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Monday, June 12, 2023

They've Still Got Each Other

Ian embraces the Western theme; Alec, not so much

If you ask them, they won't say they are volunteering. With a smirk, they'll insist they were actually "voluntold." And to be honest, they won't be lying! But I venture to hope that when six weeks this summer are done, they will have enjoyed almost every minute of it as two of their older siblings did before them. 

I meant only to post some updated pictures of Ian and Alec, but stumbled on a 2011 post from our family blog entitled "Remembering the Waiting." It gave me pause to consider how far we've come from the endless, painful waiting for their arrival from Haiti. So far, that now letting them go (briefly!) seems good and well even while we'll miss them. Thank You, Lord!

enjoying Cuban mango milk, papa rellena and empanadas in Flint, MI

Watching these two together is still one of my favorite things to do. They have grown up to be so different from each other in interests and personality. Yet they are still closely connected. They are roommates and confidantes. These days at 15 years old they drive me crazy with their silence, but between themselves there are whispers and laughter and knowing looks. "Oh, it's nothing," they'll insist when I ask, "What is it?" - all the while exchanging glances and sly grins. I'm curious, but I don't really mind because I'm just glad they've still got each other.

watching their older brother's formal festivities from afar

Sunday, January 16, 2022

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Ten Years Home

January 2020
January 2010

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Brothers in Quotes

Ian & Alec (April 2019)
"A brother is a gift to the heart, 
a friend to the spirit."

As I was searching for a quote to accompany this photo, my imagination was captured by the one above. At 11 years old, respectively, and after nine years home Ian and Alec continue to be each other's constant companion. They sleep side by side, Ian on the bottom bunk and Alec on the trundle below. They study together daily with the patient oversight of this year's homeschool teacher, Elisa. They are each other's best friend and worst enemy depending on the time of day, quality of sleep the night before, and current mood. They know how to push one another's buttons and how to keep one another's secrets. Theirs is a unique bond and only with time and maturity will they truly understand the "gift to the heart" that each brother is.  

Every so often I like to stop by and contribute a current picture to this blog which holds their early life story. Someday, I hope to tell it fully and well in another form. Until then, our less-frequent but still-special stories are told on our family blog. Thankful for the gift of these two, and their siblings.

Monday, January 22, 2018

Friendship & Brotherhood

Ian and Alec (June 2017)

Today I wrote this post on our family blog about the laughter these two guys bring to our home. Ian is now 10 years old and Alec is 9 years old (until April when they become temporary "twins" once again.) So thankful for the fun friendship and brotherhood they share!

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Still Blessed

Ian and Alec, November 2016 - 8 years old

Though this blog is no longer current, these blessings still are. Stopping by to add a recent picture of two boys who add energy, fun and curiosity to our family each day. Still utterly grateful for God's fulfillment of "bringing our BOYS ... from Haiti to home."

Sunday, July 28, 2013

"handsome & haitian"

Alec & Ian, July 28, 2013

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

From Our Family Blog

This was originally posted on our family blog under the title, "Pre-School Parley." I am re-posting on the adoption blog because - well, they are just so cute! :)




A friend snapped these pictures of Ian and Alec the day of our church baptisms. His camera is one of those with fast shooting of multiple shots, and the result was this cute series depicting a scene we see almost every day in our home. These two brothers are constantly having intense conversations about one thing or another! I love having a visual reminder of their "pre-school parley." :)

Ian and Alec are learning more every day, especially now that they are in jardin. They practice their Spanish on each other regularly, which is pretty much adorable. I will often hear them in the back of the van trying out their phrases such as one asking, "Vamos a la casa?" And the other replying, "Si, vamos a la casa!" Or, as Ian's teacher pointed out yesterday he has picked up the typical Chilean slang phrase of "Ya, po!" and also loves to chant the cheer for Chile, "Chi-Chi-Chi-Le-Le-Le, Viva Chile!" (the latter being especially significant since Chile qualified for the World Cup this week!)

