Go Cooper, Go!!!

About a month ago, Cooper's HIV doctor changed two of the three medications he was on.  One of his blood counts, his viral load (which is the amount of virus in his blood), was dangerously high.....691,000.  They would like for this number to be below 50!!!  (No, I did not mistype either number.  I knew you were wondering.)  His CD4 count, or white blood cell count, was fine....around 1900.  But, it was obvious to us all that the medicines were not working like they should.  Either he had developed an immunity to one or all of them in Ethiopia or his biological mother passed on an immunity to one or all of them.  So....because of that his meds needed to be switched.  We started on the new meds in October and I am HAPPY to say we found out yesterday some REALLY good news.  His viral load is at 6,480!!!!!  Woohooo!!!  And that's just being on new medication for 1 month!!  I know it's not exactly double digits, but we are making progress and we are super excited about that.  We are so thankful for our friends and family that pray for our little guy on a regular basis.  We are so blessed and God is so faithful! 

More Ideas for Shopping with a Purpose

This post is FULL of ideas for gift-giving with a purpose....and when I say full, I mean full people!...and great ideas, too, I might add.  Here ya go!

1. Amazima....This ministry was started in 2008 by then 19-year-old Katie Davis from Brentwood, Tennessee.  Read all about this amazing work here on their website, and then read about Katie's day-to-day life with her 13 daughters and the people of Uganda here on her blog.  Amazima sells paper-bead necklaces that are handcrafted by women in Uganda.  Not only is each necklace beautiful, but the money you spend employs a Ugandan woman and helps feed a hungry child.  Check them out here.  Also, Katie Davis has written an awesome book Kisses From Katie.  This would be a great gift for the reader on your list.  Proceeds from the book go straight back into Amazima.  You can purchase the book off Amazon.

2. TOMS shoes....One for One...."With every pair of shoes you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One."You can read more about the One for One movement here and purchase shoes all day long, here.  I'm thinking these are pretty cute!

  

3. Speaking of shoes...Meet Samantha. A 12-year-old girl, from St. Louis Missouri, who makes bottlecap necklaces to raise money to purchase shoes for needy children.  Right now children at Children's Hopechest carepoints in Ethiopia are receiving new shoes thanks to Samantha.  Her cute necklaces are $6 (that includes shipping) and there are several styles to choose from.  Love, love, love these necklaces!

4.  Meet the Hurley family...David, Erin, and their two girls are in the process of adopting a child from Ethiopia.  Right now, they are waiting on their referral and continuing to raise funds.  You can read their adoption story here.  The Hurley's are selling adoption related jewelry, adoption apparel, and Africa merchandise.  Most of all, please remember to pray for them as they continue this journey.

5.  Meet the Narunsky family....Roy and Jill, and their 3 biological children are also in the process of adopting a 10-year-old boy from Ethiopia.  They hope to have him home by the end of the year.  To help raise much needed funds, they are selling t-shirts, Just Love Coffee and 5th Avenue jewelry. Now that the Ethiopian courts have reopened, the Narunsky's are super eager to bring their son home. Please pray for them and their hearts.

6.  Check out these cute bracelets, handmade and each bead stitched in.  This family is selling these as a fundraiser to bring their little girl home from China, and are trying to reach their goal of selling 3,000 bracelets.  Adult braceltets sell for $12 and children's bracelets are $10.  There are so many patterns to choose from!

7. O.k. and this one is near and dear to my heart.... (Starbucks) RED....Want to give Starbucks giftcards this holiday season? Consider giving the (Starbucks) RED cards.

"Every time you pay with your (STARBUCKS)^RED Card*, we make a contribution to the Global Fund to help people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. With your help, we’ve already generated contributions equaling more than 18 million daily doses of medicine."

8. My sweet friend Libby Edwardson is making these precious African dolls to fund their adoption of two children from Uganda.  You can read more about their story here.  She will soon have dolls for older children available.  Each doll is $20.  You can choose from boy, girl, or unisex and whether or not you want the doll's eyes to be open or shut.  These are the cutest things!

