Family Life Thus Far... :P

Yesterday passed without any major problems, thank goodness.  The girls are currently napping in their beds.  And as for me and Eugene, well, we're sitting on the edge of the bed and he's reading over my shoulder.  :D  
Let's see...they settled in very well yesterday, and I absolutely adore them both already.  After I learned that Jordan was fussy about being set down, she didn't leave my arms until bedtime. 
Audrey and Eugene played several little hand games and also the good old, traditional tea party.  I'm sure it was awkward for my husband, but he went along with it.  I think miss Audrey's got him wrapped around her tiny little finger already...and I also think she's turning out to be a daddy's girl already.  Last night, Jordan was a bit fussy, but after I brought her to bed with me, and Eugene laid her on his chest to go to sleep, she did with no problem. 
And a few minutes after that, Audrey came and crawled into bed, cuddling up with me, so it was pretty crowded last night :D  Not that I minded, of course...oh, no. Far from it! 
I think Pascal's feeling a bit perturbed about the whole situation, though...but I'm sure he'll get over it.  Audrey's gone from being absolutely terrified of him to absolutely loving him and wanting to play constantly with him, so he's not quite sure how to take that.  He's used to sleeping all day! 
It's all sooo surreal to me, still.  I mean, it's like my whole life for the past two months...or five...has been a dream, and it just keeps getting better, and I'm scared one day I'll wake up! 
As for today...I was right about Tangled Fan wanting to do a quick photoshoot with us.  She took some pics this afternoon.   Here are my favorites... (: 

(Ugh, I didn't notice how crummy my hair looked in this pic.  Everyone else looks great, though!)

                                                                 Love this picture :]

I love this one, too.  It's such a good picture of Audrey!  When the picture was taken, Jordan had started crying, so I'd looked up to see that Eugene was going to pick her up, so I unfortunately wasn't looking at the camera..but oh well.  Beautiful picture of Audrey!  (:

...And the reason why Jordan was crying?  She was sleepy.  Soo I flopped down (in an unladylike fashion, I know..) in the wicker chair, wrapping her up in her blanket, and held her till she fell asleep. 

 

When we went to put Jordan to bed to nap, we  noticed that miss Audrey, who had taken Pascal with her to play, had curled up on her bed and fallen asleep.  Pascal was still curled underneath her arm.  When I noticed her, my heart squeezed.  I mean, who wouldn't find this scene adorable? :] 

Sooo, since they were both asleep, I took care of Jordan while Eugene covered Audrey up. 

When the kids were covered up and we were alone for a few minutes, Eugene turned to me, his eyes twinkling.  "And as for you..."
"What?"  I asked quietly, grinning.   

With no warning, he put a hand on the back of my head and pulled me in for a sweet kiss. 

I gasped, surprised, but then I returned the kiss. 

When our lips parted, he rested his head on my forehead.  Reaching to put his arms comfortably around my waist, he sighed and gave me a smile.  "So, how do you like being a momma?"
I couldn't help but grin.  "It's a new experience, that's for sure, but I love it.  How about you, dad?" 
He winked.  "Same as you."  I reached to kiss the tip of his nose, and he chuckled quietly.  "So...what do we do 'til they wake up?" 
"Oh, I dunno..." I thought for a minute.  "I need to catch up on blogging, but if you want to do something-"
"Sounds great." 
I smiled.  "You sure?  Like, one hundred percent sure?  I'm sure blogging is boring to you," I offered him an out. 

He chuckled.  "No problem.  I like watching you blog." 
"Aw," I giggled quietly, my heart fluttering even though my face grew extremely hot.  I pulled away from him to quietly go get the iPod, and he set the bed up while I did so. 

 

Soo this is where I leave you...and Eugene says to tell you all hello.  Hmm, maybe I'll get him into blogging someday, too?  I doubt that somehow, but hey... =D  

 

Quick Little Pop-In Post That I Think You'll Wanna Read!

Okay,  whew. 
So just a quick pop in for right now; I'll give you the whole thing about our official first day of parenthood later, because right now I'm juggling Jordan and an iPod, and Eugene's busy with Audrey!
Tangled Fan just came in earlier this morning, asking me if we were ready for the girls.  Apparently, something had happened and she'd decided that there was no time like the present to let us start our family.  Sooo, half an hour later, she brought the girls back, as well as a couple of blankets and stuff.  I am surprised; Jordan's not too horribly fussy.  She gets a little upset if you don't hold her for awhile, but other than that, she's a perfect little baby :) And Audrey's getting over her immense fear of Pascal..albeit slowly, but it's progress.  They're both SO sweet!! 
Nope, I'm not excited AT ALL, you can clearly tell.  c;
I'll post a more detailed post tomorrow or when I get the chance to!  And I'm sure Tangled Fan will want to have a family photoshoot..which I must admit, I'll be excited to do for once.  =D 

More News on Adoption And Eugene's Joints! (:

