I am simply awed. And so very grateful. My friend and website-designer extraordinaire, Lauren from Restored 316 Designs, has just finished her overhaul of No Hands But Ours. I gave her some ideas when we first got started, but I was blown away when I saw the finished product. Thank. You. Lauren. Even our button …Read More

Trust is a funny thing.  You kind of don’t notice it, until it is gone… or was never there. I think the sword and shield is the universal symbol for “I don’t trust you yet!” Me:  Okay Ping, we have to run into my work for a second, then we will go home. Ping:  Okay. …Read More

This might come off sounding awful, but here it goes. When my new daughter comes into my arms, {17 days from today!} I think it’s ok if she cries. Screaming, wailing, flailing… it’s all ok with me. And here’s the awful part, part of me is hoping there will be “a reaction” or some kind. …Read More

 So excited to share our newest contributor to No Hands But Ours, a longtime friend of mine and mom to four beautiful daughters. Diana blogs at First a Pearl, then Three Rubies, please join us in welcoming her to NHBO! ************************************************************* What a fun blessing for me to be asked to contribute here at NBHO. …Read More

That was the question I got over the weekend from my 7 year old son, Quan. We adopted Quan from China in 2007. He had a cl/cp. Both were repaired upon arriving home, he was in speech therapy until 2010, and he has done AMAZING. I know not every experience with cl/cp is this simple. …Read More

Last Sunday we celebrated five years since our oldest child was placed in my arms in a hot room in southern China.  That means that I’m precisely five years and six days into this glorious adventure called motherhood. The learning curve was vicious at first, but I’ve come a long way.  I feel that I …Read More

You know that saying…You want to see God laugh?  Just tell him what your plans are!I’m pretty sure it went down like that. In July of last year Papa and I carefully looked over our agency’s special need’s list.  It’s a paper that lists about 50 possible special needs.  Hepatitis C, missing limbs, cleft lip and …Read More

I am going to try and help you under something that may SEEM a bit odd, but I am finding it occurs more and more these days and before you get knocked over w/ the EMOTION of it perhaps I can make you aware of it, so that is can be ignored … One of …Read More

From the last few weeks, some good stuff we’ve read that relates to adoption and/or parenting a special needs child. As always, if you are a traveling family, or have posted something, or read something, that you’d like to share here on No Hands But Ours, please let us know at nohandsbutours@gmail.com. From the blog …Read More

“It’s normal,” said our international adoption doctor.  “Normal, at least, for where she’s come from….” Our daughter was 11 months old when she came home from China, young for a special needs adoption.  She had spent 10 months in the orphanage and one month in foster care.  Overall, she was doing very well and was …Read More