Adoption Journey
We arrived home from China on April 1, 2009. We had a
wonderful homecoming with our family and friends greeting us at the airport
in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We were all tired but so excited to be home. We were
so excited for our new journey of having a daughter and sharing her with our
families.
Since we have been home, Hannah is adjusting very well. She sleeps very well
and usually sleeps 12 hours a night. Hannah seems to enjoy American foods and
her favorite is pizza. She often asks for it at least once a week. Hannah also
loves to drink lots of milk and this has helped her gain about 3 pounds. The
Dr. is happy with her weight gain since when we first arrived home, she was
a bit underweight, at 22 pounds. She still loves to eat noodles and pasta, but
is adjusting well to trying new foods. We still often try to cook some noodles
that are familiar to her. We have a neighbor that is Korean and she has given
us some spicy noodles that Hannah just loves. It's very similar to what she
ate in China.
Hannah enjoys playing with her brother, Wesley and one of her favorite things
to do is color or draw. She is learning English very fast and can definitely
let us know her needs, after 2 month of being with us. She is now saying phrases
and some small sentences. She amazes us every day with new words and phrases.
She also started taking swimming lessons this week for a 5-week preschool swim
program. She is taking it with her brother, who is 4 years old. Mommy holds
her in the water so she is not too scared. She loves the water and is learning
to not be afraid of getting her face wet and to blow bubbles! She smiles with
glee as the instructor shows her how to make bubbles!
As many of you know, Hannah has a leg/foot deformity in which she cannot walk.
We are still waiting on some genetic test results from Riley Hospital to see
if there is a Genetic issue which caused it. The doctor felt that Hannah also
has some genitalia abnormalities along with her leg deformity which could be
from a genetic issue. She is not sure, but once we get this test back, she will
be referred to an Orthopedic Specialist, as well. The doctors we have seen have
said that Hannah will have surgery no earlier than 4-6 months from now, as we
don't want to rush her adjustment since she has been home. More than likely,
Hannah will have a prosthetic to help her walk. We are hopeful that the doctors
will give us options for her, but are being realistic with the fact that they
will most likely not keep her foot. The length of her leg is also much shorter
than the other. Overall, Hannah does not let this stop her. She is able to craw
very fast on her knees and also goes up and down our stairs on her knees. She
can even hop on one leg! She is amazing and we have no doubt that she will excel
in the future with a new leg!
Overall, our adoption experience has been wonderful! We still cannot believe
we have Hannah home with us. We have waited over 4 years for our daughter and
still have to pinch ourselves that she is home. The adoption process was definitely
trying and such a roller coaster, but God had it all worked out for us! We were
often discouraged about how we would we come up with the money. After Mike and
I both having job losses over the past 4 years, it was very easy to say we would
throw in the towel on our adoption. But, we knew God wanted us to adopt and
that He had the right daughter for us. If it was in His plan, He would help
us with the money. And, He did! We cannot thank people enough for helping us
with our adoption expenses. The grants we got, family helping us and friends,
all made it possible for us to adopt our girl!
We really appreciate the
help we got from A Child Waits Foundation!
The Shane Family