Siblings: Nurturing Bonds for Life
December 31, 2017
adopting again, adopting out of birth order, December 2017 Feature - Making Room for a Sibling, hospital stays, orphanage behaviors, physical therapy, siblings, virtual twinning, wheelchair user
My husband and I have four children, two who joined our family biologically and two who joined our family through adoption from China. As more children have joined our family, the sibling dynamics have only gotten more interesting, and are almost never what we expected. When we traveled to adopt Madeleine CaiQun in 2013, her …Read More
Waiting for You: Ajay
December 30, 2017
Children Who Wait
Ajay is four years old and is a fabulous little guy listed with CHI! He is described as a caring and compassionate child who is kind to and concerned about other children. “Likes playing with other children, can share with others. He cares about other children, can hug other children, can comfort other crying children, …Read More
Waiting for You: Abriana
December 28, 2017
Family Found
Abriana is 2 years old (girl, born May 2015) and she is postoperative for congenital heart disease. This beautiful baby needs a family as soon as possible. Though she has had the Glenn procedure, she may need urgent care upon coming home. Families should be willing to medically expedite her adoption. Abriana is listed with …Read More
I Commit Myself to Thee
December 27, 2017
Andrea O., complex heart defect, complex medical, disruption, November 2017 Feature - Preparing for Adoption, prepping for China, terminal diagnosis, undiagnosed SN
I commit myself to thee. After the adoption of our youngest child and her immediate hospitalization from end-stage heart failure, I began to receive emails and messages via social media from some of the dozens of families who had reviewed her file. One of the families wrote something that shook my soul and has remained …Read More
While Shepherds Watched
December 25, 2017
Christmas, holidays, Kelly
…not far away, a group of shepherds were guarding the sheep in their care in the darkness of the night. Some rested, while some stayed awake, all of them ready to defend their charges if need be. All of a sudden, without warning, the darkness was replaced by light, glorious light unlike any light of …Read More
We Have What We Prayed For: A Gratitude Prayer
December 23, 2017
Rebecca
Dear Lord, You did it. You really did. You gave us what we prayed for. We asked, and you answered with the adoption of three Chinese children. A glorious gift. Remember all those lifted prayers? Oh, how we prayed, and prayed, and prayed for our kids. We prayed, our friends prayed and our families prayed. …Read More
Since You Came Along: A Journey to Becoming Siblings
December 21, 2017
December 2017 Feature - Making Room for a Sibling, pre-adoption, should we adopt?, siblings
“I’m a brother.” I remember my oldest son telling me this, despite the fact that he was an only child. He was insistent. I heard him. My son is named after my grandpa — who had had 10 siblings after all! My son reminds me so much of my grandpa. Like my grandpa, he is …Read More
Preparing for Adoption: Therapist Q and A Part Two
December 19, 2017
Attachment, attachment challenges, Childcare scenarios, China trip, cocooning, daycare, disruption, Gotcha Day, October 2017 Feature - Preparing for Adoption from the Experts, parent-to-child attachment, working mom
You’ve dreamt for this day for months, years even. You’ve planned for it, are going to travel halfway around the world for it, and have played it out in your mind a million times. And yet, the reality of becoming a family through adoption is undoubtedly different. As we have focused on Preparing for Adoption, …Read More
The Numbers That Matter
December 18, 2017
developmental delays, Education, IEP, Megan V., public school
Today we sat across from a table full of people in the conference room of our beloved elementary school, screen full of numbers and goals. They were so kind, so tentative, explaining the testing process to us and how Maggie fared in each category. She’s behind. Universally behind and the numbers didn’t expose anything we …Read More
Adoption: From Siblings’ Perspectives
December 15, 2017
adopting again, December 2017 Feature - Making Room for a Sibling, sibling perspective, siblings
Recently, I asked three of my four kids to write “an essay that talks about how adoption has affected them: the good things about it and the things that have been hard.” I told them to be totally honest about the good, the bad, and the ugly, because it would help other families. Then, I …Read More
Two Butts Are Better Than One: A Story of Siblings
December 14, 2017
adopting again, December 2017 Feature - Making Room for a Sibling, Family Stories, siblings, virtual twins
“Old McDonald had a butt,” was the chorus coming from the back seat as we drove from Denver to St. Louis over Thanksgiving weekend. You pick your battles on a twelve hour road trip, and the four-year-old giggles resulting from my kids’ silly song were worth ignoring the potty humor for once. I found myself …Read More
Growing Together as Family
December 13, 2017
adopting out of birth order, December 2017 Feature - Making Room for a Sibling, Family Stories, siblings
Tom and I spent two weeks away from two of our children, Adele and Archer, while we traveled to China to adopt Haddie. For an entire year, our young children had waited for their new sister. They were familiar with her face, and by the time they met, they had giggled together on Facetime. Haddie, …Read More
Preparing for Adoption: Therapist Q and A Part One
December 12, 2017
