Blogging

I have had the pleasure this last few months to come across some wonderful blogs. All of them are adoption related. Either China, Vietnam or Ethiopian adoption. A common thread in all of these blogs is the sincere desire for a child. Most of these parents-to-be are first time parents and just starting the process or are in the early waiting stage. It is an amazing way to document the wait, the stress, the anxiety offered by building your family through International Adoption. Most people are very honest and open to comments. As well, there is a whole community of people cheering one another on. It is for this reason that I value adoption as I do. Adoption meets the needs of several parties all at once. The wanna be parents, the child without a home, and the orphanges that are full to capacity. When I adopted Olivia, there was no opportunity to visit her orphanage. AND there was no real explanation as to WHY we would not be invited in. I would have loved this chance to see first hand where Olivia lived her first 10 months but it was unimportant in the grand scheme -at the time. Olivia was healthy, in new clothing, clean, plump and obviously well cared for by her workers at her orphanage. All of the babies were in great condition. We were blessed to receive these children in the manner that we did, we were not going to challenge seeing the orphanage.
The blogs I read about Ethiopia, there is not only the opportunity to visit the orphanage, but also the chance to meet a birth mother. Visit with her and your new child. What a blessing that would be. I can hardly imagine this for Olivia. That would be a dream. Meeting her mother, holding her hand, our souls speaking, mine in awe of her scarifice and in humble thanks. Well that's what I imagine, anyway. I will never know--and therefore Olivia will never know the circumstances of her adoption placement. This is a piece of information you receive when adopting from Ethiopia. It is a completely different program.

I attended an Ethiopian families picnic with Olivia last weekend. It was awesome. The weather was great and there were many families there. Lots of wee babes just home and several families waiting to go. Interestingly, there were 3 in total, single moms with daughters from China in attendance. All of us looking, dreaming, pursuing a second child. A child from Ethiopia. My decision is no closer--although I am acutely aware that I CANNOT sit indefinitely- after seeing these families. I am praying continually. AND reading blogs. This has been very helpful. Thanks