Finger-Painting

Emilia has always been sensory-avoidant to certain textures, like play dough or shaving cream, on her hands.  That's why I was not at all sure how her first experience with finger-paint would go over this morning.  Nonetheless, I ventured forth and set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes because this was our first structured learning activity for the day.

When we started, Emilia was quite uncomfortable with the finger-paint concept.  She cried and was reluctant to even allow me to guide her hands into the paint and to draw.  She clearly did not want to touch the paint.  But we continued and she started to ease up.

Here we are about ten minutes in and Emilia is beginning to work independently.  Do you see her tongue?  That's what she does when she has to focus/force herself to do something.

And suddenly her interest was truly peaked.

And she started to have fun and enjoy herself (mostly in the same spot of thick paint).

Our buzzer went off at 15 minutes and we carried on.  Here's one happy girl after about half an hour of finger-painting.

This was our final creation.  I ended up cutting out Emilia's hand prints and tossing the rest because some of the paper had gotten stuck to the kitchen table and was ripping apart.

I don't know what Emilia would say, but I, for one, can't wait to do this again.

*For anyone interested, we used Crayola Finger Paint and it washed off our hands and nails very easily and completely.  I cleaned Emilia's face and chest with a baby wipe and again, everything came off without any problems.  The same goes for the paint that got on the table.

IAC 241 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 241 which was held on December 19, 2012:

1) German dossier from June 2009 referred a female child aged 1 year and 11 months

2) German dossier from November 2009 referred a male child aged 2 years and 8 months

3) Spanish dossier from December 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years

4) Spanish dossier from January 2010 referred a male child aged 6 years and 11 month

5) Italian dossier from February 2010 referred two children, both female, aged 5 years and 9 months

6) Canadian dossier from January 2012 referred a female child aged 4 years and 6 months with features in health status

7) US dossier from April 2012 referred sisters aged 8 years and 10 months & 9 years and 11 months

8) Italian dossier from August 2012 referred male twins aged 10 years

9) US dossier from October 2012 referred a waiting child (#1327) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) US dossier from December 2012 referred a waiting child (#1811) with a profile on the MOJ site

What's New With Rex?

Time definitely is flying as it has been around eight weeks since I last posted an update about Rex.  Today marks 18 months in the United States for him, so it's a great day to celebrate his accomplishments.

When we brought Rex home, even though he was 2.5 years old, he was much like a baby.  He had chubby cheeks and dimpled hands and a big buddha belly.  He was like a past al dente noodle with incredibly low muscle tone.  Now Rex is beginning to look like a preschooler.  In 18 months with us, he has gained about 12 pounds and grown four inches which means he now is weighing in at 40 pounds and measuring 37.5 inches.  Craig and I joked that Rex has finally past the three feet mark, so we have to stop saying things which start with, "Anyone in this house under three feet..."  Rex is leaner, stronger, and more muscular.  He has an awareness of himself and is quite confident.  He is not acting like a child of his chronological age, but he is far from the developmental infant he was in 2011.

Rex continues to enjoy his time at preschool and it seems like he is always learning.  It's slow going and he has to work very hard to acquire new skills, but he does it with such zest and determination that we can't be anything but proud of him for his well-earned accomplishments.

Rex has mastered the concept of matching objects to objects and is now simply expanding his matching repertoire with new items.  He is also understanding the matching of objects to pictures, but since it's still a newer skill for him, it's not yet easy.  Rex is doing better with identifying body parts and when we test it, he almost always can point to his belly, his arm, his head.  He does even better with it at school.

Rex is using two new signs: work and cookie.  I have asked the school to incorporate the acquisition of new signs into his daily therapy sessions and take data on it so that he is exposed and practices this skill regularly and we can measure progress.  Functional speech is a long way away, so signs are a very effective means of communication that we will continue to encourage.

Rex has mastered rolling a ball back and forth with an adult and is practicing the same skill with peers.  He has mastered imitating ten different motor actions and now is working on two-step motor imitations (two different actions combined) which is a little harder for him.  He is wheelbarrow walking, throwing balls into boxes, catching balls, kicking balls (preferably right-footed), walking up and down steps holding one hand or a railing, and giving arts and crafts activities, like gluing and cutting, a really good try.  I even got the chance to see Rex's hand-washing skills at school (he made the soap foamy all by himself and knows to push the button for a paper towel).  Of course, at home, the little stinker acts like he doesn't know what's happening when we take him to wash his hands.

