I will always remember the first time I made an attachment blunder. My three children had only been home a week. It was a traumatic moment for both my daughter and myself. She was two and I was trying to “set limits” by telling her what she can and cannot do with the toys. She …Read More

I first learned about this precious girl on the Down Syndrome Adoption FB group and was immediately smitten. And when you see her picture, I’m sure you’ll agree. Those chubby legs. That black hair. Those pink cheeks. Oh my. Now that we are home with our Clementine, who also has Down syndrome, I have such a huge soft …Read More

I would say we are experienced in attachment but we are by no means experts. After adopting 13 children we have had quite a bit of “on the job” training! Ten of our adoptions have been with children between the ages of 5-11. Our daughter adopted at 11 years 3 months was not prepared to …Read More

If you have ever adopted from China before, you remember sitting at the table staring at that dreaded form asking you what special needs you thought you and your family could handle. Filling it out seemed cruel. On the one hand most of them scared me to death and at the same time it filled …Read More

Brayden was born in April 2012 and abandoned when he was 18 months old. After admission to the hospital he was diagnosed with Hemophilia A. His birth parents did leave a note so it is believed that his birth date is known. After spending about 6 months in a Care Center Brayden was transferred to …Read More

She stands in the middle of the room, children at her feet. Some are fighting each other for her, the rest are begging to be picked up. A little girl with albinism sees me standing in the doorway and runs over, arms spread wide and high. I bend down and pick her up and within …Read More

Maria is 18 months old. She was born with a cleft lip and palate and was abandoned on the side of the road on the day she was born. She’s been getting great care in the orphanage (now living with a foster family within the orphanage) and is doing well. Maria also has a small …Read More

Our daughter was nineteen months and four days old when she was handed to us in an alley outside the Civil Affairs office in north west China. We read and prepared as much as we could to attach to each other in a healthy way. We followed all of the rules as best we could. …Read More

April is here and the focus at No Hands But Ours is attachment, so I thought I’d share our experience with attachment and what has worked for us. Because, having 12 children (8 children adopted from China in the last 10 years), we have lots of experience with attachment. Successes and failures, and everything in …Read More

Joseph was born in October 2001 and his special need is repaired cleft lip and repaired cleft palate.  I had the sincere pleasure of getting to meet him this past July while I was in China.  He lives in a foster care apartment within his orphanage with two older sisters and three younger siblings.  Joseph …Read More