Elaine
-
Posts
2,280 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Posts posted by Elaine
-
-
YAY!!! How exciting!!! Take off racehorse!
Give that sweet little girl hugs and kisses from her Abrazo aunties and uncles. -
Hello. My name is Elaine. I live in the Nashville, Tennessee area. I just joined the forum on January 1, 2005. Although I am new to this site...I can already tell how friendly you all are. Just like a family should be! I have enjoyed reading the different questions and answers posted. They are very informative (and some are also very entertaining)!
My husband and I have finished filling out our "inquiry". Now I have to rummage through our pictures and find one where we both have our eyes open! As soon as I have our photo in hand I will be mailing off our inquiry.
A special thanks to Melissa (my cousin-in-law)!!! She has spent a lot of her time answering questions I have. Melissa, thank you a million times over!!! You are wonderful!
Elaine
Wow...so much has changed in 19 months!
There is a certain kind of safety in dreaming without actually doing. That is where I was prior to January 2005. For years Mickey and I had known we were going to adopt. Many hours had been spent talking about the kind of parents we were going to be, what kind of family we hoped to have, how we wanted to educate our children, etc.
In January 2005 I actually submitted our Inquiry and joined the forum. Not being very swift at computers I was a bit hesitant to jump in. I dipped my toes in the water and soon was hooked.
I found the forum to be a wealth of knowledge and comfort.
Mickey has since then often joked that if there were a 12-step program for forum addicts, then I would need to attend every meeting!
So true...It seems I have lived two lives that shared one body. The first was life without children. In January 2005 Mickey and I lived in a different part of the state. My main priority was helping my students. Our set of friends was unique to that time in our life...mostly other people that didn't have children either. I slept in every weekend that I wanted to...had money to go shopping when I wanted to...went to the late show if we wanted to... We had total freedom and the quietness was deafening.
My second life has been since January 2005. I joined the Abrazo family. The love of my life was placed in my arms April 11, 2005. In May of that same year I quit teaching to stay home with our daughter. By July we had sold our house and were moving "home" to be closer to my family. Now I never get to sleep in...some months grocery money is tight close to payday...I have gone to one movie in 19 months...we have much responsibility and our home is full of life.
I appreciate both my first life and the life I now lead. I wouldn't change a thing...
-
Congrats Grandmama!!! Your little granddaughter is a precious beauty!!! How proud you must be...
Smiling from ear to ear,
Elaine
-
WOWWWWWWWWWWW!!! Two new announcments!!!
This is wonderful!Colleen and Tom your little girl is beautiful! Congratulations on your new baby girl!!!
Nick and Sarah I am so happy your little Angel has found her way home!!! This is truly a day worth celebrating!!! I can not wait to see a pic of your beautiful new family!
Wishing both families the best life has to offer. May your days be spent making bottles, cuddling in rocking chairs. and kissing chubby cheeks until they turn pink!
-
Oprah is having Madonna on her show next Wednesday. She is going to give her side of the story concerning the recent adoption. Should be interesting...
-
Hi, MothersLove06. My husband and I are adoptive parents through Abrazo's adoption program. I am with Elizabeth...give Pamela a call. She is a super nice person, and I know she would be very helpful in answering your questions.
Best wishes!
Elaine
-
Thank you, Elizabeth! Very inspiring!!! I made Mickey get up at 1 AM to watch it with me. When I first got him out of bed he was very grumpy, but afterwards he thanked me for sharing it with him.
-
Does Abrazo provide a handguide type thing for adoptive Grandparent's etc? I don't remember giving anything of that sort to my parents and Mickey's parents...but a lot has happened in the past 18 months. Maybe I did and have just forgotten. ???
Anyhow, in our case I know literature geared specifically for grandparents would have been so handy. They had lots of questions and I think may have felt a little left out of the process. Things like this thread or literature along these lines would have helped them to have understood the process a bit better and been more involved in the "labor of love" we were undertaking.
I do remember giving each of them a book specifically written for extended family concerning adoption. I picked that up from tapestrybooks I think.
-
Baby Olivia is gorgeous!!! Congrats to the newest family. I tell ya... the Abrazo Stork is working overtime making dreams come true!!!!
-
I, too, feel for the family that was not completely forthcoming with needed information. At the same time, birthparents and adoption professionals have the right to know honest answers to needed information. Just as I expected our birthparents to be completely honest/forthcoming...I know they needed the same of us.
We have personally experienced being on the receiving end of this type of situation. Being told half truths or having certain information completely omitted creates trust issues between adoptive parents and birth parents. This adds unneeded confusion to the adoption triad.
The truth shall set you free...
-
Congratulations, Little Emma Marie!!! I LOVE the picture of you in the gallery with all of those that love you the most. What a lucky little girl!!!
Congrats to the newest family!!!
-
Welcome to the world, Baby Ava! You have a beautiful family!
-
Lilly Grace is one beautiful little girl! Congratulations to the new family!!!
