The Way We Were

Our Babies

Here are some pics of our babies (until we can get the 2 legged ones!).

August 22, 2007

I really have nothing to write about. Life if pretty quiet and slow around here. We're still just waiting. I think I need August to end. It's really a terrible month (sorry to those who have b-days in Aug.). I don't mean to offend anyone but August is intensely hot and muggy, there are no holidays, Russia shuts down... it's an oppressive month. They should delete off the calendar. September, however is an excellent month. It's my birthday month - nice and coolish, can't wait till August is over.

OK, enough of that. I'm feeling better finally - That rotten cold lasted about 2 weeks. Thanks for all your concern and nice words, it helped!

Here in Texas, we have great Mexican food so I thought I'd share one of my favorite and EASY Mexican desserts - It's very rich so consider yourself forewarned!

Tres Leches (3 Milk) Cake

1 yellow cake mix (with pudding) baked as directed in a 13" x 9" pan


Topping:
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup rum (or to taste - or not at all)

Blend all of the ingredients above in a mixing bowl

To finish:
Poke holes in the cake with a fork all over.
Pour the topping mixture over the cake.
Let mixture absorb completely in the refrigerator.

Cover with whipped cream and sprinkle sweetened coconut over top of cake.

Optional: Add cherries and/or pineapple on top

Yields: 10-12 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes

Enjoy and have a great day!

UPDATE:
Thanks sooooooooo much Carolyn for the fabulous baby books! You are the sweetest, most thoughtful girl I know and I'll treasure those little books and think of you when I read to my babies.
I'm so happy for you and Jim and your little one to be. You are going to be such a loving, wonderful mom and I can't wait to meet your munchkin in February!!!

August 14, I think, 2007

I have been in a giant fog the last few days with a horrible cold or flu-like thing. Fever, extreme headache, body aches, bad sore throat + tons of gunk (lovely eh?). I think this is nearly done. I don't know what people do when you have kids that need you and you feel like this. Wow. All I've done in 2 days is stay in bed and you can't do that with little munchkins running around. I guess I'll deal like all the other moms do.

Something better to think about: It seems as though things are moving again in Kemerovo which is fantastic news.
It brightened my day, I can tell you that!

August 10, 2007

We are scheduled to get our immunizations for Russia next week. The CDC doesn’t require any immunizations however, it does recommend them. We’re going to heed their recommendation just in case… you never know.

Our IA Doc recommends us to have our Hepatitis A/B (a combined shot), Tetanus (if you have not had one in the last 10 years), and update our MMR (measles, mumps, rubella). I’m so accident-prone, I’ll probably get over there and step on a nail or something and end up in the hospital – oh that would not be fun. We’re getting the shots!

Have you other PAP’s gotten yours or will you?

August 5, 2007

Some people may not know exactly what a Dossier is and why it took so long to gather the paperwork. Well, it consists of:

• a 25 page autobiography for each of us (questionnaire)
• 2 power of attorneys
• 2 Petitions to Adopt
• Home Study (2 visits to your home and 2 three hour evaluations)
• Home Study Agency license
• Copy of Social Worker's license
• Recommendation letters from Home Study Agency
• Home Study Education Verification Letter
• Signed copy of State Adoption Laws saying you understand them
• Approval letter from I-171H (Basically the Govt. saying it's ok for you to adopt) - This took 3 months to get - another 2 months for fingerprinting
• Local Police Report for each parent
• State Police Report for each parent
• Federal Police Report for each parent
• 3 copies of passports
• 2 Marriage Certificates
• Divorce Decree if applicable
• Medical Reports for each parent saying we're healthy and don't have AIDS, HEP nor Syphillus
• Copy of Medical Dr.'s license
• Letters from employers re: good standing and salary
• 2 Financial Statements
• Statement of Legal Residence and measurements of every room in house
• 2 Embassy Registration letters
• 2 Post Placement promise letters
• Birth Certificates
• Reference letters from friends and family
• Several pictures of your home, inside and out and of yourselves

All this in addition to being fingerprinted by our local police, State Police and Homeland Security, and taking a course in parenting - then getting all of these documents notarized and apostilled (apostilled meaning the Secretary of State makes sure that all of the notaries are legal).

So we've done all of this - it took approx. 6 months and now our documents are in Russia being translated. The translation takes about 2 months. And so here we are - Whew! Thank goodness we have a great agency who gave us detailed instructions on how to do everything.
I guess we really do want to do this, eh?

August 3, 2007

Has anyone see such a cute ring? I just love it! A coworker has this ring and she promises to will it to me but I really don't want to wait that long... Has anyone seen one like it anywhere? Where can I find one?