction again!!!