Holiday Update

So we've been spending time with family, and Bridget has been loving the constant hum of activity and people! She's eating everything that's offered to her, asking to use the potty, and attempting more and more spoken words. She loves her new doll that Santa brought (and the zhu zhu hamsters he brought for Emmy), and is keeping busy drawing and playing the days away.

My parents have a picture of Alina on their refrigerator at Bridget's eye level. She'll walk by the refrigerator, stop and wave to the picture, or stop and kiss the picture. Yesterday, she offered Alina her phone, "here, you" (it's for you!). She calls Alina "baby" or "nuh". We'll ask, Are you going to share your toys with Alina? or, Are you going to be a good big sister? To which she replies, "Yup".

We've recently discovered that Bridget can say "p-o-k-e-r" clearly. (She's been sitting at the table each night while the dads and cousins play). She even knows the difference between (and can say) "(poker) chips" and "cards". We're so proud :)...

Holiday Update

So we've been spending time with family, and Bridget has been loving the constant hum of activity and people! She's eating everything that's offered to her, asking to use the potty, and attempting more and more spoken words. She loves her new doll that Santa brought (and the zhu zhu hamsters he brought for Emmy), and is keeping busy drawing and playing the days away.

My parents have a picture of Alina on their refrigerator at Bridget's eye level. She'll walk by the refrigerator, stop and wave to the picture, or stop and kiss the picture. Yesterday, she offered Alina her phone, "here, you" (it's for you!). She calls Alina "baby" or "nuh". We'll ask, Are you going to share your toys with Alina? or, Are you going to be a good big sister? To which she replies, "Yup".

We've recently discovered that Bridget can say "p-o-k-e-r" clearly. (She's been sitting at the table each night while the dads and cousins play). She even knows the difference between (and can say) "(poker) chips" and "cards". We're so proud :)...

Our Special New Light

You're half a world away, and yet
Your little light has led us straight to you.

Can you possibly know how much you are loved
and wanted
Or how we ache to hold you
and soothe you and enjoy you?

Our hearts are full, overflowing with hope. The sting of your absence will soon be gone, filled with--and replaced by--you.

We're learning all about your country, your language, and the types of food you may enjoy. We look forward to beginning some new family traditions in your honor. Soon, the little girl in our dreams and prayers will be part of our family, part of our lives forever. We can't wait to learn all about you.

Merry Christmas, sweet Alina.
We're working as fast as we can to get you home.
Next year, we'll look back and remember how we waited
to hold you and to shower you with gifts and love.

Tonight, on Christmas, we send up a humble prayer:

Thank you, Dear Creator, for our special new light.
Please keep her well
Until she is here,
smiling, content and safe in our arms.

Ready. Set. Go!

We've been busy this past week (and I've updated our sidebar with an Adoption Timeline which shows some of the things we have been doing)! We know that there is a little girl out there who needs us, so we hit the ground running. I feel like a contestant on the Amazing Race!

Since we had not considered adoption before finding Alina, we were not at all prepared for the mass amount of paperwork and details which are part of adopting internationally. We are getting acclimated quickly, though, and have found incredible support within the Down syndrome and Reece's Rainbow communities, and from friends and family.

We firmly believe that we were meant to find Alina--and to welcome her into our hearts and home--and are touched that so many others feel that way as well.

We are looking for current pictures and updates on Alina, and hope that we will have more information soon. We have finally figured out where she is living (and therefore where we will be visiting!), and have been in contact with other families who are adopting from the same orphanage.

Our home study is scheduled to begin when we return from our holiday travels. We have a lot to do in the next few months, but we are excited and ready to do whatever is necessary. I'll post here with new details and updates.

~Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season filled with peace and love~

We're Expecting...

...a toddler!

Anyone who knows us will not be particularly surprised to learn that we are adding once again to our family, even though we thought that Bridget would be our last. We really were not looking to grow our already fairly large family--but then a little girl came into our view and into our hearts, and changed all of that.

Just over a week ago, I visited the website for Reece's Rainbow (an organization which promotes the international adoption of children with Down syndrome) via a link on another blog. I had no idea at the time that the click of a button would change the course of our lives forever.

Chris and I had been talking with the kids about charitable giving and had decided to donate to Reece's Rainbow through the Angel Tree fundraiser. We love that all donations go directly to a particular child's adoption fund, thereby increasing the chances that he or she will be adopted.

(Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, orphans with Down syndrome are living on borrowed time. Between the ages of three to five, the paperwork is started and they are soon transferred to an institution, where care is very poor and chance of survival past one year is slim.)