Today, Tangled Fan stopped in to check up on Eugene and to also talk to us about the adoption. 
She said Eugene was doing exceptionally well, and that he could probably resume normal activity soon.  Thank GOODNESS!!  And more awesome news: The girls will be officially adopted February 5th!! Only a week and two days!  I'm so excited, and scared, and also excited for Eugene's recovery!!  In other words, I was just a big wad of plastic excitement. 
She talked with us for a couple more minutes, and then left.  As soon as she left, Eugene and I turned to face one another. 
I couldn't even say anything, so I just gave him a broad smile.  He gave me that special grin of his as he carefully strode over to me, from the opposite end of the shelf.  My heart swelled when I noticed he only got a little unbalanced. 
He took me into his arms and I reached to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.  "So...next week!  And what about your recovery?!"
He chuckled.  "This was probably the best visit Tangled Fan's paid to us thus far.  Telling us we'll officially  have a family next week AND saying that my joints are almost completely healed up.  As well as they'll ever be, anyway."  He added. 
"Hmm...so, all the therapy you've been doing has paid off, eh?  Should have - I had to put up with enough of your grousing around about it!"  I dramatically rolled my eyes, but I reached up and slung my arms around his neck to show him I was just kidding. 
He laughed.  "Yes.  I'll be happy to get the last therapy session over with, though." 
I grinned.  "I bet." 
"And I can't wait to go for a walk.  Maybe we could today?"  Eugene asked, peering down in my face hopefully. 
"I-I don't think that'd be the best quite yet,"  I told him, even though I would've given anything to go for a walk, and I hated to see the excited glimmer disappear in his chocolate eyes.
"You're right, I suppose.  I'm just going stark raving mad having to stay up here.  I miss our walks!" 
I nodded.  "Yeah, but it's best to play it safe for now, okay?  We'll see what's up over this weekend, I think it's supposed to be warmer than it has been.  Maybe we could even go outside for a bit?" 
"Even if there's a ton of snow out there, I'd be beyond happy to go out there!" 
I laughed.  "Wow, you must be truly desperate to get  out of the shelf," 
"Yup." 

We sat and talked for awhile, but then Zelia showed up. 
Of all dolls - Zelia!
I greeted her with open arms, though, and she gave me a small smile as she walked into the shelf. 
"What's up?"  I asked her. 
Casting a quick glance towards Pascal, who was sitting on my shoulder, she shrugged.  "Just thought I'd see what you guys were up to.  That and the Frozen Foursome are getting on my nerves." 
Anna, Elsa, Kris, and Hans, of course. 
"Hmm.  What's up now?" 
"They're just hopelessly in love now...again.  Anna with Hans, only this time, Elsa with Kristoff now, too.  It's a little nauseating," she admitted, and I laughed. 
"Ah...so what do you want to do over here?"  I asked.
She thought for a few minutes, still giving Pascal a pensive, watchful stare.  "Are there any books around?  We could read, maybe.  As long as that stupid chameleon-"
"Zelia..." I gave her a warning look, and she dropped it.  "And, yes.  I'm currently reading a really good book on Tangled Fan's Kindle." 
I went to retrieve the Kindle, and shortly after I'd stepped off of the deck into the drawer, I heard a burst of laughter coming from my shelf. 
"THAT'S why Tangled Fan's been complaining about the wrong book coming up and her battery draining..." Eugene called over to me. 
Finding the Kindle, I popped my head out of the drawer and winked.  "Tell no one." 
He chuckled, shaking his head, and Zelia looked quite pleased with my recent secretive endeavors - even though it was just hiding the fact that I was reading on Tangled Fan's electronic device without her knowing. 
"What's the book you've been reading?"  She asked, sitting beside me on the floor. 
"A romance," I told her, without even thinking.  She was probably about ready to throw up at that word by now. And she apparently was, too. 
Groaning, she rolled her eyes.  "Oh boy." 
"Buut, she has some mystery books on here, too, I think," I told her, scrambling quickly to find something different to read.  At the mention of mystery, Eugene came over and carefully lowered himself down on the floor by me. 

Turns out the mystery book I found wasn't all that bad!  We read for a good long while, but then Zelia left, wanting to get back to her shelf before it got too cold on the floor.  I don't think she necessarily enjoyed reading, though...but maybe she has a strange way of expressing it when she actually likes something.  But regardless.  Since my eyes were tired and it was growing dark, I put the Kindle away and went back in to help Eugene stand up. 
"Well, I hope the week and two days until the fifth fly by like today did!"  I told him. 
"You and me both!  Only...I hope the fourth is a bit slower so we can enjoy our day," he said, and I gave him a puzzled look, my brow furrowed..until I remembered.  Our two month anniversary would be the day before the girls came! 
"Wow...two months already?"  I asked.  "I can't believe it." 
He chuckled, shaking his head as he reached to take Pascal off of my shoulder, placing him on his own shoulder.  "I can't either, but it's because it's flown by and I've spent it with my best buddy." 
I had to grin...his face had turned blazing red at that revelation.  "You're too sweet."  I winked, and he promptly reached to give me another quick, but warm, hug. 
"And I know it's not very long, but since we're dolls, we'll never know when we'll get separated or broken, or-" Eugene started, but I broke him off. 
"Don't even SAY that!"  I exclaimed, and he chuckled, bending down to kiss me. 
"We'll make the most out of every day, then, is what I was going to say.  I'm already planning for February - both for Valentine's Day and for our two-month anniversary.  And, actually..come to think of it, the day before Valentine's Day means that we'll have known each other for-" he paused, and I knew he was counting mentally, but I already had his answer. 
"Five months."  I filled in for him, and he grinned. 
"Yeah.  Five months - you're quicker with math than I am," he told me. 
"Yeahh, that's just because I kind of kept track of how long you were able to put up with me..." I admitted, slightly embarrassed. 
He gave me an expression almost like he couldn't understand why.  "I don't see why.  I mean, yes, I understand why you might think that way, but I never even thought about not being able to put up with you anymore." 
I reached up on tiptoe to give him a quick peck on the cheek, and he gave me an adoring smile.
"That aside..what all are you planning?" 
"Surprises, Rapunzel."  He chuckled, and I groaned. 
"Well...what about the Valentine's Day thing you were planning?  We'll be parents-"
"Don't start fretting about it, I've got it covered, m'kay?"  He said, and I pretended to be disgusted. 
Laughing, he reached to tickle me, and I jerked away from him, stopping myself short of giving him a playful shove. 