Buy for Change....Week 1 Continued

So....I have had so much interest that another post this week is in order.  Check out these ideas for gift-giving with a purpose this holiday season....

1. Reaser family adoption....Meet Dennis and Katie Reaser and their four children.

They are in the process of adopting a toddler girl from Ethiopia.  They have gotten their court date for November 30th and are praying that they have their princess home by Christmas.  You can read all about their story here. To raise funds for their adoption, they are selling these awesome washer necklaces, reusable grocery bags, and Just Love Coffee.  Visit their blog to order these products. RIGT NOW until October 23rd, you can order Pampered Chef products with a percentage of the sales going toward their adoption...and because it's an October show, you will get 20% of select stoneware pieces.  Just make sure you put "Katie" as the hostess.  Click here for the Pampered Chef site.  Thanks for helping bring "baby M" home!

$10 for one washer, $15 for two washers

reusable grocery bags....$5         

2.  Because Every Mother Matters...This is wonderful organization started raising funds in 2008 to send  birthing kits to women in Africa.  Since then, they have started a birthing kit program and a mother sponsorship program.  They also support maternal health centers, child development centers, and provide educational training.  Talk about getting to the heart of the matter....helping mommas so that they don't have to give up their babies.  You can read all about BEMM here. BEMM relies on donations to fund their efforts.  They also have several products for sale....

     

               Note cards... $10                                           Tacky 4 Africa headbands... $10 each 

3. Happy Shirts....Eric and Laura Anderson started this non-profit with one thing in mind....get a shirt, give a shirt.  For every shirt/onesie that is purchased, they give one away to orphans and refugees all over the world.  Pick from hundreds of "happies" for that special person in your life....from hobbies, to animals, to sports, professions....pretty much anything you can think of is already on a My Happy 

t-shirt.  Each shirt is $20 and is made from soft ring-spun cotton. Such a cute gift and for a great cause!

4. Crockett family adoption...Meet the Crockett family...Adam, Lindsay, Makayla and Addison.

The Crocketts have been on the adoption journey since February and just this month have sent off their dossier! You can read their story here on their blog. They are also selling Just Love Coffee, and t-shirts that are $18.  Also, if you buy any products from Hannah James (a jewelry and accessory online boutique), from now until December, the Crocketts will get 45% of the profits. Just make sure to put "Crockett" in the notes.

t-shirts... $18

Thanks for helping change lives!

Buy for Change....Week 1 Continued

So....I have had so much interest that another post this week is in order.  Check out these ideas for gift-giving with a purpose this holiday season....

1. Reaser family adoption....Meet Dennis and Katie Reaser and their four children.

They are in the process of adopting a toddler girl from Ethiopia.  They have gotten their court date for November 30th and are praying that they have their princess home by Christmas.  You can read all about their story here. To raise funds for their adoption, they are selling these awesome washer necklaces, reusable grocery bags, and Just Love Coffee.  Visit their blog to order these products. RIGT NOW until October 23rd, you can order Pampered Chef products with a percentage of the sales going toward their adoption...and because it's an October show, you will get 20% of select stoneware pieces.  Just make sure you put "Katie" as the hostess.  Click here for the Pampered Chef site.  Thanks for helping bring "baby M" home!

$10 for one washer, $15 for two washers

reusable grocery bags....$5         

2.  Because Every Mother Matters...This is wonderful organization started raising funds in 2008 to send  birthing kits to women in Africa.  Since then, they have started a birthing kit program and a mother sponsorship program.  They also support maternal health centers, child development centers, and provide educational training.  Talk about getting to the heart of the matter....helping mommas so that they don't have to give up their babies.  You can read all about BEMM here. BEMM relies on donations to fund their efforts.  They also have several products for sale....