While all of the children on the site pulled at our heartstrings, we could not stop thinking about one little girl in particular. Her name is Alina, and she is about nine months younger than Bridget. (She looks quite a bit like Bridget from the one picture we have seen of her.) The picture on the Reece's Rainbow website is not great, though. Her head is shaved (which apparently is common practice during the warmer months in many orphanages) and her little lips are chapped. She is not looking at the camera in the grainy photo.

Still, we see a beautiful little girl with great potential, and much to offer--who needs a family willing to love her, care for her and give her a chance at life. Chris and I did not decide immediately to adopt her ourselves, but agreed that we would help to raise money for her adoption fund.

We barely spoke about Alina after that first night, but she weighed heavily on our hearts for the next several days. Though busy with the details of everyday life, we could think of little else. Finally, one morning when the kids were all at school, I approached Chris--although to hear him tell it, I "ambushed" him :).

That little girl...is there any way..., I began. I couldn't even get the words out.

He paused briefly (though I think he knew the question was coming, so much for his ambush theory). It wouldn't be easy, he started. He was nodding yes, but not making any sound.

We both knew we needed some time to process what was happening. Were we making the decision to pursue adopting her? We both knew the answer was yes, if the kids were on board.

That night at dinner we talked with our children about Alina, her need for a family and how they would feel about bringing her here. We had our laptop at the kitchen table with her picture pulled up. I asked Bridget, What do you think about this baby? Looking at the picture on the computer screen, she signed and said, Baby. Sad.

Do you want to bring her to our house?, I asked. DO!, she said (which means yes).

We asked for a show of hands, Who would like to make Alina part of our family? Hands shot up quickly (even Bridget). Emmy was the only one who wasn't teary-eyed at this point. She looked up from her plate, then side-to-side. Wait, we're talking about ADOPTING A BABY?

Yes, Emmy, said Chris. How do you feel about that?

As long as she doesn't wake me up at night...

Kyle jumped in, Geez, Emmy! Emmy mouthed (with a grin), What?!

We should adopt her because she needs love and support to have a better future, said Brian.

We would be giving her a chance at life, added Sara.

Bridget was saying and signing, Mommy. Daddy. Baby. Mommy. Daddy. Baby. (We're not exactly sure why, but she must have had an idea of what we were talking about.)

Do you all realize that Alina has Down syndrome? asked Chris. It would mean that you would have two little sisters with Down syndrome.

That would be good, Kyle offered. I love Bridget and I like having lots of siblings. I think it would be good for Bridget, too. Alina needs a family and we are the perfect family for her.

One by one, the kids left the table to finish homework or to get ready for bed until just Chris and I were left at the table with Bridget. We sat across from one another, teary-eyed and tired, but feeling incredibly blessed and completely at peace with our decision and our new journey.

So within a week of seeing Alina's picture, we went from hoping to raise money for her adoption fund, to making a commitment to be her forever family. The decision wasn't really a tough one. We know there will be challenges, but we also know there will be untold rewards.

We move forward with hope and joyful anticipation of Alina's arrival (this summer, if all goes as planned).

Please keep us in your thoughts. Prayers and good wishes are welcome and appreciated for Alina: for her continued health, safety and comfort; and for us: for energy as we work through the details of her adoption, and for patience in waiting to bring her home.

We invite you to follow along and share in our joy as we become a family of eight:

Loving Alina

We're Expecting...

...a toddler!

Anyone who knows us will not be particularly surprised to learn that we are adding once again to our family, even though we thought that Bridget would be our last. We really were not looking to grow our already fairly large family--but then a little girl came into our view and into our hearts, and changed all of that.

Just over a week ago, I visited the website for Reece's Rainbow (an organization which promotes the international adoption of children with Down syndrome) via a link on another blog. I had no idea at the time that the click of a button would change the course of our lives forever.

Chris and I had been talking with the kids about charitable giving and had decided to donate to Reece's Rainbow through the Angel Tree fundraiser. We love that all donations go directly to a particular child's adoption fund, thereby increasing the chances that he or she will be adopted.

(Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, orphans with Down syndrome are living on borrowed time. Between the ages of three to five, the paperwork is started and they are soon transferred to an institution, where care is very poor and chance of survival past one year is slim.)

While all of the children on the site pulled at our heartstrings, we could not stop thinking about one little girl in particular. Her name is Alina, and she is about nine months younger than Bridget. (She looks quite a bit like Bridget from the one picture we have seen of her.) The picture on the Reece's Rainbow website is not great, though. Her head is shaved (which apparently is common practice during the warmer months in many orphanages) and her little lips are chapped. She is not looking at the camera in the grainy photo.

