Simon

We prayed for the child who would become our son Simon for 4 years. Naming a child so long awaited was different than naming a biological child we knew would arrive in a few months.  Simon’s name was chosen 2 years prior in the midst of our wait to adopt. Late one evening in June 2015 we finally got the call that we had been matched with a 3 month old baby boy born in Hawaii. Brad and I quickly agreed to give our new son the name we had already chosen: Simon Levi. I stayed up all night making travel arrangements and lists of needed baby items. While taking a break to soak in what was happening, I decided to recheck what the name we had chosen meant.  I got chills when I saw that Simon means “hear” and Levi means “joined/attached.”  When we agreed to present our profile to Simon’s birth mom, we were informed that Simon had been born with mild to moderate hearing loss. His was the first (and only) time that we pursued a child with known special needs. His first name, chosen before he was even conceived, referred to his specific special need, while his middle name indicated he would be joined with our family through adoption. Levi was also another name for the apostle Matthew, a name that means “gift of God.”

Like most parents of a child born with hearing loss, we were naive about what all was involved. I am so grateful that when we were making the decision to present our profile for him, we saw the big picture: his hearing loss is not something that will limit him unless he chooses to allow it. But the reality is, we didn’t know what we were getting into, which was SUCH a blessing because we could have missed out on our son!

Simon does hear, just not well enough. We mistakenly assumed we would simply get him hearing aids, and they would compensate for any deficits. We did not anticipate the difficulties Simon would have with speech. To complicate things even more, Simon has had trouble with chronic ear infections and fluid in his ears that further limited and distorted his hearing, even with hearing aids. To this point in his life, at 3 years old, Simon has likely had the equivalent of about 15 months of “normal” aided hearing, which is reflected in his speech delays.

Our son Simon was named for several Biblical figures, primarily Simon Peter. Our son is bold and exhuberant and impulsive, just as I picture Simon Peter was. My prayer for my son is that one day he will boldly proclaim the Good News to all who will listen with a voice that he fought hard to develop.
Simon is a feisty little guy, a natural comedian, and likely musician. I have never had any doubt that my son would speak. I can’t explain why except that God has given me a supernatural peace about it. When I found Isaiah 30:21, I knew it was perfect for Simon:

Watch out world, because God has big things in store for Simon!

Micah

Micah has been full of surprises from the moment we found out we were expecting her. As we started discussing baby names, we chose Micah Benjamin for a boy name but struggled to choose a girl name. Brad suggested we keep Micah for a first name and use a more traditional girl middle name.  Around that time I read the book Yearning: Living Between How It Is & How It Ought to Be by M. Craig Barnes. The message of the book really spoke to me and from that, I knew our daughter’s middle name should be Grace. The evening of September 11, 2009 I finished the book. There were several discussions in the book that reminded me of a friend’s son, Alex, who had been battling cancer for 14 months. The next morning I found out that Alex had passed away the day before. At his funeral, his mother told me that Micah’s due date (February 19) was the same due date she had when she was expecting Alex 4 years prior.  She said maybe Micah would be born on Alex’s birthday: February 15.

Five months later, I checked in to the hospital on February 15 for an induction. I thought I knew what to expect after 2 prior inductions. Immediately after getting an epidural, I knew something was wrong. My legs felt extremely numb, and I couldn’t move them at all. Soon I realized the numbness was moving higher and higher up my back. My blood pressure bottomed out, which caused the nurse to run in. I recall someone saying that the pump for the epidural was indicating it had given me multiple doses of medication. By now I was losing sensation in my arms. I remember squeezing Brad’s hand over and over to reassure him I was still conscious— my fingers were the only thing I could move at this point. I was having trouble speaking and turning my head and was using accessory muscles to breathe.

In trying to determine what went wrong, I knew I’d either been overdosed or that the anesthesiologist had placed the epidural in the wrong depth in my back, causing the medication to travel higher than it should. I remember the nurse telling me that Micah was okay and listening to the reassuring rhythm of her heart beat on the monitor. As long as my baby was okay, I could wait for the drug’s effects to wear off. The nurse later told me that it worried them because I was so calm.

 I had done a clinical rotation in PT school working with spinal cord injuries, so I started trying to figure out how high up my spine the drugs had reached. I was afraid that my diaphragm (C-4) would be paralyzed, and I would lose the ability to breathe on my own, which was a terrifying thought. I knew the drugs had at least partially affected higher levels as I could not speak above a whisper, hold my head up, or feel someone touching my face. For a brief period of time, I was unable to swallow. I was in and out of consciousness for several hours.

Slowly, my mind became clearer, and I regained upper body function. Before long, I could feel Micah moving around, which is not something I remembered with my prior deliveries. Then, came the pain of contractions. I felt horrendous back labor about the time I learned I was 8 cm dilated. I was told I could get more drugs through the epidural catheter, but they couldn’t guarantee I wouldn’t have the same results. I wasn’t mentally prepared for a painful delivery, but I was not going to risk accepting more pain medication!

