Whitney Visits Disney World!

We had a wonderful family vacation to Disney World. Whitney especially loved the princesses and we had a photo opportunity with each one! She wore her Ariel costume for the Magic Kingdom's Halloween bash.

Happy Halloween!!!

We would love to have photos of your children in their costumes to publish on the blog! Please send to either lebonchien@aol.com or sbrueckel@gmail.com. Thanks and Happy Halloween to all!

Journey to Megan!

Mom Kris writes:

In May 2005 after a very difficult year, we decided to begin the journey to bring our daughter home from China. About 8 years earlier, we knew that we would adopt from China after hearing a woman's story about her life as an orphan in what we thought was China. (We just recently found out she's not from China at all!!!) When we started the journey, we fully expected to have our daughter home for Christmas 2006. But, that was not what was meant to be as we started the journey when the wait began extending. No one had ANY idea at the time that we would have to wait almost 3 years to bring our daughter home.

Finally, in February 2008, we saw our most precious Megan MeiLin. She is from Hunan province and was almost 11 months old when she was placed in our arms March 31, 2008. She was very small and almost infant like. She was very behind her peers and unable to sit up, roll over or stand. But, she had a smile that made us know she was ours from the start! She was the only baby at the Civil Affairs office who wasn't crying, and who, in fact, giggled at our silliness to see her beautiful smile. She's now 2 1/2 and caught up with her peers and, in fact, has surpassed them in many areas. She's just a joy. When we were just beginning our wait, a dear friend with 2 daughters from China told me that we will wait until our daughter is ready. It helped me throughout the wait to know that our daughter was not ready for us, but we were waiting for her whenever she was ready. She was born about 2 years AFTER we made the decision to begin our adoption journey. We had to wait because she was not ready for us in 2005, 2006 or 2007. We cannot imagine our life without Megan. And we are so grateful that we waited so long for her...she was worth every minute of waiting and tear of frustration!

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The two pictures are Megan being handed to her overjoyed parents by the assistant director of her SWI, and Megan taken this month in her Halloween themed- finery!

Debbie and Robin's Adoption Journey!

We were first contacted about adopting our daughter, Hannah, the day after we submitted our initial application to Gladney. Gladney knew of a little 4 year old girl with hand/feet deformities listed as “older child in waiting; special needs.” Being a nurse, would I consider adopting her? In my total naivety to adoption, I explained that my husband and I would let Gladney know our answer in the next month if she was not adopted. The last words I heard from the caseworker were “she won’t be adopted.” The next day I called Gladney and asked for the little girl's picture. Ten months and a lot of prayer later we were holding our beautiful little girl in our arms; the same beautiful little girl listed as “special needs.” From the moment we met her, we knew that Hannah belonged with us, and we belonged to her. We’ve never looked back because that little girl was the perfect child for us. Now three years later, Hannah is thriving and enjoying the first grade. She required two corrective surgeries after we returned home but recovered well. Hannah is bright and enjoys interacting with others. Her favorite activities include reading books, playing chase, and swimming.

A year after we returned home with Hannah, we were ready to start “the paper chase” again. Gladney contacted us about our son, Caleb, soon after we submitted our second application. This time the agency told us about a 2 year old little boy with an unknown congenital heart defect which had been surgically repaired in China. My husband and I were ecstatic about the prospect of adopting a little boy. Could we really be lucky enough to be matched with a second child that we felt was just perfect for us again? The paperwork with the CCAA took a bit longer with Caleb’s adoption, but, when we finally traveled this past June to be united with our son, we soon discovered that the answer to our question was a resounding “YES” !!!

Caleb really just seemed to go with the flow from the moment we met him and he tucked and rolled like a trooper during our travels in China, blending right in with our little family. In terms of his follow up medical care, Caleb simply needs to have yearly exams by a pediatric cardiologist. Both Hannah and Caleb were slightly iron deficient when we first adopted them; but both recovered with diets rich in iron. Like his big sister, Caleb is bright and inquisitive. He really enjoys interacting with others. Caleb is now attending a really great Pre-K program. He loves to chase Hannah, play with building blocks; and swim.

Now, it is as though we can’t remember being without either child. It turns out both have always been in our hearts.

Re-Adoption and Registration Seminar

Please Join Us for a Re-Adoption and Registration Seminar!

Where: Gladney’s New York Office

363 Seventh Avenue, 3^rd Floor
New York, NY 10001

When: Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Time: 6:00pm

We are very excited to announce that Gladney’s New York Office will be hosting an evening with adoption attorney, Rebecca Mendel on October 21, 2009. Ms. Mendel will be speaking about the importance of registering your child's foreign adoption decree and re-adoption. We encourage you to attend what will surely be a very informative night!

Rebecca L. Mendel, Esq. is a partner in the New York City firm, Rosin Steinhagen Mendel, where she specializes in adoption law, and handles domestic independent/private adoptions, step-parent adoptions, second-parent adoptions, re-adoptions, private agency adoption and foster care adoption matters.

Rebecca Mendel has lectured about adoption at numerous organizations and is a fellow of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys.

As space is limited, please RSVP to Kaitlin Brophy at kaitlin.brophy@gladney.org by October 7, 2009 if you plan to attend.

Sincerely,

The Gladney Center for Adoption and the NY Area GFA

Whitney's New Puppy!

Whitney is very excited to introduce our new Shetland Sheepdog puppy, Sally. She is four months old and a furry bundle of fun!

A Columbus Day Weekend Day In The Park

I managed to get some rare photos of all three kids together today in the park. The weather was cloudy--great for pictures!--and cool, but James, Kathryn and Sarah had a blast in the playground, rolling down the grassy hill, and collecting the colorful leaves. The leaves are just starting to turn here in Brooklyn. Hope everyone has had a great start to the school year and is enjoying the autumn! Please send your text and photos to sbrueckel@gmail.com or lebonchien@aol.com and we will publish them on the blog! Halloween is coming up. Hint, hint. :)

Have a great long weekend, everyone!