The best thing about Washington State...

Coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, I think they keep all the good stuff themselves and send the crap out to other states. The coffee in Washington is amazing. And I mean ALL the coffee. In Starbucks, hotel lobbies, in restaurants, in the airport, ON AIRPLANES TRAVELING WITHIN THE STATE, ALL the coffee is amazing. You are reading this and thinking, ya right, it cannot be that different. But it is. Oh, it is.

This makes me even more excited to go to ETH to pick up Sam, because if Washington State coffee is THIS good, then I cannot imagine how amazing ETH coffee will be in ETH. Cannot wait!

Green Meg, if you ever want to send Sam a care package -- make it coffee. In fact, if we do a registry for the Washington chapter of the "I Heart Sam" fan club, I think only coffee will be on said registry.
Erin, is the coffee in Portland just as good?

We've made a decision?

I know it seems crazy, but I think we've made a decision on the "which agency should we move to" front. You are thinking, or rather, I would be thinking if I were you, that its only been a week so what's the rush and how in the heck could you have adequately researched everything in that time period. Well, it's actually been longer than a week, but it's only been a week since I've said anything publicly, or rather, privately since this is a private blog. The rush is that we haven't yet submitted our dossier. Once you submit your dossier, you are pretty much set with your agency, because you don't want to lose $4000-5000. If we switch NOW, we will likely receive our program fees back, and will only really be out our application fee.

How was this decision reached? Well, let me start by saying no FINAL decision has been made and we haven't "fired" our agency yet. We won't make a FINAL decision and tell our original agency until after we sign a contract. The decision to leave was relatively easy once we found out (via various websites, personal discussions, and blogs) that many things we were told were Ethiopian rules or laws, were actually agency rules. For example, Ethiopia does not have a "2 year marriage rule", that was just our agency's rule. Which means, we have literally wasted this past year. We could already have our child, had we originally gone with another agency. We were never told this was an agency rule, and never told other agencies didn't have this rule. Honestly, I feel both hurt and stupid, because I should have researched this independently. But who would ASSUME their agency was lying to them? Additionally, ETH doesn't have a "birth order" rule, or even an "age of youngest child in household/ 3 years between siblings" rule. These were all agency rules. On top of that, other agencies are bringing healthy babies together with their forever families sooner and have shorter waiting lists. So the decision to leave became easy.

What agency to go to? I read websites, blogs, literature. I read ratings sites a la Hotels Dot Com. I called new mommy-to-be friends who have switched agencies. I emailed directors and reviewed fee schedules. Today, I had a conference call with the director of Adoption Avenues
and really, really liked him. He is a physician, his wife (co-founder) is also a physician. They have dedicated their lives to uniting orphans with their forever families. This guy was non-nonsense and really spelled out the facts for me. I was impressed with him and his organization. So, I think, I'm pretty sure, about 95% sure right now, that we are switching to this agency. When we are 100% sure, I'll let you know, but I'll admit, it's looking good.

Yes, we do have to re-do, change and obtain some new dossier documents, but it won't be a problem getting them before Immigration sends our Golden Ticket. I figure we have a good month to go on that.

Here's the kicker people: we will receive a referral within 1-4 months after our DTE. The average time now is 6-12 weeks. Yes, WEEKS. Not months, WEEKS. Wow. We will likely have our baby home by the end of May. Can you believe that?

1 year -- looking back

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For those whom are not familiar w/ my abbreviations:
TTC = trying to conceive
CHI = Children's Hope Int'l, our adoption agency
ETH = Ethiopia (okay, you totally should have known that one!)
WSW = our wonderful social worker, Jacque @ Glenkirk Adoptions
AAC = our amazing adoption consultant, and general life counselor, Toni @ CHI
RSD = Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. This is a chronic, often degenerative disease, of the sympathetic nervous system, which I have had since April of 2003. I currently have neuro-stimulator implants in my spinal cord to control the symptoms, but have been in remission since May of this year, and thus have turned off the implants. I am not on any drug therapy currently. Yeah!!!
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Well -- tomorrow will be October 10th. The day it all really started. Not the day we got married or the day we decided to have kids, or even the day we started TTC*. But the day we found we could not conceive and the day we decided our child is in ETH and we just have to find him/her. The day we knew CHI was going to help us find our child. The day we began our journey for Sam.

