10 People in 10 Days: Day Seven - The Pearson Family and Sarah Ockenden

Tuesday, October 11, 2011
10 People in 10 Days
The Pearson Family

Today is day 7 of our 10 day wait. It’s hard to believe that its already been that long, but I still feel like we have so much longer to be here.

We got some “updates” on Sterling’s chicken pox situation. One of our facilitators *speculates* that Sterling has probably not had chicken pox before. This is based on the fact that they isolated him from his groupa when the situation began. She said they typically do not isolate kids who have already had it. So, we are back to believing that he is isolated by himself (or possibly with other kids who haven’t had it – but they didn’t mention this.) She also said that if he DOES break out he will start another 5 day quarantine until his “contagious period” is over. This goes against everything I know about chicken pox – I’ve always been told once you break out and the scabs form you are not contagious anymore. Regardless, that is how they do it here. If he were to break out it COULD impact our “Gotcha Day” depending on when the break out occurred. So, our best hope is that he either HAS had it, has had enough of it to have antibodies, or doesn’t get it.

That is the only update we received today. We did not hear about him personally so we will ask our “local” (she is actually 300 km away – she handles the entire eastern part of this country for Reece’s Rainbow) facilitator to call the institution tomorrow and check on him.

Brian and I are fine! Today we ventured out, walked for lunch and stopped by a children’s boutique. We didn’t buy any clothes but we bought a game of Uno (for $5) to keep us occupied. It’s the same as our Uno…but different. We had to punch the cards out (see picture) and they aren’t laminated or anything so it’s like playing with cardboard cards. They also came with a series of calendar cards...LOL.  Still, we had fun and Brian took the series 2 out of 3 games. I’ll get him eventually!

Enough about us! Time for 10 in 10! Today we feature a family that was really amazing to us just before we came here!

Today we thank….

The Pearson Family and Sarah Ockenden

When Brian and I booked our flights we decided that we really wanted to be able to spend some time together before our lives changed drastically. We agreed that we would spend a few days in London. Neither of us had ever been and we were really excited about it!

When I announced this to friends I had, not one but TWO, friends offer to let us stay with them so we didn’t incur any additional costs. We were so thrilled! Both the Pearsons and the Ockendens offered. What a blessing. In the end we stayed with the Pearsons.

For those of you who know me you know my one phobia is flying…is just fills me with pure terror. The flight from Orlando to London actually wasn’t bad. It was really smooth and although I never relaxed – I didn’t hate it. Still I was ever so relieved to land at Gatwick. Once Brian and I arrived and collected our things, I was even more relieved to see Chas. We had made it! It was so early and Chas was nice enough to get up around 04:00 just to drive the 90 or so minutes to pick us up at Gatwick by 06:45. I was so happy to get into that SUV and head to the Pearson home.

The Pearsons live in (what I would call) the countryside of England in a little village called Marsworth. Their home is BEAUTIFUL! We took our luggage out of the truck and settled in to our room. Then we both showered and headed out with 3/4ths of the Pearson clan to London!

Tracy and Chas were so amazingly hospitable. They taught us how to use the trains and the tube system (which is still confusing to me) on our way. Once we got to London they put Brian and I in the driver’s seat. Tracy, Chas and their eldest daughter Charlie were great company. It was so much fun hanging out with them.

I had heard that Marks and Spencers lunches were really good – so we stopped in for a few sarnies to go and ate in Covent Garden. It was gorgeous! We were so lucky to have PERFECT weather while we were in London – we didn’t see any of that typical London rain and fog. After lunch we went to the London Eye. Brian is as horrified of heights as I am of flying – but he was such a sport. He agreed to ride on it. It was so incredibly cool. Even today it’s hard to believe that we did it!

After the Eye we walked the South Bank and stopped at the National Theatre for a photo op. They had these GIGANTIC grass chairs on display so we HAD to stop and take pictures. That was great fun. We continued on the South Bank and stopped at a pub right on the Thames. We were across from St. Paul’s and next to Millennium Bridge. It was very cool!

When we were done the 5 of us crossed the bridge and headed to Oxford Street. Tracy, Charlie and I went shopping at Primark on Oxford Street while the boys went for another beer. When we all met back up we had dinner at the Spaghetti House before heading home to Marsworth.

ALL of this happened on our FIRST DAY in London – so to say Brian and I were exhausted when we got home would be an understatement. We slept so hard that Tracy had to get us up the next morning for our next adventure. We were meeting Sarah for the day! Chas drove us to the local train station (Tring) and sent us on our way.

Brian and I had a lot of fun enjoying each other’s company on the train. It was a beautiful ride. We met Sarah at the train station in London and we were off!

Spending the day with Sarah was great! We had lunch at Marks and Spencers again (I want one in Orlando…) and then we explored some of London by foot. It such an amazingly beautiful city. The history surrounding it is awesome too. We walked to Buckingham Palace and enjoyed the conversation and history lessons that Sarah provided (for example: unless the Queen’s flag is flying – she is not at the palace!)

We had tickets for a Buckingham Palace tour (courtesy of Sarah -  THANKS!) at 16:15 so we headed to find a restroom and check in.

The tour was incredible. I’d love to go back…we had headphones on so there wasn’t much conversation but every now and then we would take them off to talk to each other about something we were looking at. The highlight of this trip was probably a tie between the Faberge exhibit and Kate’s wedding dress. Both were gorgeous.

