Has it *really* been 1-1/2 years?!

Wow, time sure flies. I have to apologize for the serious delinquency in updating this blog! So much has happened over the past year that it has been nearly impossible to update on our life as Bean settles in with new parents and a new sister. Since I am no longer the care-free, all the time in the world-type person anymore, I'll bullet-point all the highlights...

-C had successful heart surgery on March 7, 2008. The 2cm hole between his left and right atrium's (termed an "atrial septal defect" or ASD) was patched via an arterial catheter at Children's Hospital. The doctors were AMAZING and we were really well taken care of. Subsequent check-ups, however, have not revealed a huge improvement in the efficiency of his heart, so we anticipate valve replacement 10 or so years from now.

-We welcomed E.G. into our family on June 26, 2008. C's new little sister weighed 7lbs 6oz, and was 21.75" long. She takes after daddy in height so I see those awkward years of high-water pants in her future, poor girl.

-We all flew to Wisconsin Dells for Thanksgiving '08 where Tami's Grandparents met their first great-grandkids for the first time. It was truly a blessing to see 4 generations together for the holiday!

-Tami quit her job in January due to high childcare and preschool costs and has been a "homemaker" since then. It has taken some adjustment and lots of patience, but it has been the right decision with regard to lessening overall stress. Eventually there is a plan for her to return to work, but that will wait until C starts kindergarten this Fall and when E is somewhat independent with her mobility and eating skills (less money for daycare).

-C just lost his first tooth! His lower front tooth had been quite loose for some time, so one night we just pulled on it gently and out it came. C is pretty excited about growing some "big boy" teeth and is already feeling around for other loose teeth. The money from the tooth fairy doesn't hurt either! ;)

So that is our past year in a nutshell. We feel so blessed with our wonderful new family, and it has been quite a learning curve! C is an amazing big brother and really is wonderful with E. Perhaps his time in the foster home helped him hone those skills, but whatever the case we could not be more proud of him. Additionally his English is rather impressive! It is so incredible how easily it came to him and how well he has adapted. The only sad thing is the loss of his Hungarian language, but with so few people speaking it, we hope it isn't a big regret. We are already looking forward to a trip to Hungary in a few years, when E can last that long on a plane and C can really appreciate where he came from.

Hope all is well with those who still read this, I'll try to be more on top of updates in the future!

C is quite the performer!

Hi all, I've been terrible about keeping everyone updated on C's development here in the U.S., and I hope to get around to a long post soon! In the meantime, please watch a couple of school program videos that should sum up just how well he is doing and adapting to life as a 4 year-old! Enjoy, we sure did! :)

The program was about what they learned each month in preschool. This first video is about the Native Americans, which they studied last November...

This second video is the month of May. The song is about zoo animals (C's voice is the one you hear the most, he always started early with the chorus which was hilarious!)

A new year, a new blog

Ok, so first of all, Spongebob Squarepants is simply on here as a homage to our son's latest cartoon favorite. Actually, it's also my favorite since it is a 1/2 hour long and typically not the same thing over and over and over...like Shrek movies for instance. :)
Anyway, I thought it was time to move on to a cheerier blog page and one that chronicles our life as we adjust to having a toddler in the house. Actually, C turns 4 this Monday (Feb. 4), so is he still a toddler? Not so sure, and he is quick to tell us he is not a baby anymore (sigh, how fast they grow when they start to understand English).

We are also excited to announce that we are expecting a second child this summer. Not by adoption though! Just a few weeks ago I realized that I am pregnant. I actually was newly pregnant while in Hungary which fully explains my misery and mood swings. I never in a million years expected to get pregnant, so I was a tad bit in denial over the past few months. Even after the positive home pregnancy test and doctor confirmation, I was still thinking it was all a big mistake and we'd find nothing in an ultrasound. Low and behold, there sure is a baby in there! I just reached the 20th week, so it is all a lot to wrap our heads around. I am getting used to it, although I am forbidding myself to watch "A Baby Story" on Lifetime since I get all emotional and quite scared about the delivery. We have told C he is going to have a little brother or sister, but I don't think he is getting it completely. He does say there is a baby in Mommy's tummy, so we'll see. We are hoping that none of this stresses him out our makes him think he is being replaced. His well-being is so critical right now and we want him to feel safe and to trust us that we will never give him up.

Speaking of which, we are dealing with attachment issues. Adoption is not easy to do, nor is it easy to adjust to. Feelings and thoughts I never thought I'd have keep popping up, like does C love me or is he still looking for his mommy? He has a tendency to bond really quickly with other women, particularly the teachers in his preschool. Our social worker said this most likely is not RAD, but more of a defense mechanism on C's part to make sure that whoever his next caretaker is loves him and pays attention to him. It makes some sense to me since C has basically been passed on to different women caretakers all his life. It makes me a bit nervous though, because I want him to see me as his final and forever mom. I'm sure in time this will all come to pass, but right now it is hard! Tom has no problem since he is the first man in C's life and is not going through hormonal mood swings right now. Lucky! ;)



p.s. For those who want details on C's adoption, go here to our adoption blog.