Stork Central
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Santa Fe is known for Indian artistry, extraordinary Southwestern cuisine, and now, a beautiful new baby girl, lovingly placed by her birthfamily in the arms of a grateful, previously-childless couple from our 3/04 orientation, The Forrestears. May she grow up healthy and happy in the mountains of New Mexico, secure in the knowledge of who she is and how she came to be there, and surrounded for life with the love of both families who adore her so! Our best wishes to all.
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Yes, today was a busy day here in Abrazoland, as two of our couples moved from the "childless" column to the ranks of "New Parents!" One, from the Fab Nine of 1/04, are now the proud mom and dad of a tiny three pound boy bound to be a linebacker one day! and the other is our first family from the Tremendous Ten of 5/04, who now have a darling daughter to dote on. And they're both active on the Forum, so stay tuned; you're bound to see baby photos posted soon! Our heartfelt congratulations to both families and their precious new babes, and our prayers for the birthfamilies who made such big choices for their little ones' futures (and last of all, kudos to the two devoted staffers who volunteered to make the trip to complete both deliveries right on the heels of a long Camp Abrazo weekend.) Here's to new beginnings!!
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An old camp song reminds us to "make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." This weekend, we're honored to welcome back to Texas one of our "golden oldies," a particularly brilliant woman who just happens to be a Midwestern physician and single mom of four-- well, make that five! now, with the adoption of her third Abrazobabe! She drove down with one of our favorite grandmas, two sons and one daughter, to make another baby girl part of her forever family, and we congratulate her, her supportive family, her selfless birthmom (also a single parent) and her new baby's birthgrandma, on finding each other and launching a lifetime friendship on behalf of the lucky little girl they all already love so. Here's to strong moms with such commitment to children (from an agency blessed to have both "silver and gold" connections with so many such women!)
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Our biracial babes all got home safe and sound, thanks to the angels who watch these Nursery Notes and spread the word that good parents are needed! Now, we're looking for loving families for two to-be-born African-American boys, due in August and September to wonderful birthmoms already active in our birthparent support group; and for a very patient couple interested in Anglo-Hispanic twins due early next year, to an older, incarcerated birthmom who will need virtually no financial assistance but plenty of emotional support between now and then. Know of any possibilities? Get their homestudies faxed in to Angela, please, and she'll be in touch!
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All hail Croptoberfest! With today's placement of a newborn boy in West Texas, our 10/03 orientation weekend graduates are all now parents, and less than a year after they came onboard. And with a coach as his new daddy and a schoolteacher for Mom, this newest Abrazobabe is sure to have his shooting skills, ABCs and 1-2-3s down before he's even out of diapers. Congratulations to the new mom and dad, to the birthcouple who brought about this miracle, and to all our Croptoberfesters out there, who proved, once again, it wasn't ever about "if?" but merely a matter of "when!"
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From Steven Curtis Chapman:
There are thousands of Christian families who have room in their heart and their home, but lack the financial resources to adopt a child in desperate need of a family. Whether adopting domestically or internationally, adoption expenses can be costly! Shaohannah's Hope
exists to care for orphans by engaging the church and helping Christian families reduce the financial barrier to adoption.
We accomplish this by awarding financial grants to qualified families presenting the greatest need for assistance. To date we have awarded over 125 financial grants, with hundreds of applicants in process.
Visit our website: Adoption Scholarships.
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For those of you who are just starting out and haven't even sent in your inquiry (the "pre-app") yet, here are helpful pointers from the Home Office and also from the "been there, done that" crowd!!! For starters:
1) DO read everything you can beforehand--it'll put you that much further ahead, right from the start. It will also help you better understand Open Adoption, so that you'll know whether Abrazo's program (which does advocate for fully open adoption, with ongoing, direct contact between birthparents and adoptive families before and after placement) is suited to your needs!
2) DON'T apply for admission into Abrazo's full-service placement program if you can get pregnant or have been advised not to have a biological pregnancy. As noted on the inquiry, the full-service program is only for those who are infertile (unable to achieve pregnancy) and have medical verification of this condition. Those without infertility may adopt instead through Abrazo's designated or special needs programs, which are open to those who could get pregnant but have chosen not to, for personal or medical reasons.
3) DO remember that in accordance with policies (as printed on our forms) all service fees are nonrefundable (i.e. (inquiry, application. agency deposits), and the orientation fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable upon agency confirmation of your reserved weekend.
