A Whole Lotta Catching Up!

As of the 27th, Mycah has been home for exactly 18 months.  EIGHTEEN MONTHS!  How in the world?!  We have enjoyed many special times, trips and tantrums  sweet moments over the last year and a half.  I am just not always that great at blogging about them since these 4 kiddos keep me driving all over God's green earth pretty busy most days.  So my family update in a nutshell...

Zachary just turned 15.  (Which I still find strange since I just turned 25 this year myself?)  He is quite social these days, has his first girlfriend, and is still pulling all A's at school.  

  

Her Favorite Hairdresser!

Alyssa is still training 

a thousand many hours a week for gymnastics.  She had her first meet of the season today and totally ROCKED three out of four events.  Darn vault!  Homeschooling has been great for her this last year.  She even *gasp* reads without being told these days...and not just on Instagram!  Although fashion and design are still much preferred over academics, she does very well with her studies.

What happens when your selfies show up on mom's photo stream!

 

Nathyn is doing well schooling here at home.  He is a whiz at math.  Mostly I think this is because he is ever working on computing the latest stats for his favorite baseball and football players...but, hey...whatever works!  

Meeting Jedd Gyorko (Jedd thought he had the
wrong hat on that day!)

Hoping to get the nod from the Braves

 

SUCCESS!!  Vavaro AND Teheran autographs!

And the neighborhood ROCKSTAR (aka Mycah...who never lacks for friends in this neighborhood!) continues to make us laugh every day.  When he wants to go to a friend's house he will ask, "Can I go ding-dong Wivva (River)?"  And last week, out of the blue, he said, "Ma...when I in China, I no wear underwear!"  Not sure why he wanted to share that?  Perhaps it's because if given the choice, he may do the same here at home?  Modesty is very obviously a learned thing...we are still working on that one.  He is a big 6 year old now!  He has gained 14 lbs and grown 6 inches since he joined our family.  It is amazing what a little extra food and proper medical care can do for a little body!  His speech is coming along.  We are still working on several tricky sounds and blends.  

 Always smiling!

Our time at our current assignment is drawing to a close.  We will graduate in December and we will be moving yet again.  However, Uncle Sam doesn't seem to be able to make up his mind where that will be.  It was supposed to be San Antonio, but those orders have been pulled as of last week.  So now we are back in every military family's favorite part of an impending move...the WAITING-to-find-out-where part! And although I DEFINITELY have a preference as to which assignment I would love to get, I continue to pray that we would end up exactly where God wants us for the next 4 years.  

 

2001...A Really Long Time Ago

**Update - There is a significant private grant available formula's family!  It will be directly payable to the agency they are using to complete her adoption**

Thirteen years is a long time.  Even so, I am sure we all remember where we were 13 years ago this month.

However, even though those events are still vivid in our memory, 2001 is pretty far behind us now.  Since 2001, my 2 year old has become my 15 year old, we have added three more children to our family, and said goodbye to 2 of our grandparents.  I have taught at 3 different schools, and Darrell has been deployed 3 times, earned his master's degree (almost), and worked at too many hospitals to count.  Our family has lived in 4 different states and 6 different houses.  We have owned 7 different vehicles and served at 6 different churches.  

And if you were writing, I am sure YOU have seen a lot of change in 13 years as well!  

But let me tell you one thing that has stayed the same...

Tula is STILL waiting for her family.  

This is somewhat of a mystery to me since in the early 2000's there were TONS of China adoptions being completed by families in the U.S.  To the tune of about 100,000 between 2000-2004.  And at that time they were mostly girls.  

Tula has a repaired cleft lip and palate.  She is healthy.  But for some reason, Tula was never chosen.  

And so she waited.  

And waited.

But do you know what is tragic?  She is almost 14.  If you read my post about Wesley, then you know that China's children are no longer available for adoption the day they turn 14.  So Tula needs a family, and she needs one SOON.  Her birthday is in March.  

How can you help? 

• Pray for Tula's family to come forward quickly.
• Pray for Tula as she waits.
• Share this post...perhaps her family members are friends of yours :-)
• Consider making Tula part of your family.  

Tula is currently on the shared list.  This means that any adoption agency with a China program can assist you with completing this adoption.  If you are not already with an agency, I highly recommend the agency we used to help us bring Mycah home.  

If you have any questions on exactly how to start this journey to Tula, please contact me through the form on the sidebar.  

Tula has exactly 6 months for her family to reach her.  Let's work together to make sure that happens! 

He's Too Risky .... Or Is He?

Update:

September 2014...My family found me!!!  

This one...

....has been labeled by many people as too risky.  

And I agree.  When you look at his file, talk to other heart mamas who have "been there, done that" and sread the professional opinions of  U.S. doctors, his prognosis is very grim.  I have advocated for him in Facebook groups and on a well-read China adoption blog.  And his family has yet to find him.

His file contains scary acronyms such as TGA, VSD and also notes his low energy levels.  His pictures show blue lips and clubbed fingers due to lack of oxygenated blood.  At 9 years old, he still is only slightly taller than my 6 year old and weighs about the same.  His body has never received any surgical help, and doctors and those with heart kiddo "experience" are baffled at the fact that he is still alive.  

