A growing family! (No, not what you think!)

We decided this week that we will be bringing another family member into our home before we even begin working on Snobbit.  At present, there is just me, Cami and our beloved Esmeralda, who is of the feline persuasion.  She has been with us for a year and a half and couldn't be more a part of our family.  We honestly never imagined we could love a cat so much.  We've been discussing her life recently and we've both been concerned about her being lonely when we're away.  She's a very social cat.  She usually sleeps under the blanket, between our feet most nights.  She always wants to be where we are or where she can at least see us.  We had tossed around the idea of adding another kitten to our clan in the spring when they seem to be coming out of people's ears.  She had the opportunity to meet a friend's cat when she came to visit and it wasn't a roaring success.  Esme was very territorial and felt the need to keep an eye on this intruding cat at all times.  This could have just been a personality clash or temporary, but it worried us.  On the other hand, when she encountered the only dog she has ever met, she was very interested in him.   So, just last week we decided that for now, Esme would be an only child and in a few years, we would think about adding a puppy to the mix.  I mean, we're trying to add a baby.  Why not just go crazy?  Due to the overwhelming costs associated with purchasing a dog in Sweden (I have never seen an unidentifiable breed mix for less than around $600 here) waiting a few years seemed like the best option.

Well, cut to Thursday night.  My mom emailed me a picture of my brother with the cutest little puppy we had ever seen sitting on his tummy.  She was a tiny little black, tan and white Beagle.  I called my mom to find out what happened and discovered that my dad had found her and her sister out behind his shop.  A coworker took the other home, but this little girl stole my dad's heart.  They were actively trying to find a home for her (that Daddy approved of and he was apparently VERY picky) since they have a Shih Tzu, a Siberian Husky and a satanic cat. (long story)  Keeping her wasn't in the cards.  My first question was if we could have her.  That set the ball rolling.  It feels like it was all meant to be.  We found out what we needed to do and started making her plans.  Maybe we're taking the Snobbit thing too far?  lol    My parents started calling her Lucy (because Charlie Brown's sister was Lucy and since Snoopy was a Beagle... See where I am making all these weird connections?!), but that doesn't work for us.  You see, Snobbit has a new "cousin" named Lucy.  She isn't biologically related to our future bean, but we are her aunties and we love her as much as anyone has ever loved a baby they have never gotten to hold.  It would be confusing for our future brood to have a dog named Lucy.  So, we decided on Sally.

Unless there is some huge unforeseen roadblock that pops up, Miss Sally will be boarding a plane with us in Nashville on January 14th to come to Sweden.  She already has her passport and all of her necessary vet appointments are scheduled.  There are a few things she will need before we even head to Tennessee, so we will be busy.  People may think we have lost our minds, but we're incredibly excited.  I love the idea of Snobbit having a dog to pal around with and grow up with.  I also have a strong feeling that Esme is going to love and be totally annoyed by her little sister.  As it should be.

The Easy Part

Well, setting the blog up was the easy part.  I did this months ago.  Actually writing anything down has been a great deal harder.  There seems to be a lot to say and then again, not many details.  Since this is the first real entry, I guess I should give a little background information.  I won't tell our story, as I am hoping this will only be for friends and family that already know all about us anyway.

The first major realization Cami and I had together is that we were head over heels for each other and that we were made to be together.  The second is that we wanted children.  Dreaming of babies, terrible toddlers, ungrateful teenagers and the amazing adults they would eventually become has been a part of our tapestry since very early on.  Dreaming is one thing, but making it a reality is something else entirely.  Because we have double the ovaries and zero man parts, this could pose a challenge for us in this department.  We are very blessed to live in Sweden, where the national healthcare assists in the conception of your first child.   We got the paperwork and filled it out, and just waited to hear back from them.  In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that since I am the older of us, the initial plan was that I would try to get pregnant first.  We got a letter back saying that I would not be able to be assisted in conception because of my weight.  It was devastating, but not completely unexpected.  My weight posed several factors, despite the fact that I was otherwise completely healthy.  We decided to switch gears and take control.  For me, that meant tackling the weight.  Factoring in my age and weight and super slow metabolism, surgery was really my only option.  So, I began that journey.

This is where our double ovaries really works in our favor.  Two wombs, no waiting.  Okay, some waiting.  We reissued the paperwork, this time with Cami as the patient and were approved.  We discovered there was about a year wait.  This was perfect for us.  I could get through surgery and then we could get started.  That was October 2010.  In September 2011, Cami had to go in for a hysterosalpingogram.  Say that three times fast!  They shot her full of contrast dye and used an ultrasound to take a look at her ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus.  She was absolutely perfect.  Duh.

Now we have to meet with the doctor and then with a therapist.  (Uh-oh!)  My understanding is that the therapist wants to make sure you are prepared for the roller coaster that is assisted conception.  Just last week we made a call to check on our status.  We've been told that if the current schedule keeps up, we should be able to be trying in February or March.  Needless to say, we are thrilled.  We're spending 3 weeks in Tennessee with family and when we come home to Sweden, we should be able to actually begin the process of turning our family of two into three.  (Esme objects to that last statement.  She says we're already a family of three and she may or may not allow us to bring a baby into her home, but that's for another blog.)

So, now we're up to date.  It's Thanksgiving day 2011 and we bought a crib today.  Part of me thinks we're jumping the gun a bit, but both of us have faith that God is going to bring  us a baby, one way or another.  It may not be on our schedule, but it will happen.  :)