How do I feel? I'm not going to lie or even sugar-coat it. I'm frustrated and pissed off. Yesterday Gregg asked what I wanted to do for our anniversary (later this month) and I almost started to cry because we just naturally assumed we would have our baby in our arms at this point in time. I never would have dreamt that we wouldn't even have our dossier out by now.
My WSW told me yesterday "if we don't have the Foster License next week, I'll start bugging people." I wanted to scream START BUGGING PEOPLE NOW. But I respect that she has to work w/ DCFS every day, and I'm not the only mom-to-be she works with, and she cannot risk pissing off DCFS for future families. Speaking of which, my AAC scanned & sent the original letter from my specialist & WSW said that should suffice regarding my RSD.

I think Gregg is a little numb at this point. He said yesterday that he won't really let himself get excited until we are on the plane heading home, because he is afraid that, at any point in time, someone will "pull the plug" and decide we cannot have our child. I think in reality, he will let himself get excited when we get the referral. He is being a sport about shopping and setting up the nursery, and getting gender-neurtral clothing, but he isn't like me. On a scale from 1-10, Gregg is about a 4 now, and I'm definitely "one more, an 11" (all hail Spinal Tap!)

I got some super-cute tees from Tiny Rock Star & Tiny Revalutionary (thank you Stacie Dixon for posting those on your blog.) I have them in the top drawer of the finished dresser and took them out and looked at them again this morning. I so despirately want to see them on our child.

I think all my fall projects will help fill my time, but won't fill the whole that is growing in my heart. Only my child can fill that. Don't get me wrong, I have more love in my life than should be legal. I have a truly amazing husband. Seriously, I often wonder how I got so very lucky to have him in my life. He is so funny & smart & super-hot (which shouldn't matter, but is really nice "gravy") He is my rock. I love him more than words could ever adequately express. I have a fabulous family. My sisters & mom & dad support me no matter what, and are as excited as I am for our baby to come home. I have cousins & aunts & uncles loving this baby already. I'm very blessed because my family is more than family. I can honestly say I would chose them out of all the families in the world to be mine. I have some of the best friends a girl could ever wish for, both in the city, and around the country/world. I cannot complain. But I still ache for my child, and have so much room in my heart for the love you can only experience as a mommy.

So Sam, know that I love you whether you have been born yet or not. Know that I'll find you no matter how long and hard the journey is. Know that I'll come get you and bring you home as soon as possible. Know that you've been loved and longed for and dreamt of longer than any homegrown child ever could be. Know that I will not allow another year to pass without you in my arms.

Sam's Mom's Design Co.

This post is dedicated to Sandi & Autumn and all the other "crafty beaver" moms out there.

Sandi has convinced me that I can get back into sewing. I used to be quite good (1st place blue ribbons at many a county & state fair in my day.) But I stopped in my 20s, and haven't picked it up since. Once we decided to adopt, I knew I had the time, and finally the dedication, to start some sewing project. Last Christmas, my fabulous husband GREGG (he says I don't use his name enough in posts) got me a new fancy-schmancy Singer, and for my B-Day a fully-stocked sewing box. So I have no excuses left.

I'm bringing up the sewing machine from the basement this week (I know I've said this before, but this time I really mean it). My first project is a pair of valances for the Nursery. I have started a design book ('cause I'm insanely organized) for project ideas, fabrics, colors, patterns, etc. Above are the first 2 pages for Sam's valances. I got out the colored pencils and matched them to the room colors, so we couldn't mess up the fabric too much. I glue-sticked fabric swatched and noted the price per yard, for comparison at the store. We checked out patterns, but decided we didn't need one, because I just want to do a very simple pocket valance w/ a 1 1/2 inch rod & 2x fullness. You can see the diagram/pattern to figure out my yardage. We decided on the beige/green microsuade w/ bronze/carmel leaf pattern. (ie: the large swatch). My camera didn't take the clearest of pictures, but believe me, the fabric is GORGEOUS!!! I'm going to do a chocolate satin ribbon band on the bottom to give a finished look, and will pair w/ pale-beige shears.

I am SOOOO excited to get started. I just need to pick up my fabric, drapery backing, and notions.

The next project: Toddler Tees w/ quilted designs. Okay, I stole the idea off something I saw on Etsy.com, but I'm not going to sell them so I think it's okay.

Big THANKS to the amazing Sandi Brown (ie: Paul's mom) -- who is coaching me along the way and believes I can truly sew a quilt before Sam comes home!

Animals on Parade

So -- after such a positive AM blog, I had a tough day w/ problems w/ the Foster license due to DCFS having a meeting on Friday and changing some rules. But I got excellent support from my WSW, my hubby, and my ETH parent friends on our Yahoo groups and feel much better now. I am even going to empower myself and call some folks in Springfield to see what we can do to change some of these rules.

