We got to spend a whole week with Stefanie!!
It was incredibly fun getting to know her better, learning all her "favorites," and seeing her laughing, smiling, singing and telling jokes.
Stefanie has a great attitude, even when a baby bird/fish/alien-bug fell screaming from the skies right into her lap, in the middle of an otherwise picturesque picnic.
While Stefanie was here, we:
-PLAYED KINGSBURG. Stefanie brought this board game and it immediately became an obsession. We played it until midnight or 1 am every night.
-TOURED THE CAPITOL. We were running late because it was hard to find parking and then security took forever. But when we entered the lobby one of Congressman Moran's interns was looking for us & holding a placard with our name. She told us that security just removed an unidentified package, and a protest was going on in the Rotunda so they weren't letting anyone in. She stepped in front of the hordes of people queue'd and finangled the first tickets for when the Capitol would re-open.
Outside, we saw a silver-haired lady (dressed straight from 30's) setting up a life-size model of Jesus Christ for her Pro-Life speech. Bradshaw immediately recognized who it was.
We explored the Botanical Gardens, got delicious lunch at Potbelly and made our way back to the Capitol tour. Our guide got us in to observe the House of Congress. It was pretty fascinating to watch them vote.
-FELT OLIVIA KICK
-PICNIC'D
-CELEBRATED STEFANIE'S 30-WK MARK with dinner at Olive Garden and the WWII & Lincoln memorials.
-WATCHED FIREWORKS in Old Town.
-VISITED THE BEACH
-WALKED AROUND the JEFFERSON MEMORIAL
-SCRAPBOOK'D. Over the last couple of weeks, Stefanie has been scanning and gathering pictures of herself and Olivia's biological father. Stefanie sent me the pictures and we spent hours creating a book that Olivia will cherish. (And, I love that Stefanie let me help her make it. ...There were several times during the week, when Stefanie was talking or sitting beside me and I'd feel a wave of emotion wash over me. We are so very grateful for her.)
-and BEST OF ALL, we got to see Olivia!!! Stefanie got a 3D/4D ultrasound while she was here. Post & picts. to come. =)