Rex's sensory processing has come so incredibly far since he was first home.  I remember the many months of screaming, kicking, fighting, head-banging, head-rolling etc. over matters of personal hygiene or in challenging, overstimulating situations with visitors in our home, at the grocery store, and so on.  These days are very much over now.  Rex loves his baths and even lies down on his back in the tub.  Some nights Rex takes showers and enjoys the water running over his body.  I can tell Rex to come for a nail trimming and he simply plops down on my lap and holds out his hand.  Hair cuts are no longer an ordeal.  Trips to the grocery store are usually good and Rex rides in the cart unless he gets to do his favorite thing: stick his head into the giant freezer.  When we have guests, Rex can be interactive and if it gets to be too much, he just goes into a quieter area upstairs or into another room.  Of course, there are still difficult situations, for example, if an outing drags on too long or if we are in an unfamiliar place (most typically other homes) where Rex's curiosity is sparked by absolutely everything and he wants to run off and explore.  We continue to provide a sensory-rich environment for Rex as much as possible.

Our biggest struggle at the moment is keeping Rex from being a bully.  He tries to push other kids (even those who are easily a head taller and way stronger than him) and also pulls hair which I think is a mix of sensory exploration and being mean.  Between his teachers and us, the matter is being addressed and hopefully will be behind us soon.

Overall, Rex is doing so well.  He works hard every day and is developing at his own pace.  He is an ever curious, fun-loving, active boy.  It breaks my heart to think what he would be like now had he remained at the orphanage.  Thankfully, we found each other so the trajectory of all of our lives could be changed for the better, if not always easier.  Rex, you are fiercely loved by your mama and daddy, now and forever.

The Sweetest Girl

Craig and I are so blessed to have a daughter who showers us with the purest love and the most infectious laughter every day.  Her spirit shines brighter than we could ever have imagined when we received her referral nearly two years ago.

Picture Of The Day

I wish I had time-stamped this photo because it shows what happened at 4:23 pm after a certain little lady refused to take her regular post-lunch nap:

She was very unhappy with me when I woke her at 5:30.

What's New With Emilia?

It's been about two months since I last updated on Emilia's development, so I figure it's time for a little post on the Bulgarian princess.

Emilia is doing very well.  Physically, she continues to gain more height than weight and now comfortably sports 24 months footsie pajamas.  She has added another shoe size and depending on style, wears a 6.5 or 7 these days.  Her weight still hovers right around that 25 pound mark.  I wish she would put on a few more pounds, but every tiny illness causes her to drop a little, hence the hovering.

Sometimes she pretends to be a supermodel

Attachment has been in crazy overdrive.  Emilia definitely prefers Craig and me now out of everyone in the world and she is more cautious with strangers and even with people she does not know well.  However, her personality is friendly and loving and it shows in public as well as at home.  She doles out countless hugs and kisses each day and they are precious.  Emilia allows me to hold her like a baby now and I sing to her while we gaze into each other's eyes.  It's quite a lovely thing that a year ago would have been completely unthinkable.

I feel that we have also reached a new phase of speech development.  Emilia has stopped making her high pitched bird sounds, rarely lets her tongue hang out anymore, and her babbling is noticeably more conversational now.  When she makes an utterance, she looks at us and expects a response.  She also has started a very little bit of verbal imitation.  For example, when I ask her to say "Rex," I am likely to get an "Ex" or a "Reh."  On Christmas Day, she kept saying, "Hohoho." She also continues her one word statements where she utterly unexpectedly will say one word one single time, clear as day.  Among those words are no, up, ball, mama, car, and on.

I love this funny picture
of Emilia trying on new pants that are too big
and reacting to something she sees on the Kindle

Emilia still does her crazy pincer grasp with her middle finger and thumb, but she is effective with it.  Her finger-feeding skills have improved so much and she is a pro at handling her open cup.  Emilia continues to enjoy almost all foods we offer.  She now takes bites from sandwiches, snacks on crunchy foods like Chex cereal, and sticks things like almonds and grapes into her mouth though they usually come back out.  Still, she is recognizing these items as food and is willing to give them a try.  When Oma arrives next month, we are going to tag-team spoon-feeding and potty-training.