Once we were done with the tour we walked to the store and then we headed back home! When we got home Chas, Tracy, Charlie and Gaby (the youngest Pearson) took us out to dinner at the local pub. A REAL English pub. Brian and I both had fish and chips. We enjoyed great conversation along with a tasty meal. Another awesome day.

We would have loved to stay longer (and I wish we would have spent just one more day) but we are ever so grateful that we got to explore London with GREAT PEOPLE that we are lucky to call our friends. We also FELL IN LOVE with Pearson Pups, Waffle and Donut. We were (and still are) very much missing our dogs but Waffle and Donut were there to give us love and snuggles when needed.  Brian and I really enjoyed everyone’s company and we especially enjoyed just getting to hang out with each other before we added another dimension to our story.

Chas got up with us the next morning and drove us to Heathrow for our flight out. I was really sad to leave Marsworth, London and our friends behind. I’m so excited that the Pearsons will get to meet Sterling when we go back through London (Sorry Sarah! I wish you weren’t on holiday then!) I have to point out that the Pearsons were willing to do all of this for us DESPITE the fact that Charlie was heading to University the SAME weekend we were there. While Brian and I explored London with Sarah - they were packing Charlie to go off to school! And while we were flying here they were dropping her off at college! Like I said - GRATEFUL doesn't describe it! (And they did all of this after just returning from a holiday in Turkey!)

But it doesn’t stop there. Through all this trouble this week both Sarah and Tracy have offered us comfort and help. Tracy even offered the Pearson home again. We would have loved to have taken the offer but the cost for us to drive to and from the capitol city for a flight and the cost of the flight together would be close to $1000.  They have both also offered to help shop for Sterling since everything we brought with us is too big (we expected him to be little – but NOT 2T little!) Sarah is also sending us home with a car seat for the long flight and some toys to keep Sterling occupied.

We really can’t thank these people enough! They have been so wonderfully kind to us and we hope that one day we can return the favor should they every venture to a place known as…Disney World! <3

Thanks so much Pearsons and Sarah!!!

10 People in 10 Days: Our School Families

Monday, October 10, 2011
10 People in 10 Days
Our Schools/School Friends

Okay so, I really don’t feel like writing a blog post tonight. That being said, I realize that I must. I have people who read this blog religiously and they would be very sad if I didn’t post.

Before I begin, I must tell you why I don’t feel like writing. Aside from being tired and emotionally drained – I realized last night that I am utterly homesick. It’s not where we are. We like our little city very much. It’s clean and most everybody is very friendly. We have most of the same conveniences we have at home. My homesickness has nothing to do with our location being where it is…it just has to do with the fact that I am not home. We have been in this country for 24 days. Apparently 3 weeks is my threshold for tolerating missing my home. So, it comes as no surprise to learn that, when faced with another 16 days here (at best!), I get a little flustered. Well, last night I had a long talk with God, a good cry and today I felt much better (for more information read Isaiah 40 v 25-31 and Matthew 11 v 25-30.)

Today we woke up at our usual time, got dressed, and rode the 45 minutes to the institution. The thought of bonding with Sterling is one of the only reasons we chose to stay here during the 10 day wait. It’s also, at this point, what keeps me going.

So, imagine our surprise (and total disappointment) to find out that our son (in fact his whole institution) is on quarantine…for 5 days. Those are the last 5 days of our 10 day wait. Apparently, there is “the epidemic of the chicken pox” in his institution. So, for lack of a better more refined way of saying this, that sucks. Currently, Sterling does NOT have chicken pox. We don’t know if he has had them already so we HOPE and we PRAY that he DOES NOT get chicken pox. Aside from not wanting my child to be miserable there is also the possibility that that could keep us here even longer. I have no desire to be on the extended adoption program…I miss home.  

So, if you could please find a few minutes to say a little prayer for us and for our little man, I would greatly appreciate it!

On with the show…today for the 10 People in 10 Days Blog we recognize:

Our Schools

Brian and I are both teachers. Parents send their children to us every day with the expectation that we will care for, look after and teach their children. Teaching is a HUGE responsibility. And it isn’t one that either of us takes lightly. We both LOVE our jobs.

I teach at an elementary school in a suburb of Orlando, Florida. I LOVE my school. We

are a new school and this is only our 3^rd year in existence. The principal that opened our school did a magnificent job hiring (and I’m totally biased here because he and I worked at the same schools before opening this one) so I am blessed to work with people I have known for as long as 7 years. These are people whose friendships I truly am honored to have. I mean, really, where would I be without Judy Callan? She was there for my first year of teaching and I am lucky that she is with me again. And she is only one. When the school opened – I counted that I knew and had worked with over half of the staff at some point in my teaching career. It makes my job fun and I LOVE going to school every day. We really have a family mentality as far as staff goes.

Another thing that makes going to school FUN is that I am on the BEST TEAM I have EVER been on. For once, everyone just gets along. We have disagreements (everyone does when you have 6 opinions to figure in) but we always work them out and no one holds grudges. We just work through everything. It’s a nice change of pace from teams I have been on in the past. My team has been ultra supportive of my time away. When I chime in on an email that is work related – I get told to get off work email and go worry about my boy (thanks Paige!) What they may not realize is that I only get to visit him for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes a day. I would LOVE to still be helping…I actually could probably help writing lesson plans and planning projects and rubrics (especially now that I can’t visit!) but I’m not sure they would let me… We will see where this post gets me! LOL.

