Goodbye, summer!

Okay, so there are still a few days left in August, and, according to the current weather predictions, we still have at least a week of weather in the high 80s, but this is our last week before Lucas starts preschool! While I used to hate fall (because it meant that winter was that much closer, and I'm never really ready for that), in the last few years, I've come to really appreciate fall for the change it brings.  This year, that's probably even more so.  Since we moved here, we've started to make a few friends and see glimpses of what life will be like here after we've been here a while, but we haven't been able to really get to know people at church yet, and we haven't had what will be our normal routine yet.  I'm so ready to start having Sunday school classes and Wednesday evening Bible study at church, to start going to a ladies' Bible study (I found one on Tuesday mornings at the church where Lucas will be going to preschool) and MOPS (Thursday mornings, also at the church where Lucas will be).  If I learned anything at our Ft. Monroe/Eustis duty station, it's that you need to jump right in and put yourself in situations to make friends, if friends are what you're looking for.  Being The New Kid is never easy, but what's hardest about is is that most people have either never been The New Kid (can't really fathom what that life would be like) or it's been a really long time since they were The New Kid, and they forget how to really welcome someone new.  Or, in the defense of some people I've met here already, they are in the midst of the life we are trying to build - busy with kids and work and stuff - and without much time or perspective to pull someone else into their lives and under their wing.

I could turn this post into a "hey, look around you and find a New Kid to invite to something fun you're about to do," post.  But it's been a month since I've blogged and I should probably write more about us and less about that.  But, seriously, even if you're a military wife, and you're sort of new where you are, if you've been there for more than three months, you are certainly no longer The New Kid in your husband's unit.  Invite someone to dinner.  Or plan a girls' night with some of your friends and invite the newer wives to come with you.  Okay, really, I'm done with that now.

Yesterday we had our third post-placement visit for Levi's adoption (which he slept through!) and it went well.  We met with a social worker from the Bethany office here in Colorado Springs, and she was very nice (and also an Army wife!), but we both commented afterwards how we really missed Rebekah, our social worker from our Virginia office.  We've known her for three years now, after all, and she knows all the ins and outs of our process and wait and what happened with Levi's birthmom post placement.  But more than that, in those three years, she became a trusted ally and someone we truly depended on.  I always knew that once we'd finalized our adoption, we wouldn't really need to have much contact with our Bethany office or social worker, but it's odd to have them so much a part of your daily life and thoughts ("Will she call today?" "That's the Bethany number!  Is it our baby??") and then to have them...not.

But, we're happy to have those visits completed.  Levi's six months old today (!!!), so that means in three more weeks we can start the process for finalization.  (His adoption will be finalized in Virginia, and laws there are that finalization can't begin until six months after placement.  We brought Levi home when he was three weeks old.)  We've already been in contact with an attorney in Virginia who will take care of everything for us.  We don't even need to fly back to be in court!  (Though, part of me would love an excuse to go back for a visit to see my friends and my sister and her family.)  I'm hopeful that his adoption will be finalized before the end of the year, possibly even before we bring home Baby Girl.  We'll see! 

Speaking of Baby Girl, she's doing very well!  I had another ultrasound last week and she's looking great.  (The ultrasound was to check on the placement of the placenta, and I'm still waiting to hear back about that.  Right now, it's of no immediate danger to me or the baby, but if it's placenta previa (low lying placenta) then I may have to have a c-section.  I really would prefer not to have to do that!)  The ultrasound tech said the baby's measuring at about two pounds and five ounces already, she's moving all the time (I told her that part), and everything is looking good for her growth and development at this point.

Yesterday I was out doing some things by myself in the morning (Daniel had the day off and let me do errands alone!), and several people commented to me about my pregnancy.  Mostly "you look so cute!" and "when are you due?" kinds of comments, but what struck me as odd is that no one ever makes those comments to me when I have the boys with me.  Personally, I'm starting to feel pretty big, and I know that I look pregnant.  I wonder if people see me with a baby in a car seat and don't want to say anything because they think there's a chance that Levi's a biological son and I am still big from having him?  But he's clearly a different race than I...and he's not small like a new born any more.  Either way, I found it funny that everywhere I went yesterday, people were happy to make small talk with the "cute" pregnant lady, but when I'm a pregnant mom in public, I'm apparently off limits for conversation.  Maybe I just look tired and crabby when I'm directing an almost 4 year old and lugging a six month old in his car seat.  *grin*
 
 Look for preschool updates and pictures soon!