Our big girl

Favorite toys at the moment include bowls, cups, plates, and spoons.  I even see a little pretend play emerging as we stir up our Lego soups and bead stews.  Sometimes we pretend play with a teddy bear and Emilia makes him jump and gives him hugs and kisses.  Emilia loves the Kindle she and Rex received for Christmas and likes to watch videos and listen to music on it.  She's also still after her daddy's cell phone like you wouldn't believe.  She's doing a great job waving bye and shaking hands hello.  She can take off her socks and shoes without any problems.

Emilia's last day of preschool was December 18, but she is still a busy girl.  She attends three classes a week in the community with our trusted Ms. Rie and also has her 15 minute educational sessions with me.  Since she loves to look at books at the moment, I am working on building up her attention span for reading.  She also enjoys watching many different Baby Einstein selections on youtube.  Her favorite song for which she will drop anything is the Gilmore Girls theme.  She and I have re-watched the entire series on DVD and will probably do so again in a few years.  We've told the guys that it's a mother-daughter thing.

My main priority for now is to get Emilia through the rest of the winter without any more illnesses and to keep gently pushing her along developmentally.  I know she will continue to blossom and bring us joy each day.

Tiny Steps To Independence

GFDF Continued

We are three weeks into the gluten-free, dairy-free diet for Rex and still going strong.  As I admitted earlier, I was scared to try it, but it's really been an easy transition, except for on the pocketbook.

Since we started the diet, Rex's therapists have described him as more socially aware, more verbal, more willing and able to accept redirection and being told no, and less focused on his usually preferred activities.  His daily reports have noted his happy mood, laughter, and cooperation.  The calming effect we saw initially seems to be wearing off a bit, but we still find that, outside of menacing his sister, Rex's attitude is more positive.  He's simply full of joyful energy.  Rex still needs to take his laxative, but we also noticed that he seems to have an easier time with his bowel movements.  Since the full effect of the diet can take months to show, we are excited to see what else is in store.

Now, for the logistics, I wanted to provide a few details.  Today, we made a Whole Foods run and bought supplies for two weeks for Rex.  These are simply things that are specifically GFDF.  There are obviously other foods that I will prepare and that Rex will eat, but these are packaged ingredients and/or items he will need.

And here's the ouch:

I have started keeping a list of things that Rex enjoys eating now and wanted to share it as well. The list keeps growing as I offer new or new again selections.

1) Vegan grilled cheese sandwiches
2) GFDF homemade English muffin pizza

3) Baked sweet potato with brown sugar and vegan buttery spread
4) Mashed banana and avocado
5) GF waffles with maple syrup
6) GF toast with cinnamon and vegan buttery spread
7) GF sandwich with vegan cream cheese
8) GF PBJ
9) Bananas
10) GF salami sandwich
11) Homemade soups
12) Potato and egg casserole
13) GFDF homemade blueberry muffins
14) GFDF spicy buffalo chicken dip with tortilla chips
15) Homemade fruit smoothies
16) Rice crackers with seeds
17) Sea salt potato chips
18) Almond milk yogurt
19) Lightly salted almonds and cashews
20) GF Chex cereal

Coming up next I will try GF pasta with marinara, vegan burgers, GF popcorn, GF snack mix with vegan chocolate chips, and almond milk pudding.  I also found a GFDF chocolate spread online that I want to order for Rex and I asked my Kroger store to special order the new GF Rice Krispies for me.  Rex did not like the GFDF crepes though the rest of us did and he has not enjoyed the almond milk icecream but Emilia is a fan.

If anyone else is out there with more GFDF experience than me, I'd love to have recipes of stuff your kids actually eat, especially when they are like my boy and not much into fresh fruits/veggies or meat.

