Fifteen Weeks Together

Lots of exciting events this week:

Isaac turned two!  I don't know the circumstances of his birth, but I do know that in this household...we do birthdays!!  On this day we celebrate life, excitement, hope, joy and God's future. An entire day to declare "I'm thrilled that you are alive and a part of our lives!!"  I want Isaac to grow up joyfully anticipating his special day with full awareness that he is celebrated!  On this first birthday at home, he woke to balloons and Momma singing "Happy Birthday!"  You could tell he wasn't entirely clear what was happening...but don't let it stop. :)

 

I had to run to work for a few hours, so Isaac went to Kollege and brought some fun snacks & balloons to share.  He had been on a bit of an eating strike, so I wasn't sure how his treats would go...turns out he ate FOUR Go-Gurts in celebration with his little friends!  FOUR.  What a way to celebrate!  At home we had a some cake and opened a few presents (in anticipation of his big party next month).  I love the progression of these pictures:

Flaming pastries...?

This is a little different...

 

I think I could get used to this...

Nom-nom-nom!

Mom!  You gotta try some cake!!

Here he is playing with a few of his new toys.  The SUPER exciting gift of the day was a red hoodie string...he played with that thing for an hour!  I have a feeling I'm not going to get away with giving a Birthday String for many years in the future. (Although, in a move of pure genius, I tied the string to a pacifier clip which is now attached to his pants!)

 

The not-so-traditional although much appreciated Birthday String

This week, of course, was Isaac's first Thanksgiving.  (You can read about that is the previous post). The day was especially meaningful in remembering the Pilgrims who stepped out in faith to follow God's call and His provision every step of the way.  God is so very good...all the time.

 

The third big event this week was "Merry Christmas Music Day"... the day after Thanksgiving.  The Christmas Cd's & records are dusted off and the cider put to full boil. One of my favorite days of the year.  I wish I could have captured Isaac's face when he woke from nap and found a lit tree in his house!   "Whoa. Wait! Did you...? How did that...? What?!"  Although it didn't take long him to warm up to the idea, he was thoroughly confused...and I laughed hard.  :) 

As Chief-Ornament-Taste-Tester and Box Redistribution Specialist, Isaac did his part as I decorated the tree. If any of you are in my home over the next month and have an overwhelming urge to taste the ornaments...be forewarned...they've been pre-licked!

Giving Thanks

The list is endless...friends, family, work, health, provision, Isaac...but it all comes down to Christ's endless love for us and living in a nation that allows us to set one day aside and say "Lord, we THANK YOU!"

Reading The Story of Thanksgiving with Cousin Vaughn & Cousin Magdalene

Isaac's first history lesson
 

The Dutch gramma & her Chinese grandson singing songs together on the American holiday

Before

During

After!

A good sign of a successful meal!

Happy Birthday Isaac!!

My boy is two today.
My boy that I had just found out about 1 year ago...
My boy that was in his birth momma's arms 2 years ago even as my heart was melting towards adoption...
My boy that has had God's plan and purpose written on his heart for a healthy & fruitful life even before he was born...
My boy that rocks his extra chromosome like it's going out of style!
My boy that will eat seafood pasta and artichokes before he'll go anywhere near mac & cheese and hotdogs...
My boy that jumps off the couch to tackle me on the floor, is also my boy who pats my shoulders after every meal as if to say "good job, Mom, that was yummy"...
My boy that dances to Aerosmith, Sinatra, Toby Mac and Elmo with equal amounts of passion...
My boy that hasn't quite mastered gentle touching, but always gives Pharoah a kiss when we read about Moses...
My boy that draws complete strangers to him with his exuberant smile and sweet almond eyes...
My boy is perfect and I am so very proud to be his Mommy.

 

Happy Second Birthday, my Isaac, my boy.

I am SO excited to see what the Lord does in and through you in the next year!!

