Thursday, December 27, 2012
Merry Christmas!
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11
Merry Christmas!
R, L, A & M
Monday, December 24, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
The Post Office: A Year Later
Setting the Scene (December 2011): A, M and I took a trip to the post office to mail out our Christmas cards. There was nothing out of the ordinary about that day or the people in the post office with us.
A lost it. No one said anything to her. No one touched her. There may have been a smile in her direction or a friendly nod or wave. She cried uncontrollably, yelling, moving her body. Most people would think she was having a tantrum but everything in me knew it was something else.
It was fear. It was anxiety and the inability to know how to express those emotions.
It was around this time last year that it became increasingly obvious that something was not okay with A. Her ability to handle adult interaction was deteriorating and I was dumbfounded as to why. She wasn't "just having a bad day" or "really needing a nap" both excuses people regularly offered to me and I offered up myself. God blessed me with the ability to know it was something else.
We left the post office with tears in both our eyes and got back in the car. It felt like my new reality had just been confirmed. There was no where I could take A without this fear pouring out of her. Adults were scary to the extend that the DJs on the radio were too much for her to handle.
After seeking professional help we discovered that A has Sensory Integration Disorder. It can come in a variety of different ways but for A it affects just about every aspect of her daily life. It is a neurological disorder that results in her brain's inability to properly recieve the five basic senses. Normally a brain takes in all five senses to form an accurate picture of ones surroundings and how to react to the information appropriately. That is not the case for A.
Her body is almost always uncomfortable with its surroundings thus creating fear and anxiety. It was described to me in this way: If you were wearing an outfit that was really itchy. If everything in your day went perfectly then the outfit would bother you all day but it would be somewhat tolerable. You wear that same itchy outfit on a day when things keep happening that are unexpected then the itchy outfit is going to seem that much harder to tolerate. You would need to make extra effort not to itch the scratch, little things seem harder to respond appropriately because you are already struggling in your own skin/clothes. By the end of the day of constant uninvited life interruptions and unbearable itching you are so frustrated and uncomfortable that the little things that normally wouldn't bother you set you off before you have a chance to relax and calm down.
This is what A lives with daily. We've been blessed with, in my opinion, the two best OT's (Occupational Therapists) ever that are working with A to help her manage this disorder. A is a fighter in the best sense of the word and we are enormously proud of her. I can't stress that enough! Things that come so easy to us, things that we take for granted, are overwhelming for A. People. Events. Objects. Sounds. Touches. Movements. Even if it is all things she loves it can become too much for her to handle if she is not prepared appropriately. She has to overcome so very much physically and mentally to be able to do every day tasks that seem so simple to us. She has a long road ahead of her but she has come so incredibly far.
Setting The Scene (December 2012): A and I went to the post office to mail our Christmas cards. On the way from the car to the post office we passed 4-5 people. A was singing each step of the way and never once hesitated forward. She helped me send the cards off in the mail and she sang her way back to the car.
The other day she went to the store with R and she strolled down the isle happily without fear. We listen to the DJs on the radio. Last week she sang with her classmates in front of a crowded room of parents flashing cameras in her direction and she was okay. She hugs family more frequently and if you're really lucky you may even get a kiss.
I never want to forget what a tremendous blessing it is that A can now go places with less fear and anxiety then she had just a few months ago. God is good. He is faithful. He hears our cries. As we are in this Christmas season I am especially thankful for a Savior, born in a manager, that cares so deeply for my daughter. Last week when we were talking about school A told me that God was going to hold her hand when she had to do something she didn't want to do/was uncomfortable doing. I think He's held her hand a lot this year. :)
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers
of hell can separate us from God’s love. - Romans 8:38
A lost it. No one said anything to her. No one touched her. There may have been a smile in her direction or a friendly nod or wave. She cried uncontrollably, yelling, moving her body. Most people would think she was having a tantrum but everything in me knew it was something else.
It was fear. It was anxiety and the inability to know how to express those emotions.