Attachment, first weeks home, first year home, Kelly, marriage, Newly Home, October 2017 Feature - Preparing for Adoption from the Experts, pre-adoption, prepping for China, siblings, TBRI-based therapy, therapy
You’ve dreamt for this day for months, years even. You’ve planned for it, are going to travel halfway around the world for it, and have played it out in your mind a million times. And yet, the reality of becoming a family through adoption is undoubtedly different. As we have focused on Preparing for Adoption, …Read More
The Building of a Sisterhood
December 11, 2017
attachment challenges, cocooning, December 2017 Feature - Making Room for a Sibling, indiscriminate affection, siblings
These sisters. One, tall and willowy with long, curly, golden hair. The other petite and athletic, with a glossy, black bob. People often ask me if they are real sisters, and of course, I say yes. Our older daughter, Tab, was well established as the princess of the family when we brought our younger daughter, …Read More
Waiting for You: Duncan
December 10, 2017
Children Who Wait
“I love observing others in a big group of people and seeing others happy makes me happy. I am an easy kid who doesn’t need much to be entertained. I just like holding hands and feeling close to people. I’m a total lover, not a fighter! I always listen to what my nannies ask of …Read More
Afraid of the Dark
December 9, 2017
adoption realities, Brandie, first year home, Lifelong needs, Medical Momma, Newly Home, November 2017 Feature - Preparing for Adoption, undiagnosed SN
I was never a fan of haunted houses. I didn’t like the lack of control or the dark spaces flooded with loud, foreboding music. I didn’t like the strobe lights that gave me small glimpses of what I should fear. I didn’t like the anticipation of what was lurking around the corner, eagerly waiting to …Read More
Waiting for You: Zander
December 8, 2017
Children Who Wait
This curly headed little guy is an adorable one year old who waits for a family to make him their son! Zander’s special needs are listed as: postoperative hydrocephalus, intractable epilepsy and West syndrome. He needs a family to look past his long list of needs and see the potential and bright future this little …Read More
Siblings: Building the Bond
December 7, 2017
December 2017 Feature - Making Room for a Sibling, homeschool, Sharon, siblings
My sister just celebrated her 45th birthday and right after wishing her a happy birthday, I sent a text to my mom thanking her for one of the sweetest gifts she ever gave me… a sister, and two brothers for that matter. My sister was my first best friend and always will be! As our …Read More
Unintentional Twinning
December 6, 2017
December 2017 Feature - Making Room for a Sibling, developmental delays, Developmental System, siblings, speech therapy, trauma
The terms virtual or artificial twinning are common terms in the adoption world for when a family brings a child home that is born in the same year as a child already in the home. But have you heard of unintentional twinning? It’s OK if you haven’t, because as far as I know I just …Read More
Waiting for You: Magellan
December 6, 2017
Children Who Wait
Magellan was born January of 2009 and is waiting for a family to choose him as their son. His special needs are listed as: Imperforate Anus and a disability of the right lower limb. His sweet smile will surely brighten your day! Have you ever seen sweeter dimples?! Magellan is a charming, talkative boy who …Read More
De-stressing Out Over Christmas
December 5, 2017
Attachment, attachment challenges, holidays, hypervigilance, siblings, Whitney
The first Christmas we had our daughter home with us, we went into the season with high anticipation of the joy she would experience. Family time, cookie decorating, church, gifts, hot chocolate… just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Christmas season fun. Just kidding! It was terrible. Stressful. High anxiety. Lots of …Read More
Getting In the Groove: Transitioning As a Family through Adoption
December 4, 2017
December 2017 Feature - Making Room for a Sibling, Developmental System, Down syndrome, Family Stories, large families, siblings
“Mommy, when Adeline go back to China? We say bye bye to her tomorrow?” His chubby little 4-year-old hands cupped my face as his big eyes looked intently and earnestly into mine. I had a feeling these questions were coming, but they still kind of caught me by surprise, and my heart ached for his …Read More
Adopting a Deaf Child: What We’ve Learned So Far
December 2, 2017
adopting a boy, adopting again, ASL, cochlear implants, cued speech, December 2017 Feature - Sensory, hearing aids, hearing loss, profound deafness, Sensory System
We entered the deaf/hoh (hard of hearing) world three years ago when we adopted our first son. He was five years old with severe to profound hearing loss. His file stated that he was hard of hearing but could hear and talk with hearing aids. No big deal, we thought! If he can hear and …Read More
Our Leap of Faith: Adopting Our Son With Bilateral Microtia and Atresia
December 1, 2017
adopting a boy, ASL, BAHA, December 2017 Feature - Sensory, early intervention, Family Stories, hearing aids, hearing loss, microtia, Ponto, Sensory System, sign language, speech therapy
About five years ago, my husband and I began considering international adoption. We had two biological daughters, yet we both started feeling like our family wasn’t complete. During that time we researched many countries and decided China’s program would be the best fit for our family. However, the process was daunting and there was still …Read More