Fourteen Weeks Together

     This week we were able to send an update package to Isaac's foster mother in China!  I am so unbelievably blessed to have been able to look into the eyes of the woman who cared for our son for nearly 15months. I had been told multiple times that there was no way I would meet anyone who had cared for Isaac, in fact, protocol was that he would have been moved to a group orphanage setting to lessen his attachment to his foster family in the weeks prior to my arrival.  It broke my heart to think that Isaac and the only family he had known would be torn away from each other like that.  BUT, our Heavenly Father took care of it! There was China Momma sitting and holding Isaac as I entered that upper room in south-central China. She had cared for him while I yearned for him; nurtured him while he grew; protected him from harm; and smiled over him as he slept, all with the full knowledge that her time with him was temporary.  I have such great respect for this lovely woman (and for all foster parents!) Her picture hangs in Isaac's nursery and she will always be apart of our family. I pray that she receives our package with joy and comfort. 

 

Isaac's Forever Momma and China Momma



     This week was also the first time I had to have the "Excuse me, but my son is NOT disabled" conversation.  I knew that it would come at some point, but I had assumed it would be when he was closer to school age, or maybe when he was 80, but not in the innocence of toddler hood. The comment was said without malice, I know that. I think in her own way, the woman was trying to protect Isaac; as if somehow his extra chromosome had jumped on him when we weren't looking. In the nanosecond I had to chose how to respond, I prayed quickly for grace & wisdom. The conversation went well and I appreciated her appropriate & loving response to Isaac afterwards, but I was surprised how it shook me. I seriously wanted to scream "He's not broken!"...it's probably good that I didn't, but someday Isaac's little heart will understand words that can hurt him and I so desperately want to protect him from that day!

 

     What he DOES understand right now is a couple more signs!  'Car' is a particularly fun one (imagine hands moving a steering wheel) and 'cracker' has taken on it's own translation (waving  his elbow in the air!). 'Bear' has been a favorite for a couple of weeks, but what makes it funny is that he signs it when he hears the word 'bear' (that's correct), 'pear' (makes sense)...or when someone burps. ???  (I won't say who he has heard burp. It doesn't help the story at all, but lets just say he has heard an isolated & totally non-bear-like burp, or two.) Like any two year old, he babbles with his communication, only it's with his hands...waving them in the air, touching particular fingers together in an attempt to make a word or sentence ( I think). And like any parent of a toddler, I have to figure out what is being communicated: "Bubbles music" = "Let's watch the Praise Baby video with the bubbles in it". "Cracker bath" = "I can have my special Chinese cracker while you are taking a shower, right Momma?". Sometimes it's like playing Wheel of Fortune without any vowels!  I went out on a limb this week and asked Isaac's speech therapist when she thought he would be speaking and she thinks definitely within a year.  Whoa!

     A couple photos from our week:

Watching our signing video together

Sometimes picking the sippy cup UP is just too much work!

Taking his task of stacking the bowls VERY seriously.

This is a surgical sponge used in the operating room...apparently, it's perfect for teething.
Who knew?!

All the cool kids can tum themselves around in the cart, Mom!

Akkk...teething!

 

Three Month Update--An Interview with Isaac

Happy Family Day, Isaac!!!
We've been a family for THREE MONTHS!

 

 Isaac, you've been a pretty busy guy this last month. What do you think of all your therapy friends coming to the house?

Mostly, my therapy friends just let me play and then talk to Momma about things I can work on. Sometimes if therapy time is right after nap I don't want to play with them. Momma says that's OK, we'll play next time.  BUT sometimes I play a joke on my therapy friends and I don't do anything they want me to...until they leave!  Then I do ALL their tricks perfectly when they aren't watching with their clipboards. Momma says that's not funny...but then she laughs when she walks away, so I know it's alright. :)

 

You went to your first Harvest Party.  How was that for you?

Momma was excited about putting me in the funny pajamas, so I looked like a panda. I didn't quite understand it, but there was a string for me to chew on so I went with it.  My cousins came dressed up to the party too and I got to watch them play games and put candy in their bags. Momma says that maybe I can have a taste of the candy next year.

 

What do you like to do when your Momma is busy in the house?

