Okay so I got 26 shots. They weren't so bad since the allergy specialist puts the needle in sideways in the fatty part instead of straight smack dab in the muscle. My arm looks like truck tire marks, so my husband says and I've elected to stay inside today instead of running errands. Can only imagine the looks on people's faces as they see me with my 3 children and a very "torn up" arm. I could just imagine them calling CPS on me and my not so innocent looking arm. eek!

This picture is just great... I have no idea why that baby looks content?! And the duck has it around his neck! haha P.S. Disclaimer: not my child and not my doing!

Congratulations, Updates & Craziness

My sister Juleena had her baby girl!!! This is little Miss Vivian... sweet little sugary piece of heaven. She actually was born in April since I live out of her state, I had to wait for good photos and then life got crazy when they arrived. My sister understands so don't worry everyone! A family of 10 definitely doesn't get feathers ruffled easy! Anyways, she was a little bitty one under 6 pounds and absolutely adored by her family. My sister had her 3rd at home birth and needs some serious round of applause for that feat!!! Woohoo you go Auntie Ju! So congratulation to my sister, her husband and Stone and E'toile... Vivian is absolute doll... can't wait to hold her and smoother her with kisses! Oh and kiss those toes! And the Pandas... well they were just cute and I'm talking about babies and couldn't resist!

Alright, you want an adoption update... oh well going type it anyway (j/j). The golden ticket hasn't arrived yet but I'm not worried. I have been told once or twice that our timeline hasn't changed but I've still been a bit worried (for various unconfirmed craziness in my speculating mind). Today my friend with the same agency posted that she received similare news to mine that we should receive a referral next year between March and Sept. Mentally, I've tried to add another 6 months for the referral but that is hard to do! That means we are at month 9 with 9 to 15 months to go... WOW! That actually sounds cool.

I go in this Thursday for the shots/ they like to call it allergy testing... awh dang it... just call it pin-cushion therapy and get it over with. I can actually be thankful though. I was a bit concerned about megashots when I learned my neice had one hundred shots placed in her back when she was younger for allergy treatments. Suddenly 18 shots doesn't sound so bad. Yep 100 shots! That's just down-right torturous! I couldn't even go for the epidural with the birth of my children because I'm a little freaked out about big horse needles and possibly paralyzing medicine. I elected the natural pain. I have a high pain threshold but still don't like signing up for it!

On the kiddo front, we've been having a fun busy summer, been trying the potty training tango with Jadyn... keeping Kole and Nika busy with no school... went swimming and to a carnival at the mountains... etc. I've been doing a little "Life Spring Cleaning." Cleaning out any old projects that I'll never do... make firm commitments about just stuff (you know what I mean). I'm going to start running each morning while my husband sleeps in with the monkeys as I miss running. I used to run track and I love nature and terrain! 6 am is the only way to go here as the overnight temps are 85 at least! So hope anyone doesn't mind if I head off for a bit. I'll still check in on everyone but if you get a referral & I don't respond right away... I'll get there and I'll still be just as excited! Consider it a spontaneous labor and I didn't make it to the delivery room but came running up the stairs with ballons and flowers instead! Love to all. =0)

Haha! I've got a golden ticket!

This is how I roll!

Okay not really the golden ticket, but close enough. I received a letter in the mail last month to get our fingerprints done immediately for USCIS. We never received our fingerprint appointments and the response of the USCIS 1-800 line was... "they must have gotten lost in the mail!" haha That's funny.

Anyways, after calling 6 supervisors, one actually sounded like he knew the answer and said I can arrive with no appointment! Ack... I was worried about getting turned away but nope... took just a few minutes and done. Then I was worried because the officer in charge of our case (as well as the main supe.) was going to be out of the office for weeks (which made me nervous that our prints may be overlooked and we'd get... DENIED). Turns, out I couldn't handle it today, and for the first time in a year (yeah, I've called this office before), I reached my main girl! SWEET! She really is such a sweetheart, just bogged down with apps. to process. I chatted with her for a while. She lived in Guam and said we will absolutely LOVE Taiwan (which we pretty much knew) and said it is one of her favorite places to visit.

Okay, okay... the good news... She actually knew exactly who I was and had my file in front of her, approving it right then and there! She said she'd have it in the mail tomorrow. Ah-ha, all that worrying and she's taking care of it all... so my very last piece of paperwork... D-O-N-E... well until renewal, expiration, updates... etc. but we won't go there right now. We're just going to bask in the ambiance when one finally completes THE GOLDEN TICKET. Just a mini celebration here!

Do I bug you?

For those of us needing something to do, this picture is of the jungle in Brisbane, Australia; now find my husband somewhere in it!

haha! Have you ever had the feeling you bug your agency? I know it's probably not true (well mostly) but I send an email every once in awhile which doesn't always get a reply. I just always seem to conjure up these crazy questions that don't go away. Here I sit thinking about them everyday which I know isn't true for them, but yet it makes me feel slightly guilty when I do finally call or email.

Anyways, I'm so excited for Sarah W... She recieved their call for their little one in Taiwan. What a great day! I wish the best for you and a short court process!

One other news, I've lost my voice for about 6 months and sound like Marge Simpson (not an exageration either) and finally went to the doctor. I have fluid in my vocal chords (edit: just remembered the name: Reinke's Edema)! Neat huh? They stuck this camera up my nose and down my throat (sorry no picture on that one but you can look up some savory one's on the net) and said usually only smokers get this. I've never smoked and am never around second-hand smoke so the secondary cause is allergies. Ah, yes off to become a human pinata! Yippee! I will get 2 sets of shots (not sure how many but the number of 18 sticks in my head) and they will pump me full of allergens and find out what lovely critters I'm allergic too. Strangely, I'm not really very allergic or have many symptoms... I just magically lost my voice one day and it never returned. I used to sing semi-professionally (weddings, Christmases, funerals, etc.) and felt like I lost a piece of my soul not being able to sing (I am quite depressed about it) so off to the doc my stubborn behind went. So Viva Pinata!!!!

p.s. This is a picture of my hairless chinese-crested, ergh I mean shih-tzu. The doc said that I am more than likely allergic to dog dander... my bright idea; shave the dog! Close to being bic'd he is. On the bright side, everytime he does something a bit puppy naughty I can't stay mad too long because he looks so dang funny. Poor dog! Also funny is the tiny piece of hair I left on the end of his tail tickles his back and makes him attack it!