Annd...tonight was fun. 
Combined with being excited over next week's finalized adoption and the good prognosis of Eugene's joints, and the fact that it was FREEZING COLD and the wind was absolutely blasting and howling, I couldn't sleep.  It was so chilly in our little corner that even Pascal abandoned his chair so he could sleep under the three blankets I'd scrounged up.  Hopefully, this cold weather would stop by the time the girls came - I didn't know how we'd manage THAT!  I'm sure we'll figure it out if need be, though. 
After awhile of listening to the wind howl, I sat up, frustrated.  I was going to go off of the shelf  - I wasn't sure what I was going to do, though -  but then the covers slipped off of me and I realized how chilly it was...so I immediately dove back into the warm cocoon of blankets, grumbling quietly to myself. 
Eugene, who must've been awake, reached to pull me close to his side, and I curled up into a ball.  "Cold, hmm?"  He asked me. 
"You got it.  And I'm disgusted with this wind!"  I groaned as it picked up even more so.  "What're we gonna do if it's this cold when we have the girls?" 
"We'll keep them in bed with us, or something - we'll figure it out when the time comes.  Now, go to sleep, m'kay?"  He requested. 
I nodded...
And a few minutes later, I ended up typing this on the iPod, curled up in the blankets while Eugene watched me type, because he finally admitted that he couldn't sleep either. 
Looks like it's gonna be a long night...yay!  We'll see what tomorrow brings...

Never saw THIS coming, Part 2...

Yup - Anna came to talk. 
So did Elsa and Zelia. 
This morning, I'd JUST barely gotten dressed and my hair brushed before everyone came tromping up into the shelf.
"Oh!  Um, hey, girls," I told them.  "What's up?" 
Eugene caught sight of Zelia, and he promptly stuck close to me.  He knew she wasn't deadly, sure, but he was still wary of her. 
"Can we talk about something?  Just us girls," Anna added, casting a glance towards Eugene. 
"Lemme guess - relationship troubles?  He already knows," I said. 
She quirked a brow, but then she turned to Elsa.  "Oh my gosh.  THAT'S where the guys ran off to yesterday.  They told him."  Looking back at me, she asked if I knew. 
"I know what my hubby told me, but I wouldn't mind hearing it from your point of view, either." 
"Our point of view," Elsa corrected.
Hm.  So Elsa fit into this somehow? 
What about my sister? 
I turned to give Zelia a questioning look, but she shook her head.  "I just came along for the walk." 
"Okay.  Well, feel free to sit - let's hear this out." 

Eugene went to lean up against the lamp, out on the deck, and I immediately asked him to go sit down in the shelf. 
"Nah, I'm good. Gotta stretch my legs for a bit," he told me, setting Pascal up on his shoulder. 
I stood on the other side of the lamp, inside the shelf, and watched the girls as I toyed with a lock of my hair.  Zelia plopped down on the corner of the bed that was closest to me, and Anna took a seat by her.  Elsa leaned up against the bed behind her sister, and then they started  talking.

"Kristoff and I just...I dunno.  What I didn't tell you guys when I confessed why I was so on edge?  I fell out of love with him.  And I think - no, I KNOW - it's mutual.  The thing is?  He just..he's a great guy, but I just can't imagine spending the rest of my plastic life with him.  He's a good friend, but he's not my potential husband.  You know?  And on the other hand...I-I...maybe I like Hans.  And maybe it's mutual..." she blushed and looked down into her lap. 
"And meanwhile?  I've always liked Kris.  But I just didn't say anything about it, because, well, of course..Anna was with him."  Elsa said quietly. 
Alrighty then. 
"Well...it sounds pretty cut and dry.  Why do you need to tell me?"  I asked, curious. 
"I just..I don't know if Hans likes me.  And I don't know if I like him!  How do I know?  You're the only one who's ever successfully gotten married."  Anna blurted.  "So I guess...what's it feel like?  When you , you know...know you're..in love?"  She whispered the last part, and I knew she felt awkward asking me about this.  Elsa seemed to be interested in my answer, too. 
But oh, gosh.  I didn't feel very comfortable explaining that, either.  Especially not in front of my husband!  Pushing down my embarrassment, I licked my lips.  "Well...y-you..it's a feeling you've never really felt before.  You just know.  You love absolutely everything about him...his smile makes your heart flutter and your stomach to twist into knots.  You can't spend enough time with him, and he makes you feel like everything's right in your world, even when nothing is.  And you get all nervous when you try to talk to him, so you end up making a fool out of yourself, but he takes it in stride and you love him a bit more."  I flashed a glance towards my guy, and he gave me a wink, to which I gave a shy smile, my face getting horribly warm. 
"I actually...know that Kris likes you, Elsa, and Hans likes you, Anna.  They told me yesterday."  Eugene mumbled.  I knew he probably felt awkward sharing that piece of information. 
Anna and Elsa shared a grin.  When Anna turned back to me, she stood up, came over, and gave me a warm hug.  "Thank you so much." 
I nodded as she stepped away from me.  "Anytime."  Just please don't ask for anymore advice on relationships.  Please...
After that, we all chatted for a few minutes, but the three girls left in a hurry.  Probably overly excited to have their answers. 

So, I guess that's the answer to THAT.  Oy, I'm glad I didn't waffle around like they are...!  Who knows what'll happen next.  Hopefully things'll calm down once we officially adopt the girls...I hope...