Labor hurt. It took an hour of pushing before Micah was born. She entered the world pink and screaming and hungry! When our family came in to see Micah, I overheard my dad ask why there was a crash cart outside my room. Apparently the drugs also caused a worrisome abnormal rhythm in my heart as well.

I was so happy to have a healthy baby that I really didn’t have a chance to process all that had happened. A few weeks later I did a continuing education course for my PT license about treating pregnant and post-partum women. The study discussed the positive effects of exercise during pregnancy. When a pregnant woman exercises consistently, her body learns to divert needed blood flow to the placenta for the baby instead of sending it all to the working skeletal  muscles. I had trained my body to keep my baby nourished even under stress, which kept my baby stable during the daylong ordeal.  It was then I realized how much God had protected me and Micah that day.

Micah’s name means “Who is like God?” Although a small book in the Bible, Micah revealed that “Bethlehem Ephrathah, though small...” is where Jesus Christ would come from. I’m seeing a small theme, just like our Micah. It takes spunk to handle a traditionally male name, and Micah is most definitely up for the challenge. Micah has always had a special gift for sharing her faith. She has even reported trying to hold Bible studies on the playground at school in first grade! Her middle name is also fitting of the little girl the Lord knew we needed:  Grace—an undeserved gift.  Her verse was a favorite from the prophet whose name she bears:

Book Giveaway!

Here it is!

I am excited for the opportunity to offer one lucky person a free copy of Across the Blue by Carrie Turansky.  You will have to bear with me because this is my first time to use Rafflecopter.  As far as I can tell, you should be able to enter every day, but I ask you leave a comment on my blog each time you enter.  Tell me your favorite book genre.  Ask a question about adoption.  Recommend a book.  Give me input about something you’d like Brad to post about 😜.

The contest will run for 2 weeks.  The the winner will be announced on the blog and notified via email.  I’ve received my next book from WaterBrook & Multnomah and hope to have it read by then to give my review.

Enter here:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a15d8c4f1/?

Simon Says: No!

This morning Simon was given his first test as part of an evaluation for an IEP (Individualized Education Program).  He’s been receiving speech therapy through early intervention (EI), but will be turning 3 soon, which means he must transition out of EI.  His testing today was to determine if he has any developmental delays.  I was somewhat worn out by the time the 2 hour test was complete.  Simon is very aware when he is being evaluated or when his answers or responses are being monitored.  As soon as we walked into the room and sat down at a table with an unfamiliar person, he decided he was not going to be very cooperative.  Brad and I were sitting there with the test administrator trying to convince her that Simon does in fact know who his Daddy is and how to throw and kick a ball.  The fact that he managed to do everything with the ball BUT throw or kick it was actually quite impressive.  Yes, he is a toddler and being stubborn does come with the territory; however, I believe a part of his aversion to testing is shame that he cannot do what he is being asked.  When the tester said to Simon, “What would you do if your house caught on fire?” or asked him to perform a task that he could do easily with a demonstration but required instead listening comprehension that he does not yet have, it hurts my heart for him.  He did utilize the word “no” about 100 times, so he definitely has that word down pat! Simon will have additional testing in the upcoming weeks, so keep us all in your prayers that we will get a good picture of his needs.

On a related note, we received word last night that a bill has been introduced into the Alabama House and Senate (again) that tries to influence how our son and other children with hearing impairments communicate.  Yep, you read that correctly.  As if it isn’t hard enough getting services Simon needs to address his hearing loss and resulting speech and language delays, we have to worry about potential state legislation that would meddle into our ability to choose.  This fight within the deaf/hard of hearing community is something we became aware of once we realized how important it was for Simon to have the appropriate specialists monitoring and providing treatment for him.  Basically these bills have a heavy emphasis on the teaching of American Sign Language (ASL) for the deaf/HOH community.  Do you communicate with sign language?  I sure as heck don’t, nor does anyone I know.  Why should my son be influenced to learn sign language when none of his family, friends, peers, or teachers do?  We have chosen listening and spoken language as Simon’s mode of communication.  We feel he is perfectly capable of communicating through speaking and listening (with hearing aids), and that this mode will provide him the most access to communicating with others throughout his life.  This isn’t about which form of communication is “right” or “wrong” but rather an individual (or family’s) right to choose.  The problem is this bill gives preference towards ASL by mandating oversight from organizations that are ASL-minded and failing to ensure equal representation of other modes of communication.  Not only that, the bill is redundant, as there are already mandates in place to monitor children who are deaf and hard of hearing.  This further confirms another agenda outside of simply helping ensure deaf children have access to language.  Please pray that HB189-2018/SB141-2018 do not move any further towards approval.  Contact me if you would like more information about our family’s personal experience or for more information about the the bill.

