http://www.facebook.com/notes/travis-agnew/elis-abbreviated-story/442974248520
This is a post from a local Minister and musician about his family's adoption from Ethiopia.
Alisha, this is the family I was telling you about.
Have a great day!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Ours six months!
Alex has been ours for six months as of March 5th. Our Gotcha date was March 17th.
We are amazed at his progress. He can now say his blessing, count to 10, sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and tries to sing the ABC song. He knows his shapes & colors, can count to 10 and understands all English and speaks it 99% of the time. They are working on the alphabet and he is learning to identify the letters and how to write them. He can write A's really well and we still need to work on the B's. He is growing taller, but has not gained much weight. We think that he is just going to be tall and thin. I have a photo of him when he was younger and he was a little chunkier, so maybe he is just in a growing taller spurt. He is eating better and we actually got him to eat a hamburger patty with cheese on it. He does not want it on a bun. At least he is broadening his horizons a little. If I could only get him to eat some green vegetables! I tried mayo on green beans and it didn't work. Several people told me to try this and I remember that my younger sister used to eat them like that. Mayo seems to be a staple in Ukraine, but he doesn't care for it.
He has been good at school most of the time. He has been on green every day for some time, but he got time out today. They only move them to yellow if they get in trouble 3 or more times, but I have asked if they let me know if he gets it even once because he will fully take advantage of his three times if we are not strict on him.
We are really excited that there are several families in the process of adopting special needs children from Alex's Baby House. There is also another precious little boy from there who is available and someone is working on a button for him, so I will post it on the blog as soon as I get it. He is cute and sweet and we saw him a lot when we were there.
I attended my first Missions Committee meeting tonight at church and I am excited to work towards fundraising for missions in Ukraine. That is the subcommittee that we were assigned to and there is a mission trip scheduled for April 2011. We are not going to be able to go this time, but hopefully one of us can go in 2012. I would also like to see if we could possibly start a grant for those who would like to adopt a special needs child from Ukraine. I feel that more people may be willing to adopt if they had the finances. I know we would!
As of last Sunday, I am a Sunday School teacher for the 5 year-olds. There are two teachers in each class and the other teacher had the class last year also. I was supposed to be a helper, but the other teacher couldn't do it again this year, so I agreed to step in. I was hesitant to step in as a teacher, but God put me in that place where I should be, so I will give it a try! I couldn't say no with all those little kids in there, could I?
Better go,
Love,
R & T & A
We are amazed at his progress. He can now say his blessing, count to 10, sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and tries to sing the ABC song. He knows his shapes & colors, can count to 10 and understands all English and speaks it 99% of the time. They are working on the alphabet and he is learning to identify the letters and how to write them. He can write A's really well and we still need to work on the B's. He is growing taller, but has not gained much weight. We think that he is just going to be tall and thin. I have a photo of him when he was younger and he was a little chunkier, so maybe he is just in a growing taller spurt. He is eating better and we actually got him to eat a hamburger patty with cheese on it. He does not want it on a bun. At least he is broadening his horizons a little. If I could only get him to eat some green vegetables! I tried mayo on green beans and it didn't work. Several people told me to try this and I remember that my younger sister used to eat them like that. Mayo seems to be a staple in Ukraine, but he doesn't care for it.
He has been good at school most of the time. He has been on green every day for some time, but he got time out today. They only move them to yellow if they get in trouble 3 or more times, but I have asked if they let me know if he gets it even once because he will fully take advantage of his three times if we are not strict on him.
We are really excited that there are several families in the process of adopting special needs children from Alex's Baby House. There is also another precious little boy from there who is available and someone is working on a button for him, so I will post it on the blog as soon as I get it. He is cute and sweet and we saw him a lot when we were there.
I attended my first Missions Committee meeting tonight at church and I am excited to work towards fundraising for missions in Ukraine. That is the subcommittee that we were assigned to and there is a mission trip scheduled for April 2011. We are not going to be able to go this time, but hopefully one of us can go in 2012. I would also like to see if we could possibly start a grant for those who would like to adopt a special needs child from Ukraine. I feel that more people may be willing to adopt if they had the finances. I know we would!
As of last Sunday, I am a Sunday School teacher for the 5 year-olds. There are two teachers in each class and the other teacher had the class last year also. I was supposed to be a helper, but the other teacher couldn't do it again this year, so I agreed to step in. I was hesitant to step in as a teacher, but God put me in that place where I should be, so I will give it a try! I couldn't say no with all those little kids in there, could I?
Better go,
Love,
R & T & A
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Our God is Awesome!!
Most of you know that children available for international adoption from Ukraine have some "special need." Almost all children who are in an orphanage are diagnosed as mentally delayed. Well..Alex had definitely proven that he is not mentally delayed.
