It's a girl!

It's true, we are pregnant!  5 months pregnant as a matter of fact!  Now that I look like I am smuggling a bowling ball, we had to come clean.  How did this happen??
Well, lets start from the beginning.  Bill and I decided we would try one time.  Yeah, that's right, ONE time.  Within 2 weeks I was bent over with my head buried in the toilet on a Sunday morning.  Jackson was very concerned Mommy had a 'hurt belly', and I was starting to wonder 'what the heck'.  Bill was mainly offended that I had puked up the breakfast he made (and have done the same several times since).
So a couple of weeks later I was in Texas with work and decided to pick up a $1 pregnancy test from the Dollar Tree.  I actually felt a little silly being a 39 year old woman and asking the 19 year old at the counter to unlock the secret cabinet so I could buy one.  Keeping it classy, I went from the Dollar Tree to DQ and took a quick test.  For some reason that week, I wanted to eat nothing but chocolate dipped cones from DQ so it seems appropriate.  Anyway, the test showed a positive.  REALLY?  Wow.  I took a picture of the test and texted it to Bill immediately.  No candle lit dinners or sunset walks on the beach to announce the news for this family!  His response was something like "wow", then something like "really"?
After that, it was a series of weekly visits to my lady doc. She was skeptical so she kept making me come back week after week to make sure there was still a heartbeat.  My labs were suspect, so I just kept on going.  Finally, I asked for a referral to an OBGYN (she doesn't deliver babies), so she sent me to a lady in town that had the attention span of a 2 year old all jacked up on Mt Dew.  She didn't weight me, take my blood pressure, answer questions or do follow up blood work, which all seemed wacky given the dip in my levels.  After much research, I chose my own practice and am happy there.
Bill and Jack went with me to one of my appointments and they saw a heartbeat.  Jackson just thought they were looking at my belly because I had had surgery a few months before, he didn't know what he was seeing.  He did think it was super cool though.
Since I am over 35,  they gave me the option to do advanced aging tests.  Mt Dew doctor said I had to do them, and I didn't have a choice.  This practice gave me the choice.  Bill and I decided to do it, because they do a really thorough ultrasound and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to see a heartbeat.  We also wanted to know what to prepare for.  All the tests came back favorable, we were both surprised and happy.
We decided to tell Jackson at about the 4 month mark.  The conversations with him make everything worth it and bring me so much joy.  This child is hilarious.  Prior to us telling him, here are some comments (he was on to me).

• Pulling up my shirt in Kohls and announcing "WOW Mommy, your belly is HUGE".
• "Mommy, either you are eating too much or you have a baby in your belly...which is it?"

When we told Jackson, we wanted to try to make it special, here is the conversation:
Us - Jackson we have a surprise for you.
J - What is the surprise
Us - Feel my belly, there is a baby in there
J - Really?
Us - Yeah, you are going to be a big brother
J - Wow
J - Now what is the surprise
Us - That IS the surprise
J - Oh

Since that night, there have been a lot of questions an comments.

• How will the baby come out of there?
• Will the baby try to go back in there after he is out?
• Will it have teeth, and will it bite me?
• Will it talk?
• What will it say?
• Can I teach it how to play Hockey?
• Can I name it Fireman Sam?
• I will teach it how to walk.
• I am saving my Halloween candy for it
• What is the baby doing right now?

He has been both apprehensive and excited, but is looking forward to being a big brother.  Personally, I have really suffered with extreme guilt over the pregnancy.  It is difficult to even write about it.  We have been considering fostering or adopting again for some time (which I would still like to do), but we can't afford to adopt.  Plain and simple.  I don't want Jackson to ever feel like he is different, unless the 'different' means the most special kid in the entire world...because he is.  I have finally been able to get a grip on reality and have calmed down significantly.  Although it is still my priority to make sure Jackson always feels like my #1 big boy and to teach and show him how absolutely wonderful he is and how lucky we are to have come together as a family and be his Mommy and Daddy.  Okay, I am tearing up...pregnancy hormones!!!
In the next couple months, we will register.  Jackson will be able to choose the bedroom decor and a bunch of other things, if he is interested.  He has changed the name from "Firemen Sam" to "Princess Fireman Sam" so something tells me that she will have a fireman themed room!  Ha!

Thanksgiving weekend

These first 2 photos are Jackson and Emily taking photos of each other with Copper the dog.

Decorating the tree at home

Nana and Papa wore out the kiddos

Four days off together, I still can't believe it.  We went to Nana and Papa's for a few nights then came home on Saturday afternoon and still had all day Sunday to put up the tree and decorate the house.  Jackson had a blast playing with his bff Emily. 
On the way home we stopped and purchased an Elf on a Shelf.  That has been a pretty funny experience and Jackson is super pumped up about finding it every morning and of course he has been on his best behavior!  He reported me to the Elf when I wouldn't let him have candy for dinner.  I overheard him telling Elf that he needs to tell Santa to put Mommy on the naughty list because of it!  Ha!
I really enjoyed my time with Bill and Jack this last weekend.  Jackson is such a sweet, loving, child.  He is smart, sweet and funny.  I can't believe we are lucky enough to have him in our family.  We are truly blessed!

Chuck E Cheeses!

