Lanie had her open heart surgery on the 13th of may. She did really well during and after surgery. She ended up getting some fluid on her heart and lungs and we had to stay a couple of extra days but all is well and she is home now.
BUT. Something pretty amazing happened when we were in the hospital. She started crying when i would turn out the lights and go lay down at night. If i got up and sat by her bed she would stop crying. She has struggled with attachment, Jared and i feel fairly confident that she may have something else going on besides Down Syndrome. Eye contact is hard for her and truthfully most days she is content to sit on the floor and stim with various toys. We continue to work with her of course, but have also accepted that her attachment and progress will look different than our other kiddos. That is fine with us, just a different road to take. For her to cry for me (Jared is undoubtedly her favorite round these parts) was simply amazing.
She was afraid and found comfort in me. It sounds like such a simple thing. Something i certainly took for granted before i had internationally adopted kids. Watching Eli cry on the floor and refuse to be comforted was hard when he first got home, but helped prepare me for Jocelyn's flat out angry refusals to be comforted when she was upset. Lanie has never really cared one way or another if we comfort her or not. She will lay passively in our arms if we try and soothe her, or she will soothe herself if we don't. I admit to feeling super tired one night and sort of laughing that this was the moment she would decide she wanted another person to soothe her, but seriously, what an amazing blessing to get to be the one who does life with this child. I get to hold her and soothe her and grow with her.
She also decided that she really loves Hillsong kids songs, thanks to a super amazing friend who stayed with us for three weeks during vacation and surgery. This is also AMAZING friends. She stops fussing and listens and smiles when we turn on the music. She fusses when the commercials come on. She is making a CHOICE to listen to a specific set of songs, and shows displeasure when the songs go off. I just feel like she is growing all the sudden, and i'm crazy excited to see where she will go next.
Side note: Jared leaves to go to Bulgaria VERY soon to meet our new boys!!! The excitement is high in this house!!!!
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
First trip
Quick note to say we have travel dates and Jared will be traveling to meet the boys in Early June! We are super duper thrilled to tell the boys that they have a forever family! I will be staying home with the other kids and then i will go on pickup trip with a friend. We are down to needed less than 6k to be fully funded to ransom these two boys forever!
On another note, our Lanie is having heart surgery on this coming Wed. I am feeling crazy anxiety about them cutting open my baby's chest, so please pray for her and for me if you have a spare one!
Just a quick update today, lots to do before surgery!
On another note, our Lanie is having heart surgery on this coming Wed. I am feeling crazy anxiety about them cutting open my baby's chest, so please pray for her and for me if you have a spare one!
Just a quick update today, lots to do before surgery!
Thursday, April 9, 2015
rocks and tantrums
At church on Easter, the pastor gave us all a box. Inside the box were several things, one of them being a rock. He told us to take the rock out and feel the weight of it. Then he asked us to text him (yes at church LOL) one burden that was weighing us down like the weight of the rock. I went back in forth in my head, but decided on Lanie's upcoming heart surgery. It was between that and being able to bring the boys home, but Lanie's surgery is a constant heavy weight on me.
I posted a mini tantrum on facebook, saying that i was hoping that Jared could travel before Lanie's surgery and how disappointed i was that it wasn't going to happen. I am nervous about being alone with Lanie quickly after her surgery, she doesn't have a great history after surgery. In the days that followed, i've gotten no less than three offers from friends who want to come hold her and keep her upright at night, two out of town friends who are offering to drop everything and come stay with me if Jared needs to go and i'm nervous, we got chosen to be part of a multi-family grant opportunity, and another sweet friend is splitting all her proceeds between her family and ours, even though SHE herself is fundraising to bring home a very sick little boy, and another friend is doing an avon fundraiser for us. Overwhelming to say the least.
http://2byland-2bysea.blogspot.com/2015/04/for-my-friend.html
https://www.facebook.com/AvonForAdoptions?pnref=story
http://reecesrainbow.org/555families
And so the weight is being lifted. Dear friend who WANT to take off work and sit with you while your baby is being cut open. Friends who want to have sleepless nights holding YOUR child so you can feel ok about your husband leaving the country. Friends who want to drive hundreds of miles to hold your hand. Friends who want to give up money THEY rightly need for their own children. One by one by one the offers poured in and lifted the weight off my shoulder, lifted the heavy burden off of my heart. So i'm casting my cares away, and being lifted and held in return.
