Gracie update

Gracie is 8 yrs old now. She was 6 yr when she came home with Andrew on Christmas Eve 2009. We knew that she was non verbal and suspected some spectrum of autism as well from the very first time we met her in July 2009. She had some sensory issues as well and it was difficult to take her away from home. She was comfortable with the environment she knew which was her home. When she did go out with us she was uncomfortable after minutes of getting out of the van. We slowly took her out and she got used to it and now as you can see above she loves going out . She even attends Sunday School with her sibllings and enjoys it very much. We have had her seen and checked for why she does not talk and physiologically she is normal. She has selective mutism...she is choosing not to talk. We have homeschooled her and part of it we have taught her sign language which she uses. She has gone from a child who just watched others play to part of the time during her day playing along side and will try to engage another sibling to eat what she fixed in her kitchen . She used to color a sheet of paper one color and she colored it all. No pictures or designs. Now she will color and make designs and use lots of colors ...this is a huge step for her . She has also been inspired by her new siblings from Ghana. You never know how the children in the family or the new ones will transition to the "new" family dynamics when you adopt or even give birth. Gracie has done it well and in a very positive way. She tries to play with them. She will even mimick some of their play and she colors and loves to when they are. It is as if she has been inspired by them....As she watches them discover their whole new world she is right there along side of them discovering things in ways we could not have predicted. We still hope to hear her sweet voice more. She will say some of our names and tries to makes sounds. She loves music and often is encouraged to "sing" actually hers is a humming of the tune. She is very attached and enjoys her life. Her simpleness and joy in every day things has been a gift to be a part of. She loves to eat and has no problems sleeping. She is a very easy child compared to her brother Andrew. They have been total opposites that way. She loves helping take care of him too as you can see her feeding him .

Happy birthday Leah and Jacob

Tonite we celebrated Jacob's day of birth....He worked earlier and when he came home Paul and I took him out to dinner to the Outback . He is a meat and potatoes kind of guy . He turned 20 today...He was our first adoption of the beginning of our 9 yr journey to adopt 21 of our 22 children that we have adopted. He was 11 when he came home . We were actually in Russia during this time and we celebrated his 11 th birthday in Vladikavkaz, Russia. Happy Birthday Jacob !

On Sunday we celebrated Leah's 18th day of birth. If you remember my post of her first birthday with us which was actually the first birthday she ever had someone celebrate was when she turned 13. She had such a difficult time sharing what she wanted for her b-day and what she wanted to eat on her b-day. It hit me she felt not worthy to have her life celebrated. After much assurances we were going to celebrate she told me she wanted chicken with bones ( I usually cook with boneless, skinless chicken) . It took her about 30 minutes to decide on what she wanted us to give her for her birthday. At the time we were considering and praying about a child we wanted to adopt. We had his picture by my computer. Leah went over to that picture and brought it to us and said," I know what I want for my birthday. I want you to adopt this boy."  Of course we all were in tears at the heart of our daughter, Leah. She got it at the young age of 13. Happy Birthday Leah !

Can you help this little girl ?

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Baby Girl O

I don't make it a regular habit to post about waiting children on my blog, but sometimes I really feel there is a need. Who knows...maybe there is someone out there that will happen across this post, and discover their daughter?

This is Baby Girl "O." She waits in Ghana. She waits for her family to discover her. She was abandoned in an orphanage earlier this year. When I met her I don't even think they had given her a name yet. I've given her "O" because that's the letter her orphanage starts with. It's a sad reality that some of the babies who are abandoned at this orphanage don't live. But Baby girl? She's a survivor.

I got to cuddle with little "O" during my visit to Ghana in June. She felt like a tiny 1-2 month old newborn to me--looked every bit the part as well. Somehow, the orphanage estimated her to be 7 months old. Honestly, 7 weeks seemed more accurate, but what do I know? At the time I met O she was squishy and warm and wiggly, like most young babies. She cooed, and her spit bubbled up in the cutest way possible. =-) Her hands were in fists, but she has a lifetime to learn how to open them. Her head seemed small to me, but she has a lifetime to overcome that as well. Her heart (her spirit, her soul) seemed completely normal--ready to give all the love she has.

Little O is developmentally delayed. There is no diagnosis. She may not even be taken for a medical until someone steps up and says, "Yes, I will make this child my daughter." When she does get a medical, a doctor who has never seen her before will look her over for a few minutes and then note any "irregularities" in her health. They may say "microcephaly" or "developmentally delayed" or "crossed eyes." We don't know.

Here's what we do know. Baby O needs a family! She NEEDS a family. She has people who can give her food, and change her diaper, and bath her each day. She does not have a single person who gives her the love that only a mommy and daddy can give. Nobody wakes up in the middle of the night just to feel her chest rising and falling. Nobody is trying to learn about her unique personality--to distinguish her "I am hungry" cry from her "I am in pain" cry.

It's not usual for such a young child to be available for adoption in Ghana. But because of Baby O's perceived special needs, she is eligible for international adoption. The staff at her orphanage aren't really sure if any American family would find "value" in Baby O. They aren't sure any family would ever love her enough to sacrifice the time and money required to adopt her. I know in my heart this isn't true. However, I also know in my heart that we must cast the net WIDE so that her adoptive parents can find her.

If we found a family that could move forward with paperwork and fees very quickly, Baby O could be legally adopted within the month! Within the month! That is so very quick for an international adoption. But if Baby O's family can't move forward that fast, that's okay. We just need to find them. Baby O's fees will be reduced (although there are still fees involved). Because of her special needs, families who don't fit within the normal Ghana requirements can apply to adopt her. Large families are fine!

If you aren't her family, can you do me a favor? Can you help me find them? Maybe you can re-post on your blog, or on facebook? Maybe you can send an email to your friends and family (who can send an email to theirs). Her family is out there. Together, we can find them.

Thanks,

Anita

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This is a post from a friend and actually a coordinator for AAI adoptions in Ghana. I copied her post for this little one because I think she expressed it very well. If you are interested let me know and I can connect you or you can find her at aaighana@gmail.com

Longing for long hair.....

 Selah, Lila and Mya would love to have long hair....really long hair like Rapunzel in the Tangled movie :) Makes me smile because they wear these " hair blankets" all day long.

This is how we remembered.....

Today we went to a community program to honor 9/11. It was at a local high school put on by a church. It was a great opportunity to see and meet the local firemen, police and first responders in our area. There was a program after you toured the trucks, cars and helicopters . The kids enjoyed it and learned about their country and the spirit of overcoming and moving on from a horrific past in our history.

Even Mady does school

We start them early here :) This has been a week of transition for the littlest ones here. There is no one to play with all morning. So if no one will play I guess I will join them....Funny how the second or the 20 something child in the family picks up things . Mady insists at not even 15 months old to do what the rest of them are doing- school. Of course Andrew was listening and picking up the lesson from Cate too :)

Our last swim day of the season :(

We swam in our pools for the last time this year over the wknd...I loved our summer but I am ready now for the Fall. We started school and it has been raining all week. The kids have been inside and not able to even go outside because of the rain....Monday we did our scavenger hunt at Walmart just to go out...We may need another activity like that soon with our weather forcast.