IAC 240 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 240 which was held on December 12, 2012:

1) Spanish dossier from August 2009 referred a male child aged 2 years and 3 months

2) German dossier from October 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years

3) Italian dossier from October 2009 referred a female child aged 5 years and 7 months

4) French dossier from November 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years and 5 months

5) French dossier from December 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years and 8 months

6) US dossier from April 2010 referred a female child aged 3 years and 6 months with features in health status

7) Italian dossier from May 2010 referred sisters aged 5 years & 6 years and 10 months

8) Spanish dossier from June 2010 referred a female child aged 7 years and 1 month with features in health status

9) Dutch dossier from December 2010 referred a female child aged 1 year and 9 months with features in health status

10) Italian dossier from March 2011 referred a male child aged 7 years and 6 months

11) US dossier from December 2011 referred a female child aged 2 years with features in health status

12) US dossier from November 2012 referred two waiting children (#1855 & #1848) with profiles on the MOJ site

13) US dossier from December 2012 referred a waiting child (#1817) with a profile on the MOJ site

14) US dossier from December 2012 referred two waiting children (#1810 & #2) with profiles on the MOJ site

15) Swedish dossier from December 2012 referred a waiting child (#1480) with a profile on the MOJ site

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

On July 16, 2012, MOJ published a document listing 96 active dossiers that were registered between October 2006 and December 2009.  By my count, of these 96 dossiers, 58 received referrals by December 12, 2012.

IAC 239 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 239 which was held on December 6, 2012:

1) Spanish dossier from October 2009 referred a female child aged 3 years and 8 months

2) Spanish dossier from October 2009 referred a female child aged 4 years and 9 months with features in health status and a family history

3) French dossier from November 2009 referred a female child aged 3 years and 8 months with features in health status

4) Canadian dossier from November 2009 referred a female child aged 1 year and 8 months with features in health status

5) Italian dossier from April 2011 referred brothers aged 7 years and 1 month & 8 years and 3 months

6) French dossier from July 2011 referred a female child aged 6 years and 4 months with a family history

7) Italian dossier from November 2011 referred brothers aged 7 years and 9 months & 9 years and 9 months

8) Italian dossier from January 2012 referred a male child aged 2 years and 9 months with features in health status

9) French dossier from March 2012 referred a male child aged 9 years with features in health status

10) US dossier from July 2012 referred a male child aged 10 years and 3 months

11) Italian dossier from November 2012 referred a male child aged 9 years and 1 month

12) Swedish dossier from November 2012 referred a waiting child (#1803) with a profile on the MOJ site

13) US dossier from November 2012 referred two waiting children (#1260 & #1880) with profiles on the MOJ site

14) US dossier from November 2012 referred a waiting child (#1039) with a profile on the MOJ site

Mama, Mama, Mama

As the mother of a child who is largely nonverbal, I often wonder what he thinks and feels and how much he understands of the world around him and of his own story.  I have to believe that it is more than seems possible and that a part of him is aware of everything within his realm of existence.  Sometimes, very unexpectedly, there are moments that allow me to glimpse into Rex's mind and soul and confirm this belief.

This morning, Rex and I had a heart to heart on the stairs.  I was telling him the story of how we found him and how I loved him for a long time before we ever met.  I also told him how his daddy and I had to travel all the way to Armenia to adopt the best little boy in the whole wide world and how he would always be our son now, forever and ever.  When I stopped, Rex leaned back against the stair behind him, looked at me and said, "Mama, Mama, Mama."

Three little words: nothing more, nothing less.  Three words for Rex to let me know that he understands.  Three words for him to reach out to me and show me his love.  Three words that mean everything.

Yuck, Blech, Ick

We have all been sick.

12/21 Emilia has conjunctivitis

12/25 I have a cold and lose my voice for a few days

12/29 Rex has conjunctivitis

12/29 Rex’s ear tube falls out

12/31 Emilia spikes a fever and is sick for a few days (probably flu)

01/03 Rex has a double ear infection (the other ear tube must have fallen out unnoticed)

01/05 I become completely ill with flu and don’t get out of bed for over 40 hours

01/07 Craig is sick with the flu and must stay in bed

01/10 Emilia has an ear infection

01/10 Rex is sent home sick from school and sleeps for 18 straight hours (probably flu)

01/12 A first semblance of normalcy

The conjunctivitis was successfully treated in both children and, thankfully, it seems like Craig and I dodged that bullet.  Both kids’ ear infections are cleared up as well.  Everyone in the house continues to fight a persistent cough and some of us have runny noses.  I haven’t had my normal voice since Christmas Day.  Needless to say, the last three weeks have been pretty sucky around here.  

