When I was 23, I was confirmed in the Catholic Church. I am a cradle Catholic, but growing up, we were more of the Christmas and Easter folks than regular attenders. Thus, I didn't get confirmed until after college when I really felt like I was ready to become an adult member of my faith.
At that Mass, one of the songs was "Here I am, Lord." It is one of my favorite hymns even now, but that night, it took on a brand new meaning. Listening that night, I knew, for sure, that we would add to our family through adoption. I somehow knew that I was being called to be a mom. I can't do a lot of things. I am not a doctor or a nurse, but I am a mom. At the time, I had one child, but I knew that I was ready, willing, and able to care for more children. I knew that I was ready to welcome more children into my life. So that's where the title comes from. Imagine this song with less instrumentals and more choir.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WRfpQKnzns&feature=fvwrel
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Little House on the Prairie
Michael Landon has kind of ruined an entire generation, I think. His portrayal of Pa Ingalls has made so many people long for yesteryear, when the good people were good, the bad people were bad, and every hour closes with a life lesson.
Don't get wrong, I love "Little House" as much as the next person. I like the idea of self-reliance and family bonding and Pa Ingalls unbuttoning that top button of his shirt. I like it all. However, "Little House" has a big flaw and it is one that I didn't recognize until I started spending time in Ethiopia, where many people, especially in the country, live much like spunky Laura Ingalls. "Little House" doesn't talk about the fear.
Sure, Ma almost gets eaten by a bear or whatever, but as a parent, I think there must be a primal fear that permeates every day of your life. It is the fear that if your children get sick, you do not have access to the medication that will make them better. It is the knowledge that if 1 out of every 5 children die, it is unlikely that all your children will make it to adulthood. It is the certainty that if the rain doesn't come or comes at the wrong time, you will not have enough food for the winter. It is knowing that every day, you are walking on a tightrope 40 feet in the air with no safety net underneath and you are fully cognizant that one missed step could be disastrous.
Don't get me wrong, that fear doesn't crowd out the joy. Ethiopia is filled with joy and joyful, beautiful people and Ma and Pa Ingalls had their fair share of good times, too. But under that joy is the very real understanding that life is fragile. In a world without antibiotics, Tylenol, and tetanus shots, life is fragile. Without NICUs, IVs, and oxygen cannulas, life is fragile. Without surgeons, nurses, and doctors, life is fragile. Perhaps that is why Ma and Pa hung on so tightly to their children and why the good days were celebrated. Because everyone knows that the tide may change tomorrow.
Don't get wrong, I love "Little House" as much as the next person. I like the idea of self-reliance and family bonding and Pa Ingalls unbuttoning that top button of his shirt. I like it all. However, "Little House" has a big flaw and it is one that I didn't recognize until I started spending time in Ethiopia, where many people, especially in the country, live much like spunky Laura Ingalls. "Little House" doesn't talk about the fear.
Sure, Ma almost gets eaten by a bear or whatever, but as a parent, I think there must be a primal fear that permeates every day of your life. It is the fear that if your children get sick, you do not have access to the medication that will make them better. It is the knowledge that if 1 out of every 5 children die, it is unlikely that all your children will make it to adulthood. It is the certainty that if the rain doesn't come or comes at the wrong time, you will not have enough food for the winter. It is knowing that every day, you are walking on a tightrope 40 feet in the air with no safety net underneath and you are fully cognizant that one missed step could be disastrous.
Don't get me wrong, that fear doesn't crowd out the joy. Ethiopia is filled with joy and joyful, beautiful people and Ma and Pa Ingalls had their fair share of good times, too. But under that joy is the very real understanding that life is fragile. In a world without antibiotics, Tylenol, and tetanus shots, life is fragile. Without NICUs, IVs, and oxygen cannulas, life is fragile. Without surgeons, nurses, and doctors, life is fragile. Perhaps that is why Ma and Pa hung on so tightly to their children and why the good days were celebrated. Because everyone knows that the tide may change tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Introduction
So I think I am jumping on this bandwagon about 5 years too late, but what can I say? I am always a little late. My name is Katie and I have a whole bunch of children. We have 5 through adoption and 3 through birth and are so lucky to have these 8 wonderful people in our lives. Consistently, the most interesting thing about me seems to be my 8 children, so maybe I should start there.
