Waiting for You: Vance

March 30, 2018 Children Who Wait 0 Comments

Vance is a beautiful boy with a gorgeous smile, born in July of 2016. He was diagnosed as having inversion of both hands, inversion of both feet, congenital subluxation of left hip joint, and growth development delay. Vance can sit and roll over independently. He actually started rolling to get what he wants instead of …Read More

Find My Family: Joaquin

March 29, 2018 Children Who Wait 0 Comments

Joaquin is a cutie pie who was born in August of 2016 with Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect, ASD, that appears to have closed on its own. Joaquin is said to always have a smile on his face ad laughs out loud when teased. Joaquin loves when his caregivers lovingly touch him or …Read More

Waiting to be Chosen: Dax

March 26, 2018 Children Who Wait 1 Comments

Dax is a precious little boy, born in August of 2016 and diagnosed with hypospadias and developmental delays. He was sitting independently at 10 months of age, began to stand while holding onto something at 11 months of age and, at one year, was starting to take steps while holding onto rails for support. Dax …Read More

Beauty in the Unknown

March 25, 2018 adopting a boy, alpha thalassemia, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2018 Feature - Blood Conditions, older child adoption, thalassemia 0 Comments

I remember the long days of waiting to be matched with our son. I remember every time the shared list would come out in China, and every time our amazing social worker would tell us we did not have a match yet, and the battle between grief and trust. Trusting that God had this. He …Read More

Gaining Independence: Living with Hemophilia

March 23, 2018 adopting a boy, Blood Conditions, Faith, hemophilia, hemophilia A, March 2018 Feature - Blood Conditions, Medical Momma 0 Comments

It’s hard to believe that our oldest son has been home for almost two and a half years. Before we adopted him, my biggest worry was his medical condition. He has Severe Hemophilia, a genetic bleeding disorder. In a nutshell, this means that his blood is missing one of the proteins that help it to …Read More

Auden: A Living Miracle

March 22, 2018 Children Who Wait, LWB 1 Comments

In September of 2015, while on an advocacy trip to China, I met a tiny baby boy with Down syndrome. I had seen children on tv who looked like this child, but I had really never seen or held a child who was literally on death’s doorstep. His situation was very grave due to a …Read More

An Answered Prayer

March 21, 2018 adopting a boy, beta thalassemia, beta thalassemia major, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2018 Feature - Blood Conditions, pre-adoption, reluctant husband, should we adopt?, thalassemia 1 Comments

Our adoption story began three years ago when God first planted the seed of adoption in my heart. I remember it so clearly, it was during the 2015 IF:Gathering live simulcast. I had watched the entire conference alone in my living room, soaking in all of the content from the amazing speakers. At the very …Read More

Teddy Waits!

March 20, 2018 Children Who Wait 0 Comments

Meet Teddy who is listed with WACAP! Teddy is a more introverted child, but he gets along well with others. He has a best friend and together they build with blocks, paint, and listen to stories. They also race down the little hill on tricycles together, and can do it over and over and still …Read More

Be Strong + Courageous

March 19, 2018 complex heart defect, double outlet right ventricle, heart defect, Heart System, heterotaxy, March 2018 Feature - Sunshine in the Grey, pulmonary stenosis, surgery 0 Comments

Mary Katherine is our walking miracle. She was born with heterotaxy syndrome and a rare, God-designed, complex heart that we like to say is “imperfectly perfect”. Every imperfection (and there are many) was created in such a way that her heart was perfectly balanced. For four years she defied odds and was full of life, …Read More

The Fire in Your Belly

March 17, 2018 China trip, Megan V., other ways to care for the orphan, prepping for China 5 Comments

My sister returned from China with her little guy a month ago and I think I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. And a smidgen of envy. Because you will take all the classes your agency recommends; you are a rule follower and you want to be prepared. But you will quickly learn that nothing, no …Read More

