IAC 368 - 372

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 368 which was held on August 4, 2016:

1) French dossier from February 2013 referred a male child aged 4 years and 3 months with features in health status and a family history

2) German dossier from April 2013 referred a male child aged 2 years and 11 months with features in health status and a family history

3) US dossier from December 2015 referred a male child aged 1 year and 11 months with features in health status

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The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 369 which was held on August 18, 2016:

1) Spanish dossier from July 2011 referred a female child aged 1 year and 8 months with features in health status

2) Spanish dossier from July 2011 referred a male child aged 2 years with features in health status

3) French dossier from December 2012 referred a male child aged 4 years and 5 months with features in health status and a family history

4) US dossier from January 2016 referred two waiting children (#2779 & #2813) with a profile on the MOJ site

5) US dossier from June 2016 referred a female child aged 9 years and 10 months with features in health status

6) US dossier from August 2016 referred a waiting child (#3053) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) US dossier from August 2016 referred a waiting child (#3242) with a profile on the MOJ site

8) US dossier from August 2016 referred two waiting children (#38 & #821) with profiles on the MOJ site

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The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 370 which was held on September 1, 2016:

1) French dossier from March 2011 referred a female child aged 1 year and 11 months with features in health status

2) Dutch dossier from June 2011 referred male twins, aged 3 years and 8 months

3) Irish dossier from July 2011 referred a female child aged 1 year and 9 months with features in health status

4) Swedish dossier from August 2011 referred a male child aged 1 year and 7 months with features in health status and a family history

5) French dossier from October 2012 referred a male child aged 2 years 6 months with features in health status and a family history

6) Spanish dossier from November 2012 referred a female child aged 8 years

7) French dossier from November 2015 referred a male child aged 1 year and 5 months with features in health status

8) Italian dossier from August 2016 referred female child aged 10 years and 4 months with a family history

9) Belgian dossier from August 2016 referred a waiting child (#3280) with a profile on the MOJ site

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The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 371 which was held on September 15, 2016:

1) Canadian dossier from January 2011 referred a female child aged 2 years and 10 months

2) Dutch dossier from March 2011 referred a male child aged 3 years and 2 months

3) Danish dossier from March 2011 referred a male child aged 1 year and 9 months

4) Italian dossier from April 2012 referred a male child aged 7 years and 11 months

5) US dossier from June 2013 referred a brother and sister aged 3 years and 8 months & 2 years and 5 months with features in health status

6) German dossier from November 2014 referred a male child aged 4 years and 4 months with features in health status

7) US dossier from August 2015 referred a brother and sister aged 12 years and 9 months & 9 years and 1 month

8) Italian dossier from January 2016 referred two waiting children (#3243 & #3244) with profiles on the MOJ site

9) US dossier from September 2016 referred a waiting child (#3236) with a profile on the MOJ site

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The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 372 which was held on September 29, 2016:

1) German dossier from May 2011 referred a female child aged 2 years and 1 month with features in health status

2) Italian dossier from January 2014 referred a male child aged 8 years and 10 months

3) Swedish dossier from July 2014 referred a male child aged 1 year and 4 months with features in health status and a family history

4) US dossier from October 2014 referred a female child aged 1 year and 4 months with features in health status and a family history

5) French dossier from July 2015 referred a female child aged 2 years and 2 months with features in health status

6) Italian dossier from June 2016 referred a brother and sister aged 9 years and 9 months & 8 years

7) US dossier from September 2016 referred a waiting child (#3158) with a profile on the MOJ site

8) US dossier from September 2016 referred a waiting child (#3162) with a profile on the MOJ site

9) US dossier from September 2016 referred a waiting child (#2847) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) US dossier from September 2016 referred a waiting child (#3154) with a profile on the MOJ site

Emilia Is Seven

This is a little late, but I did want to share that my baby girl turned seven a short while ago. Seven?!  What happened?  She has her first legitimate loose tooth and is rocking full-day Kindergarten.  She's becoming more independent with each passing day and fighting apraxia of speech like a boss.  She's joyful and loving and greets even her morning mug of milk with an exuberant, "Oh, hi there, milk.  How are ya?"

Emilia, you are wonderful.

Daddy and I could never have imagined

the happiness and tenderness you would bring to our life.

