February Update

     February has been a strange-ish month on the adoption road.  As you can see, the pile of adoption books is STILL growing.  My 'favorites' thus far have been The Lost Daughters of China: Abandoned Girls, Their Journey to America, and the Search for a Missing Past (excellent look into Chinese history & adoption), Successful Adoption: A Guide for Christian Families (a VERY practical guide with wonderful Biblical side notes and personal stories from 'notable' Christians in the adoption process), and I Wished for You: An Adoption Story (a beautiful gift from my Best Friend about a Momma bear and her son).  There have been other good books about Down syndrome, attachment disorders, and international adoption issues, but there are only so many books on a single topic that you can read back to back before you kind of want to poke your eyes out.   The good news is...this is the month that I finished my mandatory training, reading and book reports. Whoohooo!  Despite the last couple book reports dwindling down to just bullet points, my social worker was  impressed and a Gold Star was put on my file.  :)

     Even more exciting, my Dossier arrived in China on February 12th! This is HUGE.  E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g we've done in the last eight months has been to get the Dossier To China (DTC).  Everything. Our friends in China are now reviewing that precious stack of paperwork and will (hopefully) decide to send me an official Letter of Acceptance (LOA).  With that letter in hand, we can process Little One's immigration paperwork AND publicly post Little One's name & photos...AND buy a plane ticket!! What a day THAT will be!  Oh my gosh...I don't even know what I'll do when I have that piece of paper in my hand.  For the lovely lady in Quebec, Canada that has been reading this blog, if you hear a wild scream in the wind sometime in the next six plus weeks...you'll know what day it is!

     February hosted the Adoption Auction.  I was so impressed with how word spread of the auction and the all the lovely donations that were auctioned off.  Don't you just love how God brings people together?!  $1,300 was raised, which according to my most recent search, is the EXACT cost of a cozy little ride from Seattle to Beijing.  Isn't that awesome!!  God is providing exactly what is needed, exactly when it is needed, one day at a time.

       Since all my paperwork, reading and reports are done, I've been playing around in Little One's room.  The before & after pictures are pretty impressive if I don't mind saying so myself.  :)  I hope to post those photos soon. (Yes, that is his crib in the above picture!) Until then, my social worker recommended that I have a small comfort item to send ahead to Little One before I arrive...and to make sure to sleep with it so it absorbs my smell.  Umm...excuse me?!  I'll admit, it makes total sense, but having never been a dolly-girl as a child, cuddling up with a capitated-blanket at thirty-four years old seemed a little over the top.  BUT...I did it.  For a week I snuggled & slept with Little One's giraffe lovey (in the picture above) and prayed that my, uh...fragrance...would be peaceful and comforting to him while we await our first meeting. Probably, the first time I've prayed that particular prayer, but 2 Corinthians says we are the fragrance of Christ so I'm feeling more confident.

     As you can see, it's been strangely busy/not-busy sort of a month.  Turns out I'm not a particular fan of passive waiting.  But I am assured that as there is a season for proactive waiting, there is also a time for expectant waiting (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

But...oh, for the day when I don't have to wait any longer!

Baby Pictures

     I have just four photos of Little One. They all appear to be taken on the same day, in what I assume was a speed session of Chinese Orphan Glamor Shots, and if the printed date in the corner is correct, he is about 9months old in the pictures. In those four digital glimpses into his life, I can see that he is sitting up on his own, that he can hold focus toward something (specifically me, when I'm looking at the picture!); developmentally speaking, he has his mouth closed in three of the images which tells me he has pretty good muscle control (an issue in most kids with Down syndrome), and given the hardwood floors that I can see in the background & his position in the baby walker he is in...I'd say he probably scoots around pretty well (that's my boy!)  So much information from four little photos on a single day.
     As a family waiting, I've had a lot of fun with his photos---taking pictures of his framed image at his First Birthday, at Christmas with his stocking, a big family photo with an infant Green Bay Packer Cheeshead teetering on the corner of his frame (might as well get him used to it). He is a part of this family and I don't want to miss anything with him...even though he is 5,000 miles away.  When he gets home I'm sure we'll FILL albums upon albums of daily life, major accomplishments, funny events and sweet moments.  It's the photos that give us the insight and document the memories. And memories we will have!
     What I don't have is Little One's baby pictures. Nothing to document his first smile, first foods, first steps on this earth. It is a sad reality of adoption that very few forever-families are able to remedy.  I was going to let myself grieve that loss...until I found the pieces of art below.  I don't know who the artist is, but he/she has given me Little One's baby pictures. The MOST precious and truthful pictures this family could have. They are framed & hanging in Little One's nursery as we speak. In fact, he'll be lucky if I ever let him take them down!! (Sorry kiddo, I'm pulling rank)