In the meantime, the EllyNelly decals were delivered today (off the Etsy.com site). I put up 1 wall of the Animals on Parade in the nursery. We will have to order another set to finish the other 1/2 of this wall (beyong the window well.) But you can see the results above. The walls are a buttery yellow, and I had too much flash in the picture so it looks more white. The decals are chocolate brown. I LOVE IT!!!

The right way to start October

It has been a tough couple of weeks for the DeZuttis. Primarily because our homestudy is MIA, but of course other issues are present. We have found that life does not stop for adoption (gosh, that should be a tee-shirt.) But we are rallying together and pulling through.

Here are some great things that happened in the first 5 days of the month:

1. CHI families received 5 referrals this week. Wooo-Hoooo!

2. I finished Sam's dresser. See above photos.

3. Sam received his/her first book -- a recycled copy of "Good night moon" from our friends Kim & Francis (& new baby Maddy!) We love recycled books, clothing, furniture, you name it. Yeah environment!

4. I spent the weekend @ my sisters visiting. I had tons of quility time w/ "my girls." Manda & Bryan had the time (since I was babysitting) to drive about 45 mins out and pick up the bunk beds they had ordered several weeks back. We even had time to assemble the bunks today. See above pictures.

5. Liv was really affectionate with me. This was the 1st time for her. I think it's been a little hard with Liv, because she is SO different than Em. Em is a complete love-bug and Liv isn't. Unless your name is Mommy, and even that doesn't work all the time. Liv is a very serious child, and does not like to smile a lot for me. This weekend I felt like we had a real breakthru. She wanted ME to push her on the swing, and ME to carry her, and ME to get her dressed in the morning. She does not cuddle, but she did sit on my lap for a while -- which is huge! She even called me "An Mae-Mae" and gave me kisses when I left. My heart was singing!

6. Em decided she would be okay if "little baby" is a boy. Before she was not. We talked about the fact that Little Bear, Franklin, and Handy Manny are all boys, and she likes them, so she decided a little boy baby would be acceptable. A girl is still preferrable. About 20 times this weekend, she said "Aunt Mae, I have secret" I would come close and she would say "I love you beary, beary much!" This kid makes my heart melt!

7. When I came home tonight, my wonderful hubby and I danced in the living room in our socks, while singing our song, "Nice & Easy" (Sinatra). I love him beary, beary much! October is a pretty great month so far.

Homestudy update II

Wish I could say we received it today and our AAC (amazing adoption counselor, Toni) is reviewing it and then it's off to Springfield to be "approved" by DCFS. But, alas, not yet. I called again this morning and ACTUALLY TALKED TO A LIVE PERSON at my SW agency. Can you believe it??!! It was not my personal SW, but it's a small enough agency that they know all the ETH couples, so she knew me. I prefaced with "I know I'm getting a little obsessive, but..." She told me my SW would be in the office today and would email or call me on the progress of the homestudy. She also told me that in the past month, the turn-around at DCFS has been faster -- approximately 3 weeks. We had previously been told (2 mos ago) to expect 4-12 weeks, so I'm thrilled (if this is, in fact the case.)

Of course, I am now getting skeptical, and will believe everything re: homestudy when I see it.
But, if we see the homestudy this week, and if DCFS turns around in 3-4 weeks, then we are still technically ahead of the game. We have had great luck w/ the fed gov't at all stages of the adoption process thus far, and I'm personally convinced we won't wait too terribly long for our 171-H. I'll stock up on my red wine supply this week just in case.

In the meantime, Gregg has said it's okay to purchase gender neutral clothing age 12 mos & up (because the kid will eventually be able to wear even if we get a very little one.) I found some amazing organic tee & onesie sights on various ETH family blogs (see my credit disclaimer at the right) and am going to start getting some political/pop culture tees. The dresser is almost done (waiting for the knobs) and I'll take some pics when it is. May even take some pics of the clothing in the dresser -- too cute!!

It's 3:30 and yes that's a glass of wine

So, it's 3:30 in the afternoon, and I have a lovely glass of red beside the computer. to prove I'm not being melodramatic, see above picture -- the stove clock is my witness!

Why, you ask, am I having a glass of wine before 5 pm? Because, my friend, in the world of ETH adoption, mommy's aren't allowed Ativan. It seems the ETH gov't (bless them, bless them, bless them for allowing us to adopt their orphans) see prescription antidepressants in a slightly more negative light than we do in the States. I know what your thinking... "Gosh, if you are infertile and you work with 5 Fertile Mertyls at the office, wouldn't anyone be a bit depressed?" I cannot answer that question in the global sense, but this mommy-to-be sure has her Blue days. This is one of them. In fact, it's almost turquoise over here.

