tipping point

When you have a biological child that child has been yours since their existence.  They were yours before you even knew you were pregnant.  It's a little different when you adopt.

When you adopt you're child comes with a history that you don't know about.  They come with months, or years of a life that you weren't apart of.  A different family, a different culture, different routines, a different country (sometimes), that's just how it is. 

However, eventually, there is a tipping point...or maybe it's just something in my mind.  See today marks the day that Oliver has officially been with us longer then he had lived in Russia.  Longer then he lived with him bio mom and longer then he lived at the orphanage.  I became his legal mother when the Russian court said so, I felt like his mama a few days after picking him up, but now, I don't know, I guess stake my claim in terms of time...finally.  But isn't it a little bittersweet?  Doesn't it feel like he's been living here forever?  All that time he was here is just a day more then he was getting by in Russia.  It is what it is, it's our special story.  We are thankful for the time we've had together, and we look forward to so many many more adventures.

nursery

Does a baby need a nursery before they show up or even 6 months into their life?  Probably not.  However, we've got the space, and I'm not busy chasing a preschooler and nursing an infant, so now seems like a good time to get it together.  More importantly I despised the paint color in our guest room and was really exciting to have a good reason to change it.  Jim had different thoughts...but we paid to have it painted, can't the baby use it the color it is.  Umm no, that color is going.  I was forced into it by our painter and I hated it!! 

When we first moved in, not bad.

After it was painted, blah

The other side with the cheap Ikea dresser
I destroyed that dresser while pumped full of steroids
during the rash portion of this pregnancy

         

 We are not finding out the gender of our baby, I can't resist an awesome surprise.  I also like that not knowing the gender means I don't have to be forced into a pink princess room or some sports themed boy room. 

Here is a picture of Oliver's room, which I also
think is fairly gender neutral.

Baby's nursery, painted the same color as
Oliver's room

 It's not totally finished.  Maybe I'll make a mobile, hang a mirror over the dresser, and add a few more book ledges...but it's getting closer.

Shopping list
-Crib, overstock.com (http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/London-Euro-style-Matte-White-Stationary-Crib/5997989/product.html)  I spray painted all the black screws white, so they wouldn't stand out
-Chair, grandmother
-Dresser, craigslist
-Curtains, Ikea
-Shelf, book ledges, picture frames, Ikea
-Changing pad & cover, bed sheet, Amazon
-Embroidery hoops, yard sale
-Fabric, Urban Crafts
-Crib Skirt, fabric from Joanne's
-Paint Color, Atmosphere from Restoration Hardware...color matched in Olympic paint at Lowe's 
-Books, donated by Oliver...learning how to share

P.S. Is baby Tylick going to be a boy or a girl?  Vote on the top right of the page!