Never Saw THIS Coming...Part 1

This morning, bright and early, we got up to the sound of knocks on the side of the shelf.
I about fell out of bed in my rushed - and awkward - attempt to go see who it was. Eugene, even though I hadn't helped him up, managed to get out of bed and up on his feet, hobbling rapidly behind me.
It was Kristoff and Hans.
"Oh - um, good morning, guys. Wh-what's up?" I asked, my face red with embarrassment. I still had my nightie on, and my hair was probably a mess. But if they were horrified by my appearance, well, it was their fault, because I hadn't had time to dress or brush my hair! But regardless.
"We wanted to talk with Eugene." Kris said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Come in, then," I stepped away from the edge of the shelf and rammed into Eugene's chest. He put his hands on my shoulders, likely so he wouldn't fall down.
"We'd...well.." Kris stumbled over his words, his cheeks getting red.
"We need to talk with someone more experienced than us. Alone, preferably. I thought we could go to the chair and discuss a couple of things."
"Experience?" Eugene finally piped up.
"In...in relationships." Kristoff's face was about as red as one's face could be.
Eugene coughed. "I...er...well..what's the issue?"
They both glanced at me. "Nothing personal against you, Rapunzel, but it's...we just don't...it's complicated."
I'd never really heard a guy say 'it's complicated', and I'd never, ever heard Hans at a loss for eloquent words.
"You don't have to elaborate. But Eugene's leg joints are still pretty weak,"
"I'm trying to do therapy every day, though, and walking is one of them. It's just a few hops over to the chair," Eugene reassured me.
I sighed. "Just be careful, okay?" He nodded, bending to kiss my cheek. I turned my attention back to the guys. "And you two - if something happens to him - Kristoff - you'll be answering to me."
"Yes, Miss Natasha Romanoff," Kris let his humorous side show through his awkwardness. When I gave him a curious look, he barked, "Black Widow. From 'The Avengers'."
"Ohh," I said, figuring it out. Eugene and I had watched that movie on Tangled Fan's laptop awhile back.
"Hm, I'm not sure. I think she could take you - you haven't seen her dark side yet." Eugene teased me, and I threatened to elbow him from behind, giggling.
"Okay. Well..we doing this or not?"
"Yeah, I suppose," Eugene said. "I'll be with you in a minute."
When they turned to go and wait for my hubby, I twisted around to give him a serious gaze. "Don't hurt yourself, okay? What they have to say can't be more important than your joints."
"I know," he told me. "I just wonder what they're wanting to discuss. Relationship experience?!" Eugene rolled his eyes around in mock-horror, and I laughed.
"Good luck."
He swooped down to give me a quick little kiss before he left. "I'll see you in a bit, okay?"
"If you're not back by five, I'll be coming for you." I told him.
"No-"
"Yesss," I told him, and he chuckled, nodding.

 

I watched as he ambled across the deck. He was getting better with walking already, but I was still worried. Once I saw that Hans and Kristoff were going slow so he could keep up, I heaved a sigh of relief.

Hmm. So that left me alone for a good bit of the day.
Sounds like a reading day to me!
After slipping into my purple dress [sidenote: you may have noticed I haven't worn my Christmas dress since, well, Christmas. This was because Tangled Fan needed it for a doll she was planning to sell on eBay. While I was horrified that a doll was being sold in that manner, I let her use my Christmas dress for her--what would be more traumatizing than having pictures taken and being shipped off to a new home, in just your factory plastic? Eugene agreed with me.] and braiding my hair, I started to rummage in the drawer below us. Something had caught my sight yesterday in here, and I was planning to figure out what it was.  

Tangled Fan's Kindle!
It was about as tall as I am, and a lotttt wider than me, but I was able to heave it up into the shelf. 
Stumbling backwards as I tried to carry the ungainly thing, I tripped over the box I'd left on the shelf as a bed/chair for when we officially adopted the girls.

I got tangled in my own hair and fell across the bed, right on top of the Kindle.
Kicking and struggling to get freed from my hair, I grunted and grumbled to myself.  Pascal turned and gave me a 'what in the world are you up to now' look. 

 Since it was relatively chilly in the 'cold' corner of the room, I burrowed under the blankets and turned the Kindle on, looking for a good read. Much to my pleasure, Pascal hurried up onto the bed, plopping down beside me. I grinned, tossing a little corner of the blanket over him, and then started to read a random book I saw on the library list on the Kindle.

"Weddings by Bella: Fools Rush In" by Janice Thompson. It's a romantic comedy, Christian, and absolutely adorable and hilarious. To my excitement, Tangled Fan had all three books, as well as the first book to the spinoff series. Woohoo - looks like a lot of good reads for me! (:
I completely and utterly lost myself in the book and enjoyed every minute of it.  Curled under the blankets with my chameleon, I read for I don't even know how long - must have been around four hours or so!

I didn't stop reading, either.  At least, not until Eugene spoke up. 
"Hey, darlin'.  What'cha reading?" 
I gasped, clapping a hand down onto the screen of the Kindle.  Pascal, surprised, hurried to finally inspect the device - likely wondering what kind of madness it had done to deserve me striking it.  "Oh!  Hi, hon.  H-how long've you been back?  Sorry, I didn't even notice you!" 
He chuckled, leaning on the chair in an attempt to peek at what was on the screen.  "I just got back in." 

I quickly turned the Kindle to sleep mode, and he quirked a brow.  I don't know why I was so self-conscious of reading a Christian romance book.  And a funny one to boot. 
I tried to slide the Kindle aside, making room for him to sit on the bed, but I accidentally shoved it clear off of the bed, and it clattered to the floor of the shelf.    Luckily, Pascal leapt off of it and onto the wicker chair before he got hurt.
Stepping around the Kindle, Eugene laughed.  "Do I want to know what you're reading?" 
"A-a...romance book."  I choked out, and he chuckled, sitting down on the edge of the bed and scooting back. 
"Is it a good book?" 

"I-I guess so," I muttered, my eyes flitting back and forth.  I was too embarrassed to meet his eyes. 
Noticing, he laughed.  "Hon, do you really think I'm gonna mind if you read a romance book?  Well, I don't," he reassured me, reaching to cup my chin in his hand.  
I grinned.  "I just feel weird saying about that kind of book," I laughed.  "So anyway.  How're you feeling?  What on earth were they wanting to talk about?" 

He scooted to lean up against the box at the other end of the bed, and I followed suit, but before I could situate myself, he snagged my waist and pulled me onto his lap.
"Mmm, well...it was interesting.  Quite frankly, I don't understand any of it.  And, my legs held up, so don't worry." 