What burden are you holding friends? Can you cast it away? You might be surprised at what happens when you do <3
I posted a mini tantrum on facebook, saying that i was hoping that Jared could travel before Lanie's surgery and how disappointed i was that it wasn't going to happen. I am nervous about being alone with Lanie quickly after her surgery, she doesn't have a great history after surgery. In the days that followed, i've gotten no less than three offers from friends who want to come hold her and keep her upright at night, two out of town friends who are offering to drop everything and come stay with me if Jared needs to go and i'm nervous, we got chosen to be part of a multi-family grant opportunity, and another sweet friend is splitting all her proceeds between her family and ours, even though SHE herself is fundraising to bring home a very sick little boy, and another friend is doing an avon fundraiser for us. Overwhelming to say the least.
http://2byland-2bysea.blogspot.com/2015/04/for-my-friend.html
https://www.facebook.com/AvonForAdoptions?pnref=story
http://reecesrainbow.org/555families
And so the weight is being lifted. Dear friend who WANT to take off work and sit with you while your baby is being cut open. Friends who want to have sleepless nights holding YOUR child so you can feel ok about your husband leaving the country. Friends who want to drive hundreds of miles to hold your hand. Friends who want to give up money THEY rightly need for their own children. One by one by one the offers poured in and lifted the weight off my shoulder, lifted the heavy burden off of my heart. So i'm casting my cares away, and being lifted and held in return.
What burden are you holding friends? Can you cast it away? You might be surprised at what happens when you do <3
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Crazy Awesome NEW Fundraising opportunity for the boys
Nab Amazon bestselling YA Fantasy novel Thorn by Intisar Khanani for 99 cents April 1- 7 and help bring these two young brothers home. Described as "unflinching and exquisite," Thorn is a story of choice and betrayal, justice and compassion. Recommended for fans of Robin McKinley and Mercedes Lackey.
About Thorn
For Princess Alyrra, choice is a luxury she’s never had … until she’s betrayed. Princess Alyrra has never enjoyed the security or power of her rank. Between her family’s cruelty and the court’s contempt, she has spent her life in the shadows. Forced to marry a powerful foreign prince, Alyrra embarks on a journey to meet her betrothed with little hope for a better future. But powerful men have powerful enemies—and now, so does Alyrra. Betrayed during a magical attack, her identity is switched with another woman’s, giving Alyrra the first choice she’s ever had: to start a new life for herself or fight for a prince she’s never met. But Alyrra soon finds that Prince Kestrin is not at all what she expected. While walking away will cost Kestrin his life, returning to the court may cost Alyrra her own. As Alyrra is coming to realize, sometimes the hardest choice means learning to trust yourself.
About Evan & Raymond
This sale is also about Intisar's good friend, Jamie, and the two little boys she and her husband are in the process of trying to adopt. Evan (age 7) and Raymond (age 9) are biological brothers, both born with Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome--a condition that results in brain damage if left untreated. They were each given up at birth, and were unable to receive treatment for their condition. These brothers have lived in an orphanage in Eastern Europe their whole lives. As boys who are older and struggle with developmental disabilities, it's almost impossible to find adoptive families for them. But Jamie has her heart set on bringing them home, and this sale is about helping that happen.
All of the proceeds from Thorn's 99 cent sale are going towards that adoption. Our goal is to raise $2,000 over the course of the week. International adoption is prohibitively expensive (often over $20,000), so every dollar makes a difference... You can find out more about the boys and Jamie, and link to their blog, here: http://reecesrainbow.org/83163/sponsorallison-3
And today, your help can make this goal a reality. Please share, tweet, and/or re-blog this post, and buy and give "Thorn" as a gift to friends and family! You can also invite your friends to the "Thorn Flash Sale" event on Facebook. Help us bring Evan and Raymond home.
Thorn is currently on sale for only 99 cents at all of these e-retailers:
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
World Down Syndrome Day
March 21st is world Down Syndrome Day!!! Down Syndrome occurs when a person has 3 copies of the 21st chromosome. As you know, we have three adopted children with Down Syndrome that make our lives extra great! This year the kids and i are doing a community outreach project where we take a treat and handmade card to local community organizations in honor of 3/21. So if you are here following a link off our treats, welcome and feel free to look around! Hoping to upload pics of the kids delivering the treats in the next couple of days!
