Three months and counting......

I have noticed a pattern, for the last 3 months of this 18 month paper pregnancy, at each scheduled Consejo (matching meeting in Peru) where they identify families for orphans I go into a major organization, reorganization, cleaning BINGE. I believe it is called nesting. The irony of it is that I have known that we were not in place for matching. A true case of where the heart and the head just do not align. I am ready to meet my girls. 

I heard from our agency today that Peru is requesting some more information, which is typical. We are hopeful that we will hear tomorrow what this information is and that we can get it to Peru quickly. However, first it goes to Alabama to be apostilled and authenticated and then to Peru, so quickly is a bit relative. 

Please pray for our girls who are WAITING in an orphanage for their mommy and daddy!

I am ready to go to Peru to SEE my girls, TOUCH my girls, GET to know my girls.

Changes, Connections & Challenges

So the Mama and her 4 babies have moved on to their next home. Mama needed some medical care she was having some intestinal issues that need to be addressed. So I crated mama and kitten one by one. It was a strange feeling. I called Ben and told him the call had come and placement had become available with a vet and I was on my way. I asked, “do you want me to put my cell up to the crate so you can say goodbye?” He gently replied, “no babe, you can say goodbye for me.” Goodbyes are so important to me I wanted to give him the opportunity to say it on the phone before they were physically gone. Then my heart began to race. YES………. Oh my, I can only imagine, this must be just a smidget of how the nannies, caretakers, etc must feel each time they say goodbye to a child who leaves the orphanage to be reunited with their birth families or united with their forever families.



I am on HIGH ALERt these days, many forever families I follow or personally know have had changes of their own. As I have mentioned in the past, reading blogs and connecting with other adopting families is a source of comfort for me, USUALLY. I must admit, right now, I am struggling. One adoptive family, who brought their Serbian Sensation home just 7 months ago said goodbye to her this week. Her story is AMAZING and I am so happy that she experienced a forever family and did not die an orphan.


My best friend is currently in Ethiopia and has met her daughter and will be home with her in just a week. I am so happy for Meaza and the whole family.


My new friend and soon to mom to Peruvian Princess(es) is so close to referral but has had a number of request for more information.


At 18 months paper pregnant, for those of you who have been pregnant and well for those of you can do simple math and know anything about pregnancy that is TWO biological pregnancies already, still with no due date! Each adoption, each family, each country, each agency, is truly individualized and so I really try to stay focused on our story, our timeline, our GIRLS, but today, this week, I am tired of waiting for my girls to come home, to learn about what they like, dislike, what makes them smile, laugh, cry, giggle, tantrum. I want to know my girls.


Dear God, today my heart is heavy, for the Patterson family who loved Chrissie without abandon. Their faith is strong and they are trusting You to carry them through this time of overwhelming grief. Please bring people into their lives that honor the grieving process. Thank you for Meaza and her journey to her forever family, I pray for her transition and the whole family as they learn about her and her needs. Finally Lord, for Paige and her family as they have encountered yet another request, which is difficult at best to digest. God we know your timing is perfect, intellectually, but our hearts do not always connect and receive complete comfort. God, please find favor with our Peruvian Princesses and the referral process and unite us soon.

Timing is CRITICAL

So the feline family has been with us for one week. Mama has adjusted remarkably well and is a great mama. The kitties raised RED FLAGS for the clinician in me. So I reminded myself, they were kittens, that I am a hyper vigilant mom, trying to be patient waiting for my girls to come home , as I continue to prepare my heart and mind to parent these girls right where they are at, easier said then done!


But then the RED flags just popped up closer&closer! So I decided to get down to business and do a little research and discover that the red flags are RED because signs are signs when it comes to development. Ben had initially thought the kittens were 3-4 weeks old, then we were not sure, (turns out they may be more like 6-7)long story short my instinct was that socialization, human interaction, and bonding needed to begin happening very early on. They are RESISTENT to touch and human interaction, and at the slighest sound they scurry off hide and hiss.


Now, don’t get me wrong, I am in no way comparing my girls or orphans to kittens! What I am pointing out is the importance of human interaction and TOUCH! Think about the little ones all over the globe.  I am not going to lie, my heart extends first to my girls, that have not, or do not, for so many reasons have their basic daily needs met! How in such a short period of time it creates fear, lack of trust, resistance and a desire to scurry away from that which is good and healthy!