"What's up with them?  I'm intrigued," I told him.

He spilled the whole story.  "Well, turns out that Anna and Kristoff aren't...dating anymore.  I guess.  I don't think Kris is quite sure.  Apparently, Hans is quite taken by her, and vice versa.  Meanwhile, Kristoff's fine with it because after she said she didn't want to go 'so fast', after nearly two months, he's thinking she wasn't madly in love with him anymore.  And he says the feeling's mutual.  Or lack of feeling, actually.  And Hans is concerned about liking anyone else, after his breakup with Piper.  In other words, it's madness." 
I twisted to look at his face easier, amazed.  "What in the world?  That's...wow.  I can't believe that!  They used to be absolutely insane over one another."  I gave him a wide-eyed stare.  "Did you hear right?"  He couldn't be right.  Kris and Anna were so crazy for each other!  Maybe that's the key term there...they 'were'. 
He nodded.  "He kept obsessing over it.  That four hours?  That's all they wanted to talk about.  It was weird.  Most male dolls don't go that deep into relationship conversations." 
I nodded absentmindedly, still trying to process this.  Wow.  How could they be so sure they loved each other, and then turn around and realize they didn't? 

 

Eugene suddenly put his arms around me and pulled me snug up against him. 
"What?"  I asked him, quirking a brow. 
"I'm just glad we didn't go through all THAT drama.  We met, we knew, we fell in love, we got married." 

"Well, I broke up with you out of insane stupidity, and then we got back together, and THEN got married," I half jokingly laughed, half groaned. 
He shrugged, chuckling.  "Regardless, our relationship hasn't been near as crazy.  Or is there something you're hiding from me?"  He joked, tickling my side. 
I gasped in surprise before laughing and squirming to get away.  "Oh, yeah.  By the way, Flynn found my blog and he's coming here." 
"Mmmhmm.  Problem is, I know he's married, and I KNOW you're married."  He winked at me before kissing my forehead.  "I hate to say, but even if that did happen, Flynn won't get you back." 
I laughed through my nose.  "Fine by me."  I snuggled a bit closer to him, still trying to process this new information. 
"Anna will likely come over soon to talk to you about it, no doubt."  Eugene told me. 
"Mmhmm.  Wouldn't be surprised," I told him.
I kept trying to figure out what had gone wrong between those two, so we were silent for a few minutes before my hubby spoke up again.
"So...if you wanna pull that romance book up again, feel free to.  I didn't mean to interrupt your reading," he told me with a grin. 
"I will.  But I still..I can't believe those two aren't together anymore!  I'm trying to understand why, but I can't." 
"Don't try too hard to understand.  Don't want to give yourself a headache  - trust me, I almost ended up with one, trying to make sense of it all." 
I laughed, reaching to haul the Kindle back up.  I sprawled out on my belly, and Pascal hopped back over to sit beside me.  And that's pretty much how we spent the day.  (:

1/20/14 (:

So, the day before yesterday, at promptly 9 AM, Tangled Fan brought Audrey and Jordan.  She was supposed to bring Natasha, too, but she said that she had strongly refused to come, so she didn't force her. 

That meant that I was nervously prepping all morning long.  The bed got set upright, blankets crammed elsewhere, the wicker chair and box set side-by-side.  I found a little box in the drawer underneath us, which would serve well as a seat for Audrey, and eventually, could be fixed into separate beds for both of them (the box would get flipped upside down, minus the lid, for Audrey, and the upside-down lid for Jordan).  Eugene, who was sick and tired of sitting around, stood on the deck and watched me, leaning against the lamp.  I knew it was killing him that he couldn't help me, but oh well. 

 

When I was just about done, I turned around to see the alarm clock, which had been haphazardly set up on the deck (backwards) by Tangled Fan.  What if Audrey took to playing on it, even if we did our best to keep her off of it? 
I turned to ask Eugene what should be done.
He thought for a moment.  "Yeeahhh...that could be a problem."  He scratched at his chin and licked his lips.  "I don't know what to do with-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, because I impulsively gave the clock a firm kick, tipping it off of the edge with a loud clatter. 

Alarmed, my hubby jumped, almost falling down, and shuddered all over.  Then he looked up at me and started laughing.  "Well, that's one way to do it." 
"Yup!"  I giggled, stepping down to the deck.  "Why don't you go sit down?" 
"Nah, I'm good yet," he reassured me, giving me a grin.
"You're too nervous to sit, right?"  I asked.  That's what I felt like, too. 
"Nailed it," he chuckled, giving me that classic grin of his. 
"Should I...I dunno.  Should I braid my hair?  I don't want to scare them."  I joked. 
He started to say no, but then I tried to pass a hand through my hair.

And got it stuck. 
Big time. 
He froze mid-sentence.  "...Err..maybe you should."
"Uh-huh," I groaned, trying to disentangle my hand.  He automatically reached to help me, carefully pulling my hand away from my hair.  "Thanks," I laughed, my face getting terribly red in my embarassment. 
"Yup," he gave me a gentle smile, and so I turned away to brush and braid my messy hair.  While I worked on that, Pascal, who was probably tired of trying to balance on my shoulder while I buzzed back and forth, plopped down on the wicker chair to sleep. 

When I came back, Eugene promptly swept me into his arms.

Leaning carefully to rest his forehead up against mine, he tightened his arms around me, so I did the same.  I just hoped he didn't lose balance and fall. 

"So...are we ready for this?"  I asked quietly, the butterflies starting up in my stomach.  Okay, fine.  A whole ZOO erupted in my stomach, not just butterflies. 
He gave a nervous grin.  "I guess we'll find out."  he started to reach to give me a kiss, but then we heard the bedroom door open. 