Still, we see a beautiful little girl with great potential, and much to offer--who needs a family willing to love her, care for her and give her a chance at life. Chris and I did not decide immediately to adopt her ourselves, but agreed that we would help to raise money for her adoption fund.

We barely spoke about Alina after that first night, but she weighed heavily on our hearts for the next several days. Though busy with the details of everyday life, we could think of little else. Finally, one morning when the kids were all at school, I approached Chris--although to hear him tell it, I "ambushed" him :).

That little girl...is there any way..., I began. I couldn't even get the words out.

He paused briefly (though I think he knew the question was coming, so much for his ambush theory). It wouldn't be easy, he started. He was nodding yes, but not making any sound.

We both knew we needed some time to process what was happening. Were we making the decision to pursue adopting her? We both knew the answer was yes, if the kids were on board.

That night at dinner we talked with our children about Alina, her need for a family and how they would feel about bringing her here. We had our laptop at the kitchen table with her picture pulled up. I asked Bridget, What do you think about this baby? Looking at the picture on the computer screen, she signed and said, Baby. Sad.

Do you want to bring her to our house?, I asked. DO!, she said (which means yes).

We asked for a show of hands, Who would like to make Alina part of our family? Hands shot up quickly (even Bridget). Emmy was the only one who wasn't teary-eyed at this point. She looked up from her plate, then side-to-side. Wait, we're talking about ADOPTING A BABY?

Yes, Emmy, said Chris. How do you feel about that?

As long as she doesn't wake me up at night...

Kyle jumped in, Geez, Emmy! Emmy mouthed (with a grin), What?!

We should adopt her because she needs love and support to have a better future, said Brian.

We would be giving her a chance at life, added Sara.

Bridget was saying and signing, Mommy. Daddy. Baby. Mommy. Daddy. Baby. (We're not exactly sure why, but she must have had an idea of what we were talking about.)

Do you all realize that Alina has Down syndrome? asked Chris. It would mean that you would have two little sisters with Down syndrome.

That would be good, Kyle offered. I love Bridget and I like having lots of siblings. I think it would be good for Bridget, too. Alina needs a family and we are the perfect family for her.

One by one, the kids left the table to finish homework or to get ready for bed until just Chris and I were left at the table with Bridget. We sat across from one another, teary-eyed and tired, but feeling incredibly blessed and completely at peace with our decision and our new journey.

So within a week of seeing Alina's picture, we went from hoping to raise money for her adoption fund, to making a commitment to be her forever family. The decision wasn't really a tough one. We know there will be challenges, but we also know there will be untold rewards.

We move forward with hope and joyful anticipation of Alina's arrival (this summer, if all goes as planned).

Please keep us in your thoughts. Prayers and good wishes are welcome and appreciated for Alina: for her continued health, safety and comfort; and for us: for energy as we work through the details of her adoption, and for patience in waiting to bring her home.

We invite you to follow along and share in our joy as we become a family of eight:

Loving Alina

Welcome!

This post marks the beginning of our journey through international adoption to bring Alina home! We are so excited :)!



We have a large and close family with five children already: Sara (14), Kyle (12), Brian (10), Emmy (7), and Bridget (3). Bridget was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth. Although the diagnosis came as a shock, we have found that Down syndrome itself is not something to fear. We adore Bridget. We see her potential and hope to help her share her special light with others.



We were not initially looking to adopt a child, but wanted to make a donation to Reece's Rainbow for their annual Angel Tree fundraiser as a part of our holiday giving and Down syndrome advocacy efforts. We found Alina's picture and began to feel as though our lives were about to change. We soon realized that we were a perfect match for her, and quickly made the commitment to bring her home as soon as possible :).



We know that there will be challenges along the way, and that our path is full of uncertainty. We also know that what's most important is worth fighting for, and that there will be untold rewards. We move forward with hope and joyful anticipation of Alina's arrival.



Here is our family profile from the Reece's Rainbow website:



Chris and Lisa met at The Ohio State University in the fall of 1988, on the first day of classes during Lisa’s freshman year. Chris was a senior at the time. They married four and a half years later and now have five children ranging from 3-14 years in age.



Their youngest child, Bridget, was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth. Although they were previously unaware of Bridget’s diagnosis, they quickly came to understand that she is truly perfect, and perfect for them. Bridget is now three-and-a-half years old and is thriving. Lisa wrote a chapter for the book Gifts, 2, about Bridget and all she has brought to their lives. The entire family is involved in Down syndrome advocacy efforts. Lisa also writes and manages Bridget's Light, a blog about life with Bridget.



