A change of plans--but so much better

Good morning, you wonderful people!  I hope you've all had a great weekend.  We just got back from 3 fabulous days in Chicago--Mr. Fantastic and I went with another couple, and we had a blast.  I will tell you more about it in a different post.

For this morning, though, I want to talk to you about giveaways.  I am actually hoping to do at least one more giveaway this week, BUT my original plan has changed a bit.  I had 3 $10 Starbucks gift cards that I had planned to give away here over the next couple of weeks.  It would have been fun.  But now they are a small part of a much, much bigger and better giveaway.  You still have a chance to win them, and even better, you have a chance to make a difference.

Do you remember Patti, whose daughter Lily has Down syndrome?  Over the past few months, Patti has become a wonderful advocate for orphans with Down syndrome.  She is probably quite tired of hearing me use the word "amazing" in reference to her, but just wait until you hear what she is doing now.  Starting today, Patti is hosting the Pure Love Giveaway.  My friends, you HAVE to check this out.  Here are just a few of the prizes you could win...

• an iPad (with accessories)

• a Nikon SLR camera (I want this so bad I can taste it!)

• a beautiful pair of diamond earrings
• more jewelry
• hats, clothes, and accessories for your kids
• and more!

In fact, I just did a quick tally in my head, and more than $2,300 in prizes are being given away!  That is a LOT of love right there.

But really, the best part is not what you can get, but what you can give.  Patti's giveaway is once again centered around raising money for international orphans with Down syndrome--and specifically, these orphans...

Olga's adoption is in process!  Praise the Lord for this wonderful family--who will be announced soon--who have come forward to welcome her as their daughter.  But they need our help.  International adoptions are far from affordable.

Kareen is also being rescued from the orphanage--and from the transfer to the mental institution that she was facing.  You can learn more about her family here, but they also need our help.

And dear, sweet Peter.  Although Peter has been listed with Reece's Rainbow from birth in 2007, not a single inquiry has been made about him.  He is now facing a transfer to the institution this year.  Please help us raise money for Peter's home so that someone may take notice of this little boy and bring him home.



Friends, we have a chance to do something huge here.  HUGE.  Please join me in making a difference in the lives of these children and the families who are adopting them--and in praying for the family God has intended for Peter.  And in the process, you have the opportunity to maybe get something back, too.  So PLEASE, go enter Patti's giveaway and spread the word.  Thank you in advance.  I already have tears of joy in my eyes for what we are working together to do.

But wait--there's more!

One more big "thank you" to everyone who donated to Olga and entered Patti's giveaway at A Perfect Lily.  Over the course of a week, Olga's fund went from $78 to over $11,000!  That is HUGE!!!
But wait--there's more!

Read more about it on Patti's blog, but it appears that multiple families have made inquiries about adopting Olga!  Praise God--this girl may be getting a home!  A.MAZ.ING.

But wait--there's more!

Through the grace of God and the generosity of people around her, Patti is doing a 2nd fundraiser, this time for both Olga and a little girl named Kareen.  And this time, the grand prize is an iPad and a $50 iTunes gift card!  Wow!  Already other prizes are starting to be donated as well, so please please don't miss this!

PS - Long before she became such an awesome advocate for these children in waiting at Reece's Rainbow, I wanted to introduce you to Patti.  And on Monday, I'm going to get the chance to give you a little peek into her head.  Tune in Monday for my interview with Patti!

Thank you--and there's still time!

So I just checked in to Patti's blog to see how her fundraiser for Olga is coming.

You're never going to believe this.

In the past WEEK since Patti has shared Olga's story with us all... she has raised
$9,473!!!

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to any & all of you who have contributed to Olga's fund.  I am amazed at the difference that ONE PERSON can make when God puts a passion in her heart.

Thank you from me, thank you from Patti, thank you from Olga's future family, and thank you from Olga.

If you haven't donated to Olga's fund yet, there is still time to do it AND be entered to win an iPod Touch or one of several other prizes being offered on Patti's giveaway.  Please be a part of this great movement for this little girl.

The Weekend Zoo: Firstfruits

When Lamb was born I was chomping at the bit to hit every milestone.  "When will she...?"  "How soon can I...?"  "Do you think she's ready to...?"  I hardly had time to enjoy what she was doing, because I was already preparing for what was up next.

When Monkey was born, I did better at savoring the moments.  I let him take the lead on what he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it.

With Roo, all expectations are out the window.  I'm not sure how much of this is because of Down syndrome and how much is because he's the third child in five years.  Hmmmm.  I wish there were some way to objectively measure that.  Anyway, I am just really enjoying every little minute with Roo, every development that I see.  On Thursday, for example, the boys and I were laying on the floor, and I was playing with Monkey, tickling and growling and playing like little boys do.  And it was like a light went on for Roo... and he wanted to play too.  He started growling and reaching up to grab my hair and laughing.  It was AMAZING.  It was the first time that I have seen that look on his face like, "I GET it!"  If I hadn't been laughing so hard, I would have cried.  I think that's one of those moments that will be forever etched on my Mommy Heart.