The house is a crazy mess of holiday aftermath, daily occurrences, and illness.  Once I am feeling fully better, it will take me a long time to dig out from the mountain of accumulated work.  On the upside, any pounds I may have put on with holiday indulgences have melted away with this unintended diet.

Now a new week is about to start, one where I have commitments away from home that I must keep.  Wish me enough stamina to get through it all while continuing to recuperate.  I was hit hardest with illness among my family and seem to be taking the longest to get back up on my feet.

Picture Of The Day

This is the opposite of a picture of health:

We have all been sick here for several days.  And by sick I mean really sick as in not getting out of bed, not eating, not wanting to even move.  We are better now, but still far from well.  I'll write more about it all when I can.

Christmas In Armenia

Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 6.

As much as possible, I try to incorporate my children's birth cultures into our daily lives, so on Friday I sent a little Christmas treat to school with Rex.  Each of his friends got a strip of apricot fruit leather with a little note to explain:

Merry Christmas to our wonderful friends in Yerevan and Merry Christmas to you, son, again.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

There is a lot of information out there about the effects of diet on behavior and the ability to learn, especially for children with developmental disabilities.  Of course, it would be too easy if everyone was in agreement on the subject and families could decisively move forward based on solid research.  As it is, the scientific community and parents are divided on the issue and people are left to figure things out on their own.

I have been considering a gluten-free, dairy-free diet for Rex for quite some time.  I have thought about this idea with a lot of trepidation because Rex is a lover of all things carbs (read gluten) and many things dairy (yogurt, cheese, icecream, etc.).  In fact, these two food groups have been the staples of his daily meals since he refuses almost all meat along with almost all fresh fruit and vegetables.  How would I ever be able to keep him fed if I took away his favorites?

After some discussion, Craig and I decided to go all in and give the gluten-free, dairy-free diet a try for Rex for one week.  We knew that his nutritional intake already wasn't balanced, so we figured we could not make it worse.  I did some reading and then headed to Whole Foods to stock up on supplies for Rex for seven days, the first four of which he would be spending at home with us on break from school.

And so Rex ate:

12/29/12

Van’s Waffles with Earth Balance spread and maple syrup

Rudy’s gluten-free multi-grain bread with peanut butter and jelly

Roasted red potatoes and green beans, pureed with vegetable broth

12/30/12

Van’s Waffles with Earth Balance spread, banana slices, and maple syrup

Roasted almonds, lightly salted

Gluten-free Food For Life English muffin with vegan cream cheese (chive and garlic flavor)

Amande cherry-flavored almond yogurt

Baked sweet potato with Earth Balance spread and brown sugar

12/31/12

Rudy's bread, toasted, with Earth Balance spread and 4 oz homemade fresh fruit smoothie
Homemade dairy-free, gluten-free pancakes with applesauce and peanut butter
Amande peach-flavored almond yogurt
Banana and avocado, mashed
Kettle brand sea salt potato chips

01/01/13

Van's Blueberry Waffles with Earth Balance spread and maple syrup
Roasted almonds, lightly salted
Homemade gluten-free, dairy-free English muffin pizza
Amande coconut-flavored almond yogurt
Homemade gluten-free, dairy-free cornbread with Earth Balance spread

01/02/13

Rudy's bread, toasted, with Earth Balance Spread and cinnamon
Honey-nut Chex
Rudy's bread with vegan cream cheese, banana, applesauce, Amande cherry almond yogurt
Roasted almonds, lightly salted, GFDF chocolate chip cookies
Homemade pumpkin tomato soup with crushed tortilla chips

01/03/13

Van's Blueberry waffles with applesauce, maple syrup and Earth Balance spread
Rudy's bread with peanut butter and jelly and Kettle brand potato chips
Honey-nut Chex
Leftover pumpkin tomato soup with tortilla chips
Vanilla icecream made from almond milk

01/04/13

Rudy's bread, toasted, with Earth Balance spread and cinnamon
Honey-nut Chex
Rudy's bread with vegan cream cheese and applesauce
Roasted almonds and Kettle brand potato chips
Avocado and banana, mashed

