Last weekend, my husband and I were casually looking through children's furniture stores to explore our options. I must say...it felt soooo good to feel like a mom and dad for us. We were having a ball when we spotted bunk beds that we LOVED!!!!! They were solid Ash wood (one of the strongest woods) and the rail on the top bunk was very high( which made mom feel good!) They are able to be separated into 2 separate twin sized beds when the time comes as well. It seemed like the stars aligned as well becasue they were on sale!!! So we went for it!!! We did question ourselves because of the uncertainty of when a referral might come...it still might be a while. But in our heads.....we were positive in thinking......Its really going to happen!!!!! And it gave us a great boost of happiness in our 6th month of wait.
Today, I also