I jerked away from him, not meaning to knock him off balance.  He stumbled forward a step, and I immediately gasped a 'sorry' as I grabbed for him and helped him steady himself - before he fell off of the deck! 
As I heard Tangled Fan approaching, I moved away from my husband, but he promptly reached and pulled me back towards him, and I could tell by his tense arm that he was probably freaking out a little bit on the inside. 

Tangled Fan came and went quickly.  She explained why Natasha wasn't with the other two, and then we both reached out for the girls.
"Now, I'll be back this evening to get Audrey and Jordan.  I figure that you two could use some time to decide a hundred percent, so I'll take them till you decide."
Nodding thankfully, I gave her a quick thank you before she left. 

When she left, I hefted Jordan up into a more comfortable position in my arms, and Eugene looked down at Audrey, who he held. 
Audrey stared up at Eugene, a look of wonder on her face.  "Are you gonna be my dad?"  She asked him, giving him an adorable little smile, full of hopefulness and innocence. 
He gave her a huge smile.  "I'm hoping so." 
She abruptly twisted around in his arms to look at me. "You, too?!" 
I bit back my instant thought of 'I'm not going to be your DAD,', which she likely wouldn't understand, and instead tried to respond in a more kid-friendly manner.  "We're planning on it." 
"Jordan, too, right?  She can't be alone!" 
"Jordan, too," I answered patiently, giving her a smile. 
She gave me a HUGE grin before turning her attention back to Eugene.  She fairly interrogated him, but he took it in stride. 
And as for Jordan, she just gave me a wide-eyed stare.  I hoped she remembered me from yesterday, and wouldn't freak out or cry or anything!  Luckily, after she silently studied me for a couple of minutes, the most charming little smile split across her features, and this weird feeling came over me - a feeling of simple adoration.  I also couldn't believe how good it felt to hold Jordan in my arms!  I
 looked up at Eugene and Audrey, and saw a look of complete and utter kindness and love as he listened to Audrey chatter on and on. 
I touched his arm to get his attention, nodding my head towards the shelf, and he set his hand on my shoulder, following me into the shelf.  I went slow so his joints wouldn't give out on him.  I plopped down on the box beside the wicker chair, and he scooped Pascal out of his seat, sitting down himself; Audrey still in his other arm. 
Time to meet Pascal, I take it.
Please don't stick your tongue in Audrey's ear.  Please don't stick your tongue in Audrey's ear.  Please don't.... I thought to myself, watching the three of them. 
Pascal balanced on his one hand, Audrey on his lap opposite Pascal, he looked down at the girl.  "This is Pascal.  Isn't he neat?" 
She took a quick look at Pascal. 
Her eyes widened. 
And then she shrieked.  "NO!" She cried, twisting to bury her face in his shirt.  She shuddered all over. 
"Hey, it's okay!  He won't hurt you.  He's a good chameleon-" Pascal did the wrong thing, scurrying over to plop himself on Audrey's shoulder.  Eugene's voice was drowned out by Audrey's fearful screaming and yelling of 'get it off, get it off!'. 
He quickly scooped Pascal up, reaching to set him on my own shoulder.  Audrey's screaming got Jordan worked up, and she started wailing. 
"Honey, look.  Look!  He's gone.  He won't hurt you!  Audrey!  He's off of you!"  I tried to say over her. 

Marvelous start to parenthood.
Eugene looked like he was about to have a nervous breakdown. 
Maybe I was about to have a breakdown, too!
Let's wait to introduce the kid to the chameleon till they come to stay, they said.  It'd be fun, they said.  It won't mentally scar them, they said.  They won't make your eardrums bleed with their screams, they said. 

Finally, I got an idea.  If she was so close to her baby sister, this could work.  Unless Jordan was terrified of my reptile, too. 
I set Pascal down on Jordan's little lap, hoping he would distract her from crying.
He did. 
Thank goodness.  She started giggling, even!
"Hey, Audrey, sweetheart.  Look at Jordan, honey!"  I told her.  "Look at Jordan!"
She peeked over her shoulder, her little lip trembling, and she almost started freaking out at the sight of him again, but then she saw - and heard - Jordan belly-laughing at Pascal.
"He's not so scary, is he?"  Eugene asked her. 
"I...I guess not.  But don't let him near me.  He might bite!" 
"He doesn't bite," I laughed.  "He won't hurt you - he's been one of my best friends for, like, ever, and he's never hurt me." 
"O-okay," she told me, but she still gave him a cautious expression for a minute.

After that, our day went relatively smoothly.  Eugene was an absolutely adorable natural with both the girls.  I'm not sure how well of a job I did as my first motherhood experience, though.  xD 
All too soon, Tangled Fan came back to get the girls at around eleven.  (She had apparently decided to wait till she came back to go to bed...) So when she came back to get the currently-sleeping girls, we were both exhausted.  But at the same time, I was wired.  I felt a tweak of remorse when Tangled Fan took the girls, but I knew they'd be back.  Sometime.  Tangled Fan said she'd keep them until we decided, and also once she'd found some smaller blankets and stuff that could be used for them.

Once Tangled Fan left, I fumbled around till I got the bed ready, and then I felt my way over to the wicker chair, Pascal still on my shoulder.  It was PITCH black on our shelf, now that I'd kicked the alarm clock off the deck...and Tangled Fan didn't put it back up :P  When I'd found the chair in the darkness, my eyes adjusting to the dark again (since Tangled Fan had turned her light on and then, of course, back off), Eugene reached to take my hand in his.  I helped him to his feet, and when he was steady, I gave him a smile (even though he probably couldn't see it.)
"So...you're going to be a perfect natural dad, absolutely."  I told him, my heart squeezing as I thought of him dotingly playing with Audrey.  I knew by the way that Audrey looked up at him that he probably meant world to her.
He pulled his hand away from mine, instead pulling me into him and then planting a dazzling kiss on my lips.  When the kiss ended, I could hear him smile as he told me how he couldn't wait to full-out adopt the girls. 

