I had the opportunity to spend time with many families as they traveled to Ethiopia to meet their kids for the first time, and I follow-up with each and every one of them through message boards, blogs, emails & phone calls. Most of these families, with loving homes and longing hearts, are STILL waiting to bring their kids home and I pray for them every day to get that long waited phone call saying, "you've been cleared to travel".
And, then there's "Baby Boy K" that I was blessed to meet in Ethiopia after one of my adoption friends received his referral. I got to take his picture and hold him and whisper in his ear "you have a mom and dad who love you, and they'll be here soon". I'm so looking forward to the day when I hear that family share news that they have a court date and get to meet their sweet little boy.
And, last by certainly not least, one of my dearest friends is hanging onto hope that soon she will get the news that she will meet her three waiting children in Ethiopia for the first time. These kids know that they have a family who loves them, but there's a vague, open ended timeline on when they will be held in their mama's arms and smothered with kisses. I pray for her adoption as fervently as I prayed for my own, and I ache for the day when I'm standing in the airport welcoming them home just as she was for me.
Today two of my adoption friends, Megan & Mike and Courtney & Bob, will be flying to Ethiopia to pick up their sweet babies (Baby Boy "K" and Baby Girl "A"). We all started this adventure within weeks of one another, and have been supporting and encouraging each other every step of the way. I couldn't be happier that they're finally bringing their little one's home, and praying more families get the same good news soon.
8/19/11
8/17/11
Biggest Struggle
It seems that most adoptive parents have similar struggles when they bring their babies home. The biggest, of course, is attachment. That's something that all adoptive parents will deal with to varying degrees no matter what age their kids are when they come home, and all social workers & agencies do a good job preparing us for that struggle.
Other than attachment, my biggest worries were: Bath Time & The Car Seat
So, we prayed and prayed and prayed that those would be smooth transitions for him. And, guess what...they were not an issue at all!
The one thing that wasn't on my radar (that probably should have been) was sleep. I didn't even think that my 8-month old child wouldn't sleep, but Mr. Kad is not a fan of night time. Since the day we picked him up, he would wake up every hour for a little reassurance that we wouldn't leave him. This went on for the entire stay in Ethiopia and continued once we came home.
Don't get me wrong, I love any opportunity to spend time with my little man, but it was making for very tired parents after nearly three months! I have read more books & websites than I care to mention, but they all recommended "crying-it-out" for periods of time, and that just wasn't something that we felt comfortable with. After all, we want Kad to know that when he cries we're here for him. We just prayed and prayed that eventually he would understand that and feel better about sleeping through the night.
And then, this morning it happened. Mike and I both woke up at 5:30 am and said, "Did you get up with Kad last night?" And then we both said, "No..did you?"
HE ACTUALLY SLEPT ALL NIGHT!!! He would whimper every few hours but would put himself right back to sleep.
Please God, let this be the new normal around here!!
Here's a picture of him when we checked on him this morning (because yes, we had the standard "new-parent-panic" moment when we wanted to make sure he was still breathing):
Seriously..isn't he one of the cutest things you've ever seen?!?
Other than attachment, my biggest worries were: Bath Time & The Car Seat
So, we prayed and prayed and prayed that those would be smooth transitions for him. And, guess what...they were not an issue at all!
The one thing that wasn't on my radar (that probably should have been) was sleep. I didn't even think that my 8-month old child wouldn't sleep, but Mr. Kad is not a fan of night time. Since the day we picked him up, he would wake up every hour for a little reassurance that we wouldn't leave him. This went on for the entire stay in Ethiopia and continued once we came home.
Don't get me wrong, I love any opportunity to spend time with my little man, but it was making for very tired parents after nearly three months! I have read more books & websites than I care to mention, but they all recommended "crying-it-out" for periods of time, and that just wasn't something that we felt comfortable with. After all, we want Kad to know that when he cries we're here for him. We just prayed and prayed that eventually he would understand that and feel better about sleeping through the night.
And then, this morning it happened. Mike and I both woke up at 5:30 am and said, "Did you get up with Kad last night?" And then we both said, "No..did you?"
HE ACTUALLY SLEPT ALL NIGHT!!! He would whimper every few hours but would put himself right back to sleep.
Please God, let this be the new normal around here!!
Here's a picture of him when we checked on him this morning (because yes, we had the standard "new-parent-panic" moment when we wanted to make sure he was still breathing):
Seriously..isn't he one of the cutest things you've ever seen?!?
8/10/11
New Job
It was clear after meeting Mr. Kad that there was no possible way that I could miss another minute of his little life...so after returning home I made a career change -- from engineer to stay at home mom! I have to say...this is hands down the most difficult job I've ever had, but I absolutely love it!
Instead of sitting at a desk, this is how I'm spending my days at my new job:
Making baby food....
Cuddling with my little boy....
Playing, Playing, Playing....
I think I have the best job on Earth!
Instead of sitting at a desk, this is how I'm spending my days at my new job:
Making baby food....
Cuddling with my little boy....
Playing, Playing, Playing....
I think I have the best job on Earth!
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