"SPECIAL" Yes, That's the Perfect Word

Look at my girl, she's special alright! I have always posted on my beautiful family, and of course the inspiration behind this blog, Maggie Peng. Being a busy mom to four kids, I try to find the time to post pictures and share some of our day to day happenings and now want to share just how special our girl is!!
We started the adoption process in July 2005 and we logged in to China Jan 06. We were on a list for a non special needs child as young as possible and of course a little girl. When we started our process the wait time was 6 months for a referral. Joe and I really never looked in to the special needs/waiting child list, because to be honest we didn't know anything about it at that time.
Spring of 06, I spoke to another adoptive mother, who had adopted her three daughters from China and they were all special needs children. I was really surprised by what China considered special needs and thought to myself, we would most definitely be open to specific special needs children, that we thought would fit into our family.
I did mention this to some people that our name was on a list for a special needs child, and I really was surprised by the feedback I received. I can't tell you how many "are you sure you know what your getting into? and can you really handle a child with a special need and the boys", and so on. So what I decided was to be selective on who I shared information with and just wait and see.
I never really called my adoption agency to see where I was on the list, I just waited and thought my daughter will be exactly who she is suppose to be. We knew we would not limit our search for our daughter because of a medical condition WE considered minor.
As luck would have it, our beautiful daughter came into our lives, after our social worker asked me three times if we wanted to take our names off the special needs list, because we were so close to a non special needs baby. I answered three times "no, keep our names on the list, I don't want to change anything", and then she proceeded to tell me about a little girl 18 months old recovering from open heart surgery to repair VSD. I later asked our social worker why she asked me three times about changing our status of a special needs child, and she replied "I wanted to make sure you were committed" Well we were committed, and our daughter is exactly where she was suppose to be, with us!
Special needs children from China includes a huge spectrum of pre-existing medical conditions.
I really want to try to advocate for these children and blog more on our experience of adopting a special needs child, and like I said "Special is just the right word"! We are so blessed to have our beautiful Maggie Peng in our lives!

Paddy Boy is Thinking School is Cool!

This year Patrick is loving school!! Here he is on one of his first days, and he was more than willing to go!! What a difference, last year the poor guy was on the brink of expulsion from nursery school! Kind of funny but true, hehe. Patrick had such a hard time adjusting with his parents being away for two weeks, starting school, having a new sister come home and then me ending up sick in early Oct and being in the hospital for a few days!! The director had called me several times not sure if preschool was going to work out for Patrick! Yikes, he was trying to escape daily and most days had to sit with the director in her office! Well I am happy to report a year later he is loving school, and actually last week he cried and didn't want to come home with me!! I am so proud of him, keep up the good work Patrick, I love you!!!xoxox

Celebrating Forever Family Day!!!!!

One Year ago today we were in Nanchang China, meeting our beautiful Nanfeng girl Lu Dan Peng. How much has changed in a year, we are so thankful to have our beautiful daughter in our lives and to be celebrating our first year together as a family! Last year we met our daughter outside of our hotel room on the 13 th floor in Nanchang. Our first glimpse of her, was Peng clinging onto her foster mom screaming. We had to pry her out of her foster moms arms, it was one of the most traumatic things I have ever lived through. She had a terrible time for the first four days, her spirit was broken and she clearly greived the loss of her foster mom. I literally felt her pain, emotionally and physically it is hard to explain but I truly felt her pain. I still have trouble thinking about those first four days, and actually now I have tears reliving her loss. At one point I really thought of giving her back to her foster mom, I wasn't sure if I could put her through anymore pain. She had such a hard time, hunger strike, wouldn't walk, wouldn't look at us, she was pathetic. With all things time mends a broken heart, and she is ours! I have never worked so hard for someone to love me and she has given back so much love, I know she is happy and where she belongs, with her family.
A year later she has gained 10 lbs, speaking in sentences, using the potty, happy, well adjusted, and a ray of sunshine in our lives!! She adores her brothers and they adore her, she loves her Daddy, she now loves Henry who is our 150lb great dane mix (she shook and screamed whenever she saw Henry for the first two weeks, now she hangs all over him and calls him "good boy"). She is incredible, a blessing and I am so thankful for all of my beautiful Children.
Maggie-Pengs foster mom told Joe "Treat her like a treasure" when they met outside our hotel room, and believe me she is treated like a treasure everyday.
We had a great day, here are some pictures of us making a cake today to celebrate and of Peng giving Henry a hug, isn't she gorgeous?? God is good, we are blessed!

First Day of School!!

Here are my guys getting ready for the first day of school! Joseph is now in 4th grade and Harrison is now in 1st grade!! I can't believe the school year is here and were almost mid way through September. Last year at this time I was so frantically trying to get ready for China, where does the time go!! The boys are doing great in school, Harrison is having a little trouble adjusting to full day, but we're getting there.

Harrison Turns the Big 6!!

I am only about a month late posting, but Harrison turned 6 in August! We were in North Conway for his birthday and had a great time!! We visited Storyland, rode the Conway railroad and basically partied!!! That last comment was a joke, it rained almost everyday but the kids had a great time! Maggie loved Stroryland, she had no problem keeping up with her big brothers!!

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