Stork Central

Some adoption plans come together very quickly, while others are longer in the making; somehow, our latest placement story managed to be both! Many months ago, a shy birthmom who was already parenting approached us to make adoption plans; however, by the time she'd chosen a family, they'd already matched with someone else. She chose another couple, but subsequently, her match fell through, right before the birth. She was devastated but still believed the "right" family was out there, somewhere... so we put her in touch with some waiting families, and to her amazement, among them was someone she knew-- the family she'd originally selected. Their prior match had also fallen through! And though each family couldn't possibly have understood it at the time, they all know now why things happened as they did; they both were meant to wait, in order to find each other, for the sake of the baby boy they both love so! So here's to our latest happily-ever-after story, from Bobbing for Squirrels, 10/05. May the ending of their tale be as divinely-inspired as its beginning!

It's Fiesta week here in San Antonio, where for the past 115 years, locals celebrate the memory of the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. This week, however, there's another reason for celebration, the 6 lb., 12 oz. little boy who makes excited new parents of the first of our Fools Crush In, 3/06. They're still pinching themselves to believe it's happened so quickly (and now they're just wishing they'd taken to heart our advice at orientation about getting the nursery ready right away!) Happy Fiesta to our newest family, with thanks to the loving birthmom whose courage, faith and strength made it all possible.

Children learn what they live, begins a treasured poem, and our newest child is sure to learn and live a life of love and acceptance! Her birthmom, the doting parent of two little boys, waited for two weeks after the birth to be certain that adoption was the right plan, but after speaking with one couple from Connecting The Tots, 1/06 she knew for sure that her daughter's destiny was secure. And after speaking with her, this couple, who came into the process concerned about boundaries, knew without question that true love knows no boundaries. So we celebrate with them, today, as they begin their new journey, together, and we hold in our thoughts the courageous birthmother who made it all possible, and one beloved family pooch whose household is about to be changed in the most wonderful of ways!!

Eleven months ago, thirteen couples from across the U.S. and Germany gathered in San Antonio to pursue a dream. Some had adopted before and were seeking siblings for their children. Others were first-timers, fresh off the treadmill of fertility treatment. One had endured the insult of being told his "swimmers" held all the reproductive potential of frozen peas. Another had undergone invitro, producing just one embryo, whom they named, but "SeaBiscuit," regrettably, failed to finish the race. Each couple all came from different backgrounds and had different stories, but they shared one common goal: that of parenting. Today, the final chapter of the story of the PeaBiscuits, 5/05 has been written, with the placement of a 6 lb., 13 oz. baby girl with our againers from Arizona. Their journey had twists and turns they'd not foreseen. Twice, they matched with cases they later decided weren't right for them, but as a result, those babes found their perfect homes, and subsequently, our newest family was right where they needed to be when the daughter of their dreams was finally born. Everything does happen for a reason, even when we can't see it at the time (and seeing their baby girl in their arms now is proof positive that all's well that ends well!) Congratulations, all. The pod is now filled!! May our all our little peas and their mommies and their daddies live happily ever after, and may their birthmommas and birthpapas be at sweet peace with their decisions, as well.

Perhaps the process of adoption is not unlike a quilt; the pieces sometimes may not seem to fit initially but in time the pattern comes together in ways that the quilter may not have originally imagined, and the result is surely where love resides! So it was for our newest family, members of Connecting the Tots, 1/06. Their profile spoke of having met after God asked them both to step out of their comfort zones that day, and the adoption journey truly requires the same of both our birthparents and our adopting families. "Only the Lord could have made such a perfect match in so short of a time," their profile read. (Truer words were never spoken!) May their tiny new daughter be the beneficiary of both families' faith and love--and the legendary wit of both her fathers; he who conceived and he who adopted-- because knowing the four parents who now share this angel, the quilt that covers her will undoubtedly be stitched with care, trimmed with humor and strong as muslin.

After eight years of hoping and trying and waiting to become parents, a Dallas/Ft. Worth couple happened to catch Adoption Stories on the Discovery channel, where they learned of Abrazo. A week ago, they sent in their application paperwork, hoping to attend this week's orientation, but God had other plans for them and the best possible reason for them to spend the weekend at home-- with their week-old, 8 lb., 13 oz. baby boy! Congratulations to our newest family! (Next time, come join us for orientation, first, and see what you missed, just so you know what the fuss is all about.)

