(I know! A post! With pictures!!)
You can click on them to get a closer look, some of them are quite funny!
It seems that those children in the orphanage from my last post that I linked to should all be headed to their adoptive families very very soon. Today even, maybe. They were all eligible for adoption before the earthquake and had identified families, just the process wasn’t complete yet.
In the face of this huge catastrophe, many people want to step up and give all the children who lost everything within the last few weeks adoptive homes. Here’s why we shouldn’t be so quick. It’s a great post that all parents considering adoption, or anyone else, should take the time to read.
I haven’t blogged one bit about Haiti. It’s not that I don’t care, because I do. Deeply. I watch a little bit on the news each day and read some blogs. I’m just shell shocked. The heartbreak is too much for me to bear. I see a brief news report daily on a little baby with severe burns that they’ve been treating – at first she would scream and fight the dressing changes (because, hello! That is painful!), but now she just lies there unresponsive. My heart breaks and my tears fall as I struggle to find the words to pray.
Then I read this from Prayingthemhome:
Hillary Clinton has effectively turned her back on the orphans of Haiti. It is unconscionable to me that someone who claims to love the country of Haiti, would so coldly give it’s children no way to escape to their homes. After her non-help, here is the statement released by the JCICS last night:
UPDATE: Haiti
It is once again my job to be the barrier of bad news. Another day come and gone and no change. Despite extensive Congressional support and all of your calls to your Members of Congress we have hit roadblock after roadblock. At this point we respectfully ask that you stop contacting your Members of Congress requesting their assistance with obtaining security, transportation, and water for the location. The Department of State has not and apparently will not provide the small assistance that we have requested.Given the current circumstances, at this point we are recommending that someone from each orphanage escort the children who qualify for humanitarian parole or adoption visas to the U.S. Embassy in Port-A-Prince. We recommend that the orphanage staff arrive with the children and any adoption paperwork that has not been destroyed as early as possible in the morning in order to attempt to obtain visas or parole for the children. Please understand that this option may not be considered safe and that the U.S. Embassy did not allow some orphanages onto the premises today. Additionally, please note that it has been reported that there is no food, water or facilities for the children to use while at the Embassy. As noted during our conference call earlier today, these are our recommendations only and should not be used to replace your or your orphanage director’s good judgment.
It is our understanding that any children processed by USCIS in Port-A-Prince are leaving on U.S. cargo jets to locations that are not often know until a hour or so before the flight leaves. At times children have left Haiti without the knowledge of their adoptive parents.
This is currently the worst case scenario for the children’s well-being and safety but at the moment there are no other options.
As we receive more information we will continue to share it with you. While the situation at the moment is terrible I can only hope that our collective efforts produce some positive news. Despite the roadblocks Joint Council has not given up on the save haven and we continue to advocate for its creation and a more transparent and safe process in uniting these children with their adoptive families.
RebeccaThis means that the orphanages left behind are going to have to take drastic and dangerous measures to try get their children to safety. Following the announcement from JCICS, For His Glory released this announcement:
On January 20, 2010, 133 orphans from the Maison des Enfants de Dieu (Children of the House of God) orphanage will begin the difficult process outlined by the U.S. Department of State for humanitarian parole and onward transportation to the United States. In accordance with instructions received from the State Department, as relayed by the Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS) at 8 p.m. today, orphans along with orphanage staff members have been instructed to arrive at the U.S. Embassy as early as possible on Wednesday morning. JCICS warned that no food, water or facilities would be available for the children while processing at the U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince.
JCICS further relayed that orphanage requests to the U.S. Embassy for security and transportation for the children have been denied by the State Department. The U.S. ministry associated with this orphanage, For His Glory Adoption Outreach (FHG), was also asked to stop requesting security, transportation or even water at the orphanage location. Following discussions with staff and board members in Port-au-Prince, the difficult decision was made that all 133 children, including approximately 60 children under the age of 3, will begin early in the morning of January 20th to walk the over 2 kilometers to the U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince. This decision was made due to the limited staff available and the increasingly dangerous security situation at the orphanage in Port-au-Prince. The staff will carry as much water, food and baby formula as possible with them for the orphans while processing at the U.S. Embassy. JCICS relayed that once processing is completed, the orphans will travel to the United States on “cargo jets to locations that are not often known until an hour or so before the flight leaves.”
Kim Harmon, President of FHG, acknowledged that “this arrangement is far from ideal for the safety and well-being of the children. We are calling to all who care about these precious children to pray earnestly for their safety tomorrow.”