It was around this time last year that it became increasingly obvious that something was not okay with A. Her ability to handle adult interaction was deteriorating and I was dumbfounded as to why. She wasn't "just having a bad day" or "really needing a nap" both excuses people regularly offered to me and I offered up myself. God blessed me with the ability to know it was something else.
We left the post office with tears in both our eyes and got back in the car. It felt like my new reality had just been confirmed. There was no where I could take A without this fear pouring out of her. Adults were scary to the extend that the DJs on the radio were too much for her to handle.
After seeking professional help we discovered that A has Sensory Integration Disorder. It can come in a variety of different ways but for A it affects just about every aspect of her daily life. It is a neurological disorder that results in her brain's inability to properly recieve the five basic senses. Normally a brain takes in all five senses to form an accurate picture of ones surroundings and how to react to the information appropriately. That is not the case for A.
Her body is almost always uncomfortable with its surroundings thus creating fear and anxiety. It was described to me in this way: If you were wearing an outfit that was really itchy. If everything in your day went perfectly then the outfit would bother you all day but it would be somewhat tolerable. You wear that same itchy outfit on a day when things keep happening that are unexpected then the itchy outfit is going to seem that much harder to tolerate. You would need to make extra effort not to itch the scratch, little things seem harder to respond appropriately because you are already struggling in your own skin/clothes. By the end of the day of constant uninvited life interruptions and unbearable itching you are so frustrated and uncomfortable that the little things that normally wouldn't bother you set you off before you have a chance to relax and calm down.
This is what A lives with daily. We've been blessed with, in my opinion, the two best OT's (Occupational Therapists) ever that are working with A to help her manage this disorder. A is a fighter in the best sense of the word and we are enormously proud of her. I can't stress that enough! Things that come so easy to us, things that we take for granted, are overwhelming for A. People. Events. Objects. Sounds. Touches. Movements. Even if it is all things she loves it can become too much for her to handle if she is not prepared appropriately. She has to overcome so very much physically and mentally to be able to do every day tasks that seem so simple to us. She has a long road ahead of her but she has come so incredibly far.
Setting The Scene (December 2012): A and I went to the post office to mail our Christmas cards. On the way from the car to the post office we passed 4-5 people. A was singing each step of the way and never once hesitated forward. She helped me send the cards off in the mail and she sang her way back to the car.
The other day she went to the store with R and she strolled down the isle happily without fear. We listen to the DJs on the radio. Last week she sang with her classmates in front of a crowded room of parents flashing cameras in her direction and she was okay. She hugs family more frequently and if you're really lucky you may even get a kiss.
I never want to forget what a tremendous blessing it is that A can now go places with less fear and anxiety then she had just a few months ago. God is good. He is faithful. He hears our cries. As we are in this Christmas season I am especially thankful for a Savior, born in a manager, that cares so deeply for my daughter. Last week when we were talking about school A told me that God was going to hold her hand when she had to do something she didn't want to do/was uncomfortable doing. I think He's held her hand a lot this year. :)
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers
of hell can separate us from God’s love. - Romans 8:38
Thursday, December 6, 2012
The Day In The Life Of Baby Doll
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| Reading The Good Word |
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| Making some lunch |
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| Eating lunch in the high chair |
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| Getting ready to splash in some puddles |
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| A hug before heading off to school |
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| Walking to school |
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Thoughts From A 3 Year-Old
God knows just what ya need when ya need it. A's random nuggets of wisdom and thoughts that has totally brighten my day.
The people who made my lunch box are called Tree-Kenzie.
The sun used to have a smile but it isn't smiling today. The smile is gone. (Today is cloudy and rainy)
Why did God give me this brown baby sister, M?
And my personal favorite....
I don't want to eat Cheerios. Cheerios gives me gas. I don't eat gas because I'm not a car.
The people who made my lunch box are called Tree-Kenzie.
The sun used to have a smile but it isn't smiling today. The smile is gone. (Today is cloudy and rainy)
Why did God give me this brown baby sister, M?