Yee-haw!!! There's a new little buckaroo headed home to the ranch with his new ma and pa today, and they just couldn't be happier about it! Yessireebob, that's right, the PeaBiscuits of 5/05 have a new cowboy in their corral, so here's wishing them all happy trails: the handsome 'lil feller born just two days ago, his proud new parents and the generous and loving birthfamily who made this miracle happen! Yippppeeee-yi-yaaaaaaa! Congratulations, all!

Although the Good Lord is perfectly capable of accomplishing great miracles all by Himself, not all of them are done alone... sometimes, He calls on earthly angels and other times, on heavenly spirits to help Him achieve His goals. So it surely was for our newest family, for as many pregnancies they had lost prior to coming to Abrazo, their birthfamily had endured nearly as many along the journey that preceded their decision to add this couple to their family tree. Undoubtedly, it was a combination of factors: the influence of the unborn and the needs of the born, that helped forever change the lives of each. (And perhaps, just perhaps, it took also the bounty of the harvest season, when this adoptive couple first filled out their adoption paperwork, and the magic of Bobbing for Squirrels, 10/05, to bring about nature's blessings!) We wish both families, biological and adoptive, a bumper crop of joy in their future together, and we celebrate especially this newest little sprout, he who means so much to all of them! Congratulations.

This evening, in San Antonio, a tiny babe gazed wonderingly into the eyes of a couple who did not even know they'd be here, three days ago. He could not see, of course, that they'd journeyed a lifetime to get to today. He could not know, of course, the sorrow and disappointment and bitter tears those childhood sweethearts endured along the way. He cannot fathom the joy and amazement and gratitude they now feel, both for his arrival and for his birthparents' sacrificial love on his behalf. He can't imagine, young as he is, the excitement shared among his new parents' orientation comrades (Connecting The Tots, 1/06), upon learning of his homecoming. Surely, though, this tiny boy senses that he is safe, that he is secure, and that he is cradled in the arms of a mother and father who will treasure him always. Welcome, little one. May your life be long and happy and filled with laughter.

Abrazo loves its againers, because it is truly a pleasure to send babies home with those who can be trusted to talk the talk and walk the walk! This newest placement also makes a big brother out of an Abrazobabe who went home just a couple years back (and his birthmomma has taken his new sister's birthmother under her wing, bless her heart.) It's our pleasure to see this, the first of our Connecting The Tots (1/06) grads take home a newborn daughter, because we know it's just the first of many homecomings that lie ahead for that group. Joyous salutations to all... and here's to faith rewarded!

Years back, a musical came out called "The Wiz", and in it was a song called "If You Believe..." If you believe, within your heart, you'll know! And nothing can change the way that things should go. Believe! and you will see. Believe! you can walk on air. Click your heels three times, if you believe! Surely our newest parents were thinking this same thing as they left the "10/4 Good Buddies" orientation weekend last September, and again as they left a north Texas hospital with their darling new baby girl, A VERY great sacrifice on the part of their loving birthmom. Nothing meritous is accomplished without great faith, as legend has it. Congratulations to the dear birthmother who believed in a brighter future for her child, and the excited new parents who made it happen with faith, determination and love.

It's a unique case opportunity that would require a very special family; Abrazo is seeking a loving home for 5 (count them: five!) full siblings (three girls, two boys) ranging in age from 18 months to five-and-a-half. The children are Anglo-Hispanic and have been homeless for eight months; their 23-year-old birthmom loves them tremendously but has been the victim of domestic violence and cannot provide for her children and wants better for them. An open adoption is very important to her and would likewise be essential to the best interests of these precious children. These siblings must be placed together. This case would qualify for Abrazo's special needs program, given that it entails more than three children being placed together and may also be eligible for the state adoption subsidy program, as well. Interested families with completed homestudies are asked to contact Angela at 210/342-5683. Please keep these children and their parents in your prayers!

She may not have planned on becoming the answer to someone else's prayers this week, but she certainly was, and the beautiful baby girl she placed with another of our Bobbing for Squirrels (10/05) couples today will grow up knowing and loving her for the courageous and wonderful woman that she is. We thank our newest birthmother for entrusting us with her plan for her daughter's future and we send our love out to her, to her chosen adoptive couple and the tiny infant who is, surely, living proof of God's intent that the world should go on!

Some dreams come together quickly, while others take time to develop... some gardens bloom suddenly, while others need more than a season to blossom. So it was for the last of our Dandy Dozen Storkjackers (1/05), who came to the process with one certain dream for their family, and he took his sweet time finding them... but he was certainly worth the wait, and he's here now, and so are they, and we couldn't be happier for them. Many thanks to the birthmom who made their dream come true, and our loving congratulations to the entire January 2005 orientation group, twelve fine families who joined together on this awesome adventure, and supported each other every step of the way!!