PLEASE BE ON YOUR KNEES THIS MORNING AS THESE CHILDREN WALK. THIS IS THE MOST CRUEL AND HEINOUS THING I HAVE WITNESSED IN MY LIFETIME. GOD, WE ARE BEGGING YOU TO WATCH OVER THESE BABIES, NANNIES, AND OTHERS AS THEY WALK.
Then I followed some links and found this.
These little lives matter as much as yours and mine.
You may have noticed my absence in blog land this year. Yes, I have yet to blog at all this year. Well, I’ve had time to do some thinking and pondering. Let me ’splain.
I started blogging in 2006 to chronicle the adoption process of our first son Joshua from Ethiopia. I kept up detailing all the ins and outs and what came next. I blogged about coming home, adjusting, and all the little mundane things in the day to day life of being home with a baby. That baby grew to a toddler and after lots more paperwork, we threw our hat in the ring for baby #2 in late summer of 2008. Son #2 joined us in September 2009. I chronicled that journey, plus the occasional story of whatever mischief Josh was able to get himself into. I started blogging to document our adoption journeys.
Those journeys are over. (Yes, over. We are so D O N E.) There’s really not a lot of interesting stuff for me to blog about as of late. The details of their adoption stories are not public, so we’re pretty much done with blogging about that. For now, until the kids start asking questions, anyway. So what’s that leave? Stories about how Josh bit yet again at playdate last week, stories about how I’m a bad mom because I hate bath time, boring stories of how dinner wasn’t exactly like I planned, yet again.
I don’t know about you, but that gets pretty boring to me. I’m not a writer and I don’t pretend to be one. I can’t just sit here and spill thoughts onto the keyboard. I’ve debated the different avenues I could take with this little blog. I remembered last night that I used to post a little update on Josh every month. I haven’t done that yet with Preston. With that and a few other thoughts in mind, I’ve decided that I’m changing direction.
I may occasionally post something of substance, but I’m going to focus on the monthly updates of Preston and the occasional updates of Josh. Maybe Wordless Wednesday again. More reading, less writing. Less focus on trying to blog a few times a week and more importance on living life with my family and friends.
So, I didn’t come here tonight to blog about this, but I have to…I’m browsing Etsy for necklaces just for the fun of it…and came across one with chicken pendant, claiming to have “healing powers”.
The healing chicken. Made of glass. It’s claim is to provide directional healing towards problem areas.
Like the part of your brain where your common sense is, perhaps.
In other news, all the boys (Chuck, Josh, Preston) have been asleep since 8:30. That’s about when I changed into my jammies and had some tea. We’re a wild New Year’s crowd, you all. Stay tuned, you don’t want to miss the craziness when I wake Chuck to get him from the couch to the bed. Fun times.
Perhaps Chuck is so tired because he has come up with the most BRILLIANT parenting move ever. Either that or he busts his rear all day at work to earn a living for his family. This has been a trying week for Josh with regard to bedtime. Sure, he would go to bed just fine, but lay there awake and think and not go to sleep. Then pretty soon he would start yelling for us, kicking the wall, and doing everything in his power to get our attention. We’re not big cry it out parents, but a nearly 3 year old just wanting attention warranted a bit of time to fuss by himself.
45 minutes last he was still going at it. Just doing everything he could think of to get to stay awake. On my way up the stairs, this is what I heard:
“I need a drink, I’m scared, My peepee hurts, I need to go potty, (says the boy who has NO interest whatsoever) I want my dinosaurs, I want a snack, I need to watch TV, where’s my brother”…and anything else he could think of to rattle off the top of his head. Well, my mommy brain was FRIED and TIRED OF IT ALL and was about to snap with a mean mommy kind and gentle “go to sleep” when Chuck said he would take this one and up the stairs he went.
A few minutes later he came down and said we wouldn’t hear another peep out of him. I knew he had left the duct tape downstairs, so I wondered what happened.
Enter parenting genius. From now on, Josh is allowed to pick one special toy (non-battery operated) to bed with him. Any toy that he wants, and just one toy. Perhaps his favorite toy of the day, or his beloved Chickie (Chick Hicks, Pixar’s CARS), or Thomas…whatever he wants. However, the minute he starts his shenanigans, we get the toy. We don’t just take it away for the night. We get it and get to play with it for a day or so. 2 nights in, and it’s worked like a charm. For now.
Nap time has also turned into quiet time in your room. So far, he will play for a bit then take a little nap. Works for me.
