And, because God has a weird sense of humor, here's our 3rd son, He-Who-Has-Yet-to-be-Named Johnson!
I know... not the announcement you were expecting, right? Me neither.
So, to stave off the questions, and since I've pretty well chronicled my infertility, here's the deal. The observant, or experienced, among you will notice that's not a first-trimester sonogram. That's the result of the usual 20-week anatomy sonogram, only for us, it determined that I'm at 24 weeks.
I'm still in shock, too.
So, if you've been following the blog, you can see times when I have talked about our infertility and the various complications, so suffice it to say that we were fairly sure that I couldn't get pregnant. Skipping periods is pretty normal for me, so I wasn't shocked when I skipped a whole bunch of months (7ish)- I took pregnancy tests like usual (all negative) and figured that it was wacky old hormones again, preparing me for another simulated miscarriage. Yippeeeeee. Every test was negative (Paul contests that on one point, so don't be surprised if you hear him argue), but seriously- multiple tests, different brands, different months- all negative. All of my other symptoms were totally in line with my other diseases, and I really didn't have many symptoms. I got sick a few times, but there was no ongoing morning sickness- I was tired, but what teacher isn't tired in May/June? I had abdominal pain starting about a month ago, which I assumed was endometriosis/ more cysts, and I was trying to make it through our trip to Cali so I could come home and schedule a hysterectomy.
And then I felt the baby moving.
The night of the 4th of July, I got home and couldn't sleep, because apparently fireworks until 1 in the morning is a thing I should just be accustomed to. Our newest son decided that was the time to try out for the World Cup with a stunning round of cervical soccer, and I knew this was NOT cysts (duh). I hadn't felt him move before, I hadn't had other symptoms, so I'm sitting there Googling "when do babies start to kick" trying to wrap my head around the possibility.
I went in last Tuesday for the blood test. The technical response from the advice nurse was that I was "whoa way pregnant".
Thursday, they fit me in for the big sonogram, and Paul and I were stunned as the tech took one look at the baby (it literally took 5 seconds) before going back to adjust all of his settings to zoom out- we weren't looking at a lima bean. By the end of the appointment, we had an estimated due date of October 24th.
Of course I had (have) a difficult time wrapping my head around this- I grieved infertility a really long time ago, and now I have to listen to a million of the "If you're having trouble getting pregnant, just adopt!" jokes (and I'm counting- only a handful of people know and I'm already at 7). Oh, boy. We still don't have answers for a lot of these questions, because we had a kind of big week ahead. Which brings us to...
We were so fortunate to have people we love there, even if many people we love couldn't attend. The judge was warm and extremely patient, as Damien and Rayden were... energetic. First, they thought that the microphone at the defendant's desk meant they were supposed to sing, which they did, loudly. Then they kept running back to their first foster dad because he is their favorite person in all the lands. Finally, Damien decided he wanted to be a judge, and was allowed to help stamp his own paperwork. Rayden followed suit, of course, while we all laughed and cried. Some of us cried more than others. (Lookin' at you, friend Kiersten ;) )It was perfect and crazy and hilarious and wonderful, and such a relief. We all went to dinner afterwards for good food and terrible service at our favorite local place, and it felt like home.
And to answer the question, yes- it feels different. I can't explain it, but today feels a world apart from this time yesterday. Officially Damien Ash Johnson (middle name given as a thank you to Ashley, his first foster mom, the Patron Saint of Patience), and Rayden Chance Johnson (new middle name a bit more literal, and adorably fitting)- it's finally real.
HUGE thanks go to everyone that has supported us and will support us in the future- we have a wonderful community of giving and loving people and we could not have done any part of this alone. I'll say this every single day of my life- not everyone can be a foster parent (or even wants to be a parent at all), but supporting those that are is what makes the world go 'round. One person met me at Target the other day for a 30 minute trip just so she could push a cart (with two kids) around while I did the same, because we had a shelter placement and I couldn't fathom going to the store alone with a 2, 3, 4, and 5 year old (three of those kids with diagnosed ADHD and INSANE amounts of energy). Another friend just rode in the car with me to the lawyer's office so she could stay in the car and I wouldn't have to bring in 4 kids. Even with just our own two, we have had SO MUCH support- from meals and babysitting to cheerleading- and that's something anyone can do! If being a supporter means that you can help equip someone else to foster, then do it!
To everyone that we didn't contact about the pregnancy yet- we are TRULY sorry. Everything's running in double time, so we didn't get to contact everyone we would have liked before the public announcement. And since I'm starting to look pregnant, the cat's out of the bag. Please know that we didn't mean to offend or slight anyone, and we love you all!
I have a feeling I'll keep the blog running, but we'll see. Now I can post pictures of the kiddos, so be prepared! We love you all, and we love the way you have loved us through this process. My thanks will never properly express it, but still- THANK YOU!