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Fly away, Fly away
Jared and i got back our USCIS approval in NINE days!!!! Last adoption it took close to 60!!!! We rushed and scrambled and our COMPLETED Dossier FLEW away yesterday. Wow. Complete. We are so so ready to meet the boys and bring them home.
I think of them every single day, in the (rare) quiet moments during the day and all through the late evening hours when i stay up making crafts or working on fundraisers to help bring them home. What will they be like. Will they like us? When will they be home? How will our lives change? I know there aren't any quick answers to those questions, but i am READY to find out.
We are ready for them to be here and to start learning what it means to be part of a family. To have people that will fight for you (and with you ;) ). To know that someone always has your back. That's what i am waiting for. To show them the wonder beyond those orphanage doors. What the world has to offer them. It's a crazy thing to watch a child discover the world. I remember watching Eli play on a playground in his first months home and just weeping. B/c he was free. B/c he had waited so long to have a family who would delight in watching him go down a slide.
It's amazing when our babies explore and learn, even more amazing and achingly heartbreaking when you watch a child of 9 or 7 or 5 discover things our biological children take for granted. Food always being available. Someone to rock you whenever you want. Someone to worry when you are sick or scared or upset. Someone to sit with you when your world feels to big or scary. Someone you can show your big scary feelings to and they will help you work through them.
It's so much work. Truth right there. Bringing home children from institutions is hard WORK. It can feel never ending some days. Back breaking some days. Tear worthy some days. Some days i wonder what in the world we are doing, b/c on those hard days i am oh so certain that anyone else could do a better job with our kiddos from hard places. Those hard days come and go though, but the bottom line is, they are worth it. They are worth my tears and sleepless nights worrying over if i did the right thing, or enough, or worrying about medical issues or emotional issues.
We still need around 15,000 more to be fully funded to bring the boys home. That is a very big, very scary number to me. Being our third adoption in three years means we don't have a nest egg, or a retirement fund (used it on the last adoption), and i know we are annoying when we post fundraisers and ask for help. It's truly humbling to have to ask for money and Jared and i are both the type who would rather just do things on our own. So it's a good lesson for us, that we can't do things alone. If we had 35k laying around that would be great but we don't. So pray for us and the boys, for them to hold on b/c we are coming, and for funding to come in or new ideas to pop into my head for fundraising. I am not afraid to work for them!
I think of them every single day, in the (rare) quiet moments during the day and all through the late evening hours when i stay up making crafts or working on fundraisers to help bring them home. What will they be like. Will they like us? When will they be home? How will our lives change? I know there aren't any quick answers to those questions, but i am READY to find out.
We are ready for them to be here and to start learning what it means to be part of a family. To have people that will fight for you (and with you ;) ). To know that someone always has your back. That's what i am waiting for. To show them the wonder beyond those orphanage doors. What the world has to offer them. It's a crazy thing to watch a child discover the world. I remember watching Eli play on a playground in his first months home and just weeping. B/c he was free. B/c he had waited so long to have a family who would delight in watching him go down a slide.
It's amazing when our babies explore and learn, even more amazing and achingly heartbreaking when you watch a child of 9 or 7 or 5 discover things our biological children take for granted. Food always being available. Someone to rock you whenever you want. Someone to worry when you are sick or scared or upset. Someone to sit with you when your world feels to big or scary. Someone you can show your big scary feelings to and they will help you work through them.
It's so much work. Truth right there. Bringing home children from institutions is hard WORK. It can feel never ending some days. Back breaking some days. Tear worthy some days. Some days i wonder what in the world we are doing, b/c on those hard days i am oh so certain that anyone else could do a better job with our kiddos from hard places. Those hard days come and go though, but the bottom line is, they are worth it. They are worth my tears and sleepless nights worrying over if i did the right thing, or enough, or worrying about medical issues or emotional issues.
We still need around 15,000 more to be fully funded to bring the boys home. That is a very big, very scary number to me. Being our third adoption in three years means we don't have a nest egg, or a retirement fund (used it on the last adoption), and i know we are annoying when we post fundraisers and ask for help. It's truly humbling to have to ask for money and Jared and i are both the type who would rather just do things on our own. So it's a good lesson for us, that we can't do things alone. If we had 35k laying around that would be great but we don't. So pray for us and the boys, for them to hold on b/c we are coming, and for funding to come in or new ideas to pop into my head for fundraising. I am not afraid to work for them!
Saturday, February 28, 2015
One life project
I got an envelope from a super sweet friend today. The front was labeled "for craft purchases and for your boys" and then when i turned the envelope over, this is what was written on the back.