However, we knew before we met him that his birth mother had Hepatitis C. We were told at our SDA appointment that he had Hep. C, but that it could be just the antibodies carried from the birth mother. When we arrived at his baby house, we did confirm, after meeting him, that he was Hep. C positive. We were told that he had been tested in Dec. 2009 because another couple wanted to adopt him, but didn't believe that he was Hep. C positive. They chose not to adopt him when the test came back positive.
We asked for the test results and all we were told was COR =10. It didn't mean anything to us, but we are not doctors. When we got home, it didn't mean anything to our doctors either.
As you know, Alex has been to a specialist in Greenville. His doctor is Dr. LaCroix at Pediatric Infectious Disease Group at University Medical Center, part of Greenville Children's Hospital. We had our second visit on August 20th and blood work was drawn. I received confirmation of his test results today and the Hep. C test is NEGATIVE! He was first tested in May and they said there was nothing definitive to show that he had the disease.
I cannot explain how this happened medically, but I can explain that my God can heal any illness and that Alex had many prayers.
Thank you, my Lord for our wonderful son and for giving Your son, Jesus, that we may have everlasting life.
Love to all,
R & T & A
However, we knew before we met him that his birth mother had Hepatitis C. We were told at our SDA appointment that he had Hep. C, but that it could be just the antibodies carried from the birth mother. When we arrived at his baby house, we did confirm, after meeting him, that he was Hep. C positive. We were told that he had been tested in Dec. 2009 because another couple wanted to adopt him, but didn't believe that he was Hep. C positive. They chose not to adopt him when the test came back positive.
We asked for the test results and all we were told was COR =10. It didn't mean anything to us, but we are not doctors. When we got home, it didn't mean anything to our doctors either.
As you know, Alex has been to a specialist in Greenville. His doctor is Dr. LaCroix at Pediatric Infectious Disease Group at University Medical Center, part of Greenville Children's Hospital. We had our second visit on August 20th and blood work was drawn. I received confirmation of his test results today and the Hep. C test is NEGATIVE! He was first tested in May and they said there was nothing definitive to show that he had the disease.
I cannot explain how this happened medically, but I can explain that my God can heal any illness and that Alex had many prayers.
Thank you, my Lord for our wonderful son and for giving Your son, Jesus, that we may have everlasting life.
Love to all,
R & T & A
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Weekly Update
Alex was good at school all week, but that changed as soon as I picked him up on Friday. I guess he held it in all week and let loose on the weekend!
He back-talked, told stories, did what we told him not to do and didn't do what we told him to do, pretty much all weekend, but Saturday was the worst!
At lunch on Saturday, he wanted fish sticks and fries. So, I fixed both and gave him the amount he told me he wanted. Well, his eyes were bigger than his stomach and he decided that he wouldn't eat all of his fish sticks. When Tim asked him if he was finished with his fish sticks, he replied that he was. But, he was not. He took his remaining three fish sticks and hid them under his fries. So, he was deceitful and he lied. Now, looking back, I am fully convinced that this child has no mental delay as we were told by the SDA. I am sure we will laugh about this in the future - the grandparents already have. :-)
Alex is doing well at school. They are now working on the alphabet. This week will be C. He has to dress up as what he wants to be when he grows up. Well...he really can't tell me anything. The first time I asked him, he said that he wants to be Justin - his 16 year-old cousin. I just told him that Justin isn't grown yet. But it was really sweet! We decided that he will dress up as a Veternarian because he has a vet kit and we borrowed a lab coat from Grandma. We tried it on tonight and he looks really cute. I will post photos next week.
I tried to post photos of Alex in his cowboy outfit from school and our first professional family photo, but it won't work tonight. Will try again tomorrow.
As I always tell Alex, we still love him even when he is bad.
Love to all,
R & T & A
He back-talked, told stories, did what we told him not to do and didn't do what we told him to do, pretty much all weekend, but Saturday was the worst!
At lunch on Saturday, he wanted fish sticks and fries. So, I fixed both and gave him the amount he told me he wanted. Well, his eyes were bigger than his stomach and he decided that he wouldn't eat all of his fish sticks. When Tim asked him if he was finished with his fish sticks, he replied that he was. But, he was not. He took his remaining three fish sticks and hid them under his fries. So, he was deceitful and he lied. Now, looking back, I am fully convinced that this child has no mental delay as we were told by the SDA. I am sure we will laugh about this in the future - the grandparents already have. :-)
Alex is doing well at school. They are now working on the alphabet. This week will be C. He has to dress up as what he wants to be when he grows up. Well...he really can't tell me anything. The first time I asked him, he said that he wants to be Justin - his 16 year-old cousin. I just told him that Justin isn't grown yet. But it was really sweet! We decided that he will dress up as a Veternarian because he has a vet kit and we borrowed a lab coat from Grandma. We tried it on tonight and he looks really cute. I will post photos next week.
