All wrapped into one

     Well, it has been a while since our last update.  Things have been crazy and busy around here with the holidays fast approaching. 
     As far as the adoption goes, we are officially on the waiting list!  Woohoo!  We had our USCIS fingerprints done last week and now we are waiting on our Favorable Determination Letter from them.  Then we will send that last piece of paperwork on to our agency and after that we wait....and wait...and wait.  The picture below wraps up everything that has been happening.  It is officially our last picture as a family of four.  It shows me at 29 weeks and the numbers hanging from the dog's collars (which they are loving as you can see) tell where we are currently on the waiting list for the adoption.  Blue=boy, Pink=girl.  We have a two year wait from now.  Well, it will give us a chance to focus on our little girl coming in February. 

 

     Speaking of our little girl, she is still growing and doing well.  We picked out a name a few weeks ago:  Claire Hannah.  We like Claire because it is a name that you don't hear much these days.  Hannah has special meaning.  We wanted our daughter to have a middle name from Ethiopia so that she would have something in common with the baby we adopt.  Mike found a list of top Ethiopian girl names and Hannah was on the list.  Also, the transition home where our adopted child will be before we go meet him/her is called Hannah's Hope.  We both thought that was a perfect middle name for little Claire.
     In other news, I had my first bump  in the road with the pregnancy in the past couple of weeks.  Two weeks ago, I took glucose test #1 and did not pass.  I was devastated and totally freaked out until my mom reminded me that I am not in control, God is.  She also reminded me to pray about it and just trust Him.  Wise words indeed.  The next morning I was still really worried and upset about the whole thing because I just had a feeling that I probably had gestational diabetes despite the fact that I hadn't taken the second test yet. 
     While sitting at the table that morning eating breakfast, I opened my Bible app on my phone and read the verse of the day.  It is from Jeremiah 31:3 and it says:  "The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying, 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.'"  It's amazing the moments that God sweetly reminds us of his love for us and that He is always with us. I decided in that moment that I would trust Him to take care of us because I know He knows what is best for us.
     After taking the second glucose test, I found out that I didn't pass that one either but it wasn't as hard for me to get that news because I had already decided that I am not in control.  I will be attending a class at the Women's Hospital to learn about nutrition that will be good for us and I will also have to test my blood sugar levels 4 times a day.  In short, it is easy to manage.  That is a huge relief for me.
     We have also been busy getting Claire's room ready for her...when I say "we" I really mean Mike.  He has painted her room and is busy working on the trim that will go on the walls.  I plan to order decals in a pink jungle theme to put on the walls.  It is really starting to look like a nursery.  I can't believe that I am already 30 weeks along today.  It has gone by so fast.  Pretty soon, we'll be posting pictures of our beautiful baby on our blog.  Well, this has been a really long update but thanks for hanging in there until the end to read all of our news.  Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!