Across the Blue

A couple weeks ago I received my first pre-release book  Across the Blue by Carrie Turansky.  The timing of the book’s arrival was perfect as we were “snowed in” and pretty much confined to the house.  I wasn’t sure how much I would like it because it is historical fiction, which is not what I would typically choose, but I managed to finish the 330+ page book in under a week.  I admit I enjoyed it much more than I expected!  It had elements of mystery and romance and themes of adoption and redemption.  I found myself staying up past my bedtime to finish, which is a sign of a good read!  If you are interested in a sneak peek of the book, here you go: https://waterbrookmultnomah.com/sneak-peek-across-the-blue-by-carrie-turansky/

The publisher has also graciously allowed me to host a giveaway which means one person will be chosen to receive a free copy of the book!  Stay tuned for more information about the giveaway.  Across the Blue officially releases February 20, 2018.

Lauren

Our second child, and oldest daughter, is Lauren.  Shortly after she was born, Lauren was unfortunately given the nickname “Chicken” by me, but luckily it didn’t stick for long.  That nickname, however, is the reason I now collectively call my kiddos my “chickens.”

My pregnancy with Lauren was the most uncomfortable of the three, but she rewarded me with the easiest delivery.  We never got around to choosing a boy name before we learned we were having a girl, but we did have 2 girl names to choose from.  Lauren is our only child named after family.  The 2 girl names incorporated both sets of grandparents.  Alexandra Bray was our girl name with Brandon, taken from the last names of my maternal grandparents and Brad’s paternal side.  Our other name was Lauren Kinde (pronounced Kin-dee) after Brad’s maternal grandmother and my paternal grandmother.  We were having a tough time deciding between the names, so we allowed Brandon to have a say when he saw his sister the day she was born.  At 2 1/2 years old, he made a good choice!

Lauren has been our “easy” child.  We joked that if we’d had her first, we would’ve had a different perspective of Brandon as a “good” baby.  From day one she slept well, ate well, behaved well, and was generally a happy baby and child.  There is a kindness and gentleness to her spirit.  She seems to naturally possess the fruits of the spirit.  Not long after Lauren’s baby sister Micah was born, Lauren was looking at her and solemnly asked, “Is she ours forever?”

Unlike our other children, Lauren is much more reserved with her feelings.  Her quiet reflective nature (which reminds me of myself at her age) means I have to seek her out in an attempt to get a glimpse into her thoughts.  She is our most sensitive child and also our most creative.  She has been taking dance for 8 years.  She has tried virtually all forms of visual art, including painting, markers, colored pencils, photography, cake decorating, sculpture, paper mache.  She even tried music in chorus this year (though I believe singing is a bit outside her comfort zone).

Lauren is currently at that difficult middle school age between a child and a teenager.  I have seen her struggle more to find her place, but I pray she can hold fast to her faith to ground her because she is beautiful inside and out.  This is the verse I felt best fit our Lauren:

Blogging and Books

As I mentioned in my New Year’s post that, I have 5 goals/resolutions this year.  Within the first couple weeks of 2018 I have made progress towards 4 of 5!  Truly this is a God wink as I did not plan some of what has happened.

My first goal is to become more consistent in posting on my blog.  There is no specific reason; it is just something I decided to try.  My second goal is to read more books.  I have always loved reading, but the time I spend doing it varies with seasons in my life.  I have found that the times I don’t read as much are often not because I have no time but because I make no time.  I plan to keep a record of the books I read as well as books on my “to do” list.  See the tab at the top of my blog for more info.

I received some exciting news that only a book nerd would appreciate!  In the fall I applied to be part of a group that would receive an advance copy of the book Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors.   I had previously read her book Kisses from Katie, which played a role in our adoption journey.  I felt like I had won the jackpot when I learned I was part of the launch group.   In exchange for an advance copy, I agreed to help promote the book and to leave an honest review online.

Until last fall, I never knew it was possible to get free books by agreeing to read them and tell others what you think!  About a month ago WaterBrook & Multnomah, advertised they were searching for people to be on their 2018 Fiction Book Team.  The cool thing about this publisher, is they specifically promote Christian literature.  I got my notice today that I was chosen, which means I will have the opportunity to read several pre-release books this year!  I noticed many of the people chosen for these teams seem to have applicable credentials— they are missionaries in Africa (in the case of Daring to Hope) or librarians and book bloggers (in the case of this literary team).  I am so humbled and honored to be chosen and excited to read books that are hot off the press!  And did I mention that my favorite genre is fiction?!

Stay tuned for more information about the first book I will get to read for WaterBrook & Multnomah and check out the Book Tab on my home page to see what I’m reading.  My goal for the year is 60 books!