We really did not expect to see improvements in Rex's behavior or focus during this week, but rather looked at it as an experiment to test if he would even be willing to eat such a restricted diet.  We were immensely surprised when within 24 hours, Rex seemed calmer and more easy-going (despite a double ear infection).  He responded better to directions, spent more time self-entertaining, and was more patient when learning.  For example, Rex got tall stacker pegs for Christmas and while I knew he could stack them from a fine motor perspective, he simply could not pay enough attention when we showed him how, so he was instantly frustrated when the pegs did not work for him.  Two days into the diet, I picked up two pegs, showed Rex how to connect them once, and he immediately proceeded to build a tower made of seven pegs.  He continued to play with it for about 30 minutes and every time the tower fell apart diligently put it back together, giggling throughout.

We were also surprised by the fact that Rex seemed to take to the new foods very easily.  He switched to the almond yogurt without even blinking (and oh boy was I ever worried about taking away his Stonyfield) and even ate foods he's never accepted before (green beans, Chex) as well as enjoyed foods again that he had turned down for months (sweet potatoes, soup).

Once Rex went back to school, we asked his therapists to pay special attention not only to his diet (they serve snacks at school), but also to his behavior.  Each day his report from school noted that he was in a great mood, laughing a lot, and very attentive for therapy.  He was more communicative in speech therapy than he had been in weeks and performed almost everything that was asked of him in OT without any help.

Of course, we realize that all of this could still be a complete coincidence, but we have decided to keep going with the diet for now.  It will be tough as it is expensive and the products are not easily available without making an hour round-trip to Whole Foods, not counting the time to actually shop.  We will also need to add a calcium and vitamin D supplement for Rex.  However, Rex's well-being is worth it and we are committed to doing what's best for him.

The Great Tree Experiment Of 2012

As some of you may remember, last year we did not put up a Christmas tree.   We were in agreement that a tree would be too dangerous for our children who had only been home briefly and would likely be the source of a lot of reprimands toward them rather than inspire wonder and joy.  It was a great decision by which we still stand in hindsight.

We hadn’t made up our minds yet about how to decorate for the 2012 holidays until the Christmas trees started showing up in stores (you know, right after Halloween – grrr).  That’s when we realized that both of our children were mesmerized by them, so we knew we had to do something.  The plan was to protect the fancy and more expensive Christmas tree we own and buy a cheap one instead.  We were on the hunt for it when our friends, Nate and Whitney, mentioned that they were going to throw out an old six foot Christmas tree.  I quickly asked if we could have it and they said, “Come and get it.”  Several days later, we picked it up in a big box that held not only the tree, but also a bunch or decorations.  Thanks, Nate and Whitney, for giving our kiddos their first Christmas tree.

Once we had the tree home, we knew we had to phase it in slowly.  First, we simply put it up in the living room.  Both kids took note, gave it a few timid touches, but otherwise ignored it.  Hmm, not what we were expecting.  A few days later, we decided it was time to turn on the lights and anticipated a big reaction from that moment as well.  Again, we were wrong.  The kids took a few seconds to acknowledge and admire and then went on their merry way.  Maybe this whole thing would be easier than we thought.  It didn't take long, however, until the tides started to turn.  Rex overcame his disgust with the sensory input from the needles and pulled the tree down on himself several times.  Unfortunately, he thought this was incredibly funny.  Emilia decided that the best place to play might be the corner right behind the tree, so there was a small collection of toys accumulating there.

Finally, Craig and I decorated our tree.  We did not use any of our fragile ornaments.  I specifically went through our Christmas boxes and pulled out only what cannot break: wooden, metal, and straw ornaments.  I also made a popcorn chain which led my nephews to want to eat popcorn from the tree every time they visited. 

At the top of the tree, I put all the symbolic ornaments.  The dove for peace everywhere, the mittens for winter, the hearts for love, the angels for our children, and the pomegranate to represent Armenia.  Next year, we will have an ornament from Bulgaria as well. I made the tree topper, a simple bird house that says Martini.