When Momma is cooking cold foods she puts me on the counter and lets me help, but when it's hot food I have to stay on the floor.  That's OK. I've been working hard at rearranging her Tupperware drawers.  She had all the same shapes and sizes together, which is no fun at all.  I've almost got it to where she can't find any lid to match the container!  What she doesn't know is that some of the lids are under the oven and some are under the fridge...that'll be super fun surprise for her to find later!! When Momma goes in the other room to get something, sometimes I crawl as fast as I can to hide behind the curtains. When she finds me I get tickled and we laugh and laugh!

 

What toys are you playing with right now?

I like to open and close old VHS cases over & over again. I am also strong enough now to climb up on my chair and bang on the window.  The birds fly away super fast when I do that!  I also like to get my books and point to the pictures on the pages and tell stories like my teachers at Kollege do during circle time.

 

What foods are you fond of this month?

At Kollege one day they had banana pudding for snack and it was so good I ate TWO BOWLS of it. The next day they had jello with fruit in it and I ate THREE BOWLS of that. That stuff is delicious!!  Mostly, I eat whatever Momma is eating after she chops it up for me. I still don't like beans and I haven't figured out yet how to eat peanut butter without getting my tongue stuck in the top of my mouth. Maybe if they put it in jello...!!!

 

What do you have planned for the next month, Isaac?

I still have lots of therapy appointments, but Momma says there is going to be lots of fun stuff to do too. Something about holidays...?  We don't have those in China, so I'm excited to see what this is all about.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Thirteen Weeks Together

Our week was packed with medical & therapy appointments again. I now have a dedicated calendar just for Isaac's appointments...this boy of mine is POP-U-LAR.  At the Adoption Medicine Clinic this week we found that Isaac has gained another pound & a half which is awesome. As my boy was munching on his 15th snack of the day, his doctor was quick to say "I don't think we have to worry about catch-up growth anymore!". :) Isaac gets the special honor of being assigned three different growth charts: the standard US chart, the Down syndrome chart, and the Asian chart. On all three he is growing UP, UP, UP...which explains why my arms are starting to hurt, hurt, hurt.  :)  Here is a short list of the team of people that are helping keep Isaac healthy:

• Adoption Medicine Clinic: specializes in attachment and malnutrition issues that are very common in international adoptions. We travel about 45minutes to be cared for here and will continue to do so every couple of months for a year.
• Neurodevelopmental Clinic: this doctor specializes in Down syndrome and any developmental delay Isaac may have. We are finding out quickly that Isaac is much more cognitively intact then anyone of us anticipated.  After a one-hour appointment, this specialist sheepishly said "Um...yeah...I don't think you are going to need me much".  NOT a bad problem to have!
• Primary Pediatrician: this is the normal kiddo stuff--well child checks, shots, colds & sniffles. We don't have to go here every often, ironically as it is the closest to our home!
• Pediatric Cardiologist & Cardiac Surgeon: these are two different people but both are working to keep Isaac's heart healthy. After Isaac has his surgery in Seattle, the local cardiologist will follow him for at least the next year to make sure the ol' ticker is working right.
• Endocrinologist: hormonal abnormalities are common with Down syndrome and this specialist will help correct any as we find them. It is especially important to see him now so we can ensure that Isaac grows like he is suppose to.
• Geneticist: there are actually three different types of Down syndrome with different variations of developmental & physical issues. When we see this specialist next month, special blood tests will be done to decipher what kind of DS Isaac's body has. Once we know that, it'll better help our medical team anticipate any issues in the future.
• Opthomology & Audiology: again, vision & hearing problems are common in DS...but not with Isaac so far.  So we will see them every 3-6months for the foreseeable future so we can catch things early.
• Occupational Therapy: this is fine motor movement--picking up cheerios, holding a sippy cup, and being able to put toys in & out of small spaces.  Isaac's therapy friend comes to the house twice per month to help us work on these tasks.
• Physical Therapy: this is large motor movement--crawling, walking, & climbing. This therapist is also an adoptive mom (an Asian mother of a Caucasian boy!) and is a real treat to have her come twice a month to work with Isaac.
• Cognitive Therapy: this therapist (a mom to a son with DS!) visits Isaac at Kollege once per week to work on social skills and problem solving; how he interacts with other kids and figures out new environments, etc. I'm thankful for the staff at the Knowledge Kollege that welcomes Isaac's therapy friends with open arms.
• Speech Therapy: once per week, Miss Michelle comes to visit and helps Isaac with his communication. She has been SUPER impressed with how quickly Isaac has picked up both English AND Sign. As we are working on the goal of verbal articulation (ie words), sign, and cause & effect communication (nodding head for yes, pointing to something that is wanted/needed, saying bye-bye and they go away, etc) is the journey towards words. This week Miss Michelle bribed Isaac & his voice with an Ipad!  His PT would have been proud, as he shot straight up and bolted towards Michelle to play with his favorite electronic toy!!   There is an app that will repeat back the verbalizations that Isaac is currently making to help him make more.  It must have worked...he hasn't stopped his 'joyful noises' all week!!!

