HeidiK

Thank you Elizabeth for putting so much of what I have been feeling lately into your beautiful poem. It hard to "vent" concerns about the check-box approach many take towards adoption...I'll take this but not that. And it VERY hard not to want o get up on my soap box and preach about being "open"...period ! Anyway..thanks again!

Susan, Thank you for sharing the pictures and the "story" behind the pictures. I am always amazed at how similiar somel of our religious traditions really are. Like the dunking three times ....that's what we did for my boys as part of the Jewish ritual. It reminds me that people are always more "alike" than we are different.

A song sung blue with a happy ending. Welcome little boy Welcome!

I was turned down by three other agencies before finding Abrazo. They turned me down for multiple reasons - my budget, my "single status" and my religious affiliations. BOY OH BOY was I mad...but looking back they were really doing me a service. Not getting my hopes up, or taking money from me that would not have been returned. I was working with an agency in California that I had hoped would match me with a child, and did pay them upfront for 2/3 of their service fees, but after almost two years of waiting I struck out on my own. Mind you that they had facilitated the match with my oldest's birthmom, and I had high expectations for another match thru them. But for some reason they never had a full African American situations and I was being racial specific. So I kept going, past the 3 rejections and found the son I was meant to have at the end, but I can say NOW that I appreciated their honesty. For me the waiting and rejection was immedicately erased when the RIGHT baby was lovingly placed in my arms.

That's wonderful news...and I'll keep praying!

Hi Lauren, I was born Jewish and plan to raise my boys Jewish...how about being adopted, being black and being raised by a single cubby white women to give birth mothers nightmares... I did the mikvah ritual with both my boys and it was so very special. I wasn't raised with a temple background..we went only for weddings and bar/bat mitzva's. BUT I plan on doing it differently for my boys and have been making the effort to go to service once a month ( My boys are 3 1/2 and 6 months) I was given my 1st set of shabbot candles as a gift during Parker's mikva....now I just have to figure out how to use them. We will go to Sunday school together and it's my "Plan" to be bat mitzva with my oldest son...but we'll see! I was with a Catholic adoption agency for my 1st son and not being christen was an issue for some birth mothers, so when I meet with Gabriel's birth mom ( daughter of a baptist minister) I was shaking. She told me she had never met anyone Jewish before and want to know one thing...would I teach him to love God? And I promised her..THAT I could do! The right situation and the right birth parents will love you and want ONLY you to raise that special child. Safe travels Heidi

Thanks Pam...what a happy family!

Welcome little miss...welcome!

I'll send the info to the agency I work with in LA....and I have forwarded the information to some friends that I have who are waiting it out in Los Angeles...you never know!

Hurray......Welcome you DEAR LITTLE FOOL... ...May happiness follow you everywhere

yippee...A new baby for the Fools. Oh BOY!

Parker went thru the ritual of conversion to Judism on Monday, so now he is officially a member of our "tribe", forever known as Idon Shalon, meaning the time of peace. 1st I bathed him and then he was taken into the pool of Holy water ( a mikvah) by his grandmother ( my mom) to be completely submersed 3 times. I recited the ancient hebrew blessings from the waters edge with Gabriel in my lap. And the rabbi's declared that Parker was a mitzva ( hebrew for blessing). Parker handled everything so beautifully...not a tear ..he actually loved just floating around in the water. Pictures soon. It was a special day for the Kristall family since we were able to share the mikvah with two other adoptive families that have become very important parts of our lives..it was a celebration of how blessed we all feel to have completed or familes thru the magic of adoption. ps...gabriel was just happy that Grammy didn't "put him under the sea" like she did to Parker.

I have ordered the book and I am waiting to get my delivery from Amazon...I am looking forward to reading it. I think we should campaign to get Elizabeth on Oprah.... along with some of the Abrazo families...

What a wonderful announcement..congratulations to baby girl, sister, Mom and Dad....

Welcome little boy...welcome home! Bark!

Welcome Lauren and Chuck, The adoption journey is a crazy and amazing ride. Welcome to the Abrazo forum. May you have an amazing ride...lol Hey - How about some World Cup insider info? I am sure the parties have been great. Will you be coming back to the States soon? Anyway...welcome, welcome, welcome Heidi

Thanks Elizabeth...you sure fine all the good stuff. I am Jewish, born to a Jewish woman but have not been raised in a religious home. Gabriel went thru the mikva conversion and it was a wonderful experience. I remember thinking that this a ritual that binds us, him to me and him to a culture that is 1000's of years old. For me, it felt like God had entrusted me with his spiritual upbringing and having the rabbi's bless us while standing in the holy water was very moving. It was very a very soothing and comforting experience and I will be doing the same with Parker at the end of July. I have also "found" a local temple that seems diverse and we will be attending our 1st Tot Shabot this month.

Doing the Happy Dance from California... Congradulations Tony, Linda and Andrew

Welcome to the forum and Abrazo, I found this site to very helpful..full of the best information about adoption in general. My Advice -Read everything you will learn so much. I found this site after adopting my 1st son in California - and couldn't believe what I didn't know. And if I couldn't find it - just post a question and all the "forumites" will chime in. Good luck no matter where this journey takes you!

Let's change the saying "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans" to "If you want to get The Call from the Stork...book a cruise"! 47324[/snapback] I think there have been a few people heading for vacation and the phone rang - I know I was 8 days froma Hawaiian vacation...Call those travel agents. Congratulations, Cliff and Alison!

I think the LONG and winding road leads directly to San Antonio. Hurray for baby Cliff and his new family. Maybe they should change the name of the agency to "A-BOY-ZO". Welcome little one!

What a magical grand enterance! I have tears in my eyes...Welcome little one to the Abrazo circle. May your parents and brother be forever delighted by your magic. Wishes for a peaceful heart to your birthmother... And since an orientation group wasn't mentioned...Welcome to the newest Tweener Update: I just found out that Danny is the newest big brother ( I had a hunch ) I am so excited for all of you! Enjoy your stay in Texas - and can't wait for the pictures

I ordered one too. Thanks for the tip. I will pass along the info.

What a beautiful family and of course we LOVE the name Parker! Score: Ethan 3 Parker 2....LOL

Blessing to the whole family. How amazing!