The Peele family was not initially looking to expand, but rather visited Reece’s Rainbow to donate for the Angel Tree fundraiser. They came across Alina’s picture and noticed that she looks a lot like Bridget. Lisa and Chris were immediately drawn to her. Lisa looked up the meaning of “Alina” to discover that her name means “light”—a major theme in their lives thus far.



They also realized that Bridget would benefit from having another sibling with Down syndrome so close in age, and that the whole family was entirely prepared to welcome Alina. Together, they decided that not only could they manage another child, but that Alina herself was meant for them, and they for her.



Chris and Lisa both feel that the events of the past 15 years have prepared them for Alina and for their journey of international adoption.



They were ready to commit to adopting her, and wanted to make sure the rest of the kids were in agreement.



The older Peele children are sensitive and compassionate and excited to welcome another sibling with Down syndrome. “This little girl needs a family, and we are the perfect family for her,” said Kyle (12). A show of hands at the dinner table was unanimous to make Alina part of the family and bring her home as soon as possible.



As a group, the family has decided to keep her name. They think “Alina” is beautiful and meaningful. They also know that she will need to adjust to many new aspects of life soon, and would like for her feel some comfort in being known by her given name.



“Alina” is a variation of Eileen, which is particularly special, as it is the middle name of Lisa’s aunt Denise, her mom’s sister. Alina’s middle name will be Caroline--after another very special family member who passed away in 1997.



Alina’s arrival in the United States is greatly anticipated by immediate and extended family and a large network of friends. She will be loved, cherished, and offered every opportunity to live a full, healthy and happy life.



Her adoptive family is committed to giving her everything she needs to fulfill her potential and her hopes, whatever each may be. They look forward, with happy hearts, to learning more about her and helping to make her dreams come true.



Alina \a-li-na: means “light”. Origin Meaning: Arabic Noble, beautiful; Celtic Fair, beautiful; Chinese Big Bright Eyes, Yes definitely beautiful!; Dutch Outgoing; Gaelic Bright, noble, smart; German Diminutive of Adilene, From the Old German "Athal" meaning noble; Greek Light, beautiful; Irish Beautiful; Latin Of the nobility; Polish Beautiful, Bright, kind; Russian Scarlet (color, connoted in Russian with hope and anticipation of happiness); Slavic Noble, Kind; Teutonic Noble smart; Romanian To heal.



Caroline: “Joy. Song of happiness.”



Please keep us in your thoughts. Prayers and good wishes are welcome and appreciated for Alina: for her continued health, safety and comfort; and for us: for energy as we work through the details of her adoption, and for patience in waiting to bring her home.



We invite you to follow along and share in our joy as we become a family of eight!

New

My time is short these days, and I have been meaning (and wanting) to get here and write about all kinds of things. I have several posts half-done. Does that count :)? Anyway, here are a few things I've been wanting to mention:

- Notice the search bar at the top right under header. Yea! It works. Feel free to try it out :).

- Updates on Bridget:

Preschool is going great. We just got her first progress report, and she is, well, making progress! She has a nice start on many of the goals on her IEP, which I am pleased about, but I am even more happy about how much she is enjoying school (as well as the bus and even her backpack!) and about all the new things she is doing and learning.

We're noticing a "language explosion"--in relative terms, of course. Last night, Bridget said, "I go sleep" and "Where cup? Where my cup!" She has started saying, "Oopsie!" (which has morphed from her very cute "Oop!"), and is now able to say every name in our family (a few of the names are short versions, like "Bri" for Brian...but we know exactly what she is saying, and it is clear to others as well). She is saying "Mom-my" and "Dad-dy" and "Em-my" (when previously she was just saying "Dad", "Mom", and "Em"). She is also beginning to put new words together to describe things, like, "baby sad". Bridget is still signing, but consistently saying words with the sign. She's repeating lots of things they must be doing in school, such as letting us know the type of weather each day at the bus stop (she signs and says "cold" or "rainy" or "sunny"). She will also randomly mention names of her classmates. She is singing along with the ABC's, Itsy-Bitsy Spider, You Are My Sunshine, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Happy Birthday and other songs. She says "Hap-py Birth-day" and "Pat-a-cake" very clearly, as well as many other words in the songs. Some parts are less clear to us, but she is attempting the whole song regardless. Wow!