     

               Note cards... $10                                           Tacky 4 Africa headbands... $10 each 

3. Happy Shirts....Eric and Laura Anderson started this non-profit with one thing in mind....get a shirt, give a shirt.  For every shirt/onesie that is purchased, they give one away to orphans and refugees all over the world.  Pick from hundreds of "happies" for that special person in your life....from hobbies, to animals, to sports, professions....pretty much anything you can think of is already on a My Happy t-shirt.

Each shirt is $20 and is made from soft ring-spun cotton. Such a cute gift and for a great cause!

4. Crockett family adoption...Meet the Crockett family...Adam, Lindsay, Makayla and Addison.

The Crocketts have been on the adoption journey since February and just this month have sent off their dossier! You can read their story here on their blog. They are also selling Just Love Coffee, and t-shirts that are $18.  Also, if you buy any products from Hannah James (a jewelry and accessory online boutique), from now until December, the Crocketts will get 45% of the profits. Just make sure to put "Crockett" in the notes.

t-shirts... $18

Thanks for helping change lives!

Buy for Change....Week 1

Christmas is right around the corner.  Can you believe it?  Some of us are already thinking about buying presents for all the special people in our lives.  Here's a challenge....Try buying gifts that really make a difference.  There are many adoptive families selling products (that are mighty cute, I might add) with proceeds going toward their international adoptions.  There are also many organizations that are selling products with proceeds going toward helping widows and orphans in developing countries.  AND there are large corporations that are selling products with percentages going toward eliminating social injustice.  Starting this week, I will be highlighting a few of these opportunities.   It's a win-win for everyone....the family or organization gets financial support, while you get the chance to give a gift that will change lives. Help change the life of an orphan. Help change the life of a widow. Help change the life of a family.  Ready, set, go buy for change!

Meet the Thew family.  Mary and Nathan, and their biological children, are in the process of adopting a baby from Uganda...you can read their story here.  To support their adoption they are involved in several different fundraisers, with full or part of the proceeds going towards their adoption.  You can purchase one of a kind postcards, Uganda decals, Ugandan paper beaded necklaces, Ugandan paintings here and here, 147 million orphan products, items from One Mango Tree, Earth Monkey Gear (eco-friendly baby items), Simply Love children's tees, Simply Love hats, Man Up tees, Scentsy products, Just Love Coffee, and Barefoot Books all from their main fundraising blog.  It looks like they have something for everyone on your list. Please help support the Thew family and their baby starfish!

Meet the Blankenship family....Ethan, Kara, and their children, Korinna, Josiah, Elaina, and Leila.  The Blankenships are in the process of adopting a baby from China.  You can read their story here. I have gotten to know Kara in the last few months and I am loving this precious family.  They are also selling 147 million orphans gear, and for all of you local Tuscaloosans, they are having a boston butt sale (I know...this isn't exactly a gift you would give someone at Christmas, but I had to include it!)....RIGHT NOW as we speak.  If you are interested in buying a butt, you can contact Kara at karablankenship@hotmail.com.  They are $30. The deadline is October 21 and they will be available for pick-up on October 29 from 9am-12pm at Alberta Baptist.  Help bring Baby Blankenship home!

Meet the Wages family.  I have been friends with Tracy for a while now. In fact, we were DTE about the same time  (that's adoption language for Dossier to Ethiopia...dossier=the motherload of paperwork that is sent to the country). This date is a big deal and one that you sometimes share with others and therefore creates a bond between you.  Anyway.....she is a dear friend and working hard to raise money for their adoption of a baby girl from Ethiopia.  She and her husband, Tony, have three biological children and they are waiting on their referral.  You can read their story here.  Tracy and her family are selling African themed necklaces, white ivory bracelets, brown ivory bracelets, carved ivory necklaces, bangle sets, an assortment of paper bead necklaces, paper bead bracelets, and beauty products made of natural products (mango butter, coconut oil, shea/mango butter, shea/aloe butter, shea butter, and aloe butter).  You can find all these products here at very affordable prices.  Please help bring baby Olivia home.