Gabriel.

Just an advocacy name assigned by someone at our agency to make it easier for those of us who struggle with the pronunciation of foreign names...yet I cannot begin to think that this is just a random name.  

You see, Gabriel means "strong man of God."

Oh, people.  God is in the details!  

No one truly knows what Gabriel's future holds if he is adopted.  But I do know what his future holds in China.  Like many other children I have seen, he is considered "terminal" in China.  This means there is nothing else that can/will be done for his heart in his birth country.  But even if his family finds him and works to bring him home...is it too late for surgery?  Is the pulmonary hypertension too high?  Is he a transplant candidate?  Will he survive?  

So many unknowns.  And that is sad.  But not as sad as the thought of him going through all of this alone.

So I am asking for your help.  Please share this blog post.  

Because somewhere there is a family that is missing this sweet smile and the LIFE in these eyes.  

Somewhere there is a family that is missing out on a risk worth taking! 

For more information on starting the journey to Gabriel, please email me at saylorlori@comcast.net.  Although he is currently on the shared list and can be pulled by any agency with a China program, there is a substantial grant available to a qualified family that chooses to use WACAP as their placing agency.   

Reaching Wesley

UPDATE:  

Wesley's family reached him the week before his birthday and he is HOME now with his family!  

My oldest son is 14 years old.

OK...here he was only 6...but in my mind he still looks like this! 

He is responsible and level-headed...relatively good at keeping his room clean and doing the dishes.  He even mows the lawn and does his own laundry (when he runs out of clothes because he did not bring me his laundry)!  He is terribly independent, but he is only 14.  

Therefore, he still needs us (parents) for academic, social and emotional reasons...and for us to pay for the crazy amount of food the skinny as a rail  tall, thin young man can consume!  He is NOT an adult.  Nor will he be for several more years in the eyes of the U.S.  And even that age is questionable at times.

However, things are different in China.  At the age of 14, children "age out."  This means that on the day of their 14th birthday, and not one day later, they totally lose their chance of having a family to call their own.  This can mean many things depending on the area these children live, but for now I think that losing their chance at a family says enough.  

And here we find Wesley.  

Wesley is a healthy young man with albinism.  He does well in school and is not a picky eater.  He loves to hang out with his friends, watch cartoons, and play ball outside.  

Wesley is said to be a happy boy with a shy personality.  He gets along well with his peers and is well-liked.  

Wesley needs a family to commit to him SOON!  His file is on the shared list so any agency with a China program will have access to his file.  Although a family who is already in-process would be ideal, it is possible for a family just beginning the adoption journey to reach him in time.  

Finding Wesley's family will take a miracle.  Time is so short.  But just in case his family reads this blog, or one of the several other advocacy blogs that are posting about him this week, a concerted effort is being made.  

Please pray for Wesley...and for the hundreds of children in China that will soon age out.  Pray that their family sees their pictures, listens to their stories, and pursues these amazing children.  They have so much to offer our families...they are just waiting for their chance! 

Wesley has a $10,000 grant available to help his family complete his adoption.  In addition, families who choose to use WACAP as their agency may qualify for an additional $4,000.  If you couple those things with the current adoption tax credit, this adoption would be essentially of NO COST to the family when all is said and done.  He just needs his family to say "YES!"

For resources on parenting a child with albinism, check out the following:

Raising a Child with Albinism

National Organization for Albinism and Hyperpigmentation (NOAH)

Videos by NOAH

Bai China Yahoo! Group

Video depicting how a person with albinism sees

For support in completing an aging out adoption at WARP speed, this Facebook group is full of families that can offer their advice to reach him as quickly as possible.  

A Tale of Two Decades

The countdown has begun...in 10 days the youngest child to come from my belly will turn 10.  After a roller coaster pregnancy, our "special surprise from Jesus" entered our family and I absolutely cannot imagine our lives without him.  He brings joy to my heart everyday...even on the days that I want to duct tape him to his school chair  rough days.

For 10 years we have watched him grow, change and mature.

Some days with him have been REALLY long, and other days I pray for more time to enjoy this little boy who isn't so little anymore.     Lord, help me to remember that my time with him is SO limited.  Help me instill in him the values and faith that he needs to become the man of God you have destined him to be.

There have been 10 birthdays, 10 Christmases, 10 Easters, 10 summer vacations, and even 10 lost teeth.  There are innumerable photos, LOTS of funny stories, and even new words that will forever be a part of our family thanks to this sweet boy.

A lot happens in 10 years, and I am excited to watch the next decade as well.  

There is another little boy whose life also started 10 years ago, but his story, up to this point, is quite different.  He was born on another continent and to a family that was unable to care for him.  Finley is a happy, healthy boy who now waits for his forever family to find him.  Did you read that?  HEALTHY...WAITS...FOREVER FAMILY.  He has spent 10 birthdays, 10 Christmases, 10 Easters. 10 summer vacations and quite a few lost teeth....ALONE.  