I haven't heard from the SW since 9/15, and that was an email telling me that the server at the office had been down for 2 days, so she would be getting my homestudy out on Friday, not Wednesday. On Friday I emailed...On Monday I emailed...Today I emailed and called. I know this is not our biggest wait, but it seems to me the homestudy is the biggest hurdle, and once that's done everything else is pretty routine paperwork. We have been vetted by local, state, and fed gov't, and approved by our agency. "The homestudy is connected to the 171-H, and the 171-H is connected to the Visa, and (everyone sing in tune w/ "dem bones!") without the Visa you don't travel!" So everything hangs in balance waiting for the homestudy.

Now, I am sure that our SW is overworked and underpaid because, lets face it, anyone who does an important job for families (teachers, daycare workers, nurses, speech therapists, stay at home mommies, etc, etc) is overworked and underpaid. BUT I am shelling out $2500 for this report, so I would like to see a little hussle! We had our first home visit 6-23, and our follow-up to discuss the 40 pages of essay questions in mid August. It's now almost October.
I would really like a return call, or an email, or a copy of the freakin' homestudy in my mailbox, the original of which has been forwarded to DCFS for approval!!!

LONG SIP FROM THE WINE GLASS.
REPEAT.

Okay, I'm calmer now.

So -- what I'm doing positive to keep busy & not freak out about the late homestudy:

1. Praying. I'm praying for all obstacles to be removed, so the homestudy can be completed, approved, certified, and forwarded to USCIS in a timely fashion. I'm praying for all obstacles to be removed so we are united with our child as soon as possible. I'm praying for healing if our child's biological mom/dad/etc. are sick and/or hungry, (please don't be true) our child is sick and/or hungry. I'm praying for compassion so I don't get jealous of other moms/babies/moms-to-be.

2. Moved the rocker/recliner upstairs to the nursery. See above picture. Believe it or not, this rocker/recliner was "rescued" (ie: liberated) from a dumpster some 15 years ago during my Purdue days. It was used as found, in a lovely nubby brown & blue plaid, smelling of beer and cigars, for a year. Then it was steam cleaned and used with a floral slip cover for several years. When I moved to Chicago I finally had the money to have it re-upholstered professionally. I loved the job they did, but shortly thereafter got a cat, who wasn't declawed, and the back of the recliner became quickly juilianned into fine strips. About 3 years ago, we had it re-upholstered again, in the current fabric. I love, love, love the fabric! Its been sitting in the basement, with all the other FFBM (furniture from before marriage) since then. Thankfully, Jazz (the offending cat) currently wears kitty nails, so she cannot damage furniture or people. You'll notice my Piece of Africa quilt prominently displayed on the recliner. Doesn't it look gorgeous?! Next to the recliner is the child chair my Uncle Walter made me when I was born. Even though it says "Megan" I'm hoping my kids will use and love as much as I do.

3. Found the trim piece I want for the dresser. Will pick it up on Sunday from HD, along with some more poly. I had mistakenly poly'd several times this week, but because of humidity, there are bubbles in the finish. So, I need to do a light sanding and open a new can, and make sure the humidity is below 40%. I may just bring it in the house, poly w/ the windows open, and then crank the AC. The knobs we picked out will be available at Lowes next week.

4. I'm going to finally!!! bring my sewing machine upstairs and plop it on the dining room table. We NEVER eat in there, so it's really a giant in-box for mail, books, phones, and medical records I need to reveiw. I figure if the sewing machine is upstairs staring at me, I'm likely (uhem, more likely) to actually get off my duff and use it.

5. To aide with #4, I'm going to measure and pick out material for the nursery curtains. I think I'm going to do 1 full across per window, and use some nice gro-grain ribbon for tie-backs (or maybe make ties out of the fabric scraps?) We have full blinds, so the curtains are pure decoration.

Okay, I'm feeling better already. I'll be productive and it will make the time more bearable.
Thanks for listening to my rant.

Diapers, Diapers, Diapers

Like most 1st time parents, we have been investigating and researching a variety of baby-care issues, not the least of which is DIAPERS.

Of course, we are cost-conscious, but also ec0-conscious. (Al Gore is the little voice inside my head, reminding me to turn off light switches.) We have managed to become staunch recyclers, and have cultivated a no-water lawn and flower/bush landscaping. This year I started composting -- EVERYTHING goes in from paper, egg shells & watermelon rinds to coffee grounds, dead leaves & grass clippings.

