To my brother: Thank you for reminding me that I need to post and update (and THANKS for commenting! In 297 posts, I think that may've been only #2 from you!)

And speaking of #2 (that was a great segue, wasn't it?), after I posted about Iliya only pooping once in the past 24 hours...he pooped SIX times that day. I guess he made up for lost time in that area...and I think it may've been helped by undiluted plum juice (complete with extra fiber!) we gave him with his breakfast that morning. Since then, he's been pretty regular...and we've decided that we will give him a small cup of plum juice every morning -- for the times when he is regular, we will dilute it...and for irregular times, we'll go full strength.

And for times we travel, we may give him 2 cups a day!

I really don't know about that, but since he has had repeated bowel trouble when we travel (aren't you glad you came to read today?), maybe giving him plum juice will help. We're going to try it, anyway...because so far, that's the only thing that has helped for him...apple juice, pear juice, and any others I may've tried have just not really helped much.

AND in other news...

We are getting excited about Christmas!! I have always loved the Christmas season, but this year, I've had a little trouble getting into the spirit of Christmas. I had begun worrying about myself. Then I realized that it's been a year of a ton of change, and that I needed to lighten up and just live, not worry that everything was perfect.

Of course, I didn't do the baking I had planned...and I didn't get to do some of the Christmas crafts I'd planned to do with Iliya...I didn't go to as many Christmas parties as I would've liked...and we didn't get out to see the lights more than when we were enroute somewhere. But in the end, that's not really what matters. I decided to let up and not have such high expectations of myself this Christmas. To just sit back and enjoy the time with Iliya.

You know what we have done? Iliya & I get home a little bit before Nathan in the evenings. When the 2 of us get in...in the spirit of sitting back and enjoying time with Iliya, I turn on the Christmas tree lights, and sing Christmas carols (usually "O Christmas Tree" -- he likes that one). Just me & him. It is very special time doing something I didn't really think about doing till we were doing it! And then sometimes, we read the "Trip One" book I made for Nathan for Father's Day.

Yeah, it's pretty special.

And now that the Christmas shopping is done...and gifts are mostly wrapped...and I have sat in the living room some afternoons, singing carols with my son...and we are now in the mode of packing up to get home to see family...the Christmas spirit is starting to settle into my bones. A little later than usual this year, but not TOO late!

Last year. Our dossier had just been turned in. We knew we would (hopefully) travel to Vladivostok at least once by this Christmas, but we were still months away from having any clue about a referral.


This year. Need I say more?

Expectations or no...I do believe this may be the best Christmas ever.