My administrators have been great through this whole experience too! It is hard to plan a sub and line everything up when you are given less than two weeks notice that a teacher is leaving. I think, actually, that they only had a week. I have had very positive responses from them and I believe that they are genuinely happy for us (even if they aren’t genuinely happy that I am away.) I can’t thank them enough for their understanding and patience during this whole process. Adopting is founded on a bunch of unknowns…and they were so willing to roll with the punches. For that I will be forever grateful.

I can’t talk about school without talking about my class. I think I can honestly say that in 8 years of teaching, I have finally hit the JACKPOT on classes. I am currently teaching in a 5^th grade classroom for gifted and high achieving students. When I left, I only had 17 kids (I hope that hasn’t changed!) This group of kids is phenomenal. They are a lot of fun. The personality differences make for an interesting group but I’m sure we will have a great year. I hate that I had to leave them so soon in the school year (only 3 weeks in) and I really hope and pray that the sub is doing a great job of reaching them. The parents of my students were all very supportive about our adoption as well. Before I left, I sent an email and a letter explaining our situation. I can’t tell you how many emails of congratulations I got. I really cannot WAIT to get back into that classroom and back to teaching my kids. I’m not normally one to share my students very well (I am a very possessive teacher) so this whole leaving them thing has been hard.

Okay, enough about my school. I think it is obvious but I will be redundant and say that I am thankful for the support the teachers, administrators and parents have given me while we add Sterling to our family.

This is the first time I am doing this…and I can’t take responsibility for what happens…But I am handing this next part over to Brian. I cannot put words into his mouth so he will have to tell you how his experience with his school has been.

I teach at what I think is the best high school in all of Central Florida. This is my 10^th year of teaching at the school and I couldn’t be happier. I work with tremendous people and have made many friends over the years. They were all very supportive of me and this adoption when I shared the news at the end of last school year. I really miss the members of my math department. I miss seeing Lauren in the morning on her way to her classroom. I miss eating lunch with my fellow math teachers. I miss the pop-ins by Mike. I miss my pop-ins to Lindsay’s class. Now, I know what you might be thinking. Is Brian friends with anyone besides math teachers? YES! I miss so many people at school. I can’t wait to get back to work. On top of it all, this is Homecoming week. I will miss seeing Teacher Dress Up Day. I will miss seeing Suzie spirited up all week. I will miss all of it. My school is truly my home away from home.  

Of course I miss my students as well. I know I was only able to work with them for 3 weeks before we left, but I have a feeling that this is a tremendous group of students. They are eager to learn and willing to listen to what I have to say. They show a lot of respect for me and my teaching. When I shared with them the news that I would be traveling to Europe for several weeks to complete a special needs adoption, they were all very supportive. Of course, many of them did not want me to go, but I believe they all realize it is a good thing. I have been in touch with a few of them during our trip. I wish them the best and I know that when I get back, we will have a great rest of the year.

It is appropriate that this blog gets posted today since today is the first day of girls’ soccer tryouts. I am the Varsity Head Coach at my school. It is another reason why I love my school so much. I have been coaching at the school since I began there 10 years ago. My roles have included JV Asst. Coach, JV Head Coach, Varsity Asst. Coach, and last year was my first year as Varsity Head Coach. I have been lucky enough over the years to coach some tremendous players. I like to think of the program as a family, where we support one another and work towards a common goal. Last year, one of my former players, Courtney, returned to be my Varsity Assistant. I enjoy working with her and I’m sure the girls do to. When I brought up my international adoption to her, she was very supportive and gave me confidence that she could handle things while I was away. (Thank you Courtney!) As it turns out, she found another former player of mine to join our coaching staff this year as well. Welcome Ashley! I broke the news to the team at our first introductory meeting. At first, I think some of them were shocked that I would be gone for so long and would miss conditioning as well as tryouts. However, they all were very supportive. Some of them even hung around after our meeting was over to ask some more questions. On top of that, I found out that one of my players wants to work with special needs children when she gets older. I think that’s awesome! I appreciate the hard work that they put in during conditioning. I wish them all the best at tryouts. I can’t wait to be at practice with you all and on the sidelines with you during games.

Finally, I want to thank my administrators. When I brought up our international adoption to my principal, he was very supportive. We talked about it for a bit and he assured me that everything would be fine. He had experience with another teacher who had adopted internationally. My assistant principals were great when it came to the news. They were genuinely happy for me and are taking care of things at school for me while I am away.

As you can probably tell, I love my school. I work with great teachers, great students, and great administrators. I enjoy going to work and can’t wait to get back. I will now pass the keyboard back over to Erin. J

That’s it! We miss our school families almost as much as we miss our real families. We are both blessed to work at magnificent schools with amazing staffs. We cannot WAIT to get Sterling home and share his smile with all of our colleagues!

10 People in 10 Days: Day Five - Our Families

Sunday, October 9, 2011
10 People in 10 Days
Our Families           

We keep getting asked when we are coming home. I’m glad everybody misses us! I really wish I could give a concrete answer to that question, but I just can’t. Our court resolution will be on Tuesday the 18^th. After we get our decree we will spend the day running around like mad men doing paperwork. “What paperwork?” you ask.  Well, we will need to go get Sterling’s new birth certificate, which will show us as his birth parents, we need to go get his passport picture taken and apply for his passport and we need to close out his bank account and donate that money to the institution. That will mean at least two trips to his village (unless someone in the village can do a passport picture…) Once this paperwork day is done and we actually can go apply for the passport, I will have an answer (or at least a guess) to the question of when we come home. It will depend on how long the passport takes. My best *GUESS* is somewhere around the 26^th of October. That is a *GUESS*! I do not know. I know that coming home before then is UNLIKELY. We will have an overnight in London as one plane arrives to London in the evening and the other doesn’t leave London until the next morning. So, all I can tell you is that we should be home before Halloween. I know that isn’t what you want to hear (and trust me we just want to come home) but it is all I have to offer. I did figure out today that instead of counting in weeks – days sound so much better. So, we *could* be home in 17 days. That doesn’t sound too bad does it?