"Me, too!"  I told him.  "Did you..I dunno.  Did it just feel..right, when we had the girls?  I just was wondering, cause I just, I dunno.  Felt all warm and fuzzy when I was holding Jordan."  I stumbled over my question awkwardly, not sure how to explain or say it.
He laughed.  "Yes.  And that's just what the humans probably call your 'motherly instinct' kicking in." 
"Oh," I said, not quite sure what to make of it.  He nuzzled my hair a second or two before plopping a kiss into it, and then he led me to bed. 
When I hit the bed, my mind reminded me how tired I was...but also, how much I wanted to talk...hm.  Time to choose between sleep and talking while everything was fresh in my mind. 

Eugene answered that question for me when he decided to talk about Audrey and Pascal...so we talked until I don't know when - and I think I fell asleep mid-sentence.  xD 

1st Adoption Meeting!

This morning, I woke up with my shoulder being shaken gently. 
I was flat on my belly, my face planted up against the bed.  I peeled an eye open to see Eugene was knelt beside me, shaking my shoulder.  But wait.  What was he saying?
"Wake up....Tangled Fan's coming in twenty minutes!  Wake up..."
Tangled Fan. 
Twenty minutes. 
The adoption meeting!
"I'm up!" I exclaimed, scrabbling frantically to sit up.  With a thud, I fell out of bed, dragging the blankets with me. 
In a seemingly hopeless tangle of blankets, hair, and my own plastic limbs, I sat up on the floor of the shelf, pushing my messy hair out of my face. 
Eugene, leaning over the edge of the bed, tried to help me untangle myself, and when I was done, I stood and helped Eugene out of bed. 
"Thanks," I told him...and he told me the same thing.  Laughing, I pulled him into a quick hug.  "We ready for this?!" 
He chuckled, but then he bobbled fairly hard.  I snagged his arm, trying to steady him. Giving me a careful smile, he nodded.  "Well...as ready as we'll ever be, I think!" 
I grinned, but then realizing I had less than fifteen minutes until Tangled Fan came for us, I rushed off to change into my dress, brushed through my hair, and braided it neatly.  Whirling around the lamp, I almost tripped myself in my excited rush. 
My excitement drained when I caught a glance at Eugene's face.  He looked like his legs were really sore...again. Likely from his first day of physical therapy. When he saw I was looking at him, he put on a smile and made the mistake of trying to come over to me.  He could hardly walk!  I gasped, hurrying to his side. 
He couldn't go like this!  And I wouldn't let him, either.  If he walked too much, he'd get his legs even more goobered up. 
I led him over to the edge of the bed.  "When Tangled Fan comes, she's checking you over again.  I'll tell her that we can't go today - you need to chill."
He gave a frustrated huff.  "No, she's not checking me over again, and no, we can't miss the adoption meeting!"
"Yes, we can, hon."
"But what if she told those kids that someone might adopt one of them today?" 
I realized what he'd been thinking.  That would be so sad.  What if they'd gotten excited to meet us?  I shrugged my shoulders up to my ears.  "I-I...I dunno."  I sank down onto the bed beside him and sighed. 
He was quiet for a couple of minutes, but then he nudged my arm with his elbow.  "You can go,"
Umm...what?!  This was supposed to be a family thing.  Both of us needed to go!  And...I admit, I was feeling nervous about meeting the kids.  Weird, I know. 
"No, I'm not going without you.  You need to be there, too!"
"I know.  But, hon, you don't know how mad it makes me that my legs are messed up.  I don't want to be the cause of this being cancelled...Please.  You can come home and tell me about everyone, and we can make a decision." 
"I don't...I don't know, Eugene...I mean, yeah, I suppose I could..." my voice cracked, and I looked down into my lap. 
"Hey.  Don't be nervous - you'll be fine."  He gave my shoulder a gentle punch before peering down into my face.  I met his eyes for a second, and he grinned at me, winking.  "Now...are you taking Pascal with you?" 
"Probably not," I sighed.  "We'll leave the scary reptile here for the first meet."
He chuckled.  "We'll leave that for when they're adopted.  Oh, yeah, sweetie.  Here's a scary reptile that will probably terrify you!" 
I burst out giggling.  "Oh my goodness..." Still thinking about THAT, I leaned my head on his shoulder, grinning. 
He slung an arm around me.  "So, you're going to go?" 
"I suppose.  You pulled the guilt trip on me," I accused him, winking so he knew I was teasing.
Chuckling, he tipped my chin up so he could give me a sweet little kiss. Just as we pulled away, the door to the bedroom opened and shut.  "I'll see you later.  Love you, hon." 
"Love you, too.  Take it easy today, okay?"  I requested, standing up to go meet Tangled Fan.

She took me to a different room (not sure what room it was), told me she'd be back to check on things when she came home from church, and then hurried off, leaving me to introduce myselves to three little girls, one looking extremely wary of me. 