One night, after a few beers, my husband and I....just kidding, I totally am not starting there. I always thought that was a funny way to start a story until my son said, "Mom, can you tell my teacher about how the wine helped me get into your tummy?" So truly, that story (which is a JOKE, people) has been retired.
The true story goes something like this. Ever since I was really small, I have wanted to be a mom. Even in high school, I knew that I wanted to be a mom and stay home with my kids. I was terminally unhip, even then. In high school, I volunteered at a foster daycare, where foster parents could drop off their children and get a break once a week. I loved those little munchkins and figured that adoption would be one way that my future family would grow.
In college, I met my husband and we were married our senior year. In the fall after graduation, I gave birth to our first child, a boy, G. When he was 16 months old, I had a little girl, E. Both of my children were so fun and funny that I knew that our family was not complete. We began the adoption process for Russia soon after E was born. Russia's program changed drastically right after we turned in our dossier in 2004. We decided to switch to Ethiopia in the spring of 2005, and updated our homestudy on a Wednesday, turned in our paperwork on a Thursday, and on Friday, received our referral. 8 weeks later, we were on a plane to pick up our little 4 1/2 month old little boy. Two weeks before leaving for Ethiopia, I found out I was expecting again. Six months after baby P arrived, I gave birth to another little boy, D.
While in Ethiopia, we met so many children and realized that these kids were not like the poor and wretched orphans in "Oliver Twist." Instead, these kids were just children that had a lot of really crappy things happen to them and they wound up without a family. We decided that we would adopt older than an infant when we went back.
In the summer of 2006, we asked for a referral of a preschool aged waiting child, I. In December, he became a permanent member of the family. E, who was about 3, started begging for a sister and in April of 2008, a waiting child with medical needs, M, joined our family. When my husband and I picked up M, we fell in love with a 6 year old boy, Y. While in the process to adopt Y, an employee of the adoption agency asked if we would consider adopting a waiting baby, A, as well. We, of course, said, "YES!!!" and in October of 2009, both Y and A became members of our family.
So that is the short (!) version of our family. In this blog, I hope to talk about family, adoption, Ethiopia, and the random stuff that comes up. Thanks for sticking with me!
One night, after a few beers, my husband and I....just kidding, I totally am not starting there. I always thought that was a funny way to start a story until my son said, "Mom, can you tell my teacher about how the wine helped me get into your tummy?" So truly, that story (which is a JOKE, people) has been retired.
The true story goes something like this. Ever since I was really small, I have wanted to be a mom. Even in high school, I knew that I wanted to be a mom and stay home with my kids. I was terminally unhip, even then. In high school, I volunteered at a foster daycare, where foster parents could drop off their children and get a break once a week. I loved those little munchkins and figured that adoption would be one way that my future family would grow.
In college, I met my husband and we were married our senior year. In the fall after graduation, I gave birth to our first child, a boy, G. When he was 16 months old, I had a little girl, E. Both of my children were so fun and funny that I knew that our family was not complete. We began the adoption process for Russia soon after E was born. Russia's program changed drastically right after we turned in our dossier in 2004. We decided to switch to Ethiopia in the spring of 2005, and updated our homestudy on a Wednesday, turned in our paperwork on a Thursday, and on Friday, received our referral. 8 weeks later, we were on a plane to pick up our little 4 1/2 month old little boy. Two weeks before leaving for Ethiopia, I found out I was expecting again. Six months after baby P arrived, I gave birth to another little boy, D.
While in Ethiopia, we met so many children and realized that these kids were not like the poor and wretched orphans in "Oliver Twist." Instead, these kids were just children that had a lot of really crappy things happen to them and they wound up without a family. We decided that we would adopt older than an infant when we went back.
In the summer of 2006, we asked for a referral of a preschool aged waiting child, I. In December, he became a permanent member of the family. E, who was about 3, started begging for a sister and in April of 2008, a waiting child with medical needs, M, joined our family. When my husband and I picked up M, we fell in love with a 6 year old boy, Y. While in the process to adopt Y, an employee of the adoption agency asked if we would consider adopting a waiting baby, A, as well. We, of course, said, "YES!!!" and in October of 2009, both Y and A became members of our family.
So that is the short (!) version of our family. In this blog, I hope to talk about family, adoption, Ethiopia, and the random stuff that comes up. Thanks for sticking with me!
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