4) DON'T start a homestudy for Abrazo's program without giving your social worker a copy of Abrazo's required homestudy standards (available under Professionals Corner, here on the Forum!) This will save you money, time and aggravation in terms of addendums later on.
5) DO talk openly with your spouse and explore all your options upfront. Abrazo isn't the "right" program for everyone... we need the best possible parents for our precious babies. Be as expansive as possible in your placement preferences (remembering that Abrazo's most common placement need is for childless couples open to full Hispanic infants) to allow yourself more choices down the road. The more limited your preferences, the more opportunities you are rejecting (and every "opportunity" is, in fact, a child in need.) Kids out there need loving homes... how ready are you?
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Their completed inquiry had reached the office just days before our last orientation, a wee bit too late! But in the nearly a month since, they completed all their other paperwork and a homestudy, too, and thus it became obvious that this motivated couple could offer the perfect home for a special baby boy already waiting in foster care. The proof came today, when they came to meet their tiny new son for the very first time! and recognized in a heartbeat that he was, in fact, the perfect answer to their prayers, too. So loving congratulations go out to our latest success story whom you'll meet at Camp Abrazo this summer-- because as everyone knows, there's no better place to celebrate family than with our Family!
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Hip, hip, hooray! We've been so excited about getting the word out--while the Forum was out of commission, the Abrazo crew was still hard at work (of course) and we've got two happy new homecomings to announce!!
They set a new record for talking with more birthparents than anybody else and taking longer to find the "right one", but these againers from our Sleepless in San Antonio weekend of 4/02 were so enamored with their firstborn Abrazo son, they just weren't in any hurry. Sure enough, a second baby son was just waiting for them to be ready when he was...and his wonderful birthfamily was well worth the wait, inviting the adoptive parents to be there for the birth and graciously sharing every moment of the baby's first days. This was not a simple transaction for either couple, but rather, a carefully-constructed plan, ensuring a happily-ever-after future for this lucky little son whose future they're now privileged to share. Congrats to both extraordinary sets of parents!
And Happy Placement Day! to our newest set of parents, a couple of Forumites who'd suffered a recent setback but got right back up, dusted themselves off and jumped back on the horse in record time. These Fab Niners of 1/04 had just barely gotten home from their "dress rehearsal," yet gladly sprinted back to Texas in record time, upon learning of a brand new birthmom down South who'd chosen them and then delivered within a matter of days! And so we send loving "welcome to the world" greetings to their newborn son and the phenomenal woman who made this miracle possible for them. Kudos!
Finally, holler "howdy-do!" to our most recent orientation graduates, the Tremendous Ten, who attended our Parents of Tomorrow event this past weekend and are getting their profiles and homestudies done, pronto!! Wishing all our parents-in-waiting wind in their sails as they embark on this most joyous adventure.
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Our latest Againers to take the Texas trek a third time know for sure that everything happens for a reason. Originally, this Tennessee couple came to Abrazo having birthed a biological daughter and then having had secondary infertility. They endured a failed adoption plan then went on to successfully take placement of a newborn baby girl. They returned for orientation last fall, and were chosen quickly thereafter by a birthmom who'd already delivered a baby boy, whom they joyfully took home with them, assuming their family was now complete. God knew better, however, and today, they're back, welcoming their fourth (and final?) child into their family--the newborn bio-brother of their Texas-born daughter!! We wish them plenty of sleep while they await Compact approval, because once home with four busy children, they'll surely need their rest! Congratulations and best wishes to all!
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Life is, as they say, inherently messy. Complicated. Unpredictable. Sends you in one direction, and then, inexplicably, draws you off into another. But for all the twists and turns, it's a pretty awesome ride, all things considered. And so it is with adoption. Even the best of plans are sometimes beset with unforeseen challenges and tests of faith, but in the end, the greatest harvest can grow only as a result of plenty of sunshine, compost and rain.
Our newest parents, frequent Forumites and graduates of The Fab Nine of 1/04, can surely attest to this. They're planted in a Texas hotel room, admiring with amazement the newborn son entrusted to them just today. Surely he is the fruit of their labors-- and the apple of his birthparents' eye. May he flourish under the careful tending of all who love him best.
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Another busy day in Abrazoland, and we couldn't be happier about it!
For another of our delightful Forrestears (3/04), it was another precious baby girl, tenderly placed in their open arms by her very loving birthmom, as a proud birthbrother looked on with approval. And for a special couple from The Fab Nine of 1/04, who recently experienced a tragic loss that was shared by many of our Forum folk, sorrow turned to joy as they met their newborn son and the courageous birthcouple who chose them for him.
