Chuckling In Hindsight

The other day I was looking for something in our freezer chest.  I really had to dig deep and unintentionally  came across a ziplock bag marked as follows: "Chocolate Pecan Sweet Bread 6/11."

I immediately knew the story behind this frozen treasure.  When we were anxiously awaiting a court date for the adoption of Rex, I was trying to keep myself busy by preparing and freezing meals and snacks for the first weeks home.  I figured this would be such a helpful and handy preparation for those crazy busy days of settling in with a newly adopted toddler.

In hindsight, I had to laugh at myself.  While I thought in June 2011 that later that year I would have limited time to cook and bake, I had no idea that, in fact, I would have little time to even eat.  Plus, that summer I felt so on top of things, so ready for what was to come... I simply didn't have the slightest clue about how my life was going to change.

So, in November 2012 with a lot more wisdom under my belt, I enjoyed the delicious sweet bread I had baked 17 months earlier.  And yes, you'd better believe that I was eating it standing up, on the run, and/or balancing a child on my hip, chuckling all the way.

Thanksgiving 2012

I can hardly believe it, but this was our second Thanksgiving as a family of four which means all the holiday firsts are over.  Both kids have been home for upward of twelve months, so we have experienced an entire cycle of annual celebrations together.

Last weekend, we had a wonderful time with our dear friends who own The Burr House Bed and Breakfast in Northern Ohio.  They invited us for an early Thanksgiving and we gladly accepted.  They let us have our pick of all the rooms and then told us to rearrange the room however we needed to make it work for our family.  So, we blew up an air mattress, pushed the twin beds further apart to fit it in-between them, put up a toddler bed rail at the foot end and voila, we had a safe place for Rex to sleep while we each had a comfy bed.  Emilia had her pack'n play, so she was snug as a bug, too.

We spent our early Thanksgiving weekend talking, playing, shopping, cooking, reading, walking, watching TV, sleeping, fire side chatting, and of course, eating.  It's so nice to get away from home every once in a while and reconnect with old friends.

Little Amadea (and don't steal that name from me, I might use it some day)
couldn't get enough of playing the piano

Men around the fire

Our Thanksgiving at home on Thursday was very low key.  Craig's sister and our nephews came over and we enjoyed our non-traditional traditional feast of ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, rolls, grilled sweet potatoes, and brownie hot fudge sundaes.  We watched some football and were so happy to see the cousins playing together in our sensory basement.  Even Rex got into the action with a game called Rexing Ball where Rex was being pushed around in the cuddle swing in every which direction and his cousins had to avoid getting (w)rexed.  I cannot tell you how many crazy giggles and shrieks of excitement this game caused in all participants.

Emilia had so much fun with her cousins and brother, too, when she was swinging and they were pretending to be knocked over by her.  Here's a little video of it:

http://youtu.be/7S5x_2pCveY

I am so thankful for all of these wonderful children, for their laughter ringing through our home, and for all that is yet to come in their lives.

Thankful For You

As we count our blessings today, I wanted to name some of those fellow adoptive parents who have shared our journey or we theirs, who have become supportive friends, and with whom we hope to continue and grow our special connection.

Amie, Elizabeth and Randy, Marina, Monique, Yvonne, Lori, Carrie & Tonya, Shelley, Beth, Michelle and Tony, Cherie and Dave, Molly, Maria, Stephanie and Warren, Donna and Barry, Katherine, Jennifer, Kim and Jason, Michele, Michele, Marriya, Sheila and Doug, Lindsey, Robin, Mary and Jim…

These are not all the wonderful people we have met since entering the world of international adoption, so if you don’t see your name here but think it should be, rest assured that it was merely an oversight, not a hint about where we stand ;).

Happy Thanksgiving to friends who make life a little brighter every day.