Hello Somebody is an organization that "...exists to feed and educate children, byproviding an avenue of knowledge, in order to break the cycle of poverty and hunger within their generation."  You can read their story here. Hello Somebody has many products from t-shirts to jewelry, all helping to aid in hunger in many countries.  My favorite, though is the watch.  How cute is this?  The watches are $25 and proceeds go to feeding and educating children in Rwanda.

Stay tuned for more ideas next week!

Serious, Silly and Yummy...in one post.

Serious
We have the greatest friends...some near, some far, some old, some new.  While we were in Ethiopia we made wonderful, lifelong friends.  Friends that understand what we are going through and what God has called us to.  On our second trip to Ethiopia, we met the Seever's and became fast friends.  Jeff and Katie live in Ohio, have 4 bio kids, and are adopting 2 unrelated siblings from Ethiopia, Bedilu (4) and Meron (2).  They have been submitted to Embassy for their daughter, Meron, but their son's case is more complicated and Embassy wants more information.  Sound familiar?  Yeah, it does to me to.  Please join us in PRAYING for this awesome family that means so much to us.  My heart breaks for them because I know EXACTLY how this feels.  Bedilu and Meron need to come home to their family, soon! Please pray that the information is easily accessible, that all authorities will be on top of this situation, and that Jeff and Katie will have peace that passes all understanding.
 

    We have reached a major milestone, folks!  We can now ride through our town without Owen mentioning something about the tornado, tornado damage, or talking about one of the buildings affected by the tornado.  Five months later, my 4-year-old is starting to heal from that awful tragedy.  Praise God!

We had a great first week of school....hectic, but great.  Here are a few pics taken last week.

Silly

Just in the last week, I have learned that Riley does a great Elmo impression.  Funny how having a baby in the house again changes things!  It is so realistic that I have caught myself wondering "Who turned on Sesame Street?".  It is quite hilarious!  She also has a monkey imitation that makes everyone go into hiding....except Cooper....he loves both.

If you have seen my statuses on Facebook about Walker's "Rules in Life", I have one to add....#323 Sisters always know where missing shoes are.


Yummy
So, I stumbled upon (o.k., o.k. I found it on Pinterest) this fabulous blog, Delightful Order.  It is all about organization.  Each room of her house is organized to the nth degree. And when I mean organized, I mean every. single. item has a place (actually more like a box, bin, tote, or basket!).  It is so cool and has inspired me to get busy here.  I'm starting small...the laundry room, and I'm already loving the results. (Yes, this definitely falls in the "yummy" category...just for you Amy Pierce)

Crockpot recipes are my fav!  I love them. I love the fact that I don't have to slave in the kitchen for 2 hours prior to dinner time.  I love the way they make my house smell all day. So, recently I found a recipe for Slow Cooker Pork Roast.  I'm sharing the recipe with you, because I believe it is the bomb!  And, probably the best thing about it, is the fact that you can prepare the roast, freeze it, pull it out to thaw overnight and the next morning plop it in the crockpot. Bonus!  So, literally, I spent 5 minutes on dinner!

Slow Cooker Pork Roast
1 pork roast (about 2 lbs.)
1/4 cup paprika
2 T kosher salt
2 T black pepper
1 T garlic powder
1 T dry mustard
1/2 c. liquid smoke
barbeque sauce for serving

Place pork roast in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Mix seasonings well, and sprinkle on meat.  Rub in and shake the bag to coat evenly. Add liquid smoke. Freeze or cook immediately. Cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Meat will be pull-apart tender.  Serve with warmed barbeque sauce.  Great for sandwiches or my favorite, bbq nachos!

Happy at Home.