Over the December weeks, our tree was toppled by Rex at least a dozen times.  After the first few I stopped rearranging the ornaments once the tree was upright again.  At some point one of the falls made the lights in the upper third of the tree go out and we could not get them back on.  Really, for most of the month our tree looked like it was hit by a minor windstorm.  But you know what, we had a tree and it was pretty in reflecting what our family is all about right now.


Our 2012 tree was unlike anything our home has seen since we got married.  Usually we have silver, white, purple and blue glass ornaments.  We have icicles and snow.  We never have a tree topper either on our normally very sparkly and elegant, slender tree.   In 2012, we had reds and naturals on a wide tree and a very rustic, traditional, topsy-turvy feel.  As always, I was reminded that we are in a certain season of our lives right now and that things are just as they are meant to be.

IAC 237 & 238 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 237 which was held on November 20, 2012:

1) Greek dossier from September 2008 referred a female child aged 1 year and 9 months with features in health status

2) US dossier from August 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years and 8 months

3) German dossier from August 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years and 9 months

4) French dossier from September 2009 referred a female child aged 4 years

5) French dossier from October 2009 referred a female child aged 3 years and 8 months with features in health status

6) Spanish dossier from October 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years and 9 months

7) Spanish dossier from October 2009 referred a female child aged 4 years and 3 months with features in health status

8) German dossier from October 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years and 6 months

9) Spanish dossier from October 2009 referred a male child aged 2 years and 10 months with features in health status

10) German dossier from November 2009 referred a male child aged 1 year and 9 months with features in health status

11) US dossier from November 2009 referred twin sisters aged 2 years and 7 months

12) US dossier from February 2010 referred a male child aged 1 year and 7 months

13) French dossier from May 2010 referred two male children aged 5 years and 5 months & 6 years and 7 months with features in health status and family history

14) Danish dossier from March 2011 referred a male child aged 3 years with features in health status

15) US dossier from September 2012 referred a female child aged 2 years and 1 month with features in health status

16) US dossier from November 2012 referred three waiting children (#1845 & #1846 & #1847) with profiles on the MOJ site

17) US dossier from November 2012 referred three waiting children (#787 & #1812 & #1659) with profiles on the MOJ site

---------------------------------------------------------------------
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 238 which was held on November 27, 2012:

1) Greek dossier from July 2008 referred a female child aged 2 years and 3 months with a family history

2) Italian dossier from November 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years and 10 months

3) Italian dossier from December 2009 referred a female child aged 6 years and 3 months with features in health status

4) Danish dossier from May 2010 referred a female child aged 3 years and 11 months with features in health status

5) French dossier from June 2010 referred a female child aged 3 years and 7 months with features in health status

6) Italian dossier from June 2011 referred a male child aged 8 years

7) Italian dossier from November 2012 referred a male child aged 9 years and 10 months with features in health status

8) US dossier from November 2012 referred a waiting child (#1841) with a profile on the MOJ site

9) US dossier from November 2012 referred a waiting child (#1879) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) US dossier from November 2012 referred a waiting child (#1372) with a profile on the MOJ site

11) French dossier from November 2012 referred a waiting child (#1638) with a profile on the MOJ site

End Of The Year In Pictures

The holidays are over.  Here are a few final photos from 2012.

Christmas morning - our Bulgarian angel

Christmas morning - our Armenian angel

Enjoying their Christmas present from Oma

Thank you, Oma

Holiday yawn - Is anyone else tired, too?

First ever snowman for the kids

Thanks to Cousins Bryan and Maria for the snowman kit

Pay It Forward 2013

I have been thinking for a while about how we could pay forward all the kindness that was extended to us throughout our adoption journey and since our children have come home.  It has certainly not been an easy four years, but family and friends, old and new, near and far, have helped us through.

Craig and I decided that one way to pay it forward is to participate in the fundraisers of others, whether they be for orphanages, waiting children, or for adopting families.  We have set aside $365 to distribute throughout the year for this purpose.  I know it's not much, just $1 a day, to express our gratitude and remind ourselves of our own blessings.

So, if you have a fundraiser going on that you would like us to consider, just send me an email or leave a comment on whatever the most recent entry to our blog is at the time and we'll take a look at your cause.  I will try to donate about $30 per month and if I have time, let you know how the money was spent.

Happy New Year to everyone!