And my personal favorite....
I don't want to eat Cheerios. Cheerios gives me gas. I don't eat gas because I'm not a car.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
We Can Do This Together
I'm pretty certain there are very few out there that read this blog regularly but for those that do, I pray that you hear my urgent cry for help through my words.
In the past few days the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been, and continues to be, under attack by a rebel militia called the M-23. They are made up of men who steal, murder, turn little boys into children soldiers and rape children and women as their weapon of choice. They have entered Goma, an eastern city in the DRC and within the past 48 hours have taken over the city. Tens of thousands of people have tried to flee their homes, the United Nations who have over 1,500 soldiers there have withdrawn and let the militia take over, the Congolese army fled leaving their weapons with young men and boys in the community. And when all of that news was not hard enough to digest I found out that orphans in Goma that are supposed to be flying out of Goma to west Congo for adoption are trapped in their orphanage literally hiding under their beds with their pastor.
And here comes the kicker...R and my child could be there right now. Helpless. Your nephew, niece, grandchild, cousin, neighbor, church member could be there. Please let that sink in. Soak it up. Hold on to what that means to you, to R, to me, while you hear my cry for help below.
I have spent much of the past two days praying, crying, pleading with God, pacing and looking up every possible government official to call and email to make it known that there are people in the US that care about what is going on in Goma and praying that if enough people call and email that someone in power will step up and take action. I haven't been very good at tracking who I've called and emailed but towards the end of this afternoon I figured I should keep track (so I can keep pestering the same people and get their information out to others). I've pasted some websites and phone numbers below. It is super simple and will take just a few minutes. Consider this your Christmas gift to me and my family.
You can look up your state officials and call and email them on this website. http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=CT http://www2.americanprogress.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=244&link=1
Call President Obama -- 1-888-542-4146 - script: “My name is _____, and I’m calling about the current violence in Democratic Republic of Congo. I urge you to call for the immediate de-escalation of the M23 rebellion in Congo and demand an end to external support of M23 by Rwanda and Uganda. Please work with our international partners to pressure ALL parties to this conflict, including Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, to resolve the crisis through constructive negotiations.”
Call Ambassador Rice 212-415-4062 -- same script as above.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/demand-rwanda-cease-all-support-m23-and-remove-rwandan-troops-congo/JmYRbzJ8
Pray!
What if this was your child? My child? What would you do? This is a picture from Goma after M-23 entered.
This a group of people taking all they have and fleeing in hopes of finding safety.
In the past few days the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been, and continues to be, under attack by a rebel militia called the M-23. They are made up of men who steal, murder, turn little boys into children soldiers and rape children and women as their weapon of choice. They have entered Goma, an eastern city in the DRC and within the past 48 hours have taken over the city. Tens of thousands of people have tried to flee their homes, the United Nations who have over 1,500 soldiers there have withdrawn and let the militia take over, the Congolese army fled leaving their weapons with young men and boys in the community. And when all of that news was not hard enough to digest I found out that orphans in Goma that are supposed to be flying out of Goma to west Congo for adoption are trapped in their orphanage literally hiding under their beds with their pastor.
And here comes the kicker...R and my child could be there right now. Helpless. Your nephew, niece, grandchild, cousin, neighbor, church member could be there. Please let that sink in. Soak it up. Hold on to what that means to you, to R, to me, while you hear my cry for help below.
I have spent much of the past two days praying, crying, pleading with God, pacing and looking up every possible government official to call and email to make it known that there are people in the US that care about what is going on in Goma and praying that if enough people call and email that someone in power will step up and take action. I haven't been very good at tracking who I've called and emailed but towards the end of this afternoon I figured I should keep track (so I can keep pestering the same people and get their information out to others). I've pasted some websites and phone numbers below. It is super simple and will take just a few minutes. Consider this your Christmas gift to me and my family.