Ten people in ten days continues. Today is day 5 of our ten day wait! We are half way there (even though we really have a two week wait…ugh). I realized the other day that if you are reading (the number of people reading the blog every day has plummeted recently) you are pretty much hearing the start to finish story of our adoption. That is very cool. What’s even neater is that I have typed them all in Word first so I have the ability to print them out and save them for Sterling’s book!

Today we recognize:

Our Families

Sounds like another cop out…I know. But I can’t spend a day on each person and if I leave someone out I’m likely to hear about it. So, we are going to do the best we can like this.

After we had committed and there was no turning back (at least – not in our minds) we told our families about our decision to adopt Sterling. I think telling someone (especially a family member) that you are adopting a child with special needs puts them in a difficult situation. They don’t know whether to be honest with you or put on the fake smile. I think it took time for people to realize that this is truly what we WANTED to do.  We were not bullied, it was not a last resort, it certainly was not “cheaper” or “easier” and I think when the shock wore off people could really see that.

I’d be lying if I told you were weren’t questioned. I’d be lying if I told you that people didn’t try to talk us out of it. I’d be lying if I told you that everyone has accepted it. But I am NOT lying when I say that everyone has at least figured out that this is what we want and it is happening and I can also tell you that I am NOT lying when I say that all but one of our family members is totally on the Sterling bandwagon.

A lot of the fear that surrounds the adoption of children with special needs is fed on STEREOTYPES. You know, those evil, falsities that perpetuate social misunderstandings. Unfortunately, they abound. Once we were able to eliminate some of those stereotypes, some of the fear subsided. Once the fear goes away it’s a little easier to let your guard down and once that happens – love can grow. Until you fix the root of the problem – you are pretty much on lockdown. Our parents grew up in the 40s, 50s and 60s. Our grandparents grew up in the 20s and 30s (no I’m not kidding). The perceptions that they had of children with special needs was very different from the realities of today. But I can honestly say it has been a blessing sharing lots of information about Down Syndrome with them. And, for the most part, everyone has come around. The one holdout will melt when they meet Sterling (I’m sure of that) – and I’m also ok with it.

Our Moms

My mother and me on my wedding cruise (Both moms came along! We actually took 6 people with us!)

My mom was a public school employee. She has been around hundreds of children with disabilities and she knows that my deepest love has always been for children with special needs. She watched me get my degree in special education while simultaneously doing multiple internships, volunteer opportunities AND working at a preschool for children with special needs. If I told you she wasn’t surprised by our decision – I would be lying; I think it shocked her. But she certainly wasn’t bothered by it. I think once the initial “wow” wore off she kind of knew I would pull a stunt like this. ; ) It’s very…me.  Now she is in full on excitement mode. She went shopping yesterday (with my Aunt Bonnie) and I’m told they spent WAY TOO MUCH MONEY buying stuff for our little man. Obviously she is in thrill mode right now. She will be driving from Tennessee to meet us at the airport and we are excited that she is willing to do that (it’s a long drive.)

Brian his Mama (teary eyed) at our wedding.

Brian’s mom I think was a little more surprised. Remember Brian had never really had contact with children who had special needs. However, his mom is probably THE MOST genuinely loving and Godly person I know.  As much as it surprised her, the shock wore off quickly because she realized she was going to be a Grandma! Sterling is her first grandchild and I tell you that boy has already changed her. She went from being the least technically savvy person I know to Skyping with us in a matter of 3 weeks. Who knew one little boy could bring people into the 21^st century so quickly! She too is in full on excitement mode. Brian went to a private Christian school for all of his education. His mom manages the thrift store run by the school. She has been on the lookout for bargains to help us prepare for Sterling and she is so super excited about him joining the family. She prints the pictures out daily (in 8x10s – so GLAD I haven’t had many pictures of me taken since I look HORRIBLE) and she has started putting them into a picture book. She just can’t wait until we get home with him.

Our Siblings

I think the "twin" comment came about say...45 seconds before this picture...and was made by the woman in the back....And yes - my sister walked me down the aisle :)

I only have one sibling – a sister named Lesa. An older sister. I think when I told her she was more surprised than the moms. I remember an audible, “OK. Wow.” LOL. She definitely did her fair share of questioning – but not in a bad way.  At the time, I think her questioning hurt my feelings; but, now I think it came from an older sister standpoint. My sister and I have a HUGE age gap! We are 13 years apart. (You wouldn’t know looking at us – on my wedding day we were asked if we were twins…great for her...I wanted to smack the lady!) I think her shock came from life experiences and from the fact that she has 4 children of her own. We are also very different people. She keeps telling me she couldn’t do it…but I disagree. She is just as strong and stubborn as I am. She’d make one heck of an advocate. We had a few really good chats that challenged both my thinking and hers (chats in which I became overly defensive – that’s just me.) Now, she is all systems go. She is thrilled to see Sterling with us and very stoked to see him come home. She thinks he is adorable (which he is…) and I think, even though we were close before this, this process might have brought us closer. We rarely disagree on things so having differing thought processes on this whole situation made us talk more. Neither of us readily enjoy opening up – to anyone.  I have always sought her approval for everything (I think that’s a younger sister thing) and I’m really glad she is happy for us.

