September 9, 2015 Amy A., Attachment, China trip, cocooning, first weeks home, September 2015 Feature - Coming Home 4 Comments

You’ve made the exciting decision to adopt. Congratulations! At this stage, you are either waiting to be matched with a child, or you are longing to hold your son or daughter each time you see your child’s precious pictures. The adoption journey is two-fold. First, you paper chase and wait to bring your child home. …Read More

August 31, 2015 China trip, Gotcha Day, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China!, Stefanie 4 Comments

Today is the last day of August, which means it’s the end of our two-month feature, Going to China!, as well as our final post in the series. We’ve spent July and August covering everything from travel tips to orphanage behaviors – 23 posts in all. We hope it’s been a great resource, whether you …Read More

August 28, 2015 China trip, feeding challenges, first weeks home, first year home, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China!, Katie, oral-motor delays, refusing food 1 Comments

When we were adopting our two new daughters we were not really well prepared for what they could or could not eat. We knew one of the girls was severely malnourished, but we did not understand that it was entirely possible that nobody taught them how to eat or drink. Neither of our new daughters …Read More

August 24, 2015 China trip, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China!, Whitney 0 Comments

We have been home for six months and this is the first time that I’m actually sitting down and processing our trip to China. For a while, it was just too fresh, you know? The thought of any attempt in organizing my thoughts made my brain hurt, and so I just didn’t. But now, I …Read More

August 19, 2015 China trip, Chinese Culture, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China!, Katie 3 Comments

If you are in the process of adopting from China or have been in the past you know all about the dreaded holidays that seem to happen every month. You think you have a good timeline of when adoption/gotcha will take place and then you slam smack dab into the Autumn season of the beginning …Read More

August 15, 2015 attachment activities, China trip, Jean, orphanage behaviors, travel tips 0 Comments

Here I am writing about bonding while in China when the truth is…. I’m not so good at it! When we are in China there are so many emotions swirling around for our newly adopted child as well as myself that initial bonding is not my first priority… survival is! So maybe this is more …Read More

August 11, 2015 Amy, China trip, siblings 2 Comments

This month we are highlighting time in China and coincidently, dear friends of ours are in China right now as I write, hours away from traveling to their daughter’s province and seeing her face to face. By the time this posts, they will have her and will almost have finished their time in China. So, …Read More

August 3, 2015 China trip, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China!, Nicole, siblings 2 Comments

Continuing into August with our Going to China series, because one month just isn’t long enough to cover all things China-trip related! Today Nicole shares how she successfully traveled to China as a family of 6. Upcoming topics include orphanage behaviors, undisclosed special needs, different ways children react at placement, and how to cope with feeding and attachment issues …Read More

July 31, 2015 China trip, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China!, Rebecca 0 Comments

The China trip looms large in our adoptive parent hearts and minds. We daydream about Gotcha Day, pray for the moment we can snuggle in the hotel with our little love, hope for that once in a lifetime walk along the Great Wall, plan for an afternoon spent shopping in Guangzhou, and imagine ourselves eating …Read More

July 30, 2015 China trip, Contributor Q and A, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China! 0 Comments

At some point on your China trip, something silly, something embarrassing, or something crazy will happen. You are away from home, out of your comfort zone, adopting a new to you child, and traveling in a unique culture. You can bank on some family giggles. The No Hands But Ours contributors have accrued their share …Read More

July 27, 2015 China trip, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China!, packing list, prepping for China, travel tips 0 Comments

Being that my husband is in the airline industry, we have been a family that takes full advantage of the flight benefits. Therefore, since we fly stand-by, we hardly ever check bags – because one is never totally quite sure IF we will get on the said flight until the last minute – major bummer if your …Read More

July 27, 2015 China trip, Chinese Culture, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China!, Kelly 9 Comments

China. Whether you’ve been there and back again 10 times or are anxiously awaiting that call telling you it’s time to call your travel agent, you can feel very much a foreigner in a foreign land. As we’ve been those foreigners, there are a few things I’ve learned along the way that may be helpful …Read More

July 26, 2015 China trip, Contributor Q and A, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China! 0 Comments

With more than 50 adoption trips behind us collectively, our contributor team reflects on their journeys and what they might have done differently. The consensus? Less worrying, less formal touring and more soaking up authentic daily life in China. And, we wish we’d bought a few more coffee mugs!   I wish I’d spent more time… Desireé: Visit your …Read More

July 25, 2015 China trip, Chinese Culture, Hannah, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China! 1 Comments

Hao chi (好吃) is how someone in China is going to affirm, “This is yummy!” It’s pronounced “how chur” and all you have to do is add a “ma?” to the end to make it a sentence. Chinese food. Either you love it or you hate it, right? And then maybe you love the food, …Read More

July 23, 2015 adopting two at once, adoption realities, China trip, Gotcha Day, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China!, Rebecca 7 Comments