Adoption Auction Totals

THANK YOU to ALL who participated in the Online Adoption Auction to bring Little One home!!  We are now...$1300 closer!!  What an amazing outpouring of support.  To those who donated...thank you; your generosity is bringing my family together.  To those who help support the process...thank you; we could not have done it without you.  To those who donated towards these items...thank you and I hope you thouroughly enjoy your manicured lawns, customs cakes, contemporary prints, handmade hats and all the other amazing items that were bid on over this weekend.  It truly is amazing what the sincere efforts of a few can do to affect so many.  Thank you!!

Down syndrome 101

     My handsome boy is special in a thousand different ways. God made him with dark almond eyes and straight black hair, different from my round blue eyes & wonky curly-ish hair.  His skin has a soft Asian glow, mine is that special blend of European-pale that Sherwin-Williams has yet to market as a money-making paint color. His file says he loves music and is especially fond of bath time. I imagine he'll like to play in the dirt & listen to his Uncle talk about football. In short, he is everything that makes him a little boy. BUT he also has an extra chromosome...which makes him THE COOLEST kid on the block.
      Many of you have quietly asked for information about Down syndrome, which thrills my heart.  I want people to be interested in one of the things that makes my kiddo special and to be aware of those around them that may also have a unique physical or mental trait.  I also don't want anyone to be scared or sheepish about Down syndrome.  It's alright...it's not contagious.  :)

     Down syndrome was named after Dr. John Langdon Down, who first described the condition. The correct terminology is just that: Down syndrome. Not Down’s, or Down’s Syndrome, because Dr. Down did not have the condition (so we do not use the possessive form,) and “syndrome” is not capitalized because it is not a proper noun. You may also see Down syndrome abbreviated online as DS or Ds.

     Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal anomaly, occurring in approximately 1 in 733 births in the US. However, as common as it is, there are less and less babies being born with the condition, because about 92-93% of mothers who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Ds choose to abort the baby. This comes to about 65,000+ babies aborted each year due to a prenatal diagnosis. I can’t tell you how much it saddens me that so many lives are lost. I am sad not only for the babies, but also for the parents who are missing out on having an amazing child. And, I am sad for my Little One who will have less friends who are like him. With fewer people having the condition, others will know less about it, there will be fewer resources for him and less research done about Ds.

     Down syndrome is a spectrum disorder, which means the physical, emotional & mental impact of this genetic trait can vary from person to person, but there are common characteristics:

• Shorter stature.  A child with Ds generally grows slower & as a result is shorter than average.
• Weak muscles (hypotonia) throughout the body. A child may seem to have less strength than other children of the same age and weak abdominal muscles also make the stomach stick out. (NOT limited to Ds...let's be honest)
• Short, stocky arms and legs. Some children also have a wide space between the big toe and second toe.
• A single crease across the center of the palms of the hands. (Betchya that'll throw off the palm-readers, uh?!)
• The nasal bridge is the flat area between the nose and eyes.
• Small, low-set ears.
• A higher rate of cardiac anomalies, gastrointestinal problems and sometimes, although rarely, leukemia.
• Very low rate of dental cavities! (Something to smile about!)
• Generally sweet & gentile personalities. 

     THE MOST important thing to remember about Down syndrome, is that it is a genetic influence of the body NOT of the person.  A child with Ds has been created in God's image (Gen 1:27) and has the same call & gifting that any 'typical' person has; the Holy Spirit is not hindered by physical ability, mental agility or the number of palmar creases, nor should our expectation of God's miraculous work through someone whose body is lugging around an extra chromosome.  In my experience with Ds, I believe it'll take us all a very short amount of time with Little One before we realize WE are the ones that have been short changed in the genetics department! :)
    
     My friend Cassandra gave me an AWESOME book photo-documenting Down syndrome called I'm Down With You.  I've added a link here to the website.  I encourage you take a look and love on those precious faces.  There will be one more among us SOON.

      If you would like more information about Down syndrome, PLEASE feel free to ask. There is also great information at the National Down Syndrome Society web page.