Paul went with us with on the cruise too...the boys had too much fun!

 Brian, Mama Hinz and Paulie Jo (on the wedding cruise)

Brian has one sibling as well – a “little” brother named Paul. I use the term little lightly (mostly for fun!) because he is about 3 inches taller than Brian and weighs probably 50 more pounds. LOL. I’m not sure Paul knew what to think. I’m not even sure Paul reacted. This is probably because Paul is one of those go with the flow guys. He is a free spirit. Paul is doing us the BIGGEST favor ever while we are gone. He is watching our house and our dogs. You should actually read that as he is living in our house and watching our dogs. This is saving us close to $3000 on boarding them. Unfortunately for him – I’m not buying him $3000 worth of chocolate.  He too is super thrilled about Sterling. He’s not an overly emotional guy - Emoticons are the farthest reach of his emotions… So, I know he’s happy when he Facebooks “That’s my NEPHEW!!! =-D” I don’t know how thrilled he is to have to stay at our place for 6 weeks (I’m sure he isn’t super thrilled when he has to drive 3 hours one way for class on Tuesdays) but we very grateful that he was willing to do it.

Our Extended Families

Us with both of our grandmothers at our wedding!

Have come out of the woodwork!  We have had a ton of support from our extended families. Our Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles have been great! Everyone is excited! My Aunt Bonnie went shopping with my mom yesterday (and spent WAY TOO MUCH!) and for that we are more than GRATEFUL. Brian’s family was great and helped us out so much with donations in the beginning. Our Grandmas are super thrilled (and super cute) about having a new great grandson.

You can see that without our family support (in the many different ways it has happened) we would not be here! We are so very grateful that our families that our families have been supportive and we cannot WAIT to introduce Sterling to all of them!

10 People in 10 Days: Day Four - Previous RR Familes (Baumann, Cornish, Krulik, Nalle and Hinz!)

Saturday, October 08, 2011
10 People in 10 Days
Previous RR Families: Baumann, Cornish, Krulik, Nalle and Hinz (yes, really!)

Once you become a Reece’s Rainbow family you gain access into the forum and the chat. Seems like a such a small thing – but it isn’t. Within a week after committing to Sterling we had instant access to hundreds of people who were taking the same path we were. It was not only eye opening, but also reassuring.

As soon as I figured my way around chat, I learned that many people included their blogs in their signatures. I had just started this blog and had no idea what I was supposed to write about. I HATE journaling – and I’m not a fan of writing either. But, I figured the best way to learn was to follow other people’s blogs.

This entry is going to seem like a cop out. That isn’t my intention. It’s just impossible for me to retype everyone’s stories here. Once we committed to Sterling and I started reading other families’ blogs I became addicted. It was a way to learn about the process, the country, the challenges and most importantly the “truth.”

During this time there were 4 or 5 blogs that I read all the time. These families – without even knowing it really helped to offer a lot of reassurance during the paperwork phase of our adoption.  I loved their insights and their stories. They were there to answer questions if needed and they really helped to put my mind at ease.

These are the families and a QUICK synopsis of each of their stories.

The Baumann Family

I have to start here. The Baumanns are local to me. They live about 25 minutes away! I found their blog when I searched the Reece’s Rainbow site for “Florida” in a hunt for Florida families. I was SO relieved to see a local family. I left a message on Kim’s blog and within a day or two had a response. Then I had an email! Kim has been great. She and her husband adopted their son, Bryce, at the end of last year. Bryce has been home for 11 months now and is doing well. He had his first “birthday” home in May and he turned 4. Bryce is super cute and I can’t wait to get Sterling and he together for a play date!  Kim has been a lot of help! She was always willing to answer questions, offer advice and just give encouragement! I am really grateful that I happened upon her blog! If you are interested in following the Baumann Family (or at least getting a glimpse of Bryce’s handsome little face) you can visit the blog here: http://ouradoptionjourneywithbrycevanya.blogspot.com/

The Cornish Family

Another family that popped up in the Florida search was the Cornish family.  They have a unique story! Their oldest child, Kristopher was born in 2004. A sister, Brianna, joined the family in January 2006. In March of 2006 Brianna was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. The Cornish family knew that was a call from God and in February of 2008 they fell in love with a little girl with Down Syndrome in Ukraine – Aleksa. The problem is when they went to adopt Aleksa they found out that she had been transferred to a mental institution and their adoption request was denied. L Heartbroken but still determined, they pushed on and Emma and Micah joined the family. Both Emma and Micah have Down Syndrome and both were adopted from Ukraine. But there’s more! Lynae joined the family (naturally!) in September of 2009. In early 2010 they adopted domestically from the Florida Foster Care System and James became a Cornish too! Still, they heard God calling and asking them to add more babies with special needs to their loving home. Wesley, who has CP and is another little Ukrainian Prince, joined the family in July of 2010. By nothing short of divine intervention, during Wesley’s adoption the Cornish family ran into missionaries who knew Aleksa (remember her?!) and knew where she was. So, 3 years after their first inquiry into Aleksa – Aleksa joined the family as well! So, currently the Cornish family consists of 8 kiddos (4 girls: Aleksa, Emaa, Lynae, and Brianna AND 4 boys: Kristopher, Micah, Wesley and James)! Meredith’s blog was so inspiring and so incredibly helpful during the beginning phases of our adoption. Meredith continues to offer help and advice (we have “talked” several times since we got here) whenever it is needed. I will always be grateful for her prayers and her encouragement to us! To follow the Cornish family blog (and to see an amazing family picture!) you can go here:  http://cornishadoptionjourney.blogspot.com/