Bridget is very much enjoying all of her siblings (and vice versa). She is absolutely part of the group, just as any other three-year-old would be. She especially likes reading with Emmy, listening to iPods with any of the kids and being in the basement when the boys are shooting baskets (trying to shoot baskets herself).

We ditched the official potty training way back in the summer. Right after we started, it was clear to me that while Bridget was showing many readiness signs, she was not 100% ready to potty train (mainly because she was not able to give me any notice before she needed to go...so even though she was mostly going in the potty, I never felt safe taking her anywhere in underwear). Being able to go when I asked her to was great, but in my mind, that did not constitute being "potty trained". Sometimes, we'd sit in the bathroom for a half-an-hour before she would go. A few days of that was more than enough for both of us, so I decided she was getting ready to train, but was not quite there. And there was really no hurry, other than some arbitrary timeline I'd set to potty train her by the age of three. I decided I'd assess as we go, and begin again when she was able to tell us consistently when she needed to go (and after she'd adjusted to preschool). She has made strides in all areas this past few months. Now it is a matter of me getting serious about it again. When I am able to be consistent and focus on potty training for at least a week, we'll begin again. I am not in a rush, though. It will happen sometime soon :).

I have been thinking of others during this holiday season, and have been giving whenever and wherever I can. Brian's 5th grade class has been talking about Random Acts of Kindness and has been trying to focus on things to do that (1) cost little--or no--money and (2) are unexpected. We've been talking at dinner time about what each of the kids is doing each day to show that they are paying attention to others and how they are spreading love and kindness. We're participating in food drives, adopt-a-family programs and other community-oriented programs, as well as encouraging the kids to give compliments and go out of their way to notice others & opportunities to make someone smile.

(Does anyone remember hearing about the customer who paid for the next person's order in the Starbucks drive-through? There's an idea that could be applied to any drive-through scenario.)

I have been busy fundraising for our local Ds organization, helping friends to locate hard-to-find gifts, and sharing special recipes with family and friends. I'll always answer the call when someone is looking for a certain type of recipe (holiday, nut-free, vegetarian, etc.) if something I have fits the bill. I'll also do some asking around if need be. Giving of time, talents or ideas is free and easy.

I have loved reading all the thoughts and ideas about giving on other blogs. Check Bethany's blog to find everyone else who is participating in her challenge.

To Give, with Love and Care

This is a great time of year to give--to give thanks for all we have, and to help others in need.

Bethany at Life with Bubba, Chicky & Nika had an awesome idea: she started the 12 Days of Giving Challenge.

I will be giving to others, whether it is in a big or small way, for at least the first two weeks of the month on a daily basis. (I may not write about every single thing here, but I will definitely mention some of the things we're doing as a family to give, and to give back.)

Tonight, we were talking about how we could advocate for Bridget and others with Down syndrome. I mentioned Reece's Rainbow and gathered everyone around the computer to view pictures of children waiting to be adopted and families who had already brought their children home.

There are so many worthy places to direct energy and money (and I plan on highlighting a few of those in the upcoming week), but here's one way to make a difference: donate money (even $10) to a child's grant fund to make it easier for that child to find his or her forever family.

The Gift of a Forever Home, from the Reece's Rainbow website:

Our Sponsorship Program provides a unique opportunity for anonymous donors to contribute to the adoption journey of our families. These children are viewed as outcasts with no ability to learn or be functional members of society. They languish in mental institutions, hidden away from the world in shame. Even if you are not able to adopt a child at this time, you truly can change the course of a child's life by helping adoptive families afford the costs of international adoption.

One time of visiting the Reece's Rainbow website, and I can't get these precious faces out of my mind. Is there a sibling here for Bridget, Emmy, Sara, Kyle & Brian?

As a family, we decided to donate for these children (each of whom has $0 in his or her grant fund):

These are just a few of the children who caught our eyes (each one of them reminds us of Bridget), but it is this little girl at the bottom who has completely stolen my heart (she is about 9 months younger than Bridget):

Alina

Born March 10, 2007
"The orphanage shaved all of their heads bald for the summer, but this beauty has dark hair and blue eyes. She needs a loving family to help her be the very best she can be! She is still quite young, but hasn't had a great photo yet. Hoping for her mama to see beyond these orphan pictures and envision her as the amazing, beautiful, able little girl that she is!"

I can so see her with us. I'd already stopped on her picture several times, and then I read this description. My heart just melted. It sounds like something I'd write about Bridget. With love and care, this little girl will thrive.

Anyone would be lucky to have any of these children. Even if you are not in a position to adopt, please consider donating to help bring them home.