And as part of this live-in-the-moment mentality, we have also been slow to start Roo on solid foods.  Lamb had her first cereal the day that she turned four months old, since that was the soonest that our pediatrician recommended.  Monkey started at six months, because we saw the benefits of waiting.  But for Roo... he's just so little, and he really didn't seem ready, so we waited.  In fact, it's been less than a month since he had his first cereal.  We started when his OT was here, so she could help with any muscle tone issues with his mouth/tongue, but he did great.  So we've slowly been introducing new foods to his diet.

Well... in addition to doing things more slowly, I'm also kinda throwing the rules out the window and going with what feels right.  So we haven't started much in the way of jarred baby food, but the other day I thought it might motivate Roo to use his arms/hands if he had something yummy in them.  I put some banana in his Baby Safe Feeder.  Have you seen those things before?  I highly recommend them.  They are great for pretty much any kind of food you can stick in them, and even ice cubes for teething.















So this was Roo's first banana.  He seemed to get the idea...

...In fact, there was no tearing that thing out of his hand/mouth.  :-)

  Yay for new milestones and for a growing baby.  :-)

PS - If you haven't yet entered to win an iPod Touch by donating to Olga's fund, there is still time.  But the contest ends TODAY, so please do it this morning!  I am just amazed at how much money Patti has been able to raise this week, and I am so excited at the prospect that this could help Olga find a family.  Thank you in advance for what you are doing for her.

An amazing woman with a great giveaway

I am writing with tears in my eyes.  I mentioned recently that I have been thankful for the people we have met through Roo's Down syndrome, and today I want to tell you about one of them.  OK, I'm using a broad definition of the word "met" here... Patti is an absolutely amazing woman... who I've never met in real life.  lol  But she has a beautiful little girl with DS, and she (Patti, not her little girl!) blogs at A Perfect Lily (and also Notes From Home).  You will have a chance to get to know Patti a little better soon, as she has very graciously agreed to let me interview her (Thanks, Patti!), but for today I just have to tell you one incredible thing she is doing.

It has only been a few days since I mentioned Reece's Rainbow, since I let those sweet little babies into my heart and asked you to do the same.  Well, today Patti is giving you a chance to make a difference in the life of one of the Reece's Rainbow children--and giving you a chance to win an iPod Touch in the process.  If you go to Patti's blog and donate to Olga's fund, you will be entered to win the iPod!  (There are other ways to gain additional entries--the details are on the blog post.)  Already, because of Patti's campaign, Olga's fund has gone from $78 to over $3,000!  Is that incredible or what????  Talk about one person making a difference.

So to Patti, you are an amazing woman of God and I am so blessed to be getting to know you.

And to the rest of you, please go to Patti's post and consider donating to Olga's fund.  You are doing a GREAT thing for a little girl who is facing life in an institution, and you have a chance to win a fabulous prize in the process!

Opening hearts & eyes

My friends, I feel like I owe you all an apology. Over the past several weeks, I feel like God has been tugging at my heart, trying to show me new ways to use my life, my family's story, my sphere of influence (no matter how small), to serve Him. But I refused. He urged me to have a tender heart, to see past my own pain and speak for those who can't speak for themselves. But I rebelled. I was afraid to see the hurt and injustice He was trying to show me. My own pain from this year was still too recent, too raw, and I didn't think I could bear anyone else's on top of my own.

But tonight… I opened my heart. I literally feel like I had built a wall around myself, around the Down syndrome part of my life, and refused to let God use it in any way other than what I thought I could handle.  And tonight I tore the wall down.  And now I'm asking for your help.

Have you heard of an organization called Reece's Rainbow? If you love someone with Down syndrome, you may well have; if you are new to the world of Down syndrome, maybe not so much. Reece's Rainbow is an "international Down syndrome orphan ministry", devoted to helping children with DS around the world find families to love and care for them through adoption. I've known about Reece's Rainbow for a while now. My new DS blogging buddies have been blogging about it. People at the DownsEd conference I attended talked about it. I even saw a bumper sticker for it when I was out one day. God has been nudging me, urging me to check it out… but I just couldn't. I knew that it would only take one glance at those faces on their site, and I would want to save them all.

I was right.

Tonight I got on the Reece's Rainbow site. I read. I cried. I donated. I fell in love with sweet little faces. I wondered what would happen to my precious Roo if he had been put in one of those orphanages. I wondered if one of those children might one day be mine.

My heart is broken for these sweet babies. Adoption has always been near and dear to my heart, but until this year I had never even considered the need for parents willing to adopt children with Down syndrome. I would never have thought that children with Down syndrome were still placed in institutions in some countries. I had never given much thought to children with Down syndrome, period. And now I see them. God has opened my eyes to a whole group of people—people made in His image, just like me—who need help. And love. And a home.