It's been a while.  My last post was written and posted the day that our town was torn apart by an F5 tornado.  So much has happened since then.  Here is my attempt at catching up....
(Disclaimer...a lot of medical info in this post.  Just in case you are easily bored. :)

In March, we had just gotten back from our first of two trips to Ethiopia.  In April, we were submitted to Embassy and thought we would only have to wait a couple of weeks at the most.  Ha! You can read all about our wait on Tim's blog.  I will say that this was probably the hardest time in my life, but also a time where I am confident that I learned so much about myself, my relationship with the Lord and what it means to truly trust Him.  At the end of July (110 days later), we were finally able to return to Ethiopia to pick Cooper up.  We arrived in Ethiopia on the July 16th and had an Embassy Date of July 20th.  We were there a total of 9 days and came home on the 24th.  We had a wonderful travel group...I think 11 families in all....made wonderful memories with them and will remain friends for life with these people.  

Between our first and second trips, we were told by America World's in-country staff that the doctors at the Transition Home wanted to do an MRI on Cooper.  He was 12 months old and not showing any interest in walking, or crawling, for that matter.  After doing the MRI, they later told us that they felt he had cerebral palsy.  Of course, this was a huge shock to us and not OUR plan.  Yes, we had said yes to a child with HIV, but CP??  I didn't think I was capable of handling a special needs child, especially one that may never walk!  After several weeks of worrying/praying/researching, we finally decided there was nothing we could do from here about it, and there was no way we would say no to him.  In fact, that never crossed our minds.  Cooper is our son and this was God's plan from the beginning.  Period.  We did talk to several doctors and therapists, learning that there are several types of CP and large spectrums within each type....ranging from very mild to very severe.  At one point, we were so tired of waiting just to be cleared by Embassy, that I even remember blocking out all the diagnoses and focusing on just getting him home.  We could think about the other later.  And that's exactly what we did.  

Now we are home and Cooper is doing great!  We spent a good 2 weeks laying low, bonding and attaching, letting him learn who Mommy and Daddy are before we were in huge crowds of people.  After having him in our care for only 2 days, he started army crawling.  Props go to Timmy D for this one!  I had stepped out of the room for a few minutes and just like that, therapy had begun. :) His left side is much weaker, so he will rarely grasp any object with his left hand. But, he has started pulling up from a kneeling position and he can sit up on his own for a few seconds. He also, LOVES to push a laundry basket while knee-walking. We have started Early Intervention, too.  His PT is also a good friend of ours and goes to church with us.  So thankful that she is treating Cooper and praying for him at the same time!   It's all about baby steps, people, and we are so grateful for them!

A few weeks ago, we spent an afternoon at Dr. Metz's office (pediatric ophthalmologist).  He examined Cooper and determined that there is some scarring on Cooper's left eye (the one that crosses) which has left him with only peripheral vision, but his right eye looks good.  He will probably have surgery later on to move the muscles, but it would only be for cosmetic purposes...nothing can be done about the loss of vision in that eye. Dr. Metz suspects that he has had toxoplasmosis at some point in his life.  This is the disease that cats carry and why they tell you when you are pregnant not to change the cat litter box.  In developing countries (like Ethiopia), people can contract the disease from undercooked meat, and moms can pass it on to their babies. Toxoplasmosis can cause brain damage and vision impairment in children with HIV.  SO.....this is a probable cause of his cerebral palsy.

On August 14, we were admitted to Children's Hospital for tests.  Cooper had an MRI (to rule out possible TB around his brain), CT scan, chest x-ray (again, to rule out TB), spinal tap...twice (to determine if the toxoplasmosis is dormant or active), and 10 vials of blood drawn!  This baby was put through the ringer!