I tried to post photos of Alex in his cowboy outfit from school and our first professional family photo, but it won't work tonight. Will try again tomorrow.
As I always tell Alex, we still love him even when he is bad.
Love to all,
R & T & A
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Update August 21, 2010
Alex has been learning so much in school! He learned all his colors and shapes and is now working on the alphabet. This week the children in our county went back to school and Alex officially began K3 at the Learning Vine. He is in the same class, but the real work has begun! He has homework three nights and is learning to write the letter A. We got to have fun (not! - for Mama anyway) learning to use scissors. He had to cut out things that begin with A for a collage at school. Alex is very independent and as soon as I tried to show him how, he was taking the scissors and telling me - I do it!
He has been fairly good in class the last few weeks, but one day he did not want to sit down and listen and one day, he wouldn't pick up the toys, but all the children in that area got a time out because they wouldn't clean up. There is a new little girl in his class, Kylie and he says that she is his girlfriend! She is really cute with blonde hair and curly piggy tails, but I am not ready for my baby boy to have a girlfriend yet! We thought he was saying Katcha Kayle, but I after seeing Uncle Barry last weekend, we have determined that he was saying hot chick Kylie. We todl him not to say this at school! Well...Uncle Barry said that he will be the one to teach him bad things. LOL!
Alex had a followup with the specialist in Greenville on Friday. Grandma went with us and we had lunch at Stax Omega and did a little shopping. I put Alex in the stroller for the mall and he took a small nap. He is getting so tall, he is about too long for the stroller and it looks like I am pushing a five-year-old around, but it is really helpful when he needs a nap.
The other night, Tim was giving Alex his bath and he asked Alex if he likes his home better than the baby house and he said, yes and I love my daddy! So sweet! He has been talking about Mama and Daddy bringing him to America on the airplane lately.
One new thing - when we punish Alex, he melts down, crying and yelling, I love you! It is enough to break your heart. I wonder if he thinks that we do not love him because we are punishing him or if he thinks we think he doesn't love him because he has been "bad."
When we were at Stax yesterday, I a little boy was leaning over the booth, telling us hey! We were talking to him and Alex was trying to get him to give him five. I took that opportunity to aske Alex again if he would like to have to have a brother. He still says NO! I think he would be a great big brother - or little brother as far as that goes.
Love to all,
R & T & A
He has been fairly good in class the last few weeks, but one day he did not want to sit down and listen and one day, he wouldn't pick up the toys, but all the children in that area got a time out because they wouldn't clean up. There is a new little girl in his class, Kylie and he says that she is his girlfriend! She is really cute with blonde hair and curly piggy tails, but I am not ready for my baby boy to have a girlfriend yet! We thought he was saying Katcha Kayle, but I after seeing Uncle Barry last weekend, we have determined that he was saying hot chick Kylie. We todl him not to say this at school! Well...Uncle Barry said that he will be the one to teach him bad things. LOL!
Alex had a followup with the specialist in Greenville on Friday. Grandma went with us and we had lunch at Stax Omega and did a little shopping. I put Alex in the stroller for the mall and he took a small nap. He is getting so tall, he is about too long for the stroller and it looks like I am pushing a five-year-old around, but it is really helpful when he needs a nap.
The other night, Tim was giving Alex his bath and he asked Alex if he likes his home better than the baby house and he said, yes and I love my daddy! So sweet! He has been talking about Mama and Daddy bringing him to America on the airplane lately.
One new thing - when we punish Alex, he melts down, crying and yelling, I love you! It is enough to break your heart. I wonder if he thinks that we do not love him because we are punishing him or if he thinks we think he doesn't love him because he has been "bad."
When we were at Stax yesterday, I a little boy was leaning over the booth, telling us hey! We were talking to him and Alex was trying to get him to give him five. I took that opportunity to aske Alex again if he would like to have to have a brother. He still says NO! I think he would be a great big brother - or little brother as far as that goes.
Love to all,
R & T & A
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Link especially for Alicia and Dan
I Forget My Son is Black Until We Are in Public
Travis is a worship leader at a local church here in Greenwood, SC. I love to read his blog. Aren't those boys precious?
When I see a family such as his, I just get a big smile because I know how lucky that family is to have the love of each other.
Will update about our crazy lives later.
Rita
Travis is a worship leader at a local church here in Greenwood, SC. I love to read his blog. Aren't those boys precious?
When I see a family such as his, I just get a big smile because I know how lucky that family is to have the love of each other.
Will update about our crazy lives later.
Rita
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