So, when it came to the choice on diapers, I definately wanted to avoid disposable at all costs. Now, I completely support all parenting choices that lead to a happy & healthy baby. Disposable diapers are the best choice for some parents. But since we own a washer/dryer, and do composing year-round, I did not feel it was the best choice for us. We researched cloth diapers, and I was really excited about All-in-ones, specifically the All Together diaper at http://www.clothdiaper.com/. Yet, when I was realistic about our specific situation, I knew 2 full-time working parents likely could not keep up w/ laundry, so we would end up purchasing more diapers in each size than we needed, which is a waste of diapers, and a waste of $$$$$.

My sister told me about several brands of chlorine-free diapers, like 7th Generation, which break-down in landfills sooner. But I wanted something I did not have to constantly throw away. I was thrilled when a parent on the ETH yahoo group sent out an email on GDiapers. http://www.gdiaper.com/ I had not heard about them before, but started my research like a good mommy-to-be. They were just what I was looking for -- a cloth outer "pant" that is machine washable, with a water-proof liner barrier, and compostible inside pad (think giant maxi-pad.) Urine pads are compostable due to a natural chem in the layers that neutralize the acidic pH. Soil is flushable (pad & all), or you can throw away in the garbage, and they biodegrade in a landfill in 90 days!

Of course, we'll have to try them out on Sam to ensure we can get a good fit, no leaks, etc. etc. But I'll pick up a trial pak when we know his size and see how they work. From the website, it appears they are as good for the baby (no rash) as disposable, but @ a much lower cost financially and to the environment. YEAH!!

If anyone has any direct experience w/ G Diapers, please let me know.

Searching for Knobs

Yes friends, this is a G rated posting!

We have been searching for the knobs for Sam's dresser for some time (well before I started the process of refinishing the piece.) At first, I was overwhelmed with the choices, but the prices quickly narrowed our focus.

Even though we are saving $$$ by refinishing the piece rather then buying new, I didn't want to go crazy and spend $200-300 on knobs. Believe it or not, this can happen. I have 8 drawers w/ 2 knobs each. We found many, many knobs on HomeDepot.com and Lowes.com for $8-22/ a piece. Yes, you did the math correctly, that $128-$352 for knobs. I was shocked.

So our parameters were: something round, dark (the drawer faces are a honey/bamboo color), nothing silver or gold-toned. I didn't think I wanted wood, because I want the dresser to have some personality. But I also wanted something simple, and somewhat timeless. Oh, and under $4/piece.

Last night, like magic, Tah-Dah!! we found the right knobs. They are ceramic, very reasonably prices, and should coordinate well with the nursery and beyond. (Oh my gosh! someday I'll have a teenager!) Even though they are technically flowers, I think they work for a boys room, as they could be interpreted as the sun. They are simple, & we really like them.

I'm putting a bit of felt between the knobs & the drawer fronts, to prevent scratching, so we can switch the knobs out to give the dresser a fresh look in the years to come.

Baby Wearing Part I

DISCLAIMER: The picture at the left is a representation of the baby sling I wish to get for Sam. It is no way is meant to represent me (wish I were that thin!) or Sam.

END OF DISCLAIMER.

So -- after months (literally) of fretting and changing my mind, I think I have FINALLY picked out a baby sling. I know wearing your child is very important, and possibly/probably more important in int'l adoption, since we don't have our kids from birth. So I have been on countless sites, and talked to countless people about baby carriers and baby slings.

Gregg and I each want our own sling. (1) because he doesn't want to wear anything girly, and think's I'll get something super-duper girly, which I likely will. (2) Gregg wants me to sew all of his Alfa & Ferrari patches on his sling, to put the baby in motorsports mode. I think it's really cute that he's so into this he wants his own. (He also wants his own diaper bag.)

I think HotSlings will work best for us, because there is nothing to tie and, as Gregg points out -- no way for us to screw up and the baby to fall out! We have each "tried on" HotSlings at Target to find the right size. Because, in the world of babyslings, if no where else, size does matter.

So, I think, that I'm going to get the Shabby Chic. I want something that's neutral-based, and good for boy or girl, while being uber fashionable for me. I mean, come on, I have countless Vera Bradley bags so I can coordinate w/ my outfits. No basic black/brown for this girl. so I need a Sling as "hip" as I am. (and Gregg said I cannot have 2 or 3, just 1. He is such a party pooper!)

Of course, I'm not going to put this on a registry yet, in case they come out w/ a new design before Sam comes. Want to keep my options open!