So thankful for these little guys and the sunshine they bring into our lives and those of everyone they meet.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Postscript Six: Diagnosis

handsome brothers back in Chile
Shortly before returning to Chile in January 2013 (after a year in the United States as a family) we received the final evaluation for our son who participated in the neuropsychological evaluation. Overall, our experience in obtaining this evaluation was very positive. We felt the report was fair, thorough, and captured his situation well. Now the challenge falls to us as we pursue the best means to meet his needs and help him reach his full potential.

For the record, the following is a glimpse of  the areas where he will need additional attention and assistance. I have included direct quotes from the final report. We believe - as does the doctor who tested him - that his challenges are directly related to early malnutrition he suffered as an infant in Haiti, but trust in our big God to do great things in and through him!

1. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: "Although [he] appeared to want to work cooperatively and comply with what was expected of him, symptoms of inattention interfered. [He] fidgets with any items that are within reach. His eyes tended to scan the room keeping him from remaining focused on the task at hand ... [He] has learned avoidance behaviors such as distracting the person that is guiding him, or simply changing the subject."

2. Language Disorder mixed - Expressive and Receptive: "His level of language development is essentially at a pragmatic level for needs and wants ... [he] is unable to use language as a method of organizing the world around him.

3. Global Developmental Delay: " ... his delays are associated with insults to the brain in early life. With this in mind, [he] demonstrates strength and potential age appropriate performance when materials are presented in a manner that allows him to process and comprehend the information that is being offered."

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Postscript Five: Hereditary Elliptocytosis

I never knew there were so many variations of testing that could be performed on a person's blood, but I rest assured that the healthcare professionals at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children are the most thorough I have ever met!

As I mentioned previously, both Ian and Alec dealt with anemia following their homecoming from Haiti and having them seen by a hematologist was on our checklist of things to do while in the United States on furlough ministry. Thankfully, I was so impressed by the quality of care we received during our office visit. 

The appointment was quite lengthy, considering that we had to cover history and review medical records from several different countries for not one, but two patients. However, our hematologist and another doctor in training gave us their undivided attention for as long as it took. They also coordinated the blood draw so that we could immediately proceed with that step on the same day (much to our boys' chagrin!)

To make a long story short, Alec was diagnosed with a blood disorder called hereditary elliptocytosis. This, while sounding rather scary, should actually affect him very little throughout his lifetime. In fact, the specialist told us that most people who have the condition are unaware of it unless they become ill. Jaundice, gall and spleen issues, are a few things we need to watch for just in case.

We're grateful for such excellent medical attention and for this piece of knowledge that will help us be that much more aware in the future as Alec grows. Most of all we are thankful to God for two healthy boys, knowing that the Great Physician is the One responsible for healing both their bodies and souls!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Postscript Four: Neuropsych & CoC

A brief update regarding a few areas in which we are currently investing time and effort:

Neuropsychological Evaluation -

We feel very blessed to have been referred to the Center for Developmental Adoption Medicine where we are working with Dr. Davida Harlem to identify and address our son's cognitive needs. It sets our hearts at ease to know that the full purpose of this practice revolves around adoption! Initially Pedro and I traveled for a lengthy meeting in which we were able to share our story and areas of concern for our son. Though we had already spoken of this many times together at home, somehow it was encouraging to hear my husband's perspective as shared with a third person. We felt very comfortable with Dr. Harlem and our son seems to as well. So far he has had two morning sessions of cognitive testing. Basically this involves intervals of question and answer times for as long as his attention span lasts! We are currently waiting to find out whether one more session will be needed, as Dr. Harlem organizes the results of his testing in conjunction with the results of his speech and hearing tests.

New Certificates of Citizenship -

This week we also sent off for new Certificates of Citizenship for Ian and Alec, since their names were changed via re-adoption. The process itself is fairly straightforward (fill out the form, enclose a copy of the court order and their original CoC.) Unfortunately it is quite an expense - $345 per child - but we feel strongly that it is very important for our sons to have every piece of paperwork they might ever need to validate their identity and US citizenship. Thus we took a deep breath, wrote the check, and sent off those original precious papers we struggled to obtain in the first place!