Sisters Audrey and Jordan

Natasha

When I came home, it was dark and I was purely exhausted.  Tangled Fan had set me on the floor on the opposite end of the room, bless her heart, so I had to walk back to the shelf.  In the dark.  When I was tired as all get out.  Ah well, I suppose it gave me plenty of time to think. 
I grinned as I finally stepped into the shelf at nine.  Eugene and Pascal were already asleep, though, by the looks of things, so I supposed I would catch up with my hubby in the morning.  I changed into my nightie and went to work carefully spreading the blankets on the bed.  I sat down on the edge of the bed before I remembered to unbraid my hair.  Too tired to bother brushing it, I just sat and started unbraiding.  I was about halfway done when two strong arms grabbed me around my waist, dragging me backwards.  I gasped in surprise, my heart speeding up...but then the owner of those arms kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear. 
"I scare ya?"
Eugene.  Good grief.  "Hah!  Just a little bit," I laughed sarcastically, elbowing him playfully from behind. 
He chuckled, releasing me from his arms. 
I turned to see him and grinned.  "You must be feeling better...?  How did your day go?" 
He flopped down on his back, so I laid down on my side and propped my head up so I could see his face, tossing the blankets over both of us. 
"I'm more interested in how YOUR day went, personally..." He said, yawning. 
"I asked first, dear," I reminded him, giggling.
"Oh, fine."  He grumbled.  "It went okay.  I'm feeling better than I was, anyway.  And Tangled Fan said I'd have my ups and downs...which is absolutely excellent..." he ended on a sarcastic note.
"Oh, things will turn out okay.  It'll just take awhile," I reassured him, reaching over to kiss the tip of his nose. 
"Hm.  So...I answered you, now YOU have to answer me!"  He told me, giving me his special little grin. 
"Well...Tangled Fan only brought three of the kiddos she had - saying that she felt that they would fit the best with us.  The first was a blond haired, blue eyed little five year old girl named Natasha.  She seemed pretty sweet, but was kind of flighty...understandable, though.  The other one was just a little baby, Jordan, about three months old in doll years.  She has brown hair and eyes and seemed like a pretty quiet little one.  She's sisters with the seven year old, brown hair and brown eyed sweetie named Audrey.  She was really cute.  Shy, but cute."  I smiled to myself as I remembered Jordan and Audrey. 
"Hmm...and which one out of those three were you considering?"  Eugene asked, pulling me close to his side.  I wormed away, though, to flop on my belly and rest my chin on his chest, looking at his face. 
"I won't say anything until you tell me what YOU thought."  I told him. 
"I asked first..." he tried to pull that one on me. 
"But I already know.  I want to know what your unbiased opinion-" he tried to cut me off with a kiss, but I sat up, staying away from him.  "Huh-uh.  Tell me." 
He chuckled, trying and failing to act annoyed.  "Fine.  I think Audrey seemed like a good candidate for adoption." 
I nodded, and he sat up, too.  "The only thing?  She and her sister, Jordan, have to be adopted together.  I liked both of them, but are we ready for such a commitment?  Two kiddos, and one being a baby?" 
He shrugged, biting his lip.  "Well..." he made a few nonsensical noises before shrugging again. 
I laughed.  "Tangled Fan said she'd meet us tomorrow morning at nine to talk.  So..." I sighed.  "I dunno.  And I'm tired."  I leaned my head up against him, trying to remember what I needed to say.
He stroked my hair for a couple of minutes.  I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, even though I was beyond tired. 
"Well...I mean...were you considering adopting a baby?  I was open to it.  If you are, too, what difference would it really make if we had an older child, too?" 
I shrugged.  "I dunno."  I held my breath a few moments before letting it out all in a big rush. 
"You could tell Tangled Fan we need more time, or..."
"OH!  She told me she would bring the three of them to us tomorrow, so you could meet them."  I finally remembered.
He gave me a surprised look.  "Oh!  Well...I suppose we don't have to have a 100% decision by 9 AM, then?" 
I bit my lip, nodding slowly.  I really wanted to know for sure, though. 
He caught my expression.  "But...you want to know what my preference is?" 
I met his eyes, nodding and chewing my bottom lip like nobody's business.  "Mhm.  I mean, if you don't mind.."
"I say we go for it." 
That's what I'd been hoping for, but I was also terrified of making the wrong decision. 
"Okay.  Okay!  Then...okay," I said, not sure what to say.  It was all becoming so real!
He chuckled.  "Now...let's get to sleep."  Catching himself, he winked.  "But I doubt there will be much sleeping.  More like staying awake, excited and nervous beyond compare?" 
I laughed.  "You nailed it, bud."  I looked at him for a couple of minutes before I just threw myself at him, pulling him into a quick, excited-slash-nervous-kiss.  He pulled away and then grinned at me, his eyes twinkling.  I stretched my legs out, crisscrossing them over his before I gave him a broad smile.  "I'm excited and terrified at the same time.  How can that even be possible?!" 
"Ohh, it's possible.  Trust me."  He laughed.  "That was how I felt for, oh...three months after I met you?" 
I giggled, leaning over to give him a quick hug.  "Love you.  How did we ever get each other into this mess called life as a doll couple?" 
He grinned at me, giving me the most adoring look ever.  I'm pretty sure I returned it...he didn't need to say a word.  But he did anyway, being my Eugene.  "Because you were the sweetest, most adorable and perfect girl I'd ever met.  Plus, you're gorgeous." 
I laughed it off.  "I don't see myself as any of those things, especially not perfect, hon.  I'm pretty sure it was because you were the nicest guy I'd ever known.  Scratch the nicest GUY, you're the nicest person I've ever met!" 
He chuckled.  "Hmmm..."
I glanced down.  Was he uncomfortable because of the way I'd sprawled my legs over his?  I hoped I hadn't hurt him somehow...!  "OH!  I'm so sorry.  I didn't-" I started to move, but he put a hand on my lap. 
"Nah, you're fine." 
I grinned at him, but then I mentally kicked myself for taking that sweet moment and totally trashing it.  "And...there I go being unromantic and very awkward." 
He gave me a playful shove.  "You're fine.  Now...let's get to sleep." 
"You mean, laying in bed not sleeping cause we're both so nervous?"  I asked, laughing. 
He nodded.  "Yeah....what you said."
I laughed quietly, trying to turn and swing my legs around to lay down in one swift motion.  I started to fall off of the edge of the bed...again...not realizing how close I was to it. 
Acting with quicker reflexes that I'd probably never have, Eugene reached over and grabbed my arm, hauling me back upright. 
"Thanks," I laughed.  "Let's talk about how perfect I am?" 
He chuckled, flopping down on his back and stretching an arm out.  "You're fine.  C'mere."
I curled up close to him and rested my head on his chest, even though I was completely and utterly jittery for tomorrow.