Thumbs up from Grandma

My mom, Sam's grandma, was the original owner of Sam's re-finished dresser. I sent her pics & we talked last night and she is SO EXCITED w/ the outcome. I don't think she had any idea that there was good pine wood underneith the 7 coats of paint & stain. I had previously refinished the dresser she had as a little girl, in a similar 2-toned effect. it turned out great! So, we have 2 pieces of family history for Sam & siblings. These pieces were originally purchased by my Grandpa Gray, stained & painted for my mom (circa 1955), and re-painted over the years for me & my siblings. In addition, mom has a bookshelf, a toy box, and a child's desk, which were all purchased by Grandpa Gray at the same time as naked furniture & stained & painted.

Mom is so excited by the dresser, that I'm going to take my stripping & sanding supplies down in a couple weeks and we are going to strip & sand her pieces & later stain when she decides how she wants the finished pieces to look. She has been hiding these pieces in a spare room because, well, they look like crap! They have been painted, chipped & repainted multiple times, but we both like stained natural wood much better. I cannot wait to show her the process so she can turn the treasured pieces into usable items for the grandchildren!

Also, a church friend who runs a day care had an extra pak'n play she gave mom this weekend after church. Although its pretty "loud" (fushia, purple & teal), I'm very happy that she has one we can move around the house for naps & diaper changes. Also, mom & dad have a HUGE back yard, so it will be good if we are outside and Sam wants to nap or play. I'm all about baby freedom & will "wear" Sam as much as possible, but I'm also all for safety & unfenced yards aren't good for fast-running little ones. so thank you, thank you, thank you unnamed church friend! Good to know our pak'n play can stay in Chicago when we visit Grandma & Grandpa!

Sam's Dresser Part III

Okay -- I think I finally got it right. I ended up mixing the Ebony & Red Chestnut and putting on 2 coats, hand rubbed. This makes 4 coats on the sides and frame and I think it's perfect. The wood is not perfect, so some places are darker than others -- you can definitely tell its an old piece, but that's just fine. When I put on a couple of coats of semi-gloss poly to seal it, it will bring out the wood grain more. I put 3 coats of "Special Oak" on the top and drawer faces. I wanted a yellow w/ a touch of green, because we are using bamboo baskets in the changing table, so it will coordinate nicely w/o being matchy-matchy. With several coats of poly, it should be pretty durable. I hope Sam likes the dresser -- as the wood really soaked up the stain, there is no way you are ever getting the stain out. Unless we paint it -- this is the way it will look for the lifetime of the dresser.

When I poly it, and find drawer pulls, I'll photograph again so you can see the finished product.

Piece of Africa Quilt

For those of you who love the quilt as much as we do, I added a link to Sandi's Esty shop on the right. I wish I could take credit, but alas it is Sandi's creative creation, not mine. Although, I like to think if I could quilt I would have made a piece like this for Sam.

So here's my little commercial bit: The quality of this quilt is amazing! It's machine washable (gentle) and dryable (fluff air/ low). The stitching if very small & close and its quite durable. The fabrics are very soft, and each have a texture of their own (the design has a texture) so I think it will be stimulating for Sam both by touch and sight. The colors are very rich and vivid, but not harsh. Sandi has other items for sale, and quilts a lot so I'm sure there will be new items on her site. If you absolutely much have the quilt we got for Sam, she has a toddler/crib quilt version avail. This has the cut-out of Africa in the center. The only reason we did not get the crib quilt is because we already have Sam's bedding picked out and family wants to buy for us. We will use the lap quilt on the rocker for snuggling, story time, and floor time.

In case you cannot tell, I'm super excited about this quilt and am dreaming of seeing Sam on it. Of coure, when he is, we'll take and upload pictures! But that's probably at least 6 mos away.

2nd thoughts -- Sam's dresser regrets?

Okay, the more I'm looking at the crib, the darker I'm thinking it is. So, maybe I need to add a coat (hand rubbed, not brushed on, so I get a lighter coat) of the EBONY on top of the RED CHESTNUT? And what was I thinking, of course EBONY is black. Geez louise! So Gregg has suggested we go out and look at the crib in the store again today because maybe my picture is too dark, and then decide. I'll also take a gander at the dried 1st 2 coats of RED CHESTNUT stain and see if that dried darker (in the picture I posted it is still wet.)

Hmm, I know I'm making a big deal out of this, but the dresser is history, a family heirloom if you will, and I want it to be amazing for Sam. Sure, it has deep gauges, and deep scratches and knicks that I couldn't sand out, so its not perfect, but I love aged pieces. And I want the nursery to be perfect. Is that crazy/wrong? am I getting too obsessive? Please tell me the rest of you ETH parents are like this.