Just this past Monday, we went for our follow-up visit with Dr. Hutto (Cooper's HIV doc. Cooper was under her care in the hospital).  She still doesn't know much about the toxoplasmosis...still waiting on those results. However, his HIV counts were back.  His CD4 count (white blood cell count) looked really good and was pretty high.  His viral load was not so good.  This is the amount of virus that is detectable in his blood.  Ideally, this number should be under 48....meaning there are trace amounts of the virus and the person is labeled "undetectable".  Cooper's viral load was 700,000.  Now pick your chin up off the floor.....there is nothing to fret over just yet.  Dr. Hutto thinks that he may be resistant to one, maybe two of his meds.  We will go back in 2 weeks to find out which one(s) she is going to change.

Whew!  That's where we are right now.  Taking one day at a time and enjoying every minute of it.  

So thankful that God has entrusted Tim and I with this precious child.  I feel honored.

Our Attachment Plan

Tim and I started this adoption process almost 2 years ago.  We have definitely had our ups and downs, highs and lows, but I can’t say I would change a single thing.  God has taught us so much and we have grown so much!  And it is all just the beginning.  In a couple of weeks we will return to Ethiopia and gain custody of our son, Cooper.  After about a week in-country we will come home and the “real journey” will begin.  

Before God put adoption on our hearts, I wasn’t sure I knew exactly what the terms “attachment” and “bonding” meant, as they related to adoption.  In fact, it was something that came so naturally with our biological children, that it wasn’t something I thought or worried about.  Now, though, it is something I pray for daily, as we start our life with Cooper. 

Tim and I have read books, articles and blogs.  We have gone to seminars, talked to friends and listened to professionals.  We know how important….no, VITAL…Cooper forming a secure attachment to us is.  “Secure attachment helps children learn to believe that they are lovable, that trust in parents is wise, and that others will help them when they have needs.” (from the book Attachment in Adoption).  There are several situations that can cause a child to lose attachment:

Separation from parents through foster care moves

Adoption after attachment to another parent figure

Prenatal exposure to drugs and alcohol

Sexual abuse, physical abuse and domestic violence

Mental illness of a parent figure

Orphanage care

Hospitalization of parent or child

Neglect

We don’t know all of Cooper’s story, but it is VERY likely that he has experienced most of these situations in his short life.  For this reason, we feel very confident in establishing a plan that will help us help him….This is our Attachment Plan :

•       We will not be welcoming outside visitors into our home for the first few weeks. 
•       Tim and I will be the only people to hold Cooper for the first 6 weeks.
•       We will carry Cooper in a sling or front carrier, as much as possible…our goal is 6 hours per day.
•       Tim and I will be the only ones to care for his basic needs….feeding, changing, bathing, and putting to sleep.
•       During Cooper’s wakeful hours, we will not be answering the phone or be on the computer. 
•       We are going to do our best to keep our family together as much as possible. We aren’t exactly sure what this looks like.  Extracurricular activities have become a big part of our children’s lives, so we will limit these on an individual basis.
•      Cooper will sleep in our room for the first few weeks.
•       We will respond to every cry he makes and not let him “cry it out”.
•       For the first few weeks, we will keep his world calm and simple.  We will not bombard him with a lot of new toys, but will spend time in interactive play (nursery rhymes, finger plays, etc.).
•       We will keep Cooper at home for the first few weeks, except for critical appointments and doctors’ visits.
•       We do not plan on putting Cooper in the church nursery.  He will stay in the church service with us.
•       We will establish a healthy routine for Cooper, so that he will feel “at home” more quickly.
•       We DO plan on inviting friends and family to the airport when we return from Ethiopia.  However, Cooper will remain in his carrier the entire time, because we know it will be very overwhelming for him.  We can’t wait for Cooper to meet everyone!

We recognize that so many of you are excited about him joining our family.   You’re probably also very excited about meeting him and loving on him.  We want you to be involved in his life, just as you have with his brothers and sister.  However, the best way you can show him love in the first few weeks that he is home is by making it easy for us to stick to this plan. 

We hope the beginning attachment process will last about 6 weeks or so.  However, we plan to be flexible as we’ve never done this before and have no idea how Cooper will respond. 

