Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other

Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other: In Praise of Adoption is Scott Simon's new book. I read it this morning; it was a quick read.

I loved that Simon is honest about his experience: that it wasn't all perfect but it was worth it. That sometimes people don't know what to say to adopted kids or parents. That adopted kids carry around a loss and that adoptive parents get to help their children through that, and really great parents will let their children grieve that loss and help them grow from it. That adoption isn't about heroics: that a child gets a home, but we get something better: a child.

I really hope that my friends and family and parents read this book before we bring Abigail home into all of our lives.

Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other

Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other: In Praise of Adoption is Scott Simon's new book. I read it this morning; it was a quick read.

I loved that Simon is honest about his experience: that it wasn't all perfect but it was worth it. That sometimes people don't know what to say to adopted kids or parents. That adopted kids carry around a loss and that adoptive parents get to help their children through that, and really great parents will let their children grieve that loss and help them grow from it. That adoption isn't about heroics: that a child gets a home, but we get something better: a child.

I really hope that my friends and family and parents read this book before we bring Abigail home into all of our lives.

Travel Info, LOA

Today we received our LOA from the CCAA. Our agency over-nighted it to us and we signed it and over-nighted it back. Other forms and paperwork were sent with it that need to go various places. Our estimated window of when we get to (finally) go to China is around December 4th through January 6th.

We are unsure of how the American holidays may or may not affect our travel. We are desperate to bring her home by Christmas break!

Anyhow, everyone pray to your favorite deity that we get to travel closer to the December 4th part of that window than the January 6th part! We can't get her here soon enough: for her or for us!!

Travel Info, LOA

Today we received our LOA from the CCAA. Our agency over-nighted it to us and we signed it and over-nighted it back. Other forms and paperwork were sent with it that need to go various places. Our estimated window of when we get to (finally) go to China is around December 4th through January 6th.

We are unsure of how the American holidays may or may not affect our travel. We are desperate to bring her home by Christmas break!

Anyhow, everyone pray to your favorite deity that we get to travel closer to the December 4th part of that window than the January 6th part! We can't get her here soon enough: for her or for us!!

Another Day Older

Dear Zi Jia,

Almost 2 months have passed since we learned of you.

But you still don't know us and likely won't soon.

A few days ago was your 10-month birthday and in a few more days I'll watch your 11-month birthday slip past.

And the months will continue to fall away as you exist half a world away from us.

It breaks my heart into a million pieces to think from when we knew of you until you'll likely know of us, you will double in age.

At an age when each day counts.

Every day is another day you live in an orphanage.

Every day is another day that you are undernourished.

Every day is another day that you are not stimulated enough, held enough.
Every day is another day I worry about you, ache to hold you and take care of your needs.

Another Day Older

Dear Zi Jia,

Almost 2 months have passed since we learned of you.

But you still don't know us and likely won't soon.

A few days ago was your 10-month birthday and in a few more days I'll watch your 11-month birthday slip past.

And the months will continue to fall away as you exist half a world away from us.

It breaks my heart into a million pieces to think from when we knew of you until you'll likely know of us, you will double in age.

At an age when each day counts.

Every day is another day you live in an orphanage.

Every day is another day that you are undernourished.

Every day is another day that you are not stimulated enough, held enough.
Every day is another day I worry about you, ache to hold you and take care of your needs.

Wo Ai Ni Mommy PBS POV Documentary

This evening, Larry and I watched the PBS Point of View Documentary about a New York family who adopted an 8 year old from China. The video was stressful to watch. Our hearts were breaking for that child: she just wanted to be listened to and understood.

Larry and I will be discussing things from this video for a long time.

Wanting some closure or other information following the viewing, I saw the following facts posted on PBS's website.

In 2001, there were 1.5 million adopted children in the United States, representing 2.5 percent of all U.S. children.

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute's 1997 public opinion benchmark survey found that 58 percent of Americans know someone who has been adopted, has adopted a child or has relinquished a child for adoption.

Though U.S. citizens adopted nearly 13,000 children from 106 different countries in 2009, a little more than two-thirds of all children came from only five sending countries: China (23 percent), Ethiopia (18 percent), Russia (12 percent), South Korea (8 percent) and Guatemala (6 percent).

In 2006, the Chinese government proposed a new set of rules requiring that adoptive parents must meet certain educational and financial requirements, be married, be under 50, not be clinically obese, not have taken antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication in the previous two years and not have any facial deformities.

Domestically, the percentage of infants given up for adoption has declined from 9 percent of those born before 1973 to 1 percent of those born between 1996 and 2002.

Same-sex couples raising adopted children are older, more educated and have more economic resources than other adoptive parents. An estimated 65,500 adopted American children are living with a lesbian or gay parent.

Wo Ai Ni Mommy PBS POV Documentary

This evening, Larry and I watched the PBS Point of View Documentary about a New York family who adopted an 8 year old from China. The video was stressful to watch. Our hearts were breaking for that child: she just wanted to be listened to and understood.

Larry and I will be discussing things from this video for a long time.

Wanting some closure or other information following the viewing, I saw the following facts posted on PBS's website.

In 2001, there were 1.5 million adopted children in the United States, representing 2.5 percent of all U.S. children.

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute's 1997 public opinion benchmark survey found that 58 percent of Americans know someone who has been adopted, has adopted a child or has relinquished a child for adoption.

Though U.S. citizens adopted nearly 13,000 children from 106 different countries in 2009, a little more than two-thirds of all children came from only five sending countries: China (23 percent), Ethiopia (18 percent), Russia (12 percent), South Korea (8 percent) and Guatemala (6 percent).

In 2006, the Chinese government proposed a new set of rules requiring that adoptive parents must meet certain educational and financial requirements, be married, be under 50, not be clinically obese, not have taken antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication in the previous two years and not have any facial deformities.

Domestically, the percentage of infants given up for adoption has declined from 9 percent of those born before 1973 to 1 percent of those born between 1996 and 2002.

Same-sex couples raising adopted children are older, more educated and have more economic resources than other adoptive parents. An estimated 65,500 adopted American children are living with a lesbian or gay parent.