Hello Everyone!

CaptainSerious · September 2012

Hi! I think I'm finally back and able to stick around a bit. My boys start school on Wednesday, my husband's one-month paternity leave ends tomorrow, and I'm back to work after 6 months off(!) next Monday! I can't believe it.

Any of it really. It all seems like this surreal dream. I can't believe that it's been 6 months since I left work to bring J home, and yet I can't believe he's only been with us 6 months. Although, I could just take a look at the testing behavior he's currently putting us through and know without a doubt that we are, indeed, just about at the 6 month mark! :-)

The boys are pretty much inseparable, mostly because J is a mini-M in everything, and wants to do everything exactly as M does. He won't answer a question about what he likes, wants, or does without first checking to see where M stands. M is somewhat put out like any older sibling, but extremely tolerant. If I could just get him to stop trying to parent J, we'd be all set.

They have made my summer fly by. They are best friends, and both were on the summer swim team. M started pop-warner football, and seems to be growing everytime I look at him! It's clear he's older than his legal age, but we're rolling with it.

M's starting a new school this year, because we're moving him into the public school where he will be getting more services. We pray this is what he needs to really help him along so he can stop thinking he's just dumb. J is starting kindergarten, but will be in a different school across town, because that's where the Spanish-based ESL program is. We've had him fully evaluated, too, since we know he needs speech and is at risk for more, and will soon find out what extra services he's eligible for. So much of our summer has been consumed by having the evaluations performed and sorting out their medical/educational issues, I was so relieved to find out my old family friend will be J's principal (and no doubt a strong advocate for all he needs)!

I'm sorry I fell off the grid for a while, but life has been hectic and wonderfully crazy. As I prepare to return to work, I know I will have much less time to get the day-to-day stuff done at home, but also know that I will likely have a bit more downtime during the day to check in and keep up on stuff here. As I hope to work with agencies processing adoptions from Peru to speed up the process and match more families with waiting children, I also hope to be able to do some service here, spreading whatever knowledge I've gained along the way to help families in the process.

For those of you who don't know me, I adopted two boys from Peru: M in 2010 at the legal age of 7; and J last March at the age of 5. I am always happy to answer questions about our experiences, most notably the international adoption process, adoption from Peru, the adoption of "older" children, or the choice of adopting without first having conceived.

For my old friends, I've often lurked while I was gone but rarely had the time to post, but I'm sure I missed a lot. Please let me know if I missed any important updates. I'd love to know how you are all doing. For the foreseeable future, I think we are done building our family; we both see our role now more as helping other families in process find waiting children rather than growing our own. That being said, every once in a while, I imagine what it would be like to raise a kick-a$$ daughter. It'd be a trip, to be sure, but things are so wonderfully amazing now, and I only ever imagined myself having two children, but...who knows...only time will tell....

jillianmb · September 2012

Welcome back!

CaptainSerious · September 2012

Thanks! I was tuned in while you took your trip, and am so happy and excited and anxious for you. I can't imagine the rush of mixed emotions you must be living with every day as you wait to return to your little boy.

I realized for the first time this weekend, that for M's "gotcha day" on our calendar (we only celebrate adoption day, but I like to keep track of gotcha day for sentimental reasons), I marked down the day that we met him whereas for J, I marked the day we took custody of him and took him home. To me, these days very much are the correct gotcha days, because with M, I was just so overjoyed and amazed and overcome the day we finally met him that to me, it really was the culmination of our long 2.5 year journey. But with J, we actually met him on the same day we met M, which is sometimes really hard to believe. But since we knew him in some way, shape, or form, and our journey was more about making him a part of our family, it really was the day we took him home that I could finally exhale and celebrate, and recognize that we finally "had him."

What I'm trying to say, is that in a small way, I can only imagine what it's like to know your son and wish to be with him with every fiber in your being. I send you all the vibes of strength I possibly can, and I will be so overjoyed for you when you finally can celebrate your gotcha day!

MayDayGirl · September 2012

So glad to hear from you!! Tha ks for the update

jillianmb · September 2012

CaptainSerious:
Thanks! I was tuned in while you took your trip, and am so happy and excited and anxious for you. I can't imagine the rush of mixed emotions you must be living with every day as you wait to return to your little boy.

I realized for the first time this weekend, that for M's "gotcha day" on our calendar (we only celebrate adoption day, but I like to keep track of gotcha day for sentimental reasons), I marked down the day that we met him whereas for J, I marked the day we took custody of him and took him home. To me, these days very much are the correct gotcha days, because with M, I was just so overjoyed and amazed and overcome the day we finally met him that to me, it really was the culmination of our long 2.5 year journey. But with J, we actually met him on the same day we met M, which is sometimes really hard to believe. But since we knew him in some way, shape, or form, and our journey was more about making him a part of our family, it really was the day we took him home that I could finally exhale and celebrate, and recognize that we finally "had him."

What I'm trying to say, is that in a small way, I can only imagine what it's like to know your son and wish to be with him with every fiber in your being. I send you all the vibes of strength I possibly can, and I will be so overjoyed for you when you finally can celebrate your gotcha day!

I have tears in my eyes because it is so rare that someone knows how I feel. Thank you so much for your incredible words; I cherish them. I can't wait to share our joy when we finally bring him home!!

ellekae · September 2012

Welcome back, Captain! We've missed you around here! I had just started posting when you were heading down to Peru to get J, but I followed a lot of your journey via lurking. Thanks for the great updates!

Dr.Loretta · September 2012

Welcome back! So happy to see you! Thanks for the update--I know how you feel about a hectic summer. I feel like we're just catching our breath here, and we didn't have as much going on as you did.

Can't wait to see you around more