Maksim Is Going To Have A Sister !!!

On March 22, 2017, we found out we are having a GIRL!!!! The tech thoroughly measured the baby at an anatomy ultrasound at the University Hospital, which is a special procedure necessary for "high-risk" pregnancies since I'm older and Maksim was born with a heart condition. I also visited our pediatric cardiologist a week later to get a detailed ECHO of the baby's heart. All the doctors said that everything is normal. Grateful! We are so excited to meet her.

Her name is, Valeska Andreea Arkhipova. Valeska is a slavic name that means, Glorious Ruler. Her nick name is Vala, the Chosen. The sci-fi geek in me go it from Stargate SG-1's character of Vala Mal Doran. I loved her on the show and despite her bad rep, she's hilarious. So that being said, our daughter's name means, The Chosen Glorious Ruler. In Russia, typically the middle name is the father's name with either a "evich" or "ovna" suffix depending on the gender. Maksim's middle name is Andreyevich, for a boy. Andreyovna didn't appeal to me, so we made it simpler - pronounced Andre-ya. 

The booties I crocheted for little Vala. Who knew I still knew how to crochet? Proud moment for me. Currently working on booties for Maksim.

She's already beautiful to us. So in love, so in love. 

Proof ❤️

We visited our lot yesterday. The construction crew bulldozed more soil towards the back to flatten it out and to get it ready for a walk out basement. We're planning to make a basketball court at the back for Maksim and the tall men in the family. We're fortunate that Dedushka is a professional basketball coach. I asked Andrey to take a picture and naturally Maksim showed his personality. He is something else, something else! An entertainer for sure.

This was after we officially closed on our old house and finally got it SOLD! Happy that everything is over and done with that chapter of our lives. It was a long, arduous, trying, and difficult journey, but we got through it as a family, stronger and better together.