Learning compromise -or- Sam's dresser Part II

I spent another 2 hours today sanding Sam's dresser. I don't like to use a lot of stripper chemicals, because this is very old and I don't want to damage the wood. I sand w/ medium to fine grade sandpaper in small incriments w/ my orbital sander. This is what the dresser looked like after sanding and wiping down w/ a wet cheesecloth to get all the dust off.

We took off the bottom "wooden dust ruffle" piece because it was broken. I don't know what shape I want on in its place (it was scalloped.) I guess I don't have to decide today.

So, because the crib is a very, very dark brown (called Coffee), we had picked out what we thought was a very, very dark brown stain for the dresser (called Ebony). I swear, in Home Depot, it was a dark brown, but when we "tested" the stain on an extra piece of wood today, it was BLACK. That is not what I want for the dresser, but being someone w/o the patience gene, I wanted to start staining today. So I went with 2 coats of Red Chestnut, which right now looks very brown, and not red at all. I don't think the dresser & crib have to be too "matchy-matchy" so I'm not going to worry if some red comes out w/ the poly sealer coat. I'm still doing the dresser 2 toned, with a light honey on the drawer faces & the top.

The sides of the drawers were very, very warn and since the sides don't show, they were made w/ lower quality wood. I could barely sand, for fear of splintering off the wood. So I made another compromise and painted the sides very dark brown paint, instead of stain (since I couldn't strip the old paint off, I couldn't stain.) At top is what the sides looked like after 2 coats of paint.

Finally, I have added a picture of Sam's Africa quilt. I hung it from a mirror in the nursery, so you cannot see top edge well, but heck, it's hard to photograph a quilt when you don't have the crib in the room yet!! The photo doesn't do it justice. It is so beautiful!

End of week Odds & Ends

I'm placing headers, so you can skip the stuff you aren't interested in reading:

WORK
Work was crazy this week. I had a business trip Mon-Tues in California, which means about 15 hours of travel for a 1 1/2 hour meeting. It was in Downey, which I had never been to before, but is a really lovely place. Bedroom suburb of LA. I have to say, LA drivers don't really know what rush-hour traffic is. I drove in pm rush hour Monday afternoon, and am rush hour Tuesday, and it's nothing compared to Chicago rush hour (which lasts about 7 hours a day.) There is ALWAYS traffic, usually bad traffic, in Chicago. Now, in LA's defense, I was told that a lot of drivers have switched to public trans because of the high price of gas. Chicago drivers have not. And, Chicago gas is more expensive than LA gas -- go figure.

I had the fantastic experience of transferring from a common cold to a sinus infection somewhere over the Rocky Mountains on my flight out. Made for a very poor night's sleep, and terrible flight home, but thankfully I had an excellent book which made it a bit easier. It's now Saturday and I'm still fighting the congestion and coughing from drainage, but at least I have drainage and less pressure. Horray! I'm sure it will be gone in another week.

Have another very busy week this week, due to some new files I received. Things will be easier when I settle a particular case that is a big pain in my rear. Very crazy client, but we all have those from time-to-time. I'm thankful for the new files and busy schedule because more billables = bigger bonus = more time I can take off next year w/ Sam. Without my billing bonus we really could not afford full maternity leave.

NEW DRESS

Gregg & I have at least one black-tie charity ball this winter for work. We love these. We love dressing up. Gregg broke down and purchased a tux 2 years ago because he was renting so often. I HAVE to (do you see the fake tears) purchase a new dress because all my formal wear is far to big and likely cannot be tailored to fit my new size. We'll go shopping now, because we noticed a lot of formal wear in the mall last week...likely for the upcoming party season. Hoping to get a huge deal. Gregg has final say, as he does with all formal wear and suit shopping --the guy has incredible taste!

HOME STUDY
So, our fab SW told us that the home study would be done mid-week of this week, but then they had a computer crash for 2 days due to Chicago's post-Ike storms and it was supposed to be done this Friday. It wasn't. But I'm not going to get discouraged. I'm hoping to see it in my email in-box by Tuesday. It will then be approved by CHI via email, and then delivered to Springfield for DCFS certification. After that, it's on to USCIS, so they can issue our 171-H. It seems like 171-Hs were being issued pretty quickly in 2007 (2-4 weeks) but are taking a bit longer in 2008 (4-12 weeks.) Not to worry, ALL of our gov't paperwork has happened quicker-than-expected, so we are technically ahead of the game. If we lose a couple weeks now, it's okay. I'm still confident that our dossier will be completed and ready to go by Jan 1. (which is only 2 months past our original goal date of October 28th.)