Speech Therapy with the Ipad

Give him a sec...I'm about to get tackled!

I got ya, Mom! 

Generally, my view while I'm cooking

The little China boy in the mirror...still his best friend

The stroller is still considered a danger zone, but we had success with the wagon!!

On a walk on a beautiful (albeit cold) Nov day.

 

(Eleven &) Twelve Weeks Together

The plague settled upon our household 10days ago, so taking pictures and jotting notes was given second place to attempting to breathe and eat. (Crazy priorities, right?) So thankful for Gramma who rescued us during the thick of it.  Poor Isaac wasn't quite sure what to do with Momma half dead on the couch!  I recovered just in time for Isaac to be afflicted and then to have his first sick day from Kollege. :(  Thankfully, we are feeling MUCH better now. Here are a few things that happened once we were up & at-em again:

• Isaac received his Citizenship Certificate making him an official American!  This is VERY exciting. He will forever and for always be a proud inhabitant of the Land of the Free, and like his Gramma he will have papers to prove it. :)
• Isaac graduated from the baby bathtub to the big-boy bathtub. He gave me a pretty clear up signal the day he stepped out of the baby bath into the big tub to get a toy, then stepped back in! This may seem like a little event, but 11 weeks ago he couldn't hold himself up in the baby tub. He's growing so strong!
• We had our consultation with the pediatric cardiac surgeon and confirmed that Isaac will have the little hole in his heart repaired just before Christmas.  The surgeon is very optimistic (as am I) that this quick procedure will be all that Isaac needs and he will have no issues has he continues to grow. (Super cute story...When the surgeon came to our room, Isaac grabbed the stethoscope from the doctor's neck and put it to his own chest! "Let me show you how this is done, doc." I don't know who was more in awe, me or the surgeon!!) I'm thankful for the medical team that the Lord has provided for us and the miracle of modern medicine. There once was a time (and still even now in many places) where kiddos like Isaac would not have lived through infancy. That thought just breaks my heart.  We will keep you updated as our surgery date draws near. 

Here are few photos from our week:

A sick boy sleeping on his sick momma

A little something I picked up at the store!

A fun new game...sorting the shoes
 

I LOVE how he sleeps in the car!!!

Guess who found where Momma hides the Chinese crackers?!
 

Isaac's first Harvest Party!!
(Thank you Cassandra for the sweet photo!)

 

 

National Adoption Month: What if?

     One year ago today, at exactly 11:16am, Isaac and I became a family. It would be another 9months & 11days before we would be together, but on that Tuesday, the first day of November 2011 my heart became very, VERY full. (You can read about that day HERE).  For two reasons really. First, oh my gosh, I had a son! I physically had to sit down when I got the news. All babies from China are girls, right? But I had a boy with a super cool extra chromosome! In his pictures he was dressed in pink (a cultural custom for all kiddos under 1year), but in my mind he was playing football and digging for worms and jumping off the couch with my 'going out' shirt for a cape around his neck. No matter what he did or how he dressed, forever and ever he would be safe, and loved, and have a home with a mommy who would seek to show him the love that Jesus has for us both. Oh my...it was so amazingly overwhelming!

