zero to five, and back to four

Finally, I had ‘that’ moment. For months I have waited and wondered when it would actually happen. This morning, as I awoke from a very vivid dream, it did. It finally hit me that I am actually a mother of four children. And not just any four children, but four little Colombian strangers who I would never have known, let alone have the opportunity to mother, if it wasn’t for our faith and hope in adoption. How did this happen?

Everyday I realize just how fantastic my reality really is. I did not create my children one, or even two, at a time. I went from zero to four quite literally overnight. Why am I not overwhelmed? I should be overwhelmed. One awesome August morning, at the age of 32, I woke up, packed my bags, drove to a lush hillside on the outskirts of Bogota, and instantly became a mom. Isn’t that surreal? It’s the coolest way to become a mom, I think. It’s not the easiest, but definitely the coolest.

And maybe my recent reflections on the adoption are just my way of coping with the recent miscarriage. This miscarriage (we’ll say it’s #5) was weird to say the least. I mean, it was unexpected, short-lived, and just weird all the way around. Part of me is too busy doing mom stuff to think about it much. And the other part of me doesn’t want to go back to the warm comfort of functional darkness. And yet, the thought of that familiar place is so very tantalizing.

I am so grateful that my experiences have given me not only perspective, but also wisdom. The ninos demand all of me all of the time, and that is a job worth doing well. We still want a baby. The kids want us to have a baby. But we don’t crave a baby. We don’t pine for a baby. We don’t hate people with rear-facing carseats. I mean, come on. There is so much more to living.

As for fertility, I guess this particular miscarriage takes us back to the proverbial drawing board. We were just getting to the point where we thought we might start deliberately trying, so I guess the timing couldn’t be anymore perfect. Do we try? Do we call it quits? Do we do more testing? Do we go back on Clomid? Do we…..? I have a consult with Dr. S on Tuesday–we’ll see how it goes. Decisions, decisions.

what a difference

The girls went on their second track break this week. And Wow, I can’t believe the difference. Their first break consisted of lice, tantrums, and general all around craziness. They were discovering all of the toys and crafts upstairs, they were constantly testing boundaries with Adam and me, and they were learning how to do their chores and exist in a family. Needless to say, it was not difficult for me to drop a few pounds over those three weeks–and feel utterly exhausted in the process.

Now things are much calmer. They can communicate. They get dressed before coming down to breakfast. They pour their own cereal and milk. They unload the dishwasher–putting everything away correctly. They operate the DVD player without scratching the movies. And they know how to ride their bikes. (oh, the small successes)

It is such an awesome feeling to see my girls flourish. Not only are they comfortable with daily routines and expectations, but they also genuinely love me more. I can feel it. They see me as their mother, and treat me as such. They completely rely on me for everything now….like it should be. This track break is so much more enjoyable. In fact, I don’t want them to go back to school. :)