QUILT
I received the package I had been waiting for from Arizona -- we purchased a gorgeous lap quilt from Sandi (of 6Browns fame.) It is even more amazing than the pictures off her Esty site! I will take a picture of it in Sam's room (which is currently the guest bedroom) and will upload later today. I am so thrilled with it -- it's the perfect addition to the crib/toddler bedding we have picked out. It's in rich golds, yellows, orange, and chocolate brown. Although I really want to start sewing again and eventually quilting, I think I'm a long way behind Sandi's crazy-mad skills, and will have to "commission" some future pieces. Quilts are history, and love, and memories all rolled up in a blanket. Even when they are made by someone else. Dear friends of my parents made a quilt for our wedding which is perm on our bed. It is amazing and will always hold a special place in our home and hearts. Even though Sandi made the quilt we purchased before she knew us, and not w/ us in mind, I kind of feel like she sewed a little piece of her heart and her family in the quilt and sent it here for Sam. Someday I hope to meet up w/ her family (and other ETH families I have met via CHI) and get a picture of her baby & ours on the quilt. (when you see a picture you will understand all this blubbering!)

NEW BABIES!
Friends here in Chicago just had a perfect little girl, Maddy, on Sunday. She is home and doing really well with their other "babies" their 2 dogs. Great idea they gave me and we will use when bringing Sam home and introducing to our Lola -- they took a hat Maddy was wearing in the hospital, and gave it to the dogs for 24 hours in their puppy hotel before bringing them home. That way, they already knew Maddy's smell, and didn't feel the need to aggresively smell her at home. They just licked her toes and called it a day. I think this is a genius idea and we will do this with a onesie Sam wears in ETH, and take it to Lola before bringing her home.

Friends in Indiana just had a perfect little boy, Shane, last week. He is home & doing really well with his big sisters. We haven't seen pictures yet but cannot wait!

When these two little ones made their debut appearances, I of course thought of Sam, and if s/he had been born yet. It's hard for me to picture Sam in his/her first mom's tummy, but I picture him/her all the time, lying in a crib in a white short-sleeved onesie (so I don't know the gender.) Will be interesting to find out if I'm picturing Sam before s/he is even born.

Well, I think that's sufficient for now. I'll upload pics of the quilt & dresser re-finishing progress & new dress (if we find it) later this weekend. Need to get outside and continue sanding so I can put the first coats of stain on tomorrow.

Nursery Furniture

Busy, busy on sat afternoon & sunday. We went to BRU and I showed Gregg the crib mom & I found a couple of weeks ago. He really liked it and found it to be very sturdy (Gregg has high sturdiness standards for all furniture in the house. As a result, it takes 3 people to move our couch, 2 for the dining room table, 3 for the amoire!) He loved the color (called Coffee but more like Espresso), which of course thrilled me. I was also so happy he loved the bedding mom & I found. Mom said "of course he did, what's not to love?" when I told her on the phone last night. I must agree, it's gorgeous! I'll try to upload a photo from my Treo so all can see.

To save money, and to impart a bit of family history, rather than purchasing the matching dresser for the crib, I am refinishing my mom's childhood dresser. My grandfather 1st purchased the dresser as naked furniture in 1955 and stained, then painted & re-painted for my mom. It then came to our house when we were little, and I brought the dresser to Chicago in 1995, after I painted it once again. It's 5 feet long, 4 feet high, and the drawers (8) are 20 inches deep. A dresser that size, to coordinate w/ the other nursery furniture, would cost at least $200 and more like $300. so, I stripped the old pain off last night, and was very pleased to find it is lovely knotty pine underneith. I removed the drawer knobs and we'll replace w/ new. I'm going to stain the top, sides, and drawer frames espresso, and the drawer faces a natural honey (think bamboo or rattan baskets). That way, it won't be too dark for the room, and will match w/ the changing table (open shelf design, we'll add rattan or bamboo baskets for diapers & supplies.) I'm so excited. Also, even if we purchase the super-expensive drawer knobs we have our eye on, the total cost for the "new" dresser will be around $50-60!!!! I'll upload a photo when it's finished.

Have our pictures for our "photo pages" that I'll tape on white paper and label today. Gregg is picking up our background checks from the local police (last time the detective did one letter w/ both our names, so had to re-do.) Once we receive our medical letters back from our PCP, we'll be finished w/ our part of the dossier. Then, just a waiting game for the home study/171H.