To crawl or not to crawl, that is the question

Time sure does fly! It's been a long time since my last blog post, 16 months to be exact. I never did claim to be the world's best blogger, so if you're reading this, don't expect miracles. But a few of the ladies inspired me to update my blogger account, so I thought I'd give it a whirl again.

I was looking back at my old posts, and I can't believe that my last post was about adoption, and starting the adoption process again. We had attended our first class and started filling out the massive pile of paper work. However, little did I know that while I sat writing that post, little miss Nylah was finally on the radar...an itty bitty pea sized baby, bobbing around in my tummy. Those are the kind of interruptions in life that I actually enjoy.

Nylah will be 9 months old next week! And with that brings me to my next subject: crawling. I've been told most babies start to crawl between 7 and 10 months. I'd be curious to know from some of you moms when your babies started crawling. So far, she shows no interest in getting up on her knees or scooting, but she is definitely starting to stand and "walk" with the help of mom or dad guiding her. And just put her in her walker and she quickly flies from one side of the house to the other! It didn't take her long at all to figure out how to get around in it.


We've been trying to keep up with her tummy time (normally on carpet), getting her to balance on her tummy and finding creative things that she can reach for, anything to entice her. But, she very well may just start walking before she crawls.

We're Adopting!

Allen and I started the adoption process (again) a few months ago. But today, we took a major step that I'm still not sure we were ready for, and for those of you who know our situation will understand. Even though we are still months away from adopting, Allen and I set up a crib today. It sounds silly to ask this, but please, somebody tell me we are doing the right thing. We told our case manager that we are very interested in fostering/adopting a special needs newborn who might be born premature, addicted to drugs, etc.. Before we get approved we need to complete our home study.... and in order to have a home study, we need to have a crib and some basic things set up and prepared for a child or newborn. With that said, Allen will be gone the whole month of March and part of April, so we are probably not going to start the training, have our home study and be totally approved until May or June. And here we are setting up a crib in January! Am I nuts or what?! But since the paper work process that we are going through now takes a while, we are using this time to organize and rearrange bedrooms, thus the reason for setting up the crib.

I must admit I was a bit apprehensive setting up the crib, pulling all the bedding out, and unpacking years of dreams that have been set aside not only in boxes, but also packed away deep in my heart as well. Some of the things we unpacked from boxes today were things I had saved from years ago, in hopes for a baby of my own. The Peter Rabbit theme was picked out long before we even tried to have a baby. The colors picked out, ivory, yellow and white. The dreams picked out. The hopes picked out...  Then, crash, right in the middle of all our dreams, we found out we couldn't conceive on our own. So, we wasted no time and jumped right in and started the adoption process, along with fertility treatments just in case. We completed all the training, the home study and even got a little certificate letting us know we were approved and ready.  Everything went so incredibly smooth and quick until........Uncle Sam abruptly decided to move us overseas, first Turkey and then Italy. So, for the past 5 years, all those hopes and dreams remained packed up in boxes, and I refused to open them.....until now. 

Therefore, today has been a bit of an emotional day. Just as quickly as we set up the crib, I found myself closing the bedroom door, so as not to walk by it day after day, waiting, and hoping, and wondering.
Over the years, I have prepared my heart many times in case I wouldn't have kids, and I prepared myself to be content and happy with my life, my husband and the hobbies and interests we share as a couple. We quickly focused our energies on Career, work, photography, travel, military and, well....life has been good to us. I can't complain. Regardless, I hope we're not opening our hearts just to be disappointed again. I hope we're making the right decision to adopt through the Foster Care system. And I hope nothing else gets in our way and prevents us from adopting. It's my hope that not only will our dreams come true and we find ourselves parents, but that we can offer a good home to even one child out there.

Allen setting up the crib in what used to be the guest bedroom

Guest Bedroom/nursery. We'll slowly make it more kid friendly, and also add a toddler bed, just in case...along

with more toys, books and so on..

We love Peter Rabbit!

