Baby Pictures

We are blessed to have a couple baby pictures of Jacob but they are on a pdf document so it took me a while to figure out how to convert them. I think my husband could do a better job but until he does, here are some grainy pictures of our boy when he was around 11 months old. I know I am a biased Mama already but I think he was a super cute baby! Don't you just love his styling hair cut.

DTC and Birthday Wishes

Today is Jacob's 4th Birthday and I am a little sad that we can't celebrate with him. We got some wonderful news from our agency just in time for Jacob's birthday though. We are now DTC (Dossier To China) which means all our adoption paperwork has been authenticated and sent to China. What a wonderful day to be DTC and a date we will always remember. Another step closer to getting Jacob home so that we can celebrate his 5th birthday all together next year. We are sending Jacob birthday hugs and kisses even if we can't be with him. We know God is looking out for him.

Kisses in the Wind

(The Waiting Child's Lullaby)

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long.
But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...
Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.
I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.

Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.
But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.
And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

~ © Pamela Durkota

Can't Wait for Another Boy!

It is hard to believe that Isaiah is 8 1/2 years old. He has become so helpful to me now that he is older which is one of many reasons why we feel we can handle three kids. I am happy that we get to go back and do some of that fun little boy stuff again. Since my last post was all about boys, I just had to add a few pictures of Isaiah from when he was around Jacob's age. It sounds like Jacob is just as outgoing and full of personality as his older brother. He has the same twinkle in his eyes so I am sure we will be in for some excitement.

Adopting Boys From China

Most people I know are surprised to hear there are many many boys in China with mild to moderate special needs waiting for families to adopt them. I am the only and oldest girl in a family of five, so boys are something I know quite a bit about. When we started the process to adopt the first time, I didn't care if we were matched with a boy or a girl. I knew girls were harder to come by in the adoption world and I wanted to be a Mom more than anything. Now don't get me wrong, I had always wanted a younger sister growing up and each time my Mom was expecting another baby, we hoped and prayed it would be a girl. My Mom had home births for the last three so we never knew until the baby arrived whether we would be getting a boy or a girl. When my last three brothers were born, there was a short moment of disappointment and then we were just happy to have a beautiful healthy baby. We wouldn't have traded them for girls once they arrived.

Before adopting Susu, I liked to joke that the only way our family was going to get another girl was for me to travel to the other side of the world and adopt one. Now I think it is rather ironic that I am traveling to the other side of the world for a boy. The more I have read about all the little boys waiting for families in China, the more I want all those little boys to find homes. Boys are just as wonderful as girls. The problem is that most people who think of adopting from China and many other countries as well, go into the process wanting a girl. China is known for girls so boys aren't even on the radar screen of most people looking to adopt from China. That is one reason our Jacob has been waiting for a family since he was less than a year old. He has been waiting for a family to adopt him for over three years now!

We recently got an update on Jacob and I will share a little below.

"He is a very sensible boy. He sees that all children on TV have one’s own mother. Now he often picks up his toy telephone and put it beside his ear, talks to himself “mum, I am Jianwei, come and pick me up!” and then he explains “the phone is power off, so mum did not answer me.” At this moment we feel incomparably sad and you can image that little Jianwei wants a mother so much!"

My heart goes out to all the other little boys waiting for their Moms to come and get them. Right now there are five adorable little boys waiting for families who live in the very same city as our Jacob Jian Wei. They are the boys pictured in this blog post and they all live at the Love Without Boundaries Henan Cleft Healing Home. All five of these boys would make wonderful additions to any family. So if anyone reading this is thinking of adopting, please consider the little boys waiting for families. You can read more about these boys and other boys and girls waiting for families at the Love Without Boundaries blog.

Some of my favorite things about having a son are:

1. Lots of big hugs.
2. Boys love their Moms a whole lot which is where the term "Mama's Boy" came from.
3. Boys can learn to save their Moms from spiders and other yucky crawling things which make their way into the house or hopping things that make their way into Mom's car (did you hear my frog story).
4. Moms can even learn to appreciate such crawling and hopping creatures if they are not brought too close. All of God's creatures are quite amazing, even the yucky ones.
5. Only a little boy will tell others that you looked beautiful after you have spent the whole night throwing up after a surgery and need to be taken to the emergency room in your bathrobe.
6. Handfuls and handfuls of dandelion bouquets brought with a smile.
7. Sweet "I Love You" notes left on pillows which are not from your husband.
8. Being told that you were missed after you get back from grocery shopping.
9. Being told you are the best Mom in the world even though you may have been a crab earlier in the week or even that day.
10. More big hugs. You can never have too many of those!