Missy Krulik

This one is interesting. I have had no direct contact with Missy – ever! But, she is the first blog I followed from the start of her arrival in Kiev to today. Brian and I would wake up every morning and head straight to the blog http://oldhouseonwashington.typepad.com/ouradoptiononwashington/  to find out what was happening in the world of this Ukrainian adoption. She was there during the entire paperwork phase for us and came home as we were wrapping up. We laughed and cried reading her blog. We read it passionately and with ferver. When she didn’t post I was so upset! I LOVED that she blogged almost every day (she is the reason I blog every day).) I LOVED that she was willing to share her thoughts and her fears and that she was so honest with her readers. To my knowledge – she doesn’t even know about us but her blog had a huge impact on us. It gave us a sense of yearning to be here, a sense of “we can do this” and most importantly a sense of direction. Danil has been home over two months and I still love reading about his progress! If you love my blog thank Missy – she is the reason I write it!

The Monier Family

Right as we were in the midst of packing, planning our departure and leaving – Eric and Jenny were over here – adopting Dima! Dima is 7 and has Down Syndrome. He is one cute and active little guy! Jenny posted the other day that he has been home a month and that just blows my mind! I remember when they left the country to head over here! I LOVED reading Jenny’s blog too. Although she didn’t “blog” often, she took a different route. Every day (or nearly every day) Jenny posted videos on her YouTube Channel of Dima. So instead of a written blog – Jenny did more of a video blog. This was really fun to watch. We read SO MUCH about what it is like over here – but seeing it is very different. The Monier’s took a lot of our fears away. It was nice to be able to see what everyone had been talking about (and it was a lot of fun to watch Dima!) Eric is a pastor and Jenny is a homeschooling Mama so their insight was very much valued during the phase where we had tons of questions. I am so GLAD to have had the opportunity to follow their story! Dima is now home with his brothers (and his Mama and Papa) but Eric and Jenny still upload videos and still blog. If you would like to visit their blog (and see Dima’s sweet face) you can do so here:  http://mondaymorningchristians.blogspot.com or to see their YouTube channel and see what kept us sane and excited during the last phase of our “paper pregnancy” you can go here: http://www.youtube.com/user/MonierFam5?feature=mhee  

Thank you Jenny for your insight and your videos when we were going insane!

Julia Nalle

Wow, what does one say about Julia Nalle? She is amazing? She is wonderful? She is a warrior? All of the above! Julia did the whole institution rescue (with MAJOR hurdles and hiccups along the way) way before we had even considered that Sterling might be in an institution. Of course we didn’t expect him to be in one (we were told by the team on SDA day that he wasn’t and that they had checked…) So, when we found out Sterling WAS in an institution I cannot tell you how many people told me to get in contact with Julia. “Email Julia she can help you sort it all out.” “Email Julia she’s done this – the hard way – she can get you through.” I’m not kidding I think I had half a dozen people tell me the same things. And boy were they right. Julia has kept us (my and Laura Reinke Lunnen) SANE over here. When we have questions about institutions or about the process including institutions – Julia is there. She emails, she Facebooks, she responds on forum. She is awesome! The Nalle family adopted Aaron from Ukraine and she opened up the doors of insight to anyone from RR who is adopting from an institution! To read her story and to see Aaron’s adorable face (even if in the most recent pics he was COVERED in hitch-hikers!) go here: http://covenantbuilders.blogspot.com/ Thanks Julia for your help and words of encouragement! We really appreciate it!

And now for the funny one:

The Hinz Family

AND NO – I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT US!!!! LOL! Can you believe that there is another Hinz family that has adopted from Reece’s Rainbow!!!!??? I know – strange huh? The only difference is pronunciation…they are the “Hins” family not the “Heinz” family! When we first committed to Sterling, I did a search on the RR site for our name and I was SHOCKED to see another Hinz family. Of course, I HAD to read their blog! Amy and John recently adopted 2 little ones from Ukraine to add to their family. Dusty and Sonya have been home for 4 months now and both are doing so well. They are thriving under the loving care of a FAMILY! Amy has been great (we just “met” recently) and I enjoy talking to her about the process. She has helped to keep me sane and has been so willing to answer questions. She especially was so nice to me the night before court and she stayed online and talked to me  - giving me advice and encouragement I really needed then! We are currently trying to figure out if our husbands are related (LOL) but we are thinking not. (Even if Brian and John do favor each other a little!) To see pictures and read the blog about Dusty and Sonya’s adoption you can go here: http://www.godsarrowsinourquiver.blogspot.com/

SO – these are the families and BLOGS of the people that “went before us.” Their words, their advice, their encouragement and their prayers HONESTLY helped us to stay sane and “stay the course” during our adoption. Thank you so much to all of you for playing a key role (even if you didn’t know it!) in our adoption process. May God take care of you and your little ones and bless you in your continued journeys!

Lots of Love from the Hinz family!

10 People in 10 Days: Day Three - Andrea Roberts and Michelle Zoromski

Friday, October 7, 2011

10 People in 10 Days
Andrea Roberts and Michelle Zoromski

Once we committed to adopting Sterling (which we did on May 14, 2011) we officially became a Reece’s Rainbow family. If you have somehow managed to follow the adoption this long without knowing or understanding what Reece’s Rainbow is or does let me sum it up for you.

