Vacations

We are on the first day of a much needed vacation. Vacations are time to reconnect, share, and laugh. We were packed and we had thought of everything. Except, Guess what we forgot...Mason. No deep breaths we didn't ACTUALLY "forget" Mason, we forgot that we aren't suppose to leave the state without telling his social worker. This could have been bad, but it wasn't... a simple email says where we were going fixed it all, except it didn't fix the little twang in my heart that reminds me he's not officially ours yet. In all other ways he's been a permanent part of our family since Oct 27th, when we held him in our arms. But we can't take him out of the country (although we hadn't planned too, I'd still like the option), we can't have simple medical procedures done, and we always have to remember that when at the doctors office he goes by another name. And I want it done. I don't want to wait anymore, I don't want to explain his name confusion, and I don't want to have to tell anyone else where we are going. He is ours all ours. And again I am reminded that God's timing is perfect and He knows all. So I will take peace in that even when I don't know the why's I will trust. And I will continue to pray that this is the last vacation we have to tell a social worker about. :0)

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

When we set out on this adoption journey we NEVER expected to be parents to a child with FASD.  There is this nice little form that as adoptive parents we fill out and it says what we would accept, what we wouldn't accept, and what we would discuss.  That was a scary little form.  We prayed about it, checked all our little boxes...done!

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was one of the issues we were nervous to except. We had heard stories (like all those scary childbirth stories people like to tell you right before you go into labor), we had been warned, and we looked on the internet!!  Note: the Internet is not a good place for research like this...just sayin'

Anyway, our social worker (who hadn't seen our nice little checklist) called one day to tell us about a little boy who was born with FASD features and were we interested in being shown to the birth mom.  Now call it desperation, craziness, or what have you... it took Steve and I less then 5 minutes to say yes.  We knew that this was all in God's hands and whatever child was meant for our family would makes its way to us with or without our approval, 'cuz you know what God wants, God gets! :o) We also trusted that God wouldn't give us more then we could handle and that He is with with us always.  With all that said, I was still nervous.  Our family was still nervous.  Adoption had been scary, now we were asking them to accept this too. 

But you know what, God is ALWAYS right!  Mason fits in our family exactly as God planned for him too. 
Are days hard? sometimes
Do we worry about the future? sometimes
Are we tired? sometimes :o)

And as any of you with children would say...they are SO worth it! 

Here is a wonderful resource to a booklet titled FASD: Strategies not solutions .  This booklet has great information for any child that craves structure and routine like these kids do. 

When we were matched with Mason we had to have our homestudy rewritten and "convince" our agency that we were prepared to handle a child with FASD.  Their words were "love isn't enough".  So very true but....
it's a darn good start!
And we love this little guy more then words, and if we'd known then what we know now we would do it again in a heart beat!!  God really does know best!

Mommy drain

You ever have one of those days that just completely drains you?  Today was one of those mommy draining days for me.
We did the deepest cleaning we've EVER done on the house (or any house for that matter)for a showing this afternoon, I'm going on day 5 of icky sleep due to a sick baby who I can't stop snuggling, and I have two older boys who are in desperate need of attention.  Add children who always want at least 3 meals and a couple of snacks and well I was screaming for Calgon to take me away! This too shall pass, right. :o)

I just keep remembering that this is all in God's hands so ALL is WELL 
and when I forget, I apologize.