Your hugs and kisses melt our hearts

and help us through the tough spells.
We couldn't be prouder
of your hard work and progress
and can't wait to see 
what the next year of life holds for you.
We love you.
You are safe.

Bulgarian Adoptees & Families Mini Reunion

This weekend we joined five other families with Bulgarian adoptees for a getaway to a cabin in rural Indiana.  It was a lovely setting, well-suited to packing the weekend full of fun without a lot of running around.

We took time out for friendship, laughter, plenty of good conversation, delicious food, campfires, fishing, hiking, and gorgeous fall weather.

Many hours were spent boating on the pond behind the cabin

Ella was thrilled to be included with the big girls

We made one excursion to a pumpkin patch where we enjoyed a corn maze, hay ride, sand pit, big slide, apple cider slushies, mini petting zoo, and, of course picking out pumpkins.

Feeding the donkey

Admiring her friend's carving work

Our great group

Let's do this again soon, friends!

Picture Of The Day

Emilia's incredible teacher just sent me the above photo with this note, "She is so good at making our sight words and reading them."

The Best Of Times, The Worst Of Times

While I have written here a lot about the fun things we experienced this past summer, from several trips to extended family visits to successful home school to lazy hours by the pool, I have not said anything about the challenges we have faced this season as a family.

I started last year to plan Rex’s transition from his preschool/K program to our school district and private in-home ABA. I did everything in my power to make things go smoothly and in Rex’s best interest, but after he graduated from the private program that had been his academic and therapeutic home for four years, medical providers who were supposed to be part of the new Team Rex failed us and especially him.  Consequently, Rex went for three months without his ABA therapy and experienced a heartbreaking regression in his development.  I don’t want to share too much because it’s painful and still raw, but suffice it to say that Craig and I were less devastated when we received Rex’s complex diagnosis in 2011 than when we were seeing our precious son deteriorate through no fault of his own.  His challenges have placed a strain on our entire family these last few months with the girls going on not enough attention, Craig and I running on little sleep and energy, and the house and yard… well, let’s not even mention how things look in that area of our lives. 

We tried to weather this storm alone at first, but as we were getting more and more worn, we decided to reach out for some help.  I want to express my gratitude to three of Rex’s former therapists who came on little notice to spend time with him over a couple of especially hard weeks, to Rex’s former school for allowing him to attend a partial day for two additional weeks after his official last day, to our cousin who provided Ella with some much needed respite and fun, and to trusted former therapists who guided our search for a new medical provider for Rex.

A few weeks ago, Rex's ABA finally started up again under the umbrella of a different company.  He works between 20-25 hours a week with a therapist one on one in our home and soon, if all goes according to plan, in the community as well.  We hope that he can quickly find his way back to where he was in the beginning of June 2016.  In just six sessions, we are already seeing noticeable improvements which gives us great hope.  If there's a silver lining to this entire situation, we now have proof positive that ABA works for Rex and that without it, his diagnoses escalate into dangerous territory.

Rex is a bright and loving boy who suffered a setback. We know that he will fight his way forward like he’s always done and that we will be beside him every step of the way.

Gyumri Girls Reunion

Even though Ella was not born in Gyumri, she spent the first six years of her life there in the orphanage.  She had many friends in Armenia and remembers them clearly.  Recently, we had the chance to reunite Ella with one of those friends and also visit with another little girl who lived at the orphanage, but was adopted at a very young age and does not remember Ella (even though we have a photo of these two kiddos sitting together in a crib).

A cabin in the way out woods was the perfect, calm, relaxing setting to to let the girls spend time together and to enjoy the company of other adoptive parents who are very dear to me.

Gyumri Girls

 The kids pretty much loved the outdoors, roaming the woods and sitting around the campfire.

Bouquets picked for their mothers

The trees were a patient audience for Rex's musical stylings

Smores and hotdogs and apple cider around the fire

I am thankful for this special time with friends who share a similar path and understand what this journey is about. I also appreciate deeply the significance of Ella's past and the opportunity to keep her connected to those who knew and loved her before we did.

Home School Curriculum

Can anyone recommend a home school curriculum for first grade that is not religiously based or affiliated, very hands-on, and geared toward a child that is already reading?