Almost a month already?

Well it's been almost a month since we brought our dear Cora home. Between hosting both sets of our parents, Christmas, and adjusting to life with a newborn, the last three weeks have been a whirlwind.
We are so grateful to finally be done with the waiting! However we have definitely found there were a lot of things we have forgotten about having a newborn. In addition to being up quite a bit at night, we are still trying to figure out how to parent two kids at the same time. Needless to say, there are moments I have felt like I am not prepared for this!

However, what has been most interesting to realize there has been a shift. A subtle one, but a shift nonetheless. We are no longer perceived as just another seemingly "normal" family. We get some interesting comments and stares when we are out with our little brood. Mostly positive and a ton of questions but it has been interesting getting used to the attention and questions.

We are trying to be very open and upfront in our discussions with people. The mostly commonly asked questions is "Where is she from?" followed closely by "Whose baby is that?". We are not offended of course and are trying to use these questions as a way to open the dialogue about adoption and our experience.

It has been interesting to see the assumptions people make about Cora's birth mother and we are quick to put those to rest. For such a brave act, there seems to be so many negative misconceptions about birth mothers, their lifestyles and choices. While respecting her privacy, we always want to be sure people know hers was a selfless, well-contemplated choice.

All in all, we are learning to adjust to being a family of 4 and learning that most people are curious, not malicious, in their questions. It has been an eye opening few weeks and I have a feeling this is only the beginning.