HIV: The Undeserved Stigma

March 15, 2018 Family Stories, HIV, Infectious 3 Comments

Adopting a child with HIV was never on our family radar. In fact, it was so far “off” our radar when I first approached the subject with my very open-minded husband the reaction was an immediate absolutely not. Like so many other people that grew up in the 80s and 90s and learned about HIV …Read More

A New Song

March 13, 2018 adopting again, medical needs checklist, parent restrictions, should we adopt?, switching to another country 3 Comments

“Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” – Isaiah 43:19 When Robert and I were on our way home with our son, Howie, we started talking about going back. When we found out Howie’s special need was nonexistent, we knew we would have the energy, room, …Read More

When I Feel Like a Failure at Winning

March 11, 2018 a father's perspective, adoption realities, Dads, Randall 4 Comments

I’m training for a half marathon. Actually, I’m starting today. And what I mean by that is, I downloaded an app today that tells me what I need to do. I look at Pins of runners and what forty-year-old dads can look like if they put in the work. I know how I want to …Read More

Understanding Early Intervention

March 9, 2018 Brandie, developmental delays, early intervention, Education, first weeks home, first year home, Newly Home, physical therapy, public school, speech delay, speech therapy 1 Comments

On a Monday morning twenty months ago, I rushed around to tidy my house before an afternoon appointment with an Early Intervention coordinator. At the time, I had no idea what Early Intervention entailed. I just knew that in the brief month that we had known our youngest son, we identified several areas where he …Read More

Meet Stephanie!

March 8, 2018 Children Who Wait 0 Comments

This sweet girl with the infectious smile is Stephanie! Stephanie was born in February of 2005 and will be aging out in 2019. Her caregivers are very fond of her and describe her as a hardworking child who has a good sense of humor. This is Stephanie’s last year to find a family before she …Read More

Lessons Learned in Adoption

March 7, 2018 adopting again, Attachment, homeschool, large families, Sharon, virtual twinning 1 Comments

“For I know the plans I have for you,”declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 March 2018 marks 13 years of our adoption journey, and our first adopted daughter is about to be a teenager. Where have 13 years …Read More

When the Days are Long… And We Forget What He Has Done

March 6, 2018 Andrea Y., Attachment, attachment challenges, TBRI-based therapy, Trust Based Parenting 2 Comments

There is nothing more exciting than those first years of just about anything. First years dating… first years of marriage… and your first years of parenthood. As I think back to some of the first years of the sweetest times in my life when things were “new” — I get nostalgic and I almost always …Read More

Their Brave and Precious Stories

March 5, 2018 adoption realities, embracing their story, telling their life story 1 Comments

When my biological son was 4, his arm got caught in an elevator door. Adults nearby were able to pry his arm free. No permanent damage was done, but it shook and scared him. Fast forward a few years, the same son and his older brother were in China, on an adoption trip with us. …Read More

Making Friends, Finding Culture

March 4, 2018 Chinese Culture, Chinese Holidays, Chinese New Year, February 2018 Feature - Honoring China in the Everyday, should we adopt? 0 Comments

When I sat down to write about how our family incorporates and celebrates Chinese culture in our American home, I first thought of the decorations we put up during celebrations. However, my mind quickly turned from decorations, events, and holidays, to the people who have enriched our lives by sharing their lives and culture with …Read More

The Journey to Embrace Chinese Culture in Our Home

March 3, 2018 Chinese Culture, Chinese Holidays, February 2018 Feature - Honoring China in the Everyday 1 Comments

During our first home visit for our home study to adopt from China, we confidently showed our social worker around our sparkling clean house and answered all of his questions with ease. This is going great, I thought! What was I so worried about? T hen he asked us why we wanted to adopt from …Read More

The Club I Never Wanted to Join

March 1, 2018 advanced heart failure, complex heart defect, Family Stories, February 2018 Feature - Heart, Heart System, terminal diagnosis 2 Comments

I’d been part of the adoption community for over 10 years and the heart moms always seemed so special to me. They were so brave and so strong, way stronger than I could ever be; moms who were willing to take this giant leap out onto the ledge of life and death for their children. …Read More

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