But oh the joy he has in that smile!

Ten year old Finley is a healthy, quiet, introverted boy who spent his first several years in another institute before coming to his current orphanage in August 2012. Despite this big transition, he is doing very well! He is close to his caretaker and roommates, and likes playing with the other children and watching TV. He is attending school at the orphanage, and does well in class, obeying the rules and listening carefully. He is a helpful boy who will often assist the teacher by sweeping the floor or cleaning the blackboard. The orphanage feels that because he didn’t have early education, his performance is just average and he learns a little slower than his peers.  However, they also feel that his language and writing are excellent! He can do simple math, and has even learned some basic greetings and names of fruits in English. His motor skills are all normal; he can run and use the stairs, pick up small objects with chopsticks, and draw geometric figures. He can sing songs, and recite Tang Dynasty poetry, though his pronunciation isn’t always proper. He can do all his daily care tasks of dressing, eating, and bathing, but this little boy still longs to be adopted. He hopes he can have a caring family! 

Finley had a small hemangioma or lipoma on the back of his neck, but it receded without treatment.  He is now a healthy little boy whose greatest need is for his family to find him.

Finley is currently on WACAP’s designated list.  There is a $4000 grant available for families who qualify to assist with this adoption.

Yes, a lot happens in 10 years, but still so much more for Finley and his family to look forward to!  

Please email me  or contact Elizabeth for information on beginning the journey to bring Finley home.    

Waiting for My Family

Although our sweet son Mycah's condition is very rare, last week I came across these two sweet young ladies who have also been diagnosed with CAH.  This is SO manageable here in the U.S.  I am happy to talk with anyone who would like more information on parenting a child who has adrenal insufficiency.  Both of these girls have a $4000 grant available for qualified families that choose to use WACAP (our amazing agency).  They are currently on the shared list, however, and so their file can be pulled by any adoption agency with a China program. 

Louise

When Louise came into care at 5 years old, she was very shy and quiet.  

When anyone would talk to her, she would lower her head and rarely speak back.  At 6 she was placed with a foster family.  She enjoyed this very much and is very close to her foster brother who is wheel-chair bound.  After almost 4 years with her foster family, she is a more confident child.  

She enjoys school and will answer questions out loud in class.  Louise loves to help!  She will often help her teachers with classroom jobs.  Helping her fellow classmates and her foster brother puts a smile on her face!  Her shyness has all but disappeared, and her caretakers say she has an “inner heart as bright as the sunshine!”

Jenni  

Jenni has been in her orphanage since she was very young.  

She is said to be an “extrovert”, but is initially shy with strangers.  She attends school at the orphanage and is a hard worker.  Concepts taught by her teachers are easily grasped.   At age 7, she knew 10 Tang poems, several children’s songs, could write simple Chinese words, and knew simple addition and subtraction.  Drawing, however, is what she loves!  She likes to draw people and share her works with others.  Her teachers and caretakers all like her and praise her as a good helper.  Her caretakers say she although she has “deep emotion” for her orphanage, she “hopes to have a real home in which her parents love her.”  

Both of these sweet girls have been diagnosed with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.  Their adrenal glands lack an enzyme needed to make certain hormones.  This is treated with daily oral medication (typically 3-4 times a day) for life.  

There are some wonderful resources available for families affected by this condition. A file review by a pediatric endocrinologist is suggested as well.

• National Adrenal Diseases Foundation: www.nadf.us
• The MAGIC Foundation: www.magicfoundation.org
• The CARES Foundation: www.caresfoundation.org

And just so you know, my CAHer is full of life and love and it doesn't slow him down one bit!  Love our boy! 

Sweet Grace

Update:  My family FOUND me!!!

This sweet little face belongs to Grace.  

As we come upon Mother's Day in a couple more days, I cannot help but think about the millions of children who still desperately need their very own mommy.  Like Grace.  Although her nannies describe her as timid and shy, she gets along well with others and is said to be energetic.  She loves to listen to music, read books, and play with toys.  Dolls happen to be her favorite, and she likes to play hide and seek.  Grace has been diagnosed with CHD, specifically VSD and pulmonary hypertension.  Grace will soon be 6 years old.  Her height, weight, and physical development are consistent with most other kids with a similar diagnosis.  Test results and images are available for her family to see, as well as a video.  On paper, her condition can seem bleak.  The reality is that she needs a family soon...really soon.  

A family that is willing to love in spite of the risk.  

A family that knows this child is more than medical test results and papers in a file. 

A family who knows she is their very own beloved daughter.

Grace’s file is currently with WACAP and she has a $4,000 grant for qualified families.  Please email familyfinders@wacap.org for more information.  

Plenty of resources and encouragement from families of other heart children are available.  The following sites are great places to learn more about CHD.

Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital

Little Hearts

Kids with Heart

Congenital Heart Information Network Resources

Yale School of Medicine

China Heart Children Yahoo! group

To learn more about parenting a child with severe CHD, you can check out this family’s blog as well as this family’s blog.