We went to Chuck E Cheeses again!  Jackson likes to play air hockey, but Daddy prefers to just get tickets to get a prize at the end!  He rode every ride there about 3 times, and really enjoyed himself.  At the end, after all of his hard work....he chose a blue whistle.  Go Jackson!

Halloween

We had a pretty fun Halloween!  Jackson had a nice program at school.  He is the spiderman on the far left beside Batman (AKA "Brock").  He sang all the songs but it's hard to tell because he didn't want to take his mask off.  He sang "Halloween is here",  and the verses were "black cat sitting on a fence", and "owl is hooting in a tree".  He did have a conversation with Batman during most of the event though. 
When we got home, we walked our new neighborhood and Jackson said "treat or treat" about 100 times.  He always said thank you, and is just such a good kid.  After we went around, we passed out candy at our house for awhile.  He seemed to enjoy passing out candy as much as receiving it.

Photo Monday!!!

Here are some baseball action shots!  Daddy was the pitcher, I was the "people" as Jackson put its. 

 This one is my favorite, the passion...the focus...the excitement!

A preview of Halloween!  He can't decide between spiderman and a hockey player.  Since I bought him a Capitals jersey, he will probably select spiderman :)

 Fireman going to an emergency in the living room.

 Mommy/Son day last week.

Decorating Halloween cookies with Mom and Dad.  He ended up with more on his shirt/face/hands then was on the cookies.

 Making a scary eyeball.

 Eating the hard work!

Today Jackson's school was closed because of Hurricane Sandy.  He and I stayed home and watched it rain and the wind blow.  Poor kid was bored stiff because I still had to work!  Looks like the worst has passed us by, so hopefully the weather will calm down from here.
I have been traveling a lot lately, but am home all week!  Next week I should be gone again, but I am enjoying this week with the family.  Jackson enjoys the "prizes" I bring home for him.  Last price was spiderman slippers.  The week before was new hockey skates!
I haven't heard anything about our last post placement report, so I assume it passed and has been sent in. On second thought, I better follow up on that again!
All is well in the Curran household, hope it is in yours too!

Final post placement report

Last night we had our final post placement meeting with our local agency for Russia.  I can't believe Jackson has been home 3 years, double the time that he was in Artem Baby Home #2.  The meeting was probably around 45 minutes long and it was with a new Social Worker that we had not met previously.  Jackson was being shy, but it was closing in on his bedtime and he really just wanted Daddy to play hockey with him instead of sitting at the dining room table answering a bunch of questions!!  We hope to have that submitted this week.  I do have to say, I am disappointed in our adoption agency.  Not once were we reminded to follow through with this, if we wouldn't have pushed both agencies to complete the reports I don't think anyone would have ever said anything.  Why this is unfortunate, is it effects future families adopting from Russia.  We followed through for those families in process, just as the families before us followed through to our benefit.  With that said, I am glad it is our last report!

Today Bill had to work, so we had Mommy/Son day.  We played golf, cars and big trucks.  Then we took a nap and went out to have lunch together and went shopping.  Jackson picked out some "super fast" shoes and a few pair of fuzzy PJ's.  Of course, what is Mommy/Son day without ice cream???  When Daddy got home, Jackson lost his mind he was so happy.  They went outside and played baseball and did donuts (yep, that's a new trick) on the John Deere tractor.

Tomorrow we will have a family date day, but it is undecided on what we will do.  I travel again for the next 5 days, but after that get to be home for awhile.  It seems I dread travel more and more these days.  I don't want to be away from my family and home anymore! 

Jackson's testing was last Wed - Friday, so we hope to get the results of that early next week so we can make some decisions.  I am still leaning towards him staying where he is and repeat next year if it is necessary.

Fifer Fall Fest

Last weekend we made the trip up to Dover to see Nana/Papa/Aunt Carolyn/Uncle Jeff and Cousin Emily.  Jackson loves, loves, loves to visit Cousin Emily and they always have a really good time together.  We went to the Fifer Fall fest and the kids jumped on bungees and did snow angels in corn.  They had a couple corn mazes and we at the best fried donuts in the world.  Although it was just a short overnight trip, it was worth it!!

In other news, Bill and I are trying to make some decisions on Jack's school progress.  It has been suggested to hold him back a year.  Right now, he is in the "4's" class, and his teacher feels like he should go back to the 3's class, next year go to the 4's, then the year after start Kindergarten.  He is struggling with his colors and his letters, but just in the last few weeks he has learned so much.  I am leaning towards having him finish the 4's, and asking for special accommodation's because it is very tough on him to have any type of disruption in his schedule.  Bill and I will have to continue to do nightly homework and step it up at home more so than usual if we go this route.  He has testing next week where he has to rhyme, recognize 17 of the upper case letters, recognize his name, write his name, etc, etc.  We will see where he is on the testing, and make a decision after that.  He has a late birthday (July), he is small for his age, and given the delayed start we knew that he would probably have a repeat somewhere...but still breaks our hearts.  Given his start in life, his maturity seems that of his peers, and he is very smart.  He remembers everything...and I mean everything.  I have every confidence that he will catch up!  Now, how do you make learning look like a hockey stick and puck?  THAT is how he will learn!!