Wishing both of these new families and the birthparents who enabled these miracles every blessing in their new lives together!
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Crack the cascarones and dance for joy! It's Fiesta time in San Antonio, and a couple hundred thousand tourists are crowding our fair city to celebrate the Battle of San Jacinto-- and the entrustment of our latest B.O.G., a baby girl born last weekend, to two of our beloved Forrestears of 3/04 (who also happen to be active Forumites!) As they know all too well, everything happens for a reason, and we're so glad they found good reason to join us for orientation when they did... because who could've ever guessed that just 6 weeks later, they'd be watching parades with a new daughter of their own? Viva Fiesta! Viva su Forrestears!! Vivas las familias!
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Just one month ago today, The Forrestears (3/04) witnessed their group's first placement on the last day of orientation... and now, they get to celebrate a new addition of a baby girl to their ranks, as another childless couple from that weekend become parents of a B.O.G., just born Sunday! Hurrah for this motivated couple, who got their homestudy done early so as to be ready for placement right away, and hurrah for the conscientious birthcouple, who wanted nothing but the best for their precious little daughter.
"When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are... when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true!"
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"A" is for AGAINERS!!
What is it that makes our AGAINERS so AWESOME to work with? AYE, it's because they're so ABSOLUTELY ABRAZO-READY, we know they're prepared for ANOTHER, ANYTIME it happens!!! So that's why we ANNOUNCE with ABJECT joy the ARRIVAL of A second ANGEL for one of our grade-A families, AS they ADD to their happy ABODE the newborn bio-brother of AN ADORABLE and ACTIVE little daughter they ACTUALLY ADOPTED just last year!!
With AFFECTION and ADULATION, we AFFIRM these latest ALUMNI who've come back for seconds, AND we ASK the ALMIGHTY who ANSWERED their APPEAL so AMAZINGLY to ALWAYS AID them AS they ADVANCE through life together. (AND please, God, ASSIST us in ABRUPTLY ending this ALLEGORICAL ARTICLE before we ALTER its AMBIANCE by ANNOYINGLY ADDING the words ARMADILLO or AARDVARK!!!)
AMEN!
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A special Wisconsin couple whose agency just forwarded their homestudy for consideration is thanking the galaxy that their family constellation now includes a one-week-old, 7 lb., 7 oz. star!! They moved heaven and earth to rocket down to Texas with just 4 days notice (and no local hotel "space" available, due to the Final Four) to meet their new son (while their small daughter waits to welcome her little brother home.) May they enjoy this zenith of family life and be blessed with meteor showers of love and joy, to infinity and beyond!!!!
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Stork Central takes special pleasure in bringing new baby news to the Forum when one of your own become parents (since we think our Forum folks belong in a class all their own!) so it is with particular delight that we announce our latest placement. It happened for a Midwestern couple from The Fab Nine (1/04), who'd demonstrated the true pioneer spirit when it came to facing loss and "gettin' right back on that hoss" in full pursuit of their destiny! Despite their prior loss of their firstborn (and then last week having the courage to walk away from a match that just wasn't working), they never gave up, and today this happy couple flew to Texas (with just one day's notice) to meet the newborn boy of their dreams. We don't know who shed more tears today; this elated mom and dad, or the Abrazo staff! but we send up prayers of thanks tonight for the loving birthmom who made it all happen and these proud new parents who always kept the faith.
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Hi, Kim! Abrazo's orientations are fillled on the basis of agency resource needs, meaning that the space for each weekend is assigned according to projected placement availabilities. This is generally reviewed about 4-6 weeks prior to each scheduled event. (At present, May orientation is open to a very limited number of againers, so space is filling fast.) Priority is given to those againers who are accepting of racial diversity, have demonstrated commitment to fully open adoption terms, willingness to consider special needs children or noninfants, etc. Againers from within Abrazo's program are not required to submit the inquiry (or "preapplication") again but must have a new application on file with the agency before being eligible for consideration for re-entry into orientation.
For answers to more specific questions, feel free to call our fabulous Family Services Coordinator, Angela Martinez, M.S.W. at 210/342-LOVE.
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March is shaping up to be a "boy-babe-ilicious" kinda month, what with our latest, greatest arrivals being all decked in blue! A benevolent Utah couple (Abrazo againers, at that) signed up with The Peterectors of 11/01, thinking they might take home a baby girl at the close of orientation weekend, only to find their hopes dashed at the last moment... but they kept the faith and found themselves doubly blessed this week, with the placement of their newborn twin sons!... and with the opportunity to spend plenty of quality time with their boys' birthmom, birthgrandmomma and birthsib. (Here's to the sort of miracles that only patience and providence can bring.)