Reece’s Rainbow is a non-profit Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry that promotes and raises grant funds for the international adoptions of children with Down Syndrome and other special needs.

The amazing thing about Reece’s Rainbow (aside from the fact that they save orphans worldwide) is the community network that exists as part of the system. I have been very blessed and have made some VERY good friends along the way through this network.

Since our homestudy was already complete when we committed to Sterling, there were some tweaks that needed to be made to it. Since our social worker had never aided in an international adoption, especially in a special needs international adoption (although licensed to do so), there were a lot of emails and questions those first few weeks.

With the help of Andrea Roberts and Michelle Zoromski we were able to able to get all of our paperwork completed and get on track for our following through with our adoption.

These are their stories!

Andrea Roberts

Andrea is not only the director of Reece’s Rainbow, she is also its founder. Aside from all of this (and the responsibilities that go with it) she is also the mother of a 9 year old boy with Down Syndrome – Reece!

Reece’s Rainbow started in 2004 as an outreach program at a local hospital. After Reece’s birth a nurse at the hospital asked Andrea if she would be willing to come talk to new parents of children with Down Syndrome before they were discharged to share what she had learned and experienced since Reece’s birth. She agreed. Fast forward to 2006, this is when the program expanded to include advocating for the international adoptions of children with Down Syndrome. Reece’s Rainbow is going strong; in the past 5 years (since the inception of the international program) the program has helped to bring over 500 orphans home from around the globe.

Andrea has been instrumental in our adoption. She is always available to talk to and answer questions. She has offered advice, given encouragement and has made herself available to us nearly all the time. She is always available on Yahoo Messenger and she responds readily to emails. She has never let us down and she has never failed to come through when we needed her.

Andrea, thank you for your devotion and your advocacy to children with Down Syndrome. We are genuinely so very grateful for your mission. Without you (and without Reece’s Rainbow) we would not have even known Sterling existed! Please know that we will advocate for Reece’s Rainbow for many, many years to come.

I’m sorry I don’t have a picture of Andrea or Reece! There is one here: http://reecesrainbow.org/background

But they are on vacation and I refuse to use pictures on my blog without asking (this one is public so I will share the page.)

Michelle Zoromski

Michelle is the donations coordinator for Reece’s Rainbow (and therefore is beloved by all!) I think she was the third Reece’s Rainbow staff member I had direct contact with. She is also the one that I have grown closest too. She is amazing!

Michelle has 4 children at home and manages not only their care and schooling, but also their therapies, extracurricular activities and the grants of every child on the Reece’s Rainbow website. (I told you she was amazing!)

Michelle’s story is more than unique. Her oldest daughter Karly is in high school and is a cancer survivor! (I LOVE to see the word survivor after the word cancer!) She is doing well and continues to have clear exams (YAY!) She is the oldest of the Zoromski children and I can only imagine that she is a great older sister.

Karly and Braden

After Karly came Braden – and he might be the cutest little thing ever (aside from Sterling of course – and Michelle I’m sure you understand!) Braden is in 2^nd grade and is very active in Cub Scouts. He is a great big brother to his two little sisters and I’m sure he will grow into a very tolerant and well rounded young man as he ages. I love reading Michelle’s blogs on Braden as much as I love reading the ones about the girls because they put into perspective the life of being the sibling of children with DS. And, I can tell you from reading that Braden loves his sisters regardless of that extra chromosome.

Cub Scout Braden

Ru, Braden and Lil

Here is where the story gets sad (apparently more people are going to cry today.) After Braden, Michelle got pregnant again! With girl-girl twins! They did not know ahead of time that the girls had Down Syndrome. Lydia had soft markers for Down Syndrome but we all know that doesn’t necessarily mean much and it didn’t matter to Michelle and Brian (yes…another Brian!) They were thrilled and they knew they wanted the girls regardless of how many chromosomes they showed up with. Unfortunately, during her 37^th week at a routine ultrasound visit, Michelle found out that one of the twins, Lydia, hadn’t made it. (This part always makes me cry…) The girls, Lydia and Ruby, were born in May 2007.

In Michelle’s words (and yes used with her permission), “…losing Lydia gave everyone so much perspective. No one cared that Ruby had Down syndrome, we were just so grateful to have her with us. That was Lydia's gift to Ruby. Perspective.”

Well, if that isn’t enough to open your eyes (and your hearts) what comes next certainly will.

Michelle and Brian felt like Ruby had been robbed of a sister. A sister with Down Syndrome. A sister just like her. So, after hearing about Reece’s Rainbow from the pictures and stories of others, they began to follow one little girl. That little girl was soon matched with a family and the Zoromski’s found “the one.”

Lilya was an orphan in Ukraine. An orphan that was a twin. A twin given to an orphanage because of her extra chromosome while HER “healthy” twin went home with the family.  They had found Ruby’s sister!

Again in Michelle’s words, “[Lilya was] a twin without a family ... and we were a family missing a twin.”

Lilya has been home for over a year and is doing so well! She is all girl – she loves to dance and sing – and she recently decided that she enjoys swimming!  She is too cute for words (as is Ruby!

Ruby

Lilya

Lil and Ru on their first day of school this year!

 

But, the story doesn’t end there! This summer Michelle announced that she is pregnant – with a boy! (I’m sure Braden is stoked!) And no, they aren’t having any testing done…I think they’ve more than proven that their hearts are big enough for whatever God gives them!

