Mr. B has been struggling. Hard. We had two months of traveling and birthdays, which are major anxiety triggers for my intense child. Mr. B is diagnosed with level 1 Austism Spectrum Disorder, which is the new categorization of what used to be called Aspberger’s syndrome or “high-functioning” autism. His flavor of autism comes with lots of “scripts” that he runs in...
How do you love a child who isn’t yours?
and other questions people ask our family. Our family is complicated. Confusing even. The conversations that happen around our breakfast table or in the van make me chuckle when I think of how these conversations would be perceived if they were overheard by someone on the outside. Terms like “Grandma”, “brother” and “Birth Mom” are thrown around with...
A letter to my eldest son on his birthday
My dearest son, Today you turn *gulp* 20 years old. This is an incredible thing in so many ways. First of all, it means that you, your dad, and myself are all in the same age decade for the next year and 3 months. That’s pretty unique. It also means that I officially get to turn more heads and raise more eyebrows when people ask about my kids and I can now officially say that I have a 20...
A letter to my son on his third birthday
My sweet Busy Boy, Yesterday we celebrated your third birthday. I am writing this letter the day after because I went to bed early on your birthday because I was really, really tired. It’s no surprise that your mommy was tired, because you fit your nickname well and are a very busy boy. You are so joyous an exuberant that I can get lost simply watching you play. I am so glad that God saw us...
Happy Birthday, Bitty Girl!
Dearest baby girl of mine, Today is your first birthday. One year ago today, a little girl was born, unbeknownst to us. Two weeks later she would be in our arms, changing our lives forever. You’ve come a long way, Bitty Girl, from that tiny, sick baby. You light up a room with your presence, your smiles, and feisty giggles. You are talking so much now, and you copy all kinds of words and...
And then you came.
It was winter. We were mourning over babies lost, and babies never had, And then, in a dream, God told me your name. He told me to get ready for you. And then the phone rang, and there was a baby who was very sick who needed a mommy and daddy who knew how to take care of sick babies. And then we said yes, because God had already told us you were coming. And then you came. And you were so tiny...
And so go my days
Note: I started this post June 25, and was interrupted by a call from our worker asking us to take an emergency placement of two girls, thus the interruption of time. đŸ™‚ Also, things are even more intense and chaotic right now, but we are getting it figured out. I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to introduce you to Busy Boy as well as let you in to the complexity that is life in...
Twists, Turns, and New Starts: Part 1
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions, hard choices, and great rewards. As I said in my last video blog, we were faced with the opportunity to take in a sibling group of 4 little ones. We went to meet them and fell in love. The DHS worker wanted us to take the two babies that night, sight unseen, but we did not feel comfortable with that arrangement. For one, we had to talk to...
There’s a Need!
Blessings!
Hannah