A LOT!!!!!! So sorry for the MIA blog status lately. I think about blogging ALL THE TIME but can never seem to get around to doing it. We've been really busy around here lately. Roger has been busy for the past few weeks moving their business to a different location. Wonderful change for the company, but a lot of work!! So now that the "moving" work is basically done, he's in the process of trying to get caught up with his "real" work. Which fortunately for us he seems to have plenty of!! I am staying busy with court reporting and trying to manage being at home with Ari while still working part time. Let me just say, having the luxury of working from home as a mom is AWESOME!! I wouldn't have it any other way. The challenging part is actually getting the work done with a toddler in the house.....who only wants to nap less than two hours a day. Challenging it is. I am wanting to increase my work schedule to taking depos two days a week consistently rather than just one, so that has contributed to a particularly terrifying/exciting/panic-inducing decision on my part: Ari is starting Montessori school on Monday! I know, I know, he's only 1; right? How can he be going to school already? He will be attending a toddler program each morning for three hours and will then spend the rest of the day at home with me or one of his grandmas if I'm taking depos. I really feel this is going to be the best of both worlds for him and me and Roger, but holy cow it's been a heart-wrenching decision for me. I always wanted to work part time, and although I wasn't planning on starting Ari in preschool until next fall, I really feel that this year is a better choice -- for all of us. I've visited the school twice, both times with Ari, and feel really great about his two teachers and the overall classroom environment. He is going to learn so much and have a wonderful outlet for all that curiosity, energy, and intelligence he has. I had looked into a couple other daycare/preschool options earlier this summer and had walked out going "H***, no, am I taking him there!" I got such a different feeling with the Montessori school. The first day we visited I almost cried I liked it so much. But then two days later I'm crying, wondering if this is the very best thing for him. It is just such a huge contradiction of feelings to love being a mother and yet choosing not to stay at home full time.
In other really exciting news, we have started the process for our second adoption!! We actually have completed much of it and are getting close to officially "waiting." Our homestudy and dossier is already complete. Right now we are waiting on our USCIS fingerprint appointment. Slow, slow, slow. Does it seem like we're rushing it a bit? Well, it may seem that way, but it is so very, very important to us for Ari to have a sibling who shares his heritage, and with international adoption being so unpredictable, we really didn't want to push our luck by dragging our feet. We have no reason to believe that the Ethiopian adoption program is in any jeopardy in any way, shape, or form, but, like I said, it is very unpredictable and things can change quickly. We are using Holt International as our agency this time around and couldn't be happier. So professional. Competent. Helpful. So different than our agency experience with Ari's adoption. We expect the time frame to be about the same as Ari's -- somewhere around 18 months give or take from start to finish. Roger has been a saint in putting up with my OCD attitude when it comes to getting all things done "adoption related." Truly, a saint. My Type A personality has been in overdrive lately. We may or may not have a second crib in our house. I'm just sayin'. But we feel so at peace with how this adoption is progressing. I'm not in a constant state of angst over it like I was with Ari's. The fact that we have a beautiful, smart, funny, busy little boy in our house definitely has something to do with it!! I can't wait to see Ari as an older brother. He is going to be phenomenal, I just know it.
Our handsome little man.
Lookin' like a big brother already.
Below are some pictures of Ari's new playroom. Once again, meant to post these about a month ago, but better late than never, I guess. This room had previously sat basically empty for the last five years -- ever since we moved into our house -- just waiting to become a playroom. It's a big hit with the little man and his friends.
And in case you were wondering about the gender of our second baby.......
We are starting to see pink around here!!!
