Its Official

     We bought a crib!

My dream crib. The absolute most perfect crib. ever.

     I can't quite explain my reasoning, but getting a crib has been this huge step in making our pregnancy seem more real. Its stupid, but when Brother Billy and TJ were setting it up in Madelyn's room, it felt like, "Wow, Ok, I'm really having a baby." lol. I cannot count the hours I have spent online looking at nursery decorating ideas and color schemes, and finding crib styles and dimensions and bedding... and Madi's room had to sit empty and waiting. For some other strange reason, I can clean the entire house to a T, but I resist going into Madelyn's room alot. I think its because I have all these extravagant dreams and aspirations for the magnificent room I plan to create, but nothing to start my nesting! Or at least I had nothing. I was absolutely itching to get a crib and start arranging and rearranging and rearranging again.
     So, Brother Billy and Mrs. Mary Jacque took me and T.J. to the mall today and made my dreams come true. We looked in Sears and found the exact  crib we were hoping for, and by divine appointment and grace they had it in stock in the store room. So no more waiting for Malyssa! Then, as if that was not enough, they took me to Motherhood Maternity and absolutely LAVISHED me. Now my growing belly has an entire wardrobe that actually fits over it and looks totally cute. And I'm not exaggerating- an entire wardrobe. They even sat outside my dressing room and pretended they weren't bored as I tried on about 1,000 outfits. Merry Christmas to me.
     I think I'll never forget today. I felt so happy and so blessed and so over-indulged. And spoiled rotten.
We are about 6 months, 2/3 of the way done, and I feel so excited to start decorating the room for the most special person in my life. In my world.

So thats official. I have an awesome crib and an awesome maternity outfit for every day for the next 2 years.

     Something else is very official. T.J. and I have started the paperwork to adopt. Its something we've always talked about from before we were even married, and as the Lord would have it, Lifeline adoption agency came into T.J.'s office to talk to them. Its a long process, and will take about 2 years or so, but in just a little while we will have a little boy from Uganda. Thomas Jack Joy Jr.

     I feel like I'm pregnant twice, in a way. Like maybe Jack Jack is even growing in someone's stomach right now. Maybe he's running around or crawling around already. And I love him with a love I can't even put into words. I love him like Madelyn in that weird way that makes your heart feel like it wants to explode and swoon all at the same time. So even though I'm being pregnant for the first time, I feel like I'm becoming a mother twice, all at once. And it feels totally right, like this is what I have been meant to do for my entire life.