Thanks Michelle for your commitment to all people who have Down Syndrome – especially thanks for your support, encouragement and most of all your friendship!

We hope one day we can get together for a real-live play date with the girls!

(If you are interested, Michelle’s blog can be found here: http://zoromski.blogspot.com )

10 People in 10 Days: Day Two - The DeAngelo Family

Thursday, October 6, 2011
10 People in 10 Days
The DeAngelo Family

The DeAngelo Family

 Marty, Megan, Emily and Susie DeAngelo

Once Brian and I started the adoption process and registered to begin our Home Study we began research on adoption in general. As the pieces began to fall into place and we decided to pursue a Down Syndrome adoption, we registered with the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network (NDSAN) and were placed on the waiting list for a newborn boy with Down Syndrome.  It was at this point that the DeAngelo Family became not only a great resource, but also treasured friends.

You see, Marty and Susie were blessed with a child born with Down Syndrome in 1999. Emily (now 12) was a student in Nichole’s class and Susie was both Nichole’s and my homeroom mom. As the mother of two girls at our school, Susie is also VERY active in our PTA and with her children’s teachers. I always admire how “together” she is. I really don’t know how she balances everything she does!

Once we had committed with NDSAN I jotted Susie a note and let her know the route we were taking and asked her for more information and advice. She was more than ecstatic for us (and my note even made her cry – apparently I’ve gotten really good at bringing people to tears in the past 10 months!)  As the story shifted from us adopting through NDSAN to us adopting through Reece’s Rainbow her support and encouragement never wavered.

This is the DeAngelo family story.

When Susie and Marty found out they were pregnant they, like any couple, were thrilled. They had all of their prenatal visits and nothing was ever noted or brought up as concern.  Imagine their surprise when Emily graced the world with, not only her presence, but also her extra Chromosome in July of 1999.

 Tiny baby Emily!

July 1999

Prior to Emily’s birth Susie and Marty did not know that Emily was going to be born with Down Syndrome. But, while it came as a bit of a shock, they grabbed life by the horns and they haven’t stopped since! Emily was born with a heart defect (very common in babies with Down Syndrome) and at (or around) 8 months of age had corrective open heart surgery to repair the defect. She was a trooper! She did fantastic during surgery and afterwards her growth and development blossomed.

Emily at 2

Post heart surgery and growing!

Emily at 9

July 4, 2008

 Emily today! (She's now 12!)

July 2011

Several years after Emily’s birth, Marty and Susie were blessed with another daughter, Megan. Megan is a fierce advocate for her sister and is probably one of the most empathetic, accepting and understanding 9 year olds I know. She is very world aware and she is very protective of Emily. There is big love in this girl’s heart!

 The sister happy dance after Emily won her Gold Medal!

Both girls are very active in extracurricular activities. Down Syndrome has not ever (and will not ever) slow Emily down. Aside from school and her series of therapies outside of school, Emily also participates in cheerleading and Special Olympics. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen Emily practice her cheerleading routines. All of the sudden you will hear, “5, 6, 7, 8…” and you look over and there she is cheering wherever she happens to be! She is not just active – she is also good at what she does! In fact, just this past weekend Emily won the Gold Medal at the Florida State Special Olympics swim meet! She is one busy little girl!

Emily cheers with Challenger league locally and she LOVES it!

This is when Emily realized she had won the Gold Medal this past weekend!

 Emily on the Gold Medal podium!

YAY Emily!

Megan is just as active and is a killer softball player! Megan actually reminds me a lot of myself as kid. She is more of a tomboy than Emily (who is ALL girl) and she is really feisty. She has great things ahead of her.

So serious...

 Look at that stance...red team better look out!

Susie is not only a busy mom with two very active "tween" daughters, she is also a fierce advocate for people with Down Syndrome; she also advocates disability awareness in general.  This is precisely why, when the decision was made, I went to her for advice and information.

Susie shared Emily’s story with us and offered us a timeline of Emily’s growth and development. She gave us tons of information on Emily’s speech (which is by far the one thing Emily struggles with more than anything else) and her therapies. She would jot us handwritten notes throughout the process (I still have every single one of them for Sterling’s book!) letting us know how happy she was for us and that if we needed anything she was there.

One evening during the summer, Nichole and I went over to the DeAngelo house to watch the documentary “Monica and David.” If you haven’t seen it – you must. It is the story of two young adults with Down Syndrome, their blossoming relationship and their eventual marriage. It is an amazing film! Imagine three grown women sitting in the loft of the DeAngelo house crying happy tears! I’m sure we were a sight to see!

One weekend Nichole, the Comeaux kids, Brian and I met Susie, Emily and Megan at Disney for the day. While I have had experiences with children who have Down Syndrome, Brian never had. This outing was Brian’s first glimpse at life with a child who happens to have Down Syndrome. We had a great day! We spent the entire day at Hollywood Studios and stayed through the fireworks show. Everyone had a good time – even Brian! When we got in the car that night, Brian looked at me and said, “I don’t see anything different. She’s just like every other 11 year old I know.” LOL. I think he got the big picture that day. So without even knowing it, the DeAngelo family opened the door for our adoption by allowing us (especially Brian) to get little glimpses of their life for the past 10 months.

Susie has been in contact with me over here and has already told me how excited Megan and Emily are that Sterling is coming home! And we are more than excited to share a common bond with them!

We have a lot of LOVE and a lot of THANKS to give to the DeAngelo family for their support and encouragement over the past 10 months!