The end

Well, we're done. We went to court yesterday to finalize the adoption. It went much better than I anticipated. We had to drive to Columbus since thats where the agency is. Its just easier that way. The whole way down we were prepping the boys on how we stand when the judge enters the room and we have to respond with yes and no sir. No yelling, zerberts, fighting, running etc. While the reminders are always nice, they weren't necessary.

Both of our parents met us there along with our attorney and social worker. We waited outside the court room and were right next to a regular office. I can only imagine how much the employees despise court times. We were loud and I'm sure they didn't get much work done. We went into a court room smaller than I expected. The judge had a regular bench, Jon and I sat at a table with Ellie and our attorney and social worker sat at the other table. Our parents sat in a row of chairs behind us with the boys.

The judge was talkative and "funny." Ben was quiet and sat still while Sam checked out the room and played with Ellie. A circus could have been going on behind us and the judge wouldn't have cared. Ellie was adorable. She smiled at the judge and gave a few laughs. Our attorney asked us a few questions then she asked our social worker a few questions. The judge said a few words and signed the decree. That was all. We took pictures with the judge, he let Sam play with the computer while Ben played with the microphones. We chatted with everyone then headed out. 6 months of social worker visits, reports, phone calls, e mails, signatures etc and it all came down to less than an hour of court time. She is ours. She is officially a Purdum. Her original birth certificate is now sealed. We can order a new (correct) birth certificate and social security card and it will be like she was always ours--for real.

Their are no take backs, no what if's, no worrying about the birth mother changing her mind. Its done. We are a family of 5 (and 1/2).

It was a stressful process at times, but so worth it. Had we not been surprised with number 4, we definitely would have adopted again. Instead, we will prepare for another little boy and enjoy every girl giggle along the way.

Thanks for reading. The end.

Catch up

I know, its been for ever. Honestly, we haven't had a lot of adoption stuff to report. Every month we have a social worker visit. She spends 1-1.5hrs chatting with us, the boys and checking out Ellie. Its pretty painless. We will be heading to court soon to finalize, then the process is officially over. Of course, we still have pictures and letters each month until December and then yearly until she is 18. The legal stuff is almost done though. We will soon have court documents confirming she is ours, a birth certificate and a social security card. Its been a long journey and its so nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think after court, I will close out this blog. All the daily stuff is being reported on our regular blog so you can keep up with Ellies progress there.

To tie up some loose ends: the bonding is better.....a lot better. I still have moments where I wonder if my reactions/feelings are a result of the adoption or just the fact that she is baby number 3 and I've become a bit more relaxed with each of them. I couldn't imagine not having her with us. Her sleep habits drive me crazy, but she makes me laugh and I love seeing how much the boys love her.

In pregnancy news, I'm finally feeling like myself again. I still take my nausea meds daily even though I haven't felt nauseous in a couple weeks. I'm afraid to stop them. It was so bad this time around, I was sure this baby was going to be a girl. We confirmed last week, that the Purdum tradition continues and we will be bringing home a baby boy in October (they moved up my due date from 11-5). Three pregnancies, three completely different experiences, 3 boys! I've been ordered to stop running through the end of the year, I have more pains than I remember having at this point with Ben and Sam, my back hurts and I definitely popped out faster this time around. I'm finally starting to get excited. I'm still nervous about how this is going to work--how I'm going to home school Ben, how we will manage to leave the house, how I will walk away with some sanity, but I'm excited that we will have another little boy to love. Ben desperately wanted a sister, but I think he's slowing getting excited too.

There you have it. Look for our final post next month and we'll see you on our regular blog. e mail me if you don't have the address.

Relief

After feeling like I was going to die last week, I called my doctor back and spoke directly to my doctors nurse. She is my new best buddy. She gave me 2 medicines, 1 that will completely knock me out for really bad days and one for daily use. This is a miracle drug! Its amazing the difference it makes. Of course, its crazy expensive, but would you expect anything different? Now I'm feeling significantly better and can start to focus on feeling some excitement.

More than a few days

Remember last post, when I said I just needed a few days to wrap my head around being pregnant? Well, its been 8, and I'm still not there. The morning sickness is getting worse each day. I think today was worse than when I was pregnant with Ben, and it was rough with him. Maybe its the same, but having 3 kids now makes it seem worse??? It lasted most of the day yesterday. It left for a few hours in the afternoon, but came back in time for dinner. I started today with a bang. Its starting to let up, but I'm afraid it will come back in a few hours. This is not the weight loss plan I had in mind! I called the doctors office, but they wont give me anything until I see the doctor, which isn't for a week and a half. I don't even know if they'll give me anything. When I was pregnant with Ben they would only prescribe for severe vomiting. Its hard to try to get excited about such a big surprise when all you want to do is throw up!

You've got to be kidding

I woke up Sunday morning and realized I was 5days "late". I mentioned it to Jon, but he wasn't worried so I put it out of my head. Monday morning, right before Jon left for work, he mentioned he was concerned. Of course, that made me concerned. So when Corrie came to hang out with us, I headed to the store. I was really trying to convince myself I was just tired, stressed and fighting off the kids colds. I got a generic brand pregnancy test and it was positive...sort of. One line was barely visible so I told myself it was the brand. It was a defective test. I tried to convince Corrie of this too, but I don't know if she bought it. We went out and got a brand name double pack. I took a second test and got the same result...one line very visible, the other barely there. I kept Jon posted. I think he was a bit freaked out, but he put on a good face for me because I was very freaked out. I took another test this morning with the same result. I knew it was positive, but I kept trying to find ways around it so I headed to the doctors office for a blood test. I needed a definite yes or no so I couldn't argue the result. By the end of the day I got the call, "you are definitely very pregnant!" I am 5 weeks along and due 11-5-11 (my father-in-laws birthday). The more Jon says it, the more excited he gets. I just keep thinking 2 kids 11months apart.

This was NOT the plan. We were pretty sure we would have four kids, but I was done. We were going to adopt another baby-----a long time from now. My pregnancy with Sam was rough. That was a huge reason why we decided to adopt in the first place. Now I'm going through it again and I'm 2+ years older. Another pregnancy, another surgery, another recovery with 3 kids, a husband, 2 animals and a house to keep clean. Freaked out doesn't begin to cover it! I have amazing friends who have tried to reassure me for two days that God has a plan for us, he wont give us more than we can handle, he is faithful etc. I know that in my heart, but my head needs some time to catch up. 2 kids 11months apart. How am I going to get out of the house next winter?

On the other hand, lets just say the fact that I'm pregnant is a miracle. This baby is going to be something special to be here with all the odds Jon and I stacked against a pregnancy! This baby is truly a gift from God so I'm sure I'll come around. I just need a few more days to get there.