waitingforanangel
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Posts posted by waitingforanangel
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Probably in October, after the Abrazo gals recover from Camp Abrazo.
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Laural, thanks so much for the suggesions about the books. WE havae a photo album of Mikey's life, and a CD about his life, but not really a lifebook. I reallly need to put that together soon.
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So here is something I've been thinking about for a while, and I thought you call could help me with it. Since we don't have any contact wtih Mikey's birthparents per their own decision, I keep thinking it's going to be harder for us to explain to him his adoption story than if we had contact. We still send pictures and cards to Abrazo, hoping his BP will someday call and ask for them. But everytime I think about how to start this conversation with Mikey when he's a bit older... I can't find the right answer. We have a picture of her, and I've shown it to Mikey a couple of times. But how do we teach him to understand who she is, if we don't know how likely it is that he'll ever meet her?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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Soo not fair Elizabeth! I love San Antonio, but orientation in Las Vegas??? Can we come just to hang out with you???
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I just sent a couple from California your way! Hope you can accept them in the program.
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Amen! Relationships are fluid, and the terms of contact are always subject to change, in every significant relationship that we have in life... the challenge in open adoption is to strike a happy balance between the needs of both sets of parents, in the best interests of the child they share.
Paul and I were a bit concerned about open adoption at first, because of a personal experience in my family. We read books, listened to what other families said and understood that Open Adoption is about what's best for the child. Unfortunately, we don't have any contact with Mike's birthfamily. I pray every day that some day his first mom's life will be in a place where she can feel comfortable calling us. Mikey has many people who love him around aside from our family, our "tribe" of friends have given Mikey ton's of honorary aunts and uncles. But I know that someday my little peanut will start asking questions, and all I can hope for is that God will guide us so we can have the best answers.
Perhaps we can then put him in touch with other birthmoms who can help him understand his own first mom's decision.
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May God have them in His Glory now.
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Congratulations to Darren and Kay!! Eliott is such a cutie!
And contratulations to our dear Abrazo Girl Renee for the new addition to her family as well!
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You can also contact a local adoption agency who can provide homestudy and post-adoption visits for you.
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Hello Heidi! Thanks for asking about Liza, she is actually in Washington, DC with us right now. She arrived a week and a half a go and is here for a week and a half more. She was kind enough to take all her vacation time for this year to come help us take care of Mikey. She has been AMAZING with Mikey, very loving and teaching him new things. She sings to him, plays with him and just in general she loves this child very much. THis week she has been teaching him to play peek-a-boo. Mikey in turn, seems to love her very much too. He is quite happy with her.
I'm back at work part-time but it's a tremendous peace of mind to know that our child is in good hands while Paul and I are at work. And on the days that I stay home, the three of us just have a lot of fun. We've been to the mall, to Babies-R-Us and the whole family (Paul, Mikey, Liza and I) went for a great, long walk to the National Mall on Saturday when the weather in DC was so nice.
I truly didn't know that my favorite niece would have such a good hand with babies. I'll tell her to post a message and tell you all how she's enjoying her time with her godson.
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Hi Erin and James, and Sugar Family, and all the new prospective parents. Welcome to Abrazo. My husband Paul and I originally started with a local agency in MD, and we were planning to adopt from Guatemala. But as we learned more about all the problems that Guatemala was facing in terms of regulations for adoption, we decided we would try domestic. The cousin of a friend of ours, and an Abrazo mom told us about her wondeful experience. THat was the Summer of 2007. We attended orientation in November '07, and we got a call about a BOG (baby on the ground, you'll learn all this alphabet soup of terms soon
) on Feburary 17. Our baby had been born the day before, and by February 19 he was in our arms. I was just singing Abrazo's praises to a friend who came to visit me and Michael today. She sounded interested in the whole process and although she didn't say so, I think that having Mikey in her arms made her think of the amazing possibilities that a little one brings to your life.
Now, to all of you new families-- I have a package of materials that you might need when you start putting together your profile-- colored paper, some stickers, etc. I went a bit overboard when I bough the materials for ours (I literally went to 2 Targets and 2 Michael's in 2 different states
). I am glad to mail some of this materials for you to build your profile so you don't have to spend money on it. The paper is in blue hues, and I have some patterned paper. OUr profile is no longer posted on the Gallery since we're already in the post-placement phase, but trust me the colors are really cool and so is the patterned paper. So if anyone is interested, send me a PM and I'll be glad to mail you the left-over materials we have. I hope they will bring you luck like they did to us. -
Tina, reading your post about the experience in church was really inspiring. It's wonderful to hear how strongly you believe in open adoption.
The Abrazo chicks and the friends from our group (Indecision07) might remember that when Paul and I started working with Abrazo I had serious doubts about open adoption due to something that happened in my family and of which I will eventually write about. However, reading about all the families and the relationships they have with the BP, has convinced me about its benefits for the babies, and for the both, the BP and AP's.
I want to share something that happened to me tonight. I met Governor Tom Vilsak (former Gov. of Iowa), who is in Las Vegas helping us with the campaign. A friend and I (we're both immigrants) were talking to him about the growth of the immigrant population in Iowa. He said he had implemented a program in IA when he was governor to help immigrants feel welcome, help them navigate the system, learn English, etc. What he said next are words I'll never forget. He told us: "it's important to mantain a connection to your roots. You are very lucky to know where you came from. I was an orphan, so I never knew where I came from". He said he thought he might have some Irish background "because of a letter he once received" (he didn't say from whom, but it sounded like from someone who might have known his BP).
To see this tall, grown man who symbolizes so much of why I'm in politics say those words was very powerful.
We all need to know where we came from, because when you don't, it will mark you for life.
Gov. Vilsak is a very succesful man now-- he is one of the most respected figures in the Democratic party and he's accomplished so much...wouldn't it be great if his BPs could have seen how far he's gone?
It was really a breathtaking moment.
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Hi all thank you so much on the warm welcome.
I am also looking forward to be a godmother.
And please, if you are planning a trip to Mexico don't hesitate to contact me
I would gladly show you around!WOW, That's my favorite niece Lizzy-the-lizzard. And that's Paul and I on the picture! Everyone, meet Liza! She's going to be an amazing "madrina" (godmother) for our little one. We have an 11-year old niece Carla, and Liza has always been a great big-cousin to her. Gotta go to work onthat profile now!
Positive Adoption Language
in Looking to Adopt
Posted
Geez-- is that "facilitator" even licensed? If she is, someone should take her license away!