And for a lucky Minnesota family whose Texas-born baby came along before our next scheduled orientation weekend did, we send our congratulations on the arrival of their handsome little fella, and their building of another wonderful friendship with his birthmother, birthsister and birthgrandmother.
Adoption make relatives of the nicest people, after all! These folks are all living proof of that.
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Ask the adopting parents of Abrazo's newest girl baby if placement is truly as thrilling the second time, and these delighted againers would tell you "oh, heavens to Betsey, yeaaaasss!!" in the sweetest Southern twang-- assuming, of course, that you could distract them from their tiny royal bundle long enough pose the question.
We just couldn't be happier for them and their darlin' little boy, at home with his doting grandmamas as they patiently await the family's homecoming. Genteel salutations are in order for this, the latest of The Peterectors of 11/03, on their pretty, pink dream-come-true; one determined birthmom and her boyfriend; and this precious 'lil belle, who's sure to find a U-Haul full of frilly party dresses awaiting her arrival back home!! (All hail the Queen!)
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The best possible birthday present came early for one lucky new daddy and his wife: after completing our Parents of Tomorrow orientation weekend just this afternoon, this overjoyed Idaho couple became the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy born earlier this week. May the three of them roll through life together without a care--and may the rest of their orientation buddies, The Forresteers of 3/04, likewise find miraculous changes occurring in their lives in record time.
(And may they make extra good use of this special feature on Abrazo's website that we call "The Forum!" ...inside joke, there. )
Many thanks, also to Forumites linlacor, kmiles and schervinski, who spoke on today's orientation panel and made such a big impression on our newest parents-to-be! We love you all!
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Just for you, our parents of parents-to-be: a corner for folks to share great thoughts, pointers, questions and ideas on good grandparenting... getting ready for grandkids... adjusting to your new role... and learning how to best build generational memories to last another lifetime! (Let us be the first to congratulate you, and to say you look much too young to be anybody's grandmother, yet! )
Becoming someone's Grandparent is a major milestone, after all, and one to be celebrated. It is a position of honor, and an opportunity for rejuvenation. What are your favorite recollections of time spent with your own grandparents? How will you want to be remembered? What do you want to be called? What pearls of wisdom will you want to pass along to your family's newest generation? What kind of grandparent do you hope to be, and why?
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From the cold of winter come the fresh green shoots of spring... from the greys of storm come the effervesence of rainbow... from the shards of loss come the flames of victory... and from the pangs of childbirth come the promise of future! Yes, out of life's most complex instances come some of its most awesome miracles! And today, one very grateful (and gracefilled) couple from The Peterectors of 11/03 offer up prayers of thanks for the newborn miracle who just joined their loving home, as well as his birthparents, and the family members who all love them so.
We lift our hearts with theirs, and ask continued blessings upon all those who wait... who hope... who dream... and who believe!
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We're happy to report that our search for a Church of Christ couple led to a lovely match between the birthfamily mentioned above and a TN family who were present for the birth, just today. Thank you to all who assisted in spreading the word, enabling the proud new parents to find their way to Abrazo.
Now, we are in need of three special families, for three precious, biracial (Hispanic + African-American) infants due between March and June! All three birthmoms are lovely young women of Hispanic descent, each of whom is receiving prenatal care and has an identified birthfather aware of the pregnancy/adoption plan. If you know of potential parents for these coming children, please have them contact our Family Services Coordinator, Angela Martinez, at 210/342-5683.
Your assistance is much appreciated.
Baby Announcements 2004
in New Arrivals
Posted
Psst! The word is out: things are hopping in Houston!! The Abrazo staff has been busy working overtime, and as a result, another couple from The Fab Nine (1/04) have another little reason to celebrate, having just become a mommy and daddy for the first time, this past weekend! so if Forum regulars notice a slow down in posts from a certain household down south, it's because they have somebody else keeping them up nights, these days! And that's not all: another Houstonite, a single professional who called last fall with a dream of parenting now has a newborn son to celebrate, just weeks before she was slated to attend orientation. Congratulations to both our newest families! Now keep these 5 magic words in mind, new parents: sleep when the baby sleeps! Here's wishing y'all joyous beginnings-- and plenty of rest, as well.