As we tried again last night to catch 2 and give them time and gentle touch, they fought us every step of the way for the entire 5 minutes. Once again my mind turned to how critical it is to have the constant and consistent interaction and touch (implying basic needs are being met through these) and I thought….. HURRY UP PERU, just HURRY UP with our documents….. it is TIME for OUR GIRLS to come home so we can join as a family of 4 and build relationships of trust, break down fear, and learn to scurry TO that which is good and HEALTHY!!!!


Our documents have moved from translation to evaluation and the next step is to MIMDES for acceptance where we are then assigned our referral. SO close, just so slow!


Please join me in praying for the TiMING! I know God is bigger than Peru, Perhaps just praying for the four of us as we prepare to come together in PERFECT TIMING!

Thank you for joining us on our journey.....

Peru- Creating SAFE Jobs for Woman in Impoverished Neighborhoods

It is out of the unlikely setting of impoverished neighborhoods in Trujillo, Peru, that Peru Paper Co. has flourished. Peruvian women are highly creative and industrious, thriving in even the most difficult situations, and Peru Paper Co. has grown to where it is today primarily because the Peruvian women working with it saw its potential early on and have worked hard to see that it succeeds. What began as a small craft project in Trujillo in the spring of 2005 has continued to grow, consistently adding employees and increasing production and sales. We produce and sell high-quality, handmade stationery and paper products from recycled materials, employing underprivileged and marginalized women in Peru who would otherwise not have the opportunity to make a livable wage to support their families. Your purchases help grow the business and change lives as more Peruvian women are employed.


Some important facts about Peru Paper Co.:

The women actively participate in business decisions and management of the company.
The women draft all new card designs and are encouraged in their creativity and artistry.
The business is run from the women’s homes, allowing them to care for their children and work when the schedules of their families permit.
All the designs are crafted from recycled paper that the women make in their homes.
All of the cards are individually handmade, making each card unique.

Azucena's Story

Azucena has worked with Peru Paper Co. from its beginnings in 2005. She lives in the Victor Larco neighborhood in Trujillo with her three young children. Prior to working with Peru Paper Co., she sold candy and snacks in the street to provide for her children. Such work was very dangerous to her and her children, who had to accompany her, playing on the side of the road while she worked. Now with Peru Paper Co., her work allows her to be home with her children, protects them from harm, and provides stable income for their needs.

Because of the amount of time she has worked with the business, Azucena has developed into a great manager. She designs and produces cards, helps with quality control, trains new employees, and helps with management decisions. It has been wonderful to observe her become a confident leader, which has earned the respect of her co-workers and the community.

https://www.perupaper.com/cart/pages/Making-the-Cards.html

Click on the abve link to see the 2 week process of how these AMAZING women recycle paper and create incomes.
(this post copied and pasted from perupaper.com)

A Mother’s Day Twist

A leisurely morning call from my upstairs neighbor Eileen, led to a twist in what I had previously anticipated as Mother’s day 2010. Eileen let me know that there was a stray cat and 2 kittens under our back porch. I quickly reported to Ben and off to the basement to access the door to get under the porch. As we opened the door we were greeted by a hissing mom and a blur of a tiny kitten head disappearing. We waited, we talked to her, we reassured her, she came closer, she walked away and each time she returned to the same spot and perched herself and hissed.

We returned a few more times to check on her and to see if we could catch a glimpse of the 2 kittens. On one adventure Ben decided to bring the mom some of MY solid white tuna, *note* he had given me the chunk white tuna. She was pleased and wasted no time eating it.

As the day wore on Eileen called to say that she had located someone willing to foster but not right away, would we be able to foster the feline family of 3 until she had room. Ben had already asked if I would agree, so we agreed and went down to gather the F family. First the mom, Ben brought her to the bathroom, and oh did she scream, yell and cry. She was not happy! We wanted to quickly get her 2 babies to her so she did not feel panicked or stressed. Oh my heart was beating fast, poor mom….. as we maneuvered junk around under the porch along with a large ladder, slats of wood with rusty nails, and more junk wood and slats. Thank God for Eileen’s help. As we pulled up the final piece of plywood. SURPRISE !!! NOT 2, NOT 3, BUT 4 kittens scurried about. It took my breath, oh no not what we had planned for, not what we expected, QUICK change of rescue plans, no time to hold your breath, 4 babies need to be gathered up and reunited with their mom with the least amount of trauma .  Interestingly, we noted that each time Mama would come to us, create distance and then return to the exact same spot, was the location of her babies.  She had created a burrow under the wood and she perched herself on top.