IAC 233 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 233 which was held on October 2, 2012:

1) Italian dossier from November 2008 referred a male child aged 5 years and 5 months

2) French dossier from July 2009 referred a male child aged 3 years and 8 months

3) Canadian dossier from July 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years and 9 months with features in health status and a family history

4) German dossier from August 2009 referred a male child aged 3 years and 9 months

5) Dutch dossier from September 2009 referred a female child aged 3 years and 9 months

6) Spanish dossier from October 2009 referred a male child aged 4 years and 10 months

7) Spanish dossier from October 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years and 10 months

8) Dutch dossier from November 2009 referred twin sisters aged 5 years and 4 months

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

10) Italian dossier from May 2012 referred a male child aged 6 years and 2 months with features in health status and a family history

11) US dossier from July 2012 referred a male child aged 1 year and 10 months with features in health status

12) Italian dossier from September 2012 referred a male child aged 10 years and 2 months

13) US dossier from October 2012 referred twin brothers aged 3 years and 9 months with features in health status

Emilia - One Year Home

It has been one year today since Emilia arrived in the United States, one year of seeing her joy and spunk and sweetness emerge as we have tried to nurse and love her back from two years of little care at an orphanage.  Everything has been slow going with Emilia and I now understand that she suffered greatly with the shock of the transition to our family and, more importantly, was deeply wounded by what she experienced while institutionalized.  I know that some children are extremely resilient and can bounce back quickly, but we have learned that Emilia is different in the way she responds to change, to pressure, to life itself.  While on the outside she may appear like she's holding things together with ease, my instincts tell me that on the inside she struggles with many of life's daily demands and has a great need to feel safe and protected at any given moment.

That said, Emilia has done so well in the past twelve months as you will see in these pictures.  I haven't ever posted any of these photos from the first days home because in some ways they are painful to me.  Emilia was so malnourished and so traumatized that people looked at her and saw a sick and withdrawn infant.

When she arrived in the US at just two years old, Emilia weighed about 16 pounds and was 29 inches tall.  She wore 6-9 months clothing, some of which we had to take in at the waist.  Now she weighs around 25 pounds and is 32 inches tall, fitting comfortably into a 2T.  She was then in a size 2 diaper and now we use size 4.  She used to comfort herself by rocking, grinding her teeth, and clicking her mouth.  All of these behaviors have vanished.  The last bastion of self-soothing is thumb-sucking which may be with us for a while and that's okay.

As a new daughter and sister, Emilia stayed to the sidelines all the time. She made few demands beyond food and could not communicate.  I don't even think that she wanted to communicate as she seemed to feel that nothing would come of the effort.  She did not respond to her Bulgarian name or any forms thereof, but now knows that she is Emilia.  She has even earned herself the nickname of Peepers because of the funny bird sounds she sometimes makes when she is very excited.

Emilia used to hide under tables, pillows, blankets and behind chairs.  She was always quietly in the corners of our home and our life.  We had to draw her in if we wanted her to participate.  Now Emilia is center stage almost all the time.  She wants attention and she knows how to get it.  Her babble and laughter fill the rooms of our house.  She still only says and signs a few words, but her face speaks volumes.

When Emilia joined our family, we did not know that she was severely anemic and allergic to dairy.  She had dark circles under her eyes, pale skin, brittle nails, and only half of her baby teeth had come in.  She must have been in chronic pain from digestive problems and had little energy to do anything.  She slept poorly, too.  Now we have a child who loves food and sleeps soundly through the night. Her hair has grown five wild inches and she constantly receives compliments on her beautiful skin.  Her nails are sharp (much to my ouch) and she is a bundle of activity all the time.  Sitting still is no longer in her repertoire.

When she first came home, Emilia was a scared and sad child who simply observed.  Her smiles and hugs were survival strategies that did not stem from true happiness or attachments.  Now, Emilia radiates sincere joy.  Her eyes and her face light up in such an incredible way when her heart is full that it just takes my breath away.  When she interrupts a favorite activity and leans over to give me a spontaneous kiss, my mama cup runneth over.  She now knows the safety and love of a family and her walls of distrust, insecurity and doubt are steadily crumbling.

Emilia's delays are still great and it will take her a long time to catch up, but I believe that she has begun her healing which will be the foundation for any progress and success in the future.  She is a wonderful daughter and a blessing to our lives.  We love you forever, sweet girl.

Nap Time Pals

Sweetness that needs no words.

Seed Money For Maria - Last Day

We have reached the final 24 hours of the Seed Money for Maria fundraiser which will close tomorrow, November 16 at 8:00 am Eastern Standard Time.  Thus far we have raised $100 for Maria's agency grant.  Thank you to everyone who has made a donation to help Maria find her forever family.

I still have some of all seeds available, so please contact me at viviane 8 @ yahoo dot com if you wish to make a contribution in exchange for organic herb/vegetable seeds.