Abrazo recently heard from an out-of-state couple who had to pay $4K for just a homestudy update!!! Please, please, shop around... while folks are often reluctant to question social workers for fear of offending them, the profession does still require accountability and we can't imagine how any agency could justify this kind of update fee-- no matter how reputable an agency seems to be.

How do you know when it's the "perfect" match-- since there's no such thing as a "perfect" case? Sometimes, you feel it right away... other times, it's the sense you get as the relationship grows... and occasionally, instead of a burning bush, you get a neon-bright flashing light kind of signal, as happened for one of our Bobbing for Squirrels (10/05) couples. The adoptive mom had a not-so-common name, which just happened to match their birthmom's name, as well! and the rest was happy history. They met recently, and that weekend visit went so well, the maternal grandpa was already planning for when he would teach the 'lil guy to hunt! That kind of forward-thinking went a long way this week when the birthmom unexpectedly went into labor, early: she'd so wanted the adoptive couple to be present for the birth, she held off delivering until they'd managed to race cross-country by car, and they arrived at the hospital with literally minutes to spare, before their new son came into the world! We wish them all the happiest of tomorrows together, and we send out the same regards to all our parents-in-waiting and their "perfect" matches, just waiting to be found!

This week, we received one of the best reference letters of all. It was on behalf of a couple who adopted a baby from Abrazo a few years ago and now wish to begin the process to adopt a second child... and the letter came from one of the most wonderful and wisest possible sources: the birthgrandparents of the couple's first child!! What a tribute they wrote, and how honored they must have been, to be asked to submit such a special testimonial: explaining why a second child would be so blest to be able to join their birthgrandchild's home. Loving thoughts go out to these gracious birthgrandparents, and our highest commendations to the adoptive couple who have so proven themselves to the folks who mattered most! You know who you are! (And we're proud to know you, too.)

Once there were two women, who learned to trust each other... The first he'll know as "Mommy," the other is his birthmother. Two different lives have joined to make his one; One from the Lone Star State, the other from a place of sun. One of them bravely gave him life, the other, a family! We send them both our love; may he grow up happily. Our best wishes to the proud mothers of our newest baby boy!! We're so glad that they both found their way to Abrazo so the son they share will grow up with the best of both worlds-- and congrats to his new "big" brother, as well.

For those who may be struggling to "get" what open adoption is all about, here's a great article by our old friend Jim Gritter, M.S.W., from up in the piney woods of northern Michigan: Open Adoption Explained.

Good news! In case you missed it, the 1/9/06 issue of Time magazine, included an Essay feature written by David Van Biema, entitled "Life After Limbo", reporting on an important and pending shift in Roman Catholic beliefs concerning baptism. For centuries, Catholic theology taught that babies who died prior to being baptized could not go to heaven, but instead, went permanently to a place called "limbo" where they could not enjoy the actual presence of God (nor their parents, once deceased) but would remain happy. This caused enormous grief and guilt for parents whose newborns passed on too soon to be christened, adding further sorrow to their loss. Although this theory had been in place since the Middle Ages, Pope Benedict XVI has previously written that it was not actually a church doctrine, but merely a "theological hypothesis" which he identified as "problematic." Consequently, the new pontiff is expected to approve a document recognizing the right of unbaptized babies to be fully welcomed into heaven upon their demise. Because as the Rev. James Martin was quoted saying in the Times Essay: "My idea of God is not a God who would condemn a baby to an imperfect life for eternity." May the official revision come out soon... heaven knows, it's long overdue.

To anyone else, it may have looked like an adoption success story completed in record time, since the adoptive couple joined Abrazo just six months ago... but in reality, our latest adoption tale was a lifetime in the making, with the Air Force playing a major role on both ends! The birthfamily's journey took them from Guam to Texas, and the adoptive couple had to move from Germany to New Mexico, in order to find each other in San Antonio this week, and it took just a 5 lb., 2 oz. baby girl to join their families in a friendship for the ages. So we send out this heartfelt "bless you!" to one special birthmom and a supportive birthgrandma, and a happy "congrats!" to two Summer Strollers (7/05) whose hearts are surely soaring beyond the clouds right now. And to the tiny princess who means so much to all of them... we're glad you've crossed into the blue! We've been waiting for you!