-
Welcome to the World, Little Jonah! I am so happy for you and your Mommy and Daddy.
-
With tears in my eyes I congratulate you! What a beautiful family you have!!! These children will be such a blessing to you (as you are to them).
PINK x 2 = Double Trouble (
)...I mean Double the Blessings and Double the Fun!!! So happy for you... Kiss those sweet little cheeks every chance you get!
Love,
Elaine
-
I was SO EXCITED to see some new action under this thread!
WooHoo...a new little blessing finding her way home!!! God is good!!! Congratulations to the latest Fools!!!
I am praying for the brave birthfamily as well!!! Hoping the birthbrothers are getting lots of hugs tonight (Mom and Dad too). May God help them not feel as though they have lost another sister but instead gained a whole new family.
May God bless this new family!! -
Elizabeth,
That poem was just beautiful! Thank you for sharing it with us. Wow... You do have a way with words!!! I am always amazed at your eloquence.
More than one of those stanzas makes my eyes fill with tears as several of them sound strangely familiar!
Much of this poem sums up our adoption experiences. I am so glad we took the plunge and trusted God and His perfect plan. We are not perfect (nor are our children), but His plan IS perfect and nothing short of miraculous.
Elaine
p.s. I am so happy that the Abrazo chicks EDUCATE us. Many go to Orientation in one mind set (about what they are willing to "accept") and leave totally changed and open!!!
I can not say enough good things about my Orientation experience or the gratitude I feel for being pushing past my comfort zone through education and faith. If Abrazo hadn't taught with such honesty and if I had not been open to change, then I would not be the Momma of my two precious girls.
-
Congratulations, Terri and Paul!!! Welcome to the world little fella!!! We look forward to seeing your sweet face proudly posted in the gallery! Prayers go up for this new family and their brave birthmom.
-
I am a it more bold when it comes to positive adoption language now. I think when we were first entering the process I noticed when others used neg. adoption lang, but I sometimes was almost embarrassed to lovingly correct them thinking...It isn't like I am an adoption expert or anything!
I don't feel like that anymore. I still realize I am by no means an adoption expert, but if I can help educate others, then that is my responsibility.
I cringe when someone makes a comment or uses neg .adoption lang. in front of the girls. This actually just happened at church on Sunday. Although, the girls are still young...I don't need to wait until they are "big girls" to start taking seriously what others choose to say in front of them.
Sunday was our first day at church with Angel. For the most part it was just lots of hugs and congratulations. There was one lady that was full of nosey questions and used negative adoption language. I lovingly corrected her and told her that Angel's background information belongs to her and no one else. I did this with a smile on my face and walked away!!!
Each time I am put in this position it gets a bit easier. Practice makes perfect...I guess!
-
I've been thinking about nursery decorations!
Ewwww...nursery decorations!!!
Talk about fun...that is so much fun!!! I LOVED decorating our girls' rooms!!!I look forward to hearing what decorations, colors, etc you come up with. Sounds like you all are well on your way to becoming parents!!!
-
You should definitely keep copies of everything
DITTO to what Beachmama said!!! Keep a copy of everything. Not only will it help you in case something gets lost and needs to be resubmitted, but someday you (or your dear child) may want to look back over all that was done to bring that special soul home.
I have keep everything and put it in a huge file. I can always reference back to it if need be. More than anything though, I just like knowing it is there. It is a diary of sorts that helps us to remember the journey we have been on.
Best wishes with your homestudy!
Keep us posted!!! -
Hi, Shelly! Glad to see you on the forum. My name is Elaine. My husband and I live in TN. with our two beautiful daughters.
Best wishes with baby #2. We look forward to following your story! We adopted our first daughter through Abrazo in the Spring of 2005. We just adopted our second daughter last Friday. She had been in foster care in San Antonio.
We have been doubly blessed! Having two is a lot of work but more importantly it is a lot of fun!
Again, welcome!!! We are glad you have joined us!
Elaine
-
Friday when Angel came home everyone was excited and exhausted! It had been a long emotional day for all involved.
That first evening Angel started jumping up and down saying over and over,"I MADE IT...I MADE IT!!!!" grinning from ear to ear.
It just melted my heart. I thanked God that she HAD "made it" and that we had too!
-
Andrea and Andy,
OMG...you all are from White House!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a CRAZY small WORLD!!!!!!!!! My husband and I lived in Greenbrier for 5 years. We moved back to West TN. last summer to be closer to family.
Nice to meet you, neighbor!!! I look forward to following your story. We adopted Makayla while we still lived in Middle TN.
Abrazo rocks!!!
Your Friend,
Elaine
Just Because You're Adopting Doesn't Mean You're Not Expecting!
in Looking to Adopt
Posted
Isn't that cute!!! Wish I had known about this company when we were adopting!
Wonder if I wanted to buy a shirt for Mandy...should I get her a blue one or a pink one...whatdayathink Elizabeth!!!