I like to consider myself somewhat of a green person, recycling, saving energy and using less water when possible, but I must apologize to Mother Nature because ever since we moved into our house, I've been taking a lot of baths lately, sometimes up to two times a day (Lowers head in shame)! But, given the fact that I spent the past 3 years without a bathtub in Italy, including 3 years of miserable skin issues that could've been soothed with a bath, I think even Mother Nature could understand my obsessive bath taking lately. So, with that of course, I had to indulge in some bath salts, bath oils and body scrubs..which are quite expensive given the fact that some of it I could make myself. I think I'm going to make it my goal to research and make some of these things myself, and save $30-$40. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to let me know. 

Speaking of bath soaps and oils, if you notice the pictures, I've been creatively trying to come up with more stock photos to turn into my agency. The more pictures I submit, the bigger my commissions will be, not to mention the more chance I have of selling them to companies. And you would think that snapping a few pictures here and there is simple enough, but it still amazes me how much work is involved with each picture. The lighting has to be just right. In fact, Allen was laughing at me when I took these pictures because there I sat, fully clothed in the bathtub, with my studio lights lined up around the tub, my soft box and flash in my lap, and my fingers snapping away! It was a lot of work! But, if there is even a hint of a shadow, it can make the whole picture uneven, and the photo can be rejected. Then there is the copyright laws, which require me to take all labels off of products I shoot. Even certain products themselves are off limits, such as a rubber ducky, because the item itself is a trademark. Some of this stuff has taken me months to learn, but I'm slowly getting better at it. Soon I will be opening my own studio and maybe teaching some classes. That's my goal anyway. For now, some of this work is simply tedious. 

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I didn't have anything too exciting to write about this time, but I figured I should update it since it's been a few months.

Medieval Times Pumpkin Festival

As our days in Italy slowly come to an end, I find myself wanting to attend every festival and event possible. Who knows if we will ever return to this enchanted place again.
Last weekend, we attended the Chestnut festival in Pordenone. Who would've thought that you could celebrate something as insignificant as the chestnut. But in Italy, they even have a mushroom festival. The Italians like to have fun. For the chestnut festival, the center of Pordenone was lined with shops, music, events and people. It was fun getting lost in the crowds and shopping with the locals.


 
This weekend we attended a Pumpkin festival in a medieval city called Venzone. Upon our arrival in the city, we walked through the city gates where people wore authentic medieval costumes. The walls surrounding the city resembled nothing less than a castle, and it left you feeling as though you were stepping into real medieval times.
Fortune tellers could be spotted throughout the city, along with the fresh smell of breads, pastries, and of course, pumpkin.
Around lunch time, we spotted a pizzeria selling pumpkin pizzas. Turns out they were beyond scrumptious! Replacing the traditional pizza sauce, they used pumpkin sauce instead. Very few places in Italy do this. No wonder the pizzeria was overflowing with people! :)  We spent the afternoon touring shops and watching Arts and Crafts demonstrations. Later we stumbled upon a great medieval feast where the old town center was lightened by torches and crowded with nobles, ladies, knights, and merchants.
Toward evening, we watched jugglers, jesters, musicians and more noblemen.
But the best part of this little medieval town is the story behind it, and it's too good for me not to share. 

Venzone was destroyed by an earthquake in 1976 and had been rebuilt according to original plans. It started celebrating its pumpkin fair 14 years ago because of an ancient legend, which centers upon a pumpkin. According to this legend, in the 14th century Venzone was almost completely built and had many nice palaces. The city's cathedral and the tower clock had finished being constructed. Unfortunately, the city didn't have enough money to pay the artist who had just completed decorating the roof of the tower clock with a golden globe. The city committee decided to give him just one third of the amount he asked for his work because they thought that everybody should volunteer some of their working time for the town, especially during this hard time. He didn't have much choice, and he accepted the money that the city gave him. But that night he thought he would pay the city back in the same way. He went back up to the roof and replaced the golden ball with a nicely painted pumpkin. He left the city the next day. 

The Venzone inhabitants were happy for the completion of the work that embellished their city but, shortly, they realized that something on the tower was wrong because the ball was changing color. Only when big pieces started falling down did they understand how the sculptor had fooled them. Nevertheless, the city dedicates an annual fair to this important agricultural product that grows in the area. For a couple of days, the town is swarmed with thousands of visitors from towns nearby, as well as from Germany and Austria, who come to watch the parades of people dressed in medieval costumes ,musicians, jugglers, armigers and knights, who populate the narrow streets.  



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