Hematology Appointments -

Bloodwork for both Ian and Alec revealed anemia upon their homecoming in 2010 and we have been monitoring it ever since. We hope that this visit with a US hematologist might clear up some lingering questions and it would be wonderful to be told that they are now at normal levels! Their appointments are scheduled for next Thursday, September 27.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Postscript Three: Testing

Quite recently we have found ourselves entering a new chapter of life with one of our sweet boys from Haiti. To protect his privacy I won't share every detail but I do feel it is important to add yet another "postscript" to our Haitian adoption story. I do so because it appears that this blog continues to be a resource for families on a similar journey. In 2 Corinthians 1:4-5, we are told that God "comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." I hope that by adding a few new chapters to our story we can do just that - encourage or comfort others who may experience similar situations now or in the future.

I should preface this by saying that we know of adoptive families very near and dear to us who are going through struggles so much greater than ours with their precious children. Our hearts ache along with theirs, and it is not my intention to overstate our situation (which sometimes seems quite minor in comparison.) Yet it is through walking beside them that we have been encouraged to pursue any and all resources, testings, evaluations, etc. while our child is still young and while we have the opportunities being stateside. It is our hope that in so doing we will give him the best springboard for his future in every way possible.

To make a long story (somewhat) short, we have become concerned about two issues primarily. The first is what we have called "cognitive connections" (or lack thereof) and which I would describe as moments when we are talking directly to our son in simple terms and receive a blank look of confusion or a response which is completely out of context to the conversation. Along with that I might add some linguistic concerns, which at this point we do not know whether they are related directly to cognition or language. For instance - learning colors, which his brother at almost the same age knows perfectly, whereas this child calls every color "red." However, if we point to an object which is "yellow" he can then point to another object of the same color and say, "like that (car) is yellow." But if we ask him five minutes later, he will say the same object once again is "red."

The second and more pressing concern we have is regarding our son's struggle with impulse control and cause/effect thinking. While we have certainly seen improvement in this over the past two years (for instance, he usually now will not take candy or food without asking whereas one or two years ago he might consistently try to take a handful when we are not looking) there are times when all thought of consequence seems to fly out the window. Often this happens in a context where he is with peers. Two examples just in the past week would be: (1) Our current home sits on the parking lot of a church and the little boys know they are not allowed outside without an older sibling or adult. However, when a same-age cousin came to play, our son immediately acted upon her suggestion to take the wagon out into the parking lot without supervision and without thought of danger. (2) This example is on the lighter side, but still exemplifies the dilemma. Both little boys were taking a bath, and I had instructed this son not to play with the bar of soap and to put it away in the dish. I watched while he obeyed, then left the room but remained within earshot. I heard this son tell his brother not to play with the soap because Mommy had said so (but apparently his brother did so anyway.) Rather than act on what he knew was right regardless of his brother's choice, when I re-entered the room the son in question guiltily tried to submerge and hide the soap he had back in his own hands.

As I mentioned earlier, dear ones in our lives are struggling with extremely difficult adoption situations, and some are due to the ramifications of older child/ren reaping the tragic consequences of impulse control issues. We hope and pray that early intervention may allow us to protect our son in this area, but at the same time we know that early biological factors (drug and alcohol exposure, nutritional deprivation) victimize children even as early as the womb.

Truthfully, I did not know where to begin with seeking the help we might need. So I reached out to another adoptive mom whose blog was often a resource to me and received from her the recommendation to start with a "neuropsychological evaluation" of our child. Of course, I had to do some "googling" to find out what that even meant! It was helpful to me to realize we were not talking about psychological testing as much as evaluating cognitive/learning processes. However, I wanted to be able to work with someone who specifically had knowledge regarding adoption issues and graciously God allowed me to stumble upon a nearby hospital which actually has an international adoption department. I wrote for information and in return received a phone call from a wonderful lady who listened, recorded, and recommended the next steps to take.

Last week, my husband and I met with the director of a center dedicated specifically to developmental adoption issues. In future appointments she will provide testing for our son and she will coordinate directly with the hospital as well. She encouraged us that there are many different pieces to the "puzzle" and we need to try to find them in an organized fashion. Her recommendation was to begin with a hearing evaluation followed by a speech evaluation. She explained that with international adoption some of the language/cognition issues could be as simple as a hearing problem (wouldn't that be nice!) We will find out soon enough as we received a call yesterday alerting us to a cancellation on Monday which allows us to have him tested in these two areas immediately. 

