Getting Artistic

I decided to try out some of the specialty settings on my camera. Cool effects!

A boy and his Elmo!
Cooooookiieeee!!!!!!!


I used to be an only child!

Consider a boy....

"Borrowed" this from Laura who borrowed it from..... etc. etc. It says what we feel, in so many ways.

Consider a boy….

We go to China for a child
A daughter

We are deeply disturbed at the vastness of girls
Abandoned
Lost
Alone

We love each of these girls
Even as we are grateful to adopt just one
And we are proud to teach them about
Girl power

We want to right the balance
We want our girls to know they are not a second choice
We want to raise them to be powerful

And many of us believe
That boys in China are Little Emperors
Adored
Indulged
Loved beyond belief

Many are.

And yet
Should you have the great privilege of visiting an orphanage
You will see boys
And not just a few

Many, many boys
Who perhaps were a second child
But, in all sad reality,
Were probably abandoned because of some special need

Cleft lip, cleft palate
Heart disease
Club feet or vision problems

Issues that, in the states,
Are treatable or at least manageable
Issues that, in the states,
Would not define them or their lives

And they wait.

They wait for a home
A family
A chance

Maybe you weren't thinking of
A boy

Maybe you weren't thinking
Special needs

Maybe you were envisioning
Your fairy tale

And you should never apologize
For that

We all have our fairy tale
We all have our vision
We all have our dreams

But so do these children
Be they girls, abdicated to a less than status
By the power of culture and tradition
Or
Be they boys, left to live in an orphanage
Left without the same opportunities
As their parented peers

When I first dreamed of parenthood
It wasn't to an adopted child

I dreamed of pregnancy
Of womanhood
Of giving life

I grieved the loss of that first dream
And yet
The second dream was not
Second best.

Instead of giving birth to a child
I gave birth
To me

I became a mother
When I began to love

I became a mother
When I began to whisper sweet goodbyes
To the dreams that seemed important
So I could listen to dreams
That would not wait

So today,
I ask you to consider a boy
Consider a special need
Consider that you might be
More than what you ever thought

We adopted our daughter
As a non-special-needs child
And her needs are vast
And global
And tiring
And rewarding

We adopted through the traditional program
Because we couldn't handle special needs

Luckily, God knew better

And now,
The couple who couldn't handle special needs
Has become a family who can handle
Whatever comes its way.

Including a boy.
A boy with special needs
Who has captured our hearts,
Intrigued our minds,
And blessed our days already.

And so I ask you again,

Consider a boy.
Consider that you might be
More than what you ever thought.
Consider.

Just consider.

Thanks to:
Melissa
Lucky Mama to Kate
Paperchasing for our first son

I'm unemployed

I gave my notice today. I told my boss I will not return from my FMLA adoption leave and will continue to stay home with Micah. I'm a little nervous about quitting a job when jobs are so hard to come by, but we're trusting that God will provide.

Here's a reminder of why I've decided to stay home.

The Voice of the Shepherd

Last Sunday was Good Shepherd Sunday at church. Micah happily went up front to listen to the children's sermon. Ms. Edie had all the children close their eyes and asked each parent to call his/her child's name. Her point was that each child knows the sound of their parents' voices even when dozens of people are talking.

I wondered. Have we reached that point? Would Micah know the sound of my voice? Or would he look to the other parents calling out at the same time. So I called. No response. I called again and he whipped his head right around toward my voice. He heard me. Even through the symphony of children's names being shouted out, he knew his name and my voice. I pray that Baba and I will have the wisdom to lead him in this life.

As Micah knows my voice and follows me, I need to listen for the voice of my Good Shepherd. I've known him longer than Micah's known me, but do I readily recognize his voice and move in that direction?

2The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."

John 10:2-6

Happy Golden Anniversary, Lao Lao and Lao Ye

Today is my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary. Congratulations to Lao Lao and Lao Ye who achieved grandparenthood before their 50th! We love you, Mom and Dad.

If you're so inclined, please leave them an anniversary greeting in the comments. Dad, just click on the word COMMENTS below this post and see what everyone has to say to you!!!!!

A boy and his dog

Wow - two months ago today we met our little guy for the first time. It's amazing how that feels like just yesterday. At the same time, it feels like he's been part of our lives for so much longer.

To celebrate, here's a slideshow of our "kids."

Citizenship

Micah's an official US citizen. We received his certificate of citizenship in the mail! Hip! Hip! Hooray! Here's an extra picture just for my mom!

I'm way behind!!!!

Sorry for falling off the face of the bloggy world! We've been making regular treks to the north side of Atlanta to see various specialists. We have at least three more doctors to see. Sigh. Mama's tired.

So what have I not told you about? Graceflock threw a little party to welcome Micah to our band. He received seven, count them seven, pair of Elmo underwear. He was overjoyed. I've never seen someone enjoy a gift of underwear so much. He got other gifts as well, including an ultra-cool slide! Baba did a great job putting it together.

We also had a shower at the April sorority meeting. There was a definite Elmo theme.
Micah was even grateful for gifts of clothing. He amused everyone by removing each item from its box or bag and folding it. Last Saturday, we visited the Georgia Renaissance Festival with Sheridan and his entourage. Much merriment ensued! Micah got a hug from Mother Goose's goose.
The mamas and the boys rode in the ship swings.
We saw the Royal Lipizzaner Stallions perform and attended a joust. But his favorite part of the day was a visit to the children's playground.

Rest in Peace

You may have noticed this little icon on the side of my page. You may not have. It has been a constant reminder of an Army Reserve Soldier who was captured on April 9, 2004. This vigil ended on Sunday, March 30, 2008, just shy of the four-year anniversary of his capture. His remains have been recovered and identified via DNA analysis. My heart breaks for this family who kept hope alive over the years and whose greatest fear has been realized.

Rest in Peace, Soldier.

Visit to the Plastic Surgeon

We had our first appointment with the plastic surgeon who will eventually repair Micah's cleft palate. He feels that there is enough tissue to have a successful repair. We have to see a couple other specialists (ENT and pediatric dentist) before we can schedule his surgery. We're trying to coordinate appointments and surgery schedules to minimize procedures.

For those who are unfamiliar with cleft lip and palate, here's a helpful webpage: What is Cleft Lip/Palate? Micah's condition is like Figure 1b on that page (unilateral complete). His lip was repaired in China which is why he has that sweet smile. This next surgery will close his palate. He will likely have future surgeries to redo his lip and nose as he grows and to make sure he has adequate bone to support his adult teeth as they come in.

We learned some good news (at least to my ears). The doctor said that he won't use no-no's for Micah after his surgery. No-no's are arm splints used to keep his arms from bending so he can't put his hands in his mouth and possibly interfere with the healing. For children Micah's age, they will bond an obturator (kind of like a retainer) to the roof of his mouth so the palate can heal. I was wondering how I was going to keep no-no's on him!

After his surgery he will probably have speech therapy to teach him to use his new palate.

Here's a picture of Micah with his Lao Lao (maternal grandmother). I can't tell who's happier!

Zoo Atlanta

On Wednesday, we met a couple of adoptive families at Zoo Atlanta. Micah had a wonderful time hanging with Sheridan and watching the animals. The moms had a great time watching the kids.
The best-looking guys at the Zoo!
Yay! Aunt Kim brought bagels!
Hanging out with Lao Ye (thats Mandarin for maternal grandfather)!
The boys enjoyed playing on the playground.
Peek-a-boo Sheridan!
Of course the best playground was the steps at the cafe!
Micah loved watching the Panda who was night-night!
Micah earned a headbutt by trying to "love love" a goat.