Amazing Cake

Here's some shots of the cake from my shower.

The animals are made of fondant. Incredible detail on each of them. It's too bad fondant tastes like Play-Doh.... The cake was great, however. The chocolate layer was my fav, of course.

The piercer at my niece's work did the cake -- quite the artist.

The week that was

Talk about a roller coaster.

Over the last few days:

• I learned that my I-600 isn't going to be filed till the end of the month, pushing me into late July/August for traveling , best-case scenario. That's if the embassy continues its average 45-day turnaround.
  
  I'm so disappointed. I cried on the phone with my agency. That's more time in the orphanage for Loc, and every day it's so hard to think of what we're both missing out on. When I got my referral, the timeline was late May/early June for travel; it's brutal to see it lenghten.

• I got new photos and new videos. As you can see, he's getting to be a little boy. He still has his bracelet, but he is rapidly leaving babyhood behind. He looks so sad in the videos, but maybe that's just me projecting. I'm happy to have new photos, but they just make me miss him that much more.

• I watched the story on Vietnam adoptions on CNN's "American Morning." Tough to watch.
  

• I had an excellent shower with my wonderful family. My mom outdid herself with great food and planning. My niece hooked us up with a animal-themed cake made by a woman she works with. Absolutely amazing -- fondant giraffes, monkeys, and elephants. I'll post pictures soon.
  
  Great turnout and the most imaginative and thoughtful gifts. Loc is so set with toys and clothes now. Aunt Gail gave him three UNC shirts, which I can't wait to see him in. Really cool presents from my aunts, cousins, family friends, sisters, nieces, nephew, and parents. The welcome that they're giving Loc overwhelms me sometimes.
  

• I got my second year's worth of Happy Mother's Day to the Mother-to-Be cards. When I got these cards last year, I was bursting with happiness and anticipation. Now...the sentiment is appreciated, but a second year? Sigh...