The Joy of Vahnya! The Joy of adoption!

   Vahnya hasn't been wanting to go to sleep at night so the last two nights I have gone in and held his hand and sat next to his crib. All he wants is to know that I'm there. He just looks at me as he falls asleep.

 Last night I did this and as he was looking at me looking into my eyes, I wonder what he was thinking.I was thinking first how blessed am I to get to be the mommy of such a sweet boy, look how cute he is, oh he must have been such a cute sweet infant, I wish I could have had him in my arms when he was first born. My thoughts went to his birth mother, what she must have felt to have to leave that hospital with out her baby in her arms go home and spend every day with out him. I wonder how often she thinks about him, My thoughts went to all the children just like Vahnya, just as sweet, just as cute, just as much of a joy and just as worthy that sit in cribs all day with no mommy to hold their hand while they fall asleep, and it made me sad.

a child like Andrey http://reecesrainbow.org/andrey-s-14

Achild like Ivan region 8

or a child likeVioletta http://reecesrainbow.org/violetta902    
 

If everyone in the world could just know the love and joy that an orphaned child can bring into your your life I truly think there would be no orphans. This feeling that Vahnya gives is better then any drug you could ever take. Yes it is a process to get to this point but it just makes it all the more wonderful to know how hard you worked for it to happen. If Mike and I and our family could do it anyone can. We didn't have money to do this, we didn't know what we were doing, we learned as we went, we were blessed as we went. To think that if we would have at any point given up because we didn't think we could do it just breaks my heart. I can't even think of what our lives would be like with out THE JOY OF VAHNYA. To think about all the people who gave up before they even started because it looked too hard or it cost too much or they didn't think they had what it takes to do it, breaks my heart. So if you are feeling that tug on your heart on your sprit, that whisper in your ear, that feeling that you want to adopt then JUST DO IT! you will be blessed beyond anything you could ever dream up yourself!
Here are a few children that need you maybe one is yours take time to look into their sweet faces and let the Lord speak to your heart.If you don't see your child here go to Reeces rainbowReeces Rainbow and just start looking at all the pictures if your child is there you will find them.
http://reecesrainbow.org/kevin-15h      

Hailey http://reecesrainbow.org/hailey-china



http://reecesrainbow.org/rachel-9ha

http://reecesrainbow.org/chloe-15h

                          Nicholas region 9


http://reecesrainbow.org/artem-t-azbv-14

Sophia region 26

Golden region 26

Alex region 26

Elizabeth region 26

Catherine region 23





Ariana region 23

http://reecesrainbow.org/alana-23

http://reecesrainbow.org/russell-2

http://reecesrainbow.org/nico-14g

http://reecesrainbow.org/lizzy-15h

http://reecesrainbow.org/annie14g

http://reecesrainbow.org/lorelei

http://reecesrainbow.org/patrick-15h

http://reecesrainbow.org/ralph-15h         
                                                                                                                      http://reecesrainbow.org/kyle-14g

A million dollar smile

A million dollar smile!

Vahnya's heart

  We spent our morning at Doernbecher children's hospital. Vahnya first had an echocardiogram this took 30 min and he had to lay on the table while the Dr. took ultra sound pictures of his heart. He did great, we had to tell him he was ok a few times but he was such a good boy. It did help that they had a tv and played the movie Bolt for him. He loves dogs and action so he loved it.

After that we were off to see the cardiologist he said that Vahnya does have VSD or in more technical terms ventricular septal defect or in terms we can all understand a hole in his heart between the chambers.He said it was so small that he can't even hear it as a murmur when he listens to his heart beat. He said it is closing on its own no surgery needed yipppiiiieeee!

Next was a ECG or electrocardiogram or for all of us A test that records the changes in the electrical activity of the heart on graph paper.This test they had to put these sticky tabs all over his chest and legs and clamp on wires hooked to a machine that read the electrical activity of his heart . He did fine with this he thought it tickled when she put the sticky tabs on him and laughed. Daddy had to hold his hand so he wouldn't pull the wires off.
After the Doctor read the results of this test he said that there was one part that he was not sure about and wanted Vahnya to do a 24 hour ECG. This is where they put new sticky tabs on him and attached new wires that have a battery pack and Vahnya has to wear it for 24 hours to assess for arrhythmia.
So they attached this to him we got it all tucked into his shirt and overalls and he hasn't messed with it since we have been home.
It is naptime now so I wonder how he will do with it once he is alone in his crib trying to fall asleep guess we will find out lol.



Here are a couple pictures of the ECG being done.