We remember when we first heard about attachment, we thought it was a little extreme and, frankly, kind of crazy.  However, as we’ve read and studied more, we’ve come to understand how important it is.  If you are interested in learning more about it, we’ve included some links below that can articulate it much better than we can. 

Books:

The Connected Child  by Karyn Purvis

Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child  by Patty Cogen

Attaching in Adoption  by Deborah D. Gray

Other Resources:

Empowered to Connect  by Karen Purvis

“Planning for Attachment & Bonding” Part 1 and Part 2 from A Moment Cherished

“Our Attachment Plan” Part 1 and Part 2 from Josh, Candace and Cole

We love you all! Thank you so much for your grace and support!

Our Attachment Plan

Tim and I started this adoption process almost 2 years ago.  We have definitely had our ups and downs, highs and lows, but I can’t say I would change a single thing.  God has taught us so much and we have grown so much!  And it is all just the beginning.  In a couple of weeks we will return to Ethiopia and gain custody of our son, Cooper.  After about a week in-country we will come home and the “real journey” will begin.  

Before God put adoption on our hearts, I wasn’t sure I knew exactly what the terms “attachment” and “bonding” meant, as they related to adoption.  In fact, it was something that came so naturally with our biological children, that it wasn’t something I thought or worried about.  Now, though, it is something I pray for daily, as we start our life with Cooper. 

Tim and I have read books, articles and blogs.  We have gone to seminars, talked to friends and listened to professionals.  We know how important….no, VITAL…Cooper forming a secure attachment to us is.  “Secure attachment helps children learn to believe that they are lovable, that trust in parents is wise, and that others will help them when they have needs.” (from the book Attachment in Adoption).  There are several situations that can cause a child to lose attachment:

Separation from parents through foster care moves

Adoption after attachment to another parent figure

Prenatal exposure to drugs and alcohol

Sexual abuse, physical abuse and domestic violence

Mental illness of a parent figure

Orphanage care

Hospitalization of parent or child

Neglect

We don’t know all of Cooper’s story, but it is VERY likely that he has experienced most of these situations in his short life.  For this reason, we feel very confident in establishing a plan that will help us help him….This is our Attachment Plan (some has been borrowed from others):

•          We will not be welcoming outside visitors into our home for the first few weeks. 
•           Tim and I will be the only people to hold Cooper for the first 6 weeks.
•           We will carry Cooper in a sling or front carrier, as much as possible…our goal is 6 hours per day.
•           Tim and I will be the only ones to care for his basic needs….feeding, changing, bathing, and putting to sleep.
•            During Cooper’s wakeful hours, we will not be answering the phone or be on the computer. 
•           We are going to do our best to keep our family together as much as possible. We aren’t exactly sure what this looks like.  Extracurricular activities have become a big part of our children’s lives, so we will limit these on an individual basis.
•           Cooper will sleep in our room for the first few weeks.
•          We will respond to every cry he makes and not let him “cry it out”.
•           For the first few weeks, we will keep his world calm and simple.  We will not bombard him with a lot of new toys, but will spend time in interactive play (nursery rhymes, finger plays, etc.).
•          We will keep Cooper at home for the first few weeks, except for critical appointments and doctors’ visits.
•          We do not plan on putting Cooper in the church nursery.  He will stay in the church service with us.
•          We will establish a healthy routine for Cooper, so that he will feel “at home” more quickly.
•          We DO plan on inviting friends and family to the airport when we return from Ethiopia.  However, Cooper will remain in his carrier the entire time, because we know it will be very overwhelming for him.  We can’t wait for Cooper to meet everyone!

We recognize that so many of you are excited about him joining our family.   You’re probably also very excited about meeting him and loving on him.  We want you to be involved in his life, just as you have with his brothers and sister.  However, the best way you can show him love in the first few weeks that he is home is by making it easy for us to stick to this plan. 

We hope the beginning attachment process will last about 6 weeks or so.  However, we plan to be flexible as we’ve never done this before and have no idea how Cooper will respond. 