Mother & son

     Second, and I don't know that I was fully able to articulate this until Isaac was in my arms, but there are 169million sweet little ones in the world who need mommies, and families and couches to jump off of. ONE HUNDRED SIXTY NINE MILLION. (And that's a conservative number!!) I can't even comprehend how to reduce that number into something palatable...I mean, it's only 93million miles from the earth to the sun and I really don't even know what that means. A close approximation would equal half of the population of the United States of America. That is every other American! However you process the math,  that number....169,000,000...is not OK. It's just NOT OK.

     I recently read these statistics from Orphan Hope International:

• Every day 5,760 more children become orphans
• According to data released in 2003 as many as eight million boys and girls around the world live in institutional care. Some studies have found that violence in residential institutions is six times higher than violence in foster care, and that children in group care are almost four times more likely to experience sexual abuse than children in family based care.
• Each year 14, 505, 000 children grow up as orphans and age out of the system by age sixteen
• Each day 38,493 orphans age out
• Every 2.2 seconds another orphan ages out with no family to belong to and no place to call home
• Studies have shown that 10% – 15% of these children commit suicide before they reach age eighteen
• These studies also show that 60% of the girls become prostitutes and 70% of the boys become hardened criminals
• Another study reported that of the 15,000 orphans aging out of state-run institutions every year, 10% committed suicide, 5,000 were unemployed, 6,000 were homeless and 3,000 were in prison within three years…

     Let me say very clearly, I do not believe every person or family is called to adopt a child into their home. Just like not everyone is called to be a missionary in Borneo, or to become a doctor, or to be a stay at home mom. It is a decision that requires MUCH prayer and long term support.  What I am reminded of is our calling to care for the orphan (James 1:27) and I then ask myself...WHAT IF?  What if all that could care for orphans did? What if there were not enough kids to go into all the loving foster homes that were ready & waiting to love on those sweet ones?  What if the cost of adoption was never an issue because of the number of donations adoption agencies received?  What if we opened not only our homes & hearts, but our health insurance to children with special needs? What if families who are called to adopt could because grants and financial support were readily available? What if older orphans were sought out and welcomed into loving homes to become active & healthy & loved adults?  What if those with skills and passions and creativities, not necessarily related to adoption, used them to help support adoptive families? What if every person contacted their Congressman to support the Federal Adoption Tax Credit?  What if birth mothers were overwhelmingly supported & loved on when they chose to place their sweet child in a protected home? What if I hadn't adopted Isaac...where would he be now? Would he even be alive? What if...?

      I will share that I was so overwhelmed with "it's just not OK" when we got home from China, that I immediately checked the Down syndrome adoption ministry, Reece's Rainbow for how many children they had waiting. Then I sat & cried. I couldn't help but think of the movie Schindler's List...just $30,000 more dollars and I could get another little one safe & home before they aged-out. What if we can get just one more home...?

      As we enter National Adoption Month and as the end of the year is upon us, I would ask that you take the time to truly pray about how you can 'care for the orphan'. What is your WHAT IF?  If you feel lead to partner with a ministry or to give financially, I've added a short list of various adoption ministries that I am familiar with below. There are certainly way more. For those of you that gave your time, your hearts, your money, your prayers, your talents, your love to bring my Isaac home...THANK YOU!!!!!! He will forever more NOT be apart of the 169million! 

Bethany Christian Services : The nation's largest Christian adoption agency.

Reece's Rainbow : An international ministry focused on the adoption of kids with Down syndrome.

The Archibald Project : A unique ministry that provides free photographers to travel with families during the adoption process.

IBSEN Adoption Network : Local to the Puget Sound, encouraging the adoption of kids with special needs.

Show Hope : An ministry of Stephen Curtis Chapman & his family helping families adopt through grants & providing care to orphans in China.

Orphan Hope International : Focusing on adoption awareness and providing safe houses for kids who have aged-out of the system.

Focus on the Family-I Care About Orphans : Mobilizing people and churches to follow God's command to care for the orphan.

Adoption Ministry : A ministry arm of YWAM that supports mothers through unplanned pregnancy and adoption.
Care Net : Provides free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, counseling and other spiritual help for women with unexpected pregnancies; saving babies and mommies from the pain of abortion.
World Vision : Support for the world's poorest children & families in over 100 countries.

Happy Match Day to my sweet Isaac!
I love you all the way to China over & over & over & over again!!