Happy 6th Birthday Levi

Levi, this December we celebrated your 6th Birthday!
You have only been home with us for less than 6 months, but in this short time we have many reasons to celebrate you.


As I thought many times about your actual birth day, I wondered if it was ever celebrated?

I only know a few things about when you first came into this world, like the town you were born in.
I know your birth mother actually brought you to her home.
She named you Vitalik.
I know that their is no record of your birth father.

I know that at 3 months old she brought you back to the hospital because you were sick

and then she left you there.

You were then brought to the orphanage where you spent the next 5 years.

When I think about your birth mother I can't help but feel that she loved you.
I picture her holding your tiny body in her arms and planting sweet kisses on your bald little head.

How could she have not fallen absolutely in love with you?

Why then were you abandon at just three months old?

What kind of mother would do that to their own child.

I really don't have the answers.
I could be totally wrong, but what I feel is that when she brought you back to the hospital due to what the records show as maybe a sickness, that is when she found out that you had down syndrome. And in your country there is absolutely no available help for single mothers with a child that has special needs.

How I wish for your birth mother's sake there was.

Was your birth celebrated that very day? Was it celebrated every year later at your orphanage? Maybe yes, maybe no.


Here is what I do know my little Levi,

You are LOVED
You are Cherished
You are Celebrated

Your birth was NOT a mistake.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. -Psalm 139:13-16




Here are the only photo's we have of you as an infant and toddler.




This was the first photo we saw of you on the Reece's Rainbow page. Your Daddy thought you were oh so cute.


Photo's given to us after we committed to you.






So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. -Genesis 1:27







Signing "I Love You"










We can't wait to celebrate MANY MORE birthday's with you Levi!

Gabe 7 Months Home

June 2011 -7 months ago-

January 2012


June 2011

January 2012


June 2011

January 2012


June 2011

January 2012


When we first met our Gabe, as you can see HERE, he was frail, scared, could hardly sit up, only ate from a bottle, rejected touch.

Today, just 7 months later, Gabe is over 10 pounds heavier, crawls, climbs, he's happy, laughing, and desires nothing more than to be held.

He signs "eat" and is starting to eat pureed food from a spoon.

Next week he is getting fitted for braces for his legs.
I know he will be walking in no time!

We have seen many specialist since bringing Gabe home. On his medical records from Ukraine it stated that he had a heart condition that would most likely need surgery.
What we found out is that the hole in his heart has healed up on its own and there is no surgery needed!!
After all the many doctor visits and blood test we basically found out that Gabe is 100% healthy!

Now of course I am very grateful for that.

But it does make me angry in some ways.

Angry because the Gabe that we adopted 7 months ago was that way solely due to neglect.
Yes he does have down syndrome, but that alone would not cause a child to be in the condition he was in.

Neglect.

Neglect caused this 6 year old perfect child to weigh only 20 pounds.
Neglect caused him to not have a clue how to hold or play with a toy.
Neglect caused his eyes to be weak because after only having white walls to look at the muscles were not able to strengthen and develop.
Neglect caused his teeth to completely rot away leaving his mouth to bleed every time we brush his teeth.

In the book, The Connected Child, it states that "isolation is more damaging to an infant than early mistreatment."

So Gabe would have been better off being physically abused!

It goes on to say,
"An infant who is rarely touched or spoken to during the first weeks and months of life can suffer critical mental and behavioral impairments, even death.
That is why the orphanage system - in which children are left lying in row after row of cribs unattended - has been phased out in the United States in favor of foster homes, which provide a child with social and sensory nurturing he or she desperately needs."

NO CHILD DESERVES TO BE NEGLECTED

I've said it before and I will continue to say it.

We are not called to care for the orphans. We are commanded to care for them.

Go ahead and look in the Bible for yourself, you'll see.

Does this mean everyone should adopt a child? No.

But do something.

Donate. Pray. Advocate.

Something

If you are wondering where to start, you can go to Reece's Rainbow and look at all the beautiful children waiting. Donate to a child of your choice or go to the "Sponsor a Family" page and choose a family to help bring home their child.

IN DREAMS


AND IN LOVE


THERE ARE NO IMPOSSIBILITIES