The baby stuff is taking over...

So over the last week and a half baby stuff has begun to take over our extra bedroom:

This what the side of our extra bed now looks like: baby bags, a baby carrier, hangers, blankets, swaddlers, a baby sleep timer, a boppy...I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting! We've also got quite a start on Faith's wardrobe, as you can see below:

We have bought (OK, I have bought lol) clothing in multiple sizes - 0-18 months - I can't pass up a good sale! Hair bows, a pacifier clip, hats, shoes, socks, bibs...I will have to change Faith every few minutes for the first couple years of her life - ha! These are a few of my favs:

A little black and silver sparkly skirt and rock n roll shirt and little jeans with heart pockets.

Two cute little sundresses for next summer...my mom also bought her a little bikini and cover-up!

A little hedgehog sweatshirt, a cute sweater and velour skirt (with matching pink boots), and a grey velour dress from Baby Gap, complete with a hood with ears :) all in bigger sizes for next winter.

Possibly my favorite...a little fleece coat and hat with leopard trim...so cute!!!

We also got the fabric swatches for the bedding we're having made by a lady on etsy...they are laying on a rug I got for the nursery floor:

This is the picture from etsy of what the bedding will look like when it's completed, although we made a few changes - added a monogram and a different crib skirt:

I registered for this matching glider at Babies r Us, but I'm going to just buy it if I don't get it:

We are ripping out the carpet in her room, replacing it with the same wood flooring we have throughout the living room and hallway, and painting the walls a sandy color. We are planning on adding crown molding and a chair rail and painting the area under the chair rail in the sandy color with pale aqua stripes. I'm also looking for a cute chandelier for the room and I need to start refinishing her dresser, crib, and armoire...so much to do! I can't wait to see it all come together, but most of all I can't wait to have my little girl in her nursery and in my arms! :)  We also have THREE baby showers coming up this winter...we already registered at Target and Babies r Us...it's so surreal though, it still seems like a dream! It's just so strange when you've wanted something for so long, prayed for it, dreamed of it, and then it becomes reality...I'm sure we will spend many nights watching our sweet daughter sleep, in awe that she is ours...we are so blessed :)

Baby Leonard is...

a girl! A sweet, beautiful baby girl! We have chosen the name Faith for her, as "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see," and she is our realization of God's promises, the answer to our prayers. We can't wait to meet her!

                                                                Faith Olivia Leonard

17 Weeks

Today Baby Leonard is 17 weeks! According to http://www.thebump.com/, baby is now the size of an onion and has fingerprints, footprints, and is practicing yawning. :) On Monday we will find out the sex of the baby...I can't wait to get another peek at our cutie pie and give him or her a name! We have settled on Jack Cameron for a boy and Faith Olivia for a girl. We will be starting our home study soon, and I can't wait to get that over with...so much paperwork and stress!i
This week I got a wonderful call from the biological mom saying she felt the baby kick for the first time - so exciting! I can hardly wait for Monday!!!

Dear Baby,

Tomorrow you will be 15 weeks old! I can't believe that in six short months we will finally get to meet you and hold you! Your daddy and I love you so much already and we feel so lucky that God chose us to raise you and love you. Even though I am not able to carry you in my tummy for this 9 months, I am holding you in my heart and thinking about you every second of every day.
Love,
Mommy

Baby Leonard at 14 Weeks!

Well, if SOMEONE had cooperated, we would have known today if we were having a boy or girl according to the Dr., but now we have to wait until October 4th to find out...Boo! This kid is stubborn already...lol. Be did get a nice view of the spine though...so cute!

Baby is exactly 14 weeks today...around three inches and the size of a lemon according to whattoexpect.com. We are so excited to welcome this precious little one into our lives :)

Our blog: Now our adoption blog!

So I haven't posted anything in a YEAR! I cannot believe it! This year has been rough, lots of ups and downs in terms of our journey to becoming parents. Along the way, I found out I had a blocked fallopian tube, hypothyroidism, and fibromyalgia...all things that make getting pregnant that much harder! My husband and I decided to really pray and seek God's heart on what was next for us. We didn't feel that comfortable with the next options medically, but we also couldn't afford to adopt...we were really beginning to feel like maybe we would never be parents! I started praying that God would bring someone into our lives whose baby we could adopt, as a private adoption would be significantly lower in cost than a traditional, agency one. About two months ago, a family friend introduced us to a girl her daughter had mentored for a few years - an 18-year-old who was about 9 weeks pregnant and was looking for someone to adopt her baby. She wanted a Christian family that lived out of state - we are one state apart - and had three requests: she wanted to help choose the names, she wanted pictures from time to time, and she wanted to be able to write a letter for the child to read when they were older explaining why she gave him or her up. I am excited to say that we met and she choose us to adopt her baby! We do not know yet if we are having a boy or girl and are cautiously optimistic, as we know so many things could change before her March due date. However, we are praising God for this opportunity and are excited at the prospect of adding a child to our family! The upcoming months will chronicle our efforts to raise money (we will have giveaways, eBay auctions, and other fundraisers, along with a Paypal donate button on this site) and the ups and downs of adoption. Stay tuned and keep us in your prayers!

Pineapple Cheesecake Bars

This is a recipe I got from foodnetwork.com and modified to be a little lighter in calories and fat. Didn't lose any of its deliciousness...these went FAST!

Crust:

1 1/3 cups flour (I use Pamela's GF baking mix)

1/4 cup sugar (I sub. 1/8 cup + 1 tbsp Splenda)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (I use light)

Bake at 350 in a 13x9 pan for around 12-15 min. The edges should just be starting to brown.

Batter:

8oz cream cheese (I use fat-free)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg (I use 1/4 cup egg sub.)

1/4 cup sugar (or, again, 1/8 + 1 tbsp Splenda)

1 8oz can of crushed pineapple, drained (I like Dole)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar until lump-free - I prefer to use my big stand mixer for this. Add egg, sugar, pineapple, and vanilla and mix throughly. Add in the nuts and chocolate. Pour over the cookie crust and bake at 350 for an additional 15-20 min. or until batter is set.

Melt and drizzle an addtional 1/4 cup of white chocolate over the bars and sprinkle with 1/4 cup finely chopped mac nuts. Enjoy!