We remember when we first heard about attachment, we thought it was a little extreme and, frankly, kind of crazy.  However, as we’ve read and studied more, we’ve come to understand how important it is.  If you are interested in learning more about it, we’ve included some links below that can articulate it much better than we can. 

Books:

The Connected Child  by Karyn Purvis

Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child  by Patty Cogen

Attaching in Adoption  by Deborah D. Gray

Other Resources:

Empowered to Connect  by Karen Purvis

“Planning for Attachment and Bonding” Part 1 and Part 2 from A Moment Cherished

“Our Attachment Plan” Part 1 and Part 2 from Josh, Candace and Cole

We love you all! Thank you so much for your grace and support!

Our Journey to Cooper....Days 5 and 6

Thursday started Day 5 of our trip.  We spent the morning with our good friends, Jim and Tiffany Darling.  We dropped them off at the Postal District to do some shopping, and Tim and I visited AHOPE orphanage.  This is an orphanage specifically with children with HIV.  We had some donations to deliver and hoped to spend some time with some of the children, but most of them were in school.  After our visit there, we picked up Jim and Tiff and took them to the Embassy.  Our guide, Job, needed to pick up there official paperwork.  When I say official, I mean, no-one-can-open-this-envelope-except-the-customs-officer official.  This has the child's passport, VISA, and who knows what else inside.  Job got what he needed and we made our way to Metro Pizza to meet the rest of our group.  Since we were a little early, we decided to go next door to Kaldi's....basically Ethiopia's version of Starbucks.  

my caramel mocha

Lunch was good and I was introduced to Ambo...yummy flavored sparkling water!!!  I needed cases of this stuff!  After lunch we went to the Transition Home for our daily Cooper fix. He still wasn't feeling great, but I could tell he was on the mend...a mother's intuition :)

 

one of many fruit stands

Thursday night's dinner was a traditional Ethiopian meal.  It was a lot of fun and I even ventured out and had some of the food.  Tim loved it, of course, and he even got on stage and danced, at their nudging, of course.  It was definitely a night to remember and a cultural experience like no other! We got back to the Guest House just in time to see Jim and Tiffany leave...with Jamesy!!  

Friday was our last day in Ethiopia, and we were so sad!  I couldn't believe I was having to say good-bye to this precious baby.  We spent the morning at the TH with Cooper, soaking in everything about him.  It was our best day yet with him and I was so glad.  God truly is faithful...What a gift that last day was!  I had been praying that he would be completely well for this last day.  When we got to his room, the TH doctor was standing over his bed and he was asleep.  She was just checking on him and sent him to have his temperature checked.  He came back to us fever-free and was happy and playful all morning.   

After our tearful goodbyes, we had lunch with our group at Lucy's. Yummy food, once again!

Job (AWAA guide), Dawit (our driver), and Yonas (AWAA guide) at Lucy's

After lunch, we went to the Postal District for shopping.  We got some great things to bring back home and the prices were great.  We had dinner at the Guest House, that night and packed up all of our things. Our flight left Addis around 10:30.  

Tim and I with Yonas and Dawit at the airport

This trip was so much more than anything I could have imagined!  We fell in love with this country....and we cannot wait to go back.  Right now, we are waiting to be cleared by the U.S. Embassy.  Monday, we got word that they were requesting some more documents from one of the two government orphanages Cooper was in.  America World hoped the Embassy would have those by the end of last week.  With everyone being off on Good Friday, the week was shortened.  So, we are very hopeful that those documents will be in the hands of the Embassy early this week.  Then, we will wait to be cleared and hopefully travel within a week or two.  I have learned with this process that nothing comes easy, nothing is processed quickly, and being patient is just part of the game.  

We wait in hope for the LORD; 

   he is our help and our shield. 

²¹ In him our hearts rejoice, 

   for we trust in his holy name. 

²² May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, 

   even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 33:20-22