It’s the pinnacle of the adoption journey. We build a beautiful image of what gotcha day will be, and hold hard to that as we wait. Much preparation goes into readiness for caring for the child we’ve seen only in pictures. We study bonding techniques and possible reactions, and pack and repack little backpacks. But …Read More

July 22, 2015 China trip, Contributor Q and A, Gotcha Day, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China! 0 Comments

In this edition of our Contributor Q and A, we share gotcha tips, feelings on orphanage visits and ideas on how to get through meetings and tours with transitioning kids.   What is one thing you were most glad you had along with you for gotcha?   Liberty: Snacks, bottle because he was super thirsty, …Read More

July 20, 2015 China trip, Gotcha Day, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China! 2 Comments

It’s 3:00AM and I’m laying in bed staring up at the ceiling. My mind is reeling and way too excited to sleep. I am mentally checking off my list of every question that I could think of to ask the caregiver and going over each item I have laid out and prepared for this special …Read More

July 19, 2015 China trip, Katie 1 Comments

We arrived in Zhengzhou late our first night and saw our names on a sign and waiting for us was a man and a woman. I wasn’t sure which one was our guide, I assumed it was the stylish looking lady. As we stepped closer to our guides the overwhelming smell of alcohol side slapped …Read More

July 16, 2015 China trip, Contributor Q and A, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China! 1 Comments

Continuing on through our month long series, in this round of our Contributor Q and A, our blog authors share some of their collective China travel experiences and wisdom. They share which provinces they travelled to, lament about lack of sleep and reflect on memories at favorite tourist sites. Also included are travel tips such as helpful Smartphone …Read More

July 13, 2015 China trip, Contributor Q and A, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China!, packing list 0 Comments

Oh, the packing. Some of us do it last minute. Some of us make packing list spreadsheets. Whether you glide into the airport with just a carry-on, or arrive with a trunk full of jumbo suitcases, packing is an essential aspect of your China bound prep. Our No Hands But Ours contributors had fun reflecting …Read More

July 11, 2015 Amy, China trip, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China! 3 Comments

I’m a planner. I plan ahead. I troubleshoot before there is trouble to even shoot. Clearly, setting out on the journey of adoption is like shock therapy, am I right? If this is true, you would think I’d be cured by now. Before we went to China to bring home our daughter Grace, I had …Read More

July 9, 2015 Amy A., China trip, July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China!, orphanage realities 1 Comments

For the past 3 years, I have been a member of numerous Facebook groups specific to adoption. One question that arises time and time again is whether or not a family should visit their new child’s orphanage during their trip to China. This is an important question to ask, but because experiences vary greatly, everyone …Read More

July 3, 2015 China trip, Jennifer 0 Comments

Or Why My Family Is Banned From the Hong Kong Airport Hotel Indefinitely. I can remember spending so much time and thought in anticipation of the journey to China. I imagined every possible scenario and packed accordingly. Checked with those who had gone before. Prepared my heart for any response or encounter I could imagine. Double checked and packed …Read More

July 1, 2015 Amy A., July/August 2015 Feature - Going to China!, travel tips 0 Comments

As much as I hate to see the end of our June feature, I can’t wait to begin our July/August Feature: Going to China! We will cover all things China-trip related: packing, traveling, gotcha day, orphanage care vs. foster care and setting realistic expectations. We’ll even have some fun Q and A posts from the NHBO contributor team. …Read More

April 7, 2015 adopting again, Amy A., Attachment, travel tips 2 Comments

When my husband and I left for China in October 2013, we left our two biological sons at home with their grandparents. We were very intentional in preparing them for our trip and took many steps to make the 17 days apart as comfortable as possible for them. Here we are, not even two years …Read More

October 25, 2012 China trip, foster care, Nancy, orphanage visit 12 Comments

I’ve had occasion to look at the photos from the day we visited Mimi’s orphanage. Due to a computer snafu, I hadn’t seen these pics for quite a while. I’m not sure where God is leading me in this little trip down memory lane. Certainly there is something to be learned by seeing them and …Read More

April 25, 2012 Attachment, attachment activities, baby-wearing, China trip, co-sleeping, cocooning, first weeks home, first year home, Nancy, Newly Home, parent-to-child attachment, travel tips 4 Comments

When we were in China, we traveled with several other families. In our travel group, I don’t think I’m exaggerating by saying that we had “the crier.” Unlike the other happy, giggly children in the group who were quick to return their parent’s smile, our sweetie was unhappy much of the time. Despite our efforts, …Read More

February 22, 2012 cl/cp, Stefanie, travel tips, What We're Reading 2 Comments

February 25, 2010 ASL, attachment activities, Stefanie, travel tips 8 Comments

Adoption is a roller coaster. And meeting and spending those first few day getting to know your child can be one of the most wonderful times of your life. It can also be pretty tough. One of the issues we’ve encountered with almost all of our adoptions is difficultly in the department of communication. Obviously, …Read More