Can I just share a few of these children who really touched my heart? I'm not going to post pictures here, just in case I'm crossing any lines I'm not supposed to… but you can find them at the Reece's Rainbow web site…

• Leeza
  Girl, Born  May 21, 2008
  Sweet Leeza has Down syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome.  She was born with a heart murmur, but physically she is healthy.  She is severely impacted by the two of these medical conditions, and is quite low functioning at this time.   Adoptive families who have visited with her say she is darling, responsive, and will so benefit from having a loving family environment to grow up in.
• NoahBoy, Born January 17, 2008
  Noah is a sweet little munchkin who is waiting for his forever family.  He has blonde hair and blue eyes.
  From his medical records:  Heart murmur, open arterial canal, hyperplasia of aorta, open oval window. 
  Regrettably, this orphanage is one of the poorer ones, with very little outside aid and very little hope.    All of the children are tiny and undernourished.  These children are immediately transferred at 4, and have little chance of survival where they are sent.  All of our waiting children need families, but these have a critical need.  Please consider one of these children soon!!
• Evan
  Boy, Born June 5, 2008
  Evan recently transferred to this baby house. He was born with a heart defect, but was blessed to already have surgery and is doing great now! He is so young, and all three of these little boys could be adopted together!
  From one of our adoptive families who visited with him in May 2010: " Evan would give us a big smile when we would touch his hand. He loved for us to just hold him and would cry if we put him down. He sits by himself and is trying to crawl. He can scoot to get to where he wants to go" . 
• Danil
  Boy, Born April 18, 2007
  Oh, we FINALLY have new photos and info about little Danil!   Danil is another special case where he has birth parents who love him dearly, and who want only the best life possible for him.  They have come to us desperately seeking a loving adoptive family for Danil, and would ilke to have a semi-open relationship with his new family if possible.  What an incredible opportunity to provide a wonderful life for this beautiful child, and to share the gift of his growth and achievement with his bio family.
   Danil most likely has MOSAIC Down syndrome.  He is completely healthy and very high functioning.  Even at 3, he knows his letters, colors, shapes, etc.  He loves books, he loves to run and play like a typical little boy.  He has known the love of his parents, and is doing very very well.   He eats on his own, is nearly potty trained, and will make a precious addition to any family.  He is a social and affectionate child and is an orphanage favorite.  MORE PHOTOS AVAILABLE! 
• Heath
  Boy, Born April 8, 2001
  Heath is a sweet little boy who desperately needs a family.    
  Heath is a nine year old boy with Down Syndrome. He is tiny in stature. His feet hardly reach the edge of his shared wheelchair. Because of his age, he has already been transferred from the stimulating environment of his baby house to a dull and underfunded mental institute for boys ages 6-18. He is no longer the youngest boy in his group, but he is certainly among the smallest.
  Heath is not a recent transfer. He has lived in the stifling boredom of institution life for a long time. He has lost the vivacity of life at the baby houses. In his three years at the institute, he has been given nothing of his own. He has not seen a book or a toy. He has never been gathered into anyone's loving arms. He is a very lonely little fellow in desperate need of love and comfort.
  We have few other details on Heath. He has been seen in a wheelchair, so he may not be able to walk. We don't know if or how well he talks, or any other details on his medical condition. We do know that he is a cute, chubby-cheeked, dirty and neglected lonely little lost boy who needs a mother more than almost anyone else in the world.

Oh, my friends, these are just a few of the 200+ children with Down syndrome listed with Reece's Rainbow. My heart aches for all those children growing up in orphanages… but many of these children only get the "luxury" of an orphanage for 3-4 years before they are moved to an institution. And that thought is just absolutely unbearable to me.

I still worry for Roo, for his future. I worry about whether or not I'm doing his therapy with him often enough, whether I'll be a good advocate for him in school, about the teasing he'll almost assuredly endure, about the jobs and opportunities that will be available to him. But my worries for Roo and their weight on my heart absolutely pale in comparison to the complete heartbreak I feel when I look at the future these children might have.

So I'm asking each of you… will you help? It only takes a moment and can be done in one of several ways:

• Donate to Reece's Rainbow Voice of Hope fund
• Visit the Our Waiting Children link on the RR site. Read through a few descriptions and donate to the grant fund for a child (or two)
• Visit the Sponsor a Family link and donate to a child who has a family in the process of trying to adopt them.
• Pray. Pray and pray and pray some more for these children, for the families who want to adopt them but don't have the money, for the caregivers and workers who interact with them.
• These ideas and more are available on the RR site. Please take a few minutes of your time to open your eyes and hearts to these children.

And if nothing I have written has touched you yet, take a few minutes to watch this video. I will be very honest with you, I haven't watched the whole thing. I am actually sick to my stomach from just the first 2-3 minutes, and can't bear any more.



Friends, we live a sheltered life, where we worry about which toys are developmentally best and where our children should go to school and how old they should be when they get a cell phone. These children… well, they are lucky if they get a chance to live any kind of real life at all. Please help me to bring them home, wherever that home may be.