Oh How Life Can Change

I haven't blogged here since January of 2008. I'm sure that any readers I used to have are now long gone but that is okay. We'll just have to start over again.

I've been feeling a need to share our experience on a more personal level lately so I'm drawn back to this blog. It seems that a lifetime has gone by since we were new to adoption and waiting so impatiently to become a happy family. What we have learned in that lifetime could fill books upon books.

I can't even begin to really touch on what has happened but I will give you the nutshell version. We legally adopted Thomas in July of 2008 and very quickly began to pursue another son, Isaiah. He was nine at the time. He moved into our home in December of 08 and we will be legally adopting him within the next couple of months. In January of 2009 we discovered we are pregnant with our third child and about a month ago we discovered that our baby is also a boy! So we are again impatiently awaiting the arrival of another son. In addition to our third boy, we are also deep into the process of licensing to do emergency placement foster care through the Wichita Children's Home. (Oh, did I mention we sold our house and moved into Wichita into a 100 year old giant beast of a house since I last blogged as well!?)

I will say that there are a lot of emotions running high around here. There is so much more to parenting children who've spent their lives in the system than I could have ever imagined. I know that much of what we deal with on a daily basis is true for many adoptive parents. Even when you adopt children from overseas you can run into the same issues that we have. Parenting kids who've been abandoned, abused, and neglected can be excruciatingly painful. No matter what your child has been through prior to arriving in your home, you will inevitably deal with the loss your child has suffered through the process of adoption.

At our house, loss and pain are daily visitors. We've become accustomed to the realities of our children's lives and we welcome the conversations we have. Their struggles are no longer visitors to our home, they have made themselves comfortable.

Interestingly enough, I've decided to revisit this blog on mother's day. Today is a great day to approach the issue of pain. Today is merely a reminder of what they have lost. So, we are avoiding it as much as possible. Avoidance is not always a bad thing.

Sorry for the disjointedness of this entry. I'll try to flesh out more tomorrow. Until then, know that I have returned for more on the journey of adoption, parenting, and perseverance.