What's Happening

Everyone loves pictures, right?  Well, I thought I'd share a few more photographs from our photo shoot with Amber.  And, pictures from the baby shower Amber hosted for us last weekend.  That's right -- more than 30 photos for your viewing enjoyment!  I'm not sure when the last time I posted so many pictures at once was...
Side note: Notice the central theme here is Amber.  Don't friends like Amber rock?  I feel particularly blessed, because I have women like this in my life in abundance!  

35 week checkup went well.  Doctor continues to tell me I'm the picture of health!  But, she did tell me that even though I feel good, I really need to take it easy these next couple of weeks.  I'm trying my best to listen.  Though I know I'm not huge, I seriously don't know how much bigger this child can get. I'm not sure there's room for both of us here.  Kinda ready for the next 5 weeks (give or take) to speed on by... though I am relishing my last taste of freedom and few responsibilities.

Unless you count walking this mutt every day.  That's real responsibility, right?

She's a weird dog.  She lounges about in odd poses like this.  It makes me laugh.

I don't think she knows how drastically her life is about to change.  That makes two of us.

So... what else... oh yes, back to baby shower.  We had a great time.  More than 40 ladies joined the fun.  There was a lot of laughter.  We ate, played shower-y games, and opened gifts.  Because we're leaving and have very limited suitcase space, and because showers aren't really a Chinese tradition and I didn't want all my Chinese friends to feel like they needed to buy us gifts, the focus of the shower was to bring a square of fabric.  We're going to make a quilt of all the various fabric... it will be the world's most visually stimulating quilt, but it will be full of many special memories.  (Which is far more important to me than receiving umpteen bibs.)  We did get a few necessities for the baby as well... some diapers, a few outfits, etc.  I think we're mostly set.  And so far, our apartment hasn't turned into baby-ville... which is just what I was going for.

I baked a cake today.  I even made up the recipe.  It was a chai spice cake, and I was so excited to try it.  I took it out of the oven, cut a steaming slice, handed a slice to my good friend Grace, took a bite, and realized... I forgot the sugar!  I was going to throw the cake away.  (It was very odd tasting.)  But Grace, who is Chinese, insisted on taking it home with her.  Later she texted and said she and her roommate loved it.  I think that's a little odd, considering the way the concoction tasted, but the Chinese aren't that crazy about sugar, so I guess it is plausible.  It's also plausible that she was just being really, really nice.

And all was not lost... actually half the batter hadn't yet baked, so I tossed in some sugar and some extra spice and baked it and voila... sugar craving fulfilled!  (And this time, Jacob didn't throw away half the piece I cut for him.)

Tomorrow morning I'm making sweet potatoes for 50+ children at the foster home for their annual Thanksgiving feast.  This is my third year to do the sweet potatoes.  My favorite part is that the nannies always think they must be healthy since they are sweet potatoes and willingly give the kiddos seconds (and thirds).  I don't tell them that they probably have more sugar than the pumpkin pie.  Figure the kids need a good sugar rush now and again.

We'll be eating our Thanksgiving meal on Friday.  And, we do get the full works... turkey, stuffing, etc!  I'm soooo excited.

Speaking of Thanksgiving and being thankful... You guys make my list!  I've so enjoyed reading the comments and encouragement you've given after our last post.  Having such a warm and loving community definitely makes the prospect of our transition more exhilarating and exciting and less frightening and overwhelming.  We love you guys.  Please keep praying for us.

And with that, I'm off to bed.  G'night!