Our Kids :)

Tonight our dossier is in Cologne (I LOVE TRACKING!!!)...overnight it will make it's way to our kid's country. Please join us in prayer that it makes it there safely, quickly and that it is translated, submitted and approved quickly. We are also praying for a quick travel date!
As we get closer to meeting our kids face to face, I have to admit there are so many different emotions surfacing. Excitement and nerves mingling all together!! Today I looked back to re-read the information we have about each one of our sweeties and so I thought I would share it with everyone. I was reminded while reading these today the urgency with which we work to bring these babies home...
Tatya

Streeeeettttch, and why did you wake me? Tatya is just waking from a nap here. She has sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. She is completely healthy and doing well. Just waiting for her family!

I have $0 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!


Angel (soon to be our Anastasia)

Angel is considered significantly delayed, but so much of this could be institutional. You have all seen how these kids, even the "lowest functioning" of them, just BLOSSOM once home. Please give Angel that chance!! Every day she waits makes it worse :(

Angel was born with ASD. She also has some strabismus.

From one of our adoptive families who visited with her in July 2009: " The caretaker was quick to motion me away from them....making a face of disgust and saying "dumb". But since she was sitting and wasn't going to be going anywhere I knelt down to cup each of their little faces. Angel was on the verge of falling asleep, but she opened her eyes and looked at me when I stroked her face. Her eyes are blueish, not brown, and her hair is kind of a mousy brown. She almost seemed stunned by my touch at first, but then was okay and let me keep stroking her check. Her muscle tone is weak and she wasn't able to really hold herself up very well.....but she was tired too, and I know that adds to the low muscle tone becoming even more low. She looked more at me once I stopped stroking her face and talked to her. She was tired though and looked like she was fighting sleeping hard to be able to keep looking at me. She finally gave into sleep while a ran my hand over her head."

Serge (soon to be Eli)

Serge is another little chunky muffin :) He has sandy brown hair and big brown eyes. He does have some strabismus, and an umbilical hernia, but no heart condition. He is doing great and will really do well in his new family!

From one of our adoptive families who visited with him in July 2009: "Serge was bewildered by me...his little tongue sticking out of his mouth the way my Eli's does :) I don't think these children get talked to in a tender tone very much, if at all. Serge looked at me like a little puppy does when their trying to understand what your saying....you know, that head cocked to the side and ears perked up look? That's how Serge looked at me :) Because he was sitting behind Angel he would lean in to my hand when ever I cupped his face. He didn't smile at me, but liked being talked too and touched. He kept putting his hand on mine when I stroked his cheek and he moved his feet for me to get me to stroke them again whenever I stopped touching them. He had no shoes on so I was able to massage his little feet & legs tenderly and he liked it :) All these children need is attention, affection and some eager arms. Once they have these things, these babies will grow in every way! Here, their looked at as "dumb"....not even worthy of touch or tender words. It explains a lot about our Isaac's own behaviors. What's amazing is how little time it's taken for Isaac to learn to accept and even desire our affection & attention. My heart hurts for these beautiful babies. "