You can look up your state officials and call and email them on this website. http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=CT http://www2.americanprogress.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=244&link=1
Call President Obama -- 1-888-542-4146 - script: “My name is _____, and I’m calling about the current violence in Democratic Republic of Congo. I urge you to call for the immediate de-escalation of the M23 rebellion in Congo and demand an end to external support of M23 by Rwanda and Uganda. Please work with our international partners to pressure ALL parties to this conflict, including Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, to resolve the crisis through constructive negotiations.”
Call Ambassador Rice 212-415-4062 -- same script as above.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/demand-rwanda-cease-all-support-m23-and-remove-rwandan-troops-congo/JmYRbzJ8
Pray!
What if this was your child? My child? What would you do? This is a picture from Goma after M-23 entered.
This a group of people taking all they have and fleeing in hopes of finding safety.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Home Study Complete!
From what I've gathered, there are MANY steps to this adoption process but our first big step has been completed. YAY!!! Our home study is complete. Check. One thing done in the list of to-dos before we get to meet our sweet sweet baby. We have been cleared by the State and the US that we are fit to bring another little munchkin into our family. We are now on a waiting list to be referred a/our child. WOW!! When we started this process I thought it would be many, many more months until this would happen so I am both nervous and EXCITED to be that much closer to knowing about and seeing our little one. It's a crazy feeling knowing our baby is out there and not being able to be there for him/her yet. I've never missed and longed for someone more in my life. I woke up this morning thinking about him/her. So thankful to have a God that can watch over and protect our little one far better than we can! Can't wait to meet you our little Congolese baby! We love you!
Lord, do not withhold your mercy from our children, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect them. Amen Psalm 40:11
Lord, do not withhold your mercy from our children, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect them. Amen Psalm 40:11
Friday, November 16, 2012
Oh How 3-Year-Olds Have No Filter
Yesterday I was helping A put on her jacket as we were leaving her OT's (occupational therapist) office. There was a little boy, who I shall call Timmy, that was in the waiting area with us. He walked by us and A said to him, "Timmy, I don't like the smell coming from your body."
Gotta love the honestly that flows from a three year old.
Gotta love the honestly that flows from a three year old.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Run For Congo Women
As R and I have begun to research more about Congo we have been so blessed to find people across the world working together to bring relief and healing to a forgotten nation. We found out about an organization, Women for Women International that supports the efforts of Run For Congo Women. It gives people like you and me the opportunity to support women and families in Congo through a variety of avenues. I was SO excited to learn there was a Run for Congo 5K run/walk in NYC so Ramon and I planned to attend in support of these amazing Congolese women. As we walked over to the registration booth I was COMPLETELY SHOCKED to find my BFF, C and her fiance J standing there waiting for us. R was in on the secret but I was beyond surprised to have them join us for this awesome event. It's not ever day you have friends wake up before the sun to join you for a run. This was the first of many events R and I plan on being apart of in support of a nation that has become our life long passion and we couldn't have been happier that they were there to support us. To learn more about this organization go to http://www.runforcongowomen.org/
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Time to Pick Some Apples
Earlier this Fall we went out and enjoyed the beautiful Fall weather at the Apple Orchard.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Hurricane Sandy
The winds and rain of Hurricane Sandy hit our city and surrounding towns/cities in horrific ways. We are very thankful that our house and yard went unharmed with no flooding, tree damage and electricity intact. It even gave the girls a chance to try out their new rain gear!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
A the Kitty Cat and M the Chef
M was originally going to be a lady bug (A was a lady bug 2 years ago) but I couldn't find the costume. She's been all about princesses lately so I thought she could just wear one of A's dress-up dresses but when I went to help her pick one out all she wanted to wear was her red winter coat and the pink's chefs hat. She's a girl that knows what she likes! Not at all like her older sister...oh no, JUST like her big sister!
We took the girls to a church Fall Festival this year on Halloween. A played games, M got to pet a dog dressed up like a ballerina (the highlight of the day for her!) and we all went on a hayride. It was a fun family night out!
