Pictures of the nursery

We are posted as a waiting family

On the facilitators web page. OMG! I just checked like I do everyday and there we are. It is so real now...WOW!

Please GOD continue to help us through this, continue to watch over us and help us achieve our ultimate dream :O)

We had our home visit this morning

And we got verbal approval from our sw :O)
She needs all our medical and 2 more reference letters before she can write up the written approval.
Josh and I are psyched! What an accomplishment. We have learned a lot from the home study process and feel relieved that it is behind us now.
The agency received our application on 7-15 and today is 9-15-08...so much done in just 2 mos.

We are "PAPER PREGNANT" WAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Now begins the waiting!

New middle name option for a girl

Bella...I like the way Bella sounds with Aleigha, esp. with the nickname Ali . Ali Bella, Ali Bell! So cute!!
Bella means my God is a vow.
What do you think???

PE's are done

Josh and I both got our PE's last week. We still need to get our blood work done, just waiting on our insurance. Having big problems with it. It didn't go through yet...grrr! I called and spoke with the Ins. co last week a few times and they had no record of us and couldn't find the group (the group number on our paperwork was missing 1 number) not sure what is going on. Josh's work told us to pay out of pocket and get receipts and we'd submit them. We got our enrollment form back in the mail yest. the co he works for didn't fill out their part, group name...again...grrr! I have tried to get this info from his work, but feel like we are getting the run around for some reason and this scares me. I left her a message last night saying I needed the group name (cause the ins. co can't find them under the co name for some reason) and I still am waiting to hear back from her. I want to send this out asap. I am so scared we don't have coverage. His work says we do, but I don't put a whole lot of faith in that...We Better! I am completely out of one of my meds after today and need to go pick them up and pay out of pocket. I am so frustrated with this...it should be all set and no worry of ours at all.

Oh ya, The facilitator called yest. to let me know that they received my packet. It hadn't gotten to her to look through yet, but said she'd call me again this week to go over our profile, etc...

I just called again and spoke with Josh's work, she is saying it is Josh's fault for not bringing in the billing to submit. That comes later, Hello? The ins. co isn't going to reimburse us payment till we are actually active with them. And she says she's asked him 3 times to bring in the paperwork and he never does it...again...hello. He just went to the dr on Fri. She says she will call them now and try to figure it out...we'll see.

Mailing packet of profiles and PE

Got my PE done this am. Got to go for blood work next week (waiting for insurance to kick in, had to pay out of pocket today and was told I'd get reimbursed by Ins. co.) sometime with Josh and then await those results, but I got an all clear on my PE form. I saw the NP (Chris)and was very happy with her.

Also, I've got our packet of profiles for the facilitator all ready to go. I am afraid to seal it up as I feel I must have forgot something, but I think it is all set...finally!
I will bring it to the post office this afternoon.

Next is Josh's PE on Friday afternoon and I go get my TB test read then too. He'll need to get his read after as well.

That is our update :O)

Some cleaning tips I want to remember

For stains (baby poop, etc...) Keep a small bucket in laundry room with water, add a good amt. of OxyClean and soak over night.

Spray cleaner:
In spray bottle combine 2T white vinegar & 2T Borax. Dissolve. Fill bottle with hot water. Add 2T liquid dish soap & 29 drops of essential oil.

Learning that Biz works well too.

FYI: Mom came across our Christening gown the other day and I would love to use it for our baby one day. It has some yellow stains around the neck and the white is kind of dingy looking. So I was researching ways to clean it.

So far I got, fill a flat plastic storage container with warm water and soak the gown in it with Biz (I think 1/2C) or OxyClean over night or longer and rinse.

I also read you could lather it with a regular bar of Ivory soap, may need to repeat a few times.

Dissolve Biz and Clorox II in hot water, then add enough cold water to cover the clothing item (about 1/2C of each to 1 - 1 1/2 gallons of water. Let is soak for several days.

Or Clorox Oxygen Action, warm water and a sprinkle of laundry soap and soak for about 15 mins.

Spray on diluted peroxide, also great for blood stains. Let it sit a bit, rinse and repeat to clean.

Reading a lot about "bluing" for whites.