I started ugly crying as soon as i turned it over. My friend had a sibling who made some unfortunate choices, that led to his untimely death. She used this experience to bring joy to others, in the form of helping adoptive families bring their children home. I can't explain what it means to have the support from friends (who ALSO happen to be adopting) in such a sweet manner.
One life gone, two lives saved. Saved from early death, a life alone, a life without family, a life without guidance. Our boys have waited 9 and almost 7 years for a family to call their own. I love the idea of this. What kind of difference could we make if we all became part of the one life project? What can you do today to make a difference for someone, anyone who needs a hand. Something to think about. I know we will be contemplating this in the coming weeks. How can we pass on this blessing to others?
We got uscis approval today. Basically means we have preliminary approval to adopt the boys. We will (hopefully) be submitting our completed dossier this coming week. Jared will go on first trip and i will go on pick-up with a friend, same as last time. This way we can keep some consistency for the children that are here. I am simultaneously excited and scared to death. I long for them to be home, i worry about the changes it will bring. Same as every time i am pregnant or adopting actually. Fear of the unknown. Fear of change. But they are worth a little fear. Worth some hard times. Worth sleepless nights and angry days when they deal with their feelings
Please consider helping us bring them home. We have a tax deductible account here, http://reecesrainbow.org/83163/sponsorallison-3
and hey, if you don't want to donate to us, make a difference in another child's life. Some of my favorites below
Cliff is being adopted by a personal friend of mine. He weighs only 11 pounds at 5 years Poor kiddo needs to come home asap.
http://reecesrainbow.org/81896/sponsormorse-2
Beth is another personal friend of mine, single mama who is adopting her third child (second adopted kiddo). She is amazing and does it all on her own!
http://reecesrainbow.org/81681/sponsorbaird-2
Got to meet this amazing family this summer! They currently have one adopted kiddo and are going back for 2 more!!!
http://reecesrainbow.org/69430/sponsorvanhalle-2
This family is made entirely up of adopted kiddos! And they are going back for three more!!!
http://reecesrainbow.org/79123/sponsorbasil
Love this family who is going back for the cutest, squishy baby boy i have seen in a LONG time!
http://reecesrainbow.org/87971/sponsormcintee-2
Last but not least, another super sweet boy!
http://reecesrainbow.org/80521/sponsorhowell-2
One life gone, two lives saved. Saved from early death, a life alone, a life without family, a life without guidance. Our boys have waited 9 and almost 7 years for a family to call their own. I love the idea of this. What kind of difference could we make if we all became part of the one life project? What can you do today to make a difference for someone, anyone who needs a hand. Something to think about. I know we will be contemplating this in the coming weeks. How can we pass on this blessing to others?
We got uscis approval today. Basically means we have preliminary approval to adopt the boys. We will (hopefully) be submitting our completed dossier this coming week. Jared will go on first trip and i will go on pick-up with a friend, same as last time. This way we can keep some consistency for the children that are here. I am simultaneously excited and scared to death. I long for them to be home, i worry about the changes it will bring. Same as every time i am pregnant or adopting actually. Fear of the unknown. Fear of change. But they are worth a little fear. Worth some hard times. Worth sleepless nights and angry days when they deal with their feelings
Please consider helping us bring them home. We have a tax deductible account here, http://reecesrainbow.org/83163/sponsorallison-3
and hey, if you don't want to donate to us, make a difference in another child's life. Some of my favorites below
Cliff is being adopted by a personal friend of mine. He weighs only 11 pounds at 5 years Poor kiddo needs to come home asap.
http://reecesrainbow.org/81896/sponsormorse-2
Beth is another personal friend of mine, single mama who is adopting her third child (second adopted kiddo). She is amazing and does it all on her own!
http://reecesrainbow.org/81681/sponsorbaird-2
Got to meet this amazing family this summer! They currently have one adopted kiddo and are going back for 2 more!!!
http://reecesrainbow.org/69430/sponsorvanhalle-2
This family is made entirely up of adopted kiddos! And they are going back for three more!!!
http://reecesrainbow.org/79123/sponsorbasil
Love this family who is going back for the cutest, squishy baby boy i have seen in a LONG time!
http://reecesrainbow.org/87971/sponsormcintee-2
Last but not least, another super sweet boy!
http://reecesrainbow.org/80521/sponsorhowell-2
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