Sorry I haven’t blogged anything about Christmas. We went to Christmas Eve service, had Christmas at both sets of grandparents houses, Christmas morning here, …..typical Christmas. Josh’s biggest surprise was his train table that Chuck has been working on since summer. He got to sleep in our bed so we could get the table set up in his room. At 2 am.
Of course, it looks a bit different now that there’s about 65 train cars on the table. And his dinosaurs have already destroyed the forest that was mama’s great idea. He’s also the proud owner of 3 sets of McQueen jammies, McQueen underoos, and a Thomas the Train tent. Add that to the existing CARS rug, sports decals, and Hotwheels already in his room, and it looks like toy store exploded.
Christmas for Preston was pretty laid back. He just wasn’t that interested in opening gifts, probably because he hasn’t mastered hand/eye coordination yet. But then, neither have I. He will be rocking his Colts outfits and toys though!
Preston has an appt with a dermatologist next week. He has severe eczema from head to toe and his face is loosing pigmentation. He’s kind of blotchy looking. Ok, he’s really blotchy looking. So much so that whenever we go out in public, I field at least 2-3 questions about what’s wrong with him. We’re playing with formula changes to see if it’s some sort of allergy and he gets greased in Aquaphor at least twice a day. He does continue to be the happiest little rug rat you’ve ever seen. He’s happy and loud. When he talks, he squeals and shrieks. I guess he has to in order to keep up with his brother. He’s sweet, oh so very sweet, and very bonded to mommy and brother. He’s started to take a liking to daddy to and will talk to him. He’s not a fan of sleeping in his crib, but we’re working on it. He prefers to sleep in his swing. (Um, check it out. I bet you would prefer to sleep there too if it came in adult size!) I think he’s also going to be ready to try cereal before Josh was because he gets very MAD when we eat and he can’t have any!
See you next year!
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 (New International Version)
Dear Preston,
You won’t remember this, your first Christmas. You won’t remember how just 3 days before Christmas we were able to finalize your adoption, making you officially legally ours. I hope one day you are able to understand that adoption is so very complicated and how it was such a happy day for me, it was also tinged with a bit of sadness for the family you were born into. Your placement by your first mom into our family wasn’t because of an unloving birth mother, but quite the opposite. In your situation, this was truly her only option and she was able to look at life and her family through the eyes of experience and reality and not just emotions and put what you needed above what she wanted. I’ve seen true heartbreak.
For years, my dream was one. Just one son. And in a crazy blessing, I ended up with two. I can’t explain the level of completeness you bring to my heart.
Your addition made our house a bit more crowded. There’s now your baby swing in the living room, the third bedroom is really a bedroom and not a catch-all/toy area, and I still haven’t figured out a good place to set your bucket car seat when it’s in the house so we’re not constantly tripping over it. At one point in time, I had all the laundry done. Then you came home. Yes, you made our house full, but my heart is even more full.
Christmas time has found me a bit over-the-top sentimental lately, it seems. Song on the radio = cry. Watching my kids play = cry. Josh telling me I’m his sweetheart = cry. Watching these two make their first snowman together = cry. (And yes, that’s where Josh wanted it!)
I came across this great post from Shaun and wanted to share it here with you.
While You Wait
The Old Testament ends with two commands from the prophet Malachi. He tells God’s people to remember: Remember that God has done great things for you. Then he tells them to believe: Believe God’s not through doing great things for you.
Remember. Moses, manna, water gushing from a rock, the Law written down by the finger of God on a mountaintop. Remember.
Believe. Believe that no matter how much darkness comes your way God will not abandon you, forget you. He will rescue. Believe.
Then the prophet put down his pen and for the next 400 years the Israelites changed hands from empire to empire. Syrians. Persians. Greeks. Romans.
400 years. Some have called them the “darkest” in Jewish history.
Why? The Jews had known this kind of poverty, persecution and powerlessness before.
Why were these years the darkest?
Because God was the quietest.
For 400 years not a syllable was spoken by God to his suffering children. No prophets. No miracles.
Nothing but darkness.
And waiting, remembering, believing.
Then, one night, an angel appeared to shepherds watching their flocks. And light shone all around them. And Heaven sent a message to earth.
Before songs of joy there were cries of sorrow. Before peace on earth there was conflict. Before healing came hurt. Before the Light of the World there was darkness. Before the Word became flesh God was silent.
Wait. Remember all the great things God has done in your life. Believe that He’s not through doing them.
Wait. Your star will come.