Ben gave me 1 and 2, #3 got away, and then gave me #4. I felt panicked, I quickly reunited babies with their mom and she quieted as I gave them to her and she began nursing almost immediately. I returned to the basement to help locate kitty #3.

I had a million thoughts running through my head . I wonder if the family who owns Mama cat is missing her or if they abandoned her?

We NEED to find this missing kitty, s/he must be frightened without his/her mommy.

Mama cat must be upset she is missing a baby and she is locked in the bathroom and there is nothing she can do to rescue her baby.

Where will this large feline family go?

How will we be sure that whoever takes them has the right intentions? (not to raise to sacrifice @ Halloween)

WOW, Tracy these are cats, not children, animals don’t think and feel like you!


If I feel like this about a cat and her kittens, how will this compare to meeting my girls?

Eileen brought her 2 little dogs down to help us “smell out” the kitten” to no avail. This is how she initially discovered the F family in the first place. The dogs have been barking like crazy all week and today Eileen saw Mama and upon closer examination discovered 2 of the kitties.

After the discovery of the 3rd kitty way under the staircase tucked under the bottom stair, we reunited the lost sibling with his/her family.

The rescue , the reunion and the hunt for the lost kitten evoked so many thoughts and feelings.

We got the feline family settled, Eileen and her daughter went to pet store and purchased food, litter and a litter box for us. We are in a full force co-fostering effort.

Tucked under our tiny bathroon sink, is where Mama and her babies spent many hours after the rescue. She is testing us out with all 4 of her babies behind her.  She is a fabulous Mama!

So many parallels to my life, unknowns, the unexpected, when you least expect it, feelings, emotions, highs, lows, relating, over- relating, helplessness, communication barriers, trust, mistrust, support, ownership, feeling protective, life lessons....

It's not how I planned on spending Mother's Day 2010, but it did provide perspective and opportunity for reflection. 
Looking forward to Mother's Day 2011 with great anticipation. 

Birth Mothers

Happy May, last year (2009) as May approached I was confident that in May 2010 I would be celebrating Mother's Day with my Peruvian Princess', either in country or home, but with them! Here we are May 2010 and I will be celebrating Mothers Day 2010, without my Peruvian Princess' because we are still waiting. You see, we CHOSE adoption and all the unknowns that come with this journey.


This year I am choosing to honor the birth mother of my daughters. I do not yet know why she chose an adoption plan for my girls and perhaps I will never know, what I do know is that she did and that I appreciate and value her decision to do what she believed/felt/thought was best for the girls, I will be forever grateful to be their Mommy and celebrate with them in 2011!


I have been approached many times with comments like, “can you imagine, who would give up their child?” “What kind of person could live with themselves?” “How could a mother do this?” Although some mothers chose adoption because they are not prepared to parent, and there are many couples who are dealing with infertility that greatly appreciate and respect mothers for their decision and give them the opportunity to parent an infant. All the while there are others who encounter incredible life circumstances, like terminal illness, death of a spouse, overwhelming poverty, natural disasters, and one or both parents are dying, and on and on and creating an adoption plan for their child/ren is the only hope the child/ren has to survive, it is actually a selfless act of love. It's not as simple as, "I don't love/want my child." Even in the case of abuse and neglect… nobody desires to grow up and have a child/ren to abuse and lose.


I am not naive, I am well aware of the possibilities of challenges, difficulties, hurts, joys, blessings, and ALL the UNKNOWNS that adoption may bring to our lives. This however, is not a matter of how easy or how hard. Adoption is our CHOICE…


As I approach Mother's Day 2010, alone without my Peruvian Princess, I will focus on HONORING birth mothers. Those who participated in creating an adoption plan for their child while still in the womb, those who endured extenuating circumstances and creating an adoption plan became the only hope for your child/ren from your perspective, those who may have abandoned your child/ren because culturally you were a disgrace, oh the shame you must feel, those of you who lost your children to protective services or perhaps should have because of your inability to care for yourselves well enough to care for young lives, and to those of you who yet to make an adoption plan for your child…..


                            HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

Human Trafficking

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0061206717/ref=sib_dp_pop_bc?ie=
UTF8&p=S08Y#reader-link

HUMAN TRAFFICKINGGenerates $31 BILLION annually and enslaves 27 million people around
the globe,  half of them children under the age of eighteen.