Here are a couple of him with his 24 hour one at home.He had to have a clothing change due to getting his lunch all over his outfit and a wet diaper. He pulled at the wires some but not bad .He's in his crib now hope I don't go in and find him all unplugged lol

Texting

I got my sisters phone I think I'll try and text  Anya , I havn't seen her for two months. It would be nice to touch base and see how shes doing.

Well she is busy packing with her family to move into their new house. I think I'll try Harley, he is getting a new brother Max soon. Max is from the same country I lived in before my Mommy and Daddy came and saved me.

Oh man Harley has to go take a nap.I'm going to try Constance ,she lived with me for the first three years and four months of my life.She has a family comming for her now.

I forgot they don't allow kids to have cell phones in the baby house. I Think I will try Laura next. My sisters Amanda  and Madison tell me I'm going to marry her one day.

Laura text back and sent me a picture she's so cute and all mine.

She said she's going to go play with her big sister Ashley now. Why can't anyone text with me? I don't get to have this phone long. When my big sister Madison sees that I have it she is going take it away. 

I told you she was going to take it away! Do I really have to wait 10 years to get my own phone?!!

Zoya one little girls story

 I just had to post about this little girl Zoya. some of you may already know about her if you are adopting thru Recess Rainbow I'm sure you do. I have watched read and stocked her blog here since they were still getting paper work ready to go get her. I read about their first meeting with her. here and saw the pictures of a cute little girl that just looked blank had nothing behind her eyes as if she were drugged, maybe she was I never did ask her mom that question .I know she spent her days in a crib. I saw her come to life with each visit from Sarah and Shawn. you could see that spark trying to shine thru her smile and her eyes. Now fast forward a year only a year and go and look at this here Zoya is so smart she is so full of life, so eager to learn and easy to teach. this has a lot to do with her mom being a great teacher and a wonderful mommy too. But just think if Sarah and Shawn didn't listen to their heart think of where Zoya would be,still in that crib with that blank look in her eyes. It makes me tear up every time I go and watch these videos. It shows what potential children with down syndrome have. Makes me excited to see how Vahnya will grow and learn, he has already learned so much in just 2 months home like a little sponge.Makes me sad to think of the 100s of kids that will never get the chance to be like Zoya or Vahnya, stuck away in cribs away from the world because they are a little different. sad just sad!



thank you Sarah and Zoya for sharing your blog. YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL!

1st  hug.

a year later.

It has been only 2 months since we have had Vahnya in our arms. I find it sad how easy it was to forget.I'm not saying I have totally forgotten, how could anyone ever walk the walk we walked and forget it all.


What I'm saying is that our life so quickly got back into routine. It is as if Vahnya has been with us always. Our days are full of giggles and firsts. Yes we have challenges once in a while but not much, is it too perfect?

I just don't want to ever forget the children that are still out there, the ones that still don't have any one to kiss them when they fall, hold them when they are scared, feed them when they are hungry, clothe them when they are cold. I don't want to forget that but I find my self letting it slip away. We are happy things are great for us. But the Lord had opened our eyes to something we can not close them now just because one is home, one is out does not mean we are done.

During our court trip I felt so overwhelmed, I told Mike we are never doing this again its just too hard. I really felt that in my heart. Then Mike said to me "I feel like we aren't done, Vahnya is not the last". after he said that I had an empty feeling inside me until I agreed totally agreed with him that God was not done with us, that we were going to someday do this again.

I go back and forth now with urgency and piece. Sometimes I have the urgency that I need to look at every childs picture and look into every country to find out our options. Other times I feel like God will lead us to our next child just as he did with Vahnya and I should just rest in that.

I felt like if I even thought about domestic adoption I was a horrible person because of what I know about children in institutions in other countries. but are not all Gods children worthy if it be in my back yard or across the world. There are different ways of suffering just because you can't see them tied to a crib doesn't mean their heart is free doesn't mean they are not suffering doesn't mean they don't need your love.So now I feel ok about what ever way God will lead us.

So there you have it now you all know so you will not be surprised when the time comes that we say we are doing this again. We don't know when it will be, a few years from now or tomorrow. That is up to God, we will just be ready to act when he tells us to.

Someone just emailed this to me so I had to copy it and put it on here, it was just too sweet to keep to myself.

"He is such a beautiful happy little boy. God certainly smiled on him (and you) the day your decided to make him yours."

I wonder if he is happy with us what do you think?

I just can't help but wonder if he is happy in his new home with his new family that smothers him with love?Tell me what you think,please leave a comment.

crib is no longer empty

 For a year I would look into this crib empty and long for my baby boy to be sleeping there. Sometimes I go in and just watch him sleep. Thank you Lord for giving us this blessing!