I am so grateful to God for opening the right doors for us. Though there are overwhelming moments when I feel that the next few months stretch out as a blur of doctor's appointments for us (a couple of our other children also need some specialized medical care prior to returning to Chile), I am reminded of His perfect provision and timing and that just as all the hard work prior to adoption was "worth it" - these issues pertaining to our son's health and well-being will be even more so.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Postscript Two: Pictures

My "postscript" series is on hold temporarily as we are seeking to legalize the boys' new birth certificates for use in Chile upon our return. So far they have received a state seal from Delaware and currently - we hope and pray - their certificates are in the hands of the US Department of State for their sign and seal. Once that is completed, we must send their birth certificates to the Chilean consulate in Philadelphia for their legalization. The final few steps take place in Chile and most likely we will wait until January to get those accomplished. We are required to get another stamp at the Ministry of Exterior (thankfully, this one is free) and then official translations at the same office (unfortunately, these are NOT free.) Last but not least, we submit their super-stamped birth certificates to the Civil Registry office in Chile in order to receive official Chilean birth certificates (which state that the boys were born overseas so I've never quite understood the significance, but oh well!)

So while we wait for the next chapter in this series I leave you with a few beautiful snapshots taken of my little guys this week. Ian is in the blue sweatshirt and Alec is in the yellow. They are absolutely LOVING the warmer weather and especially the enormous yard God has provided for us during this first half of furlough in Michigan. :) 

my two 4-year olds

brothers and best buds

hanging out at the barn

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Postscript One: Re-Adoption

It has been over one year since I last posted to this blog, and over two years since our boys finally came home! The purpose of this "postscript" is to record a final chapter of paperwork that is taking place now that our family has returned stateside for a year of furlough ministry in the US. While I know the ins and outs of adoption are often changing, my hope is that these details may be helpful to someone else who is or may soon be "in our shoes."

To summarize, our goals this year were to (1) re-adopt our sons in our home state of Delaware; (2) obtain United States birth certificates for both boys; (3) request new Social Security cards; (4) obtain new Certificates of Citizenship; and (5) apply for new US passports for each one, reflecting their new names.

Step 1: Delaware Re-Adoption

Through a Yahoo! support group for Delaware adoptive parents, I learned that we must contact a clerk within the county courthouse for a packet of documents required for re-adoption. These documents were to be typed out exactly the same as the originals but with our sons' information inserted. They then had to be signed and notarized, and submitted in person with a fee and accompanying documents such as the boys' original birth certificates, visas, and adoption decrees from Haiti (with English translations.) Less than two weeks later, the re-adoption decree was printed and ready for pick up! We praise God for guiding us through this process and for Delaware's making simple what in other state is often a costly and tedious affair.

Our purpose in re-adopting the boys despite their already having a full and final adoption in Haiti was first and foremost to provide them with access to a US birth certificate to confirm their citizenship and allow them to obtain copies as needed in the future (up to this point, we have only had one handwritten Haitian birth certificate for each child.) We wanted to make certain that Ian and Alec will have any and all documentation available so as to protect them from unforeseen complications in the future.

Step 2: US Birth Certificates

Once the adoption decree was in hand, we spoke to a contact at Delaware Vital Statistics about our situation. She told us to call back in two weeks, which we did and at which time she confirmed that the boys' certificates were in the system. We sent payment via personal check and with a self-addressed stamped envelope, receiving shortly thereafter our sons' Delaware birth certificates in the mail.

We did learn that future copies of their birth certificates will always need to be requested this way, as it is not possible to use an online service such as Vitalchek due to their birthplace being outside the United States.

Step 3: Social Security Cards

With new US birth certificates and re-adoption papers in hand, I went in person to the Social Security Administration in Flint, Michigan (where we were at the time) and received excellent help from the clerks there. They destroyed the boys' old cards and arranged for their new cards to be mailed to Delaware for receipt within 7-14 days. By the time we arrived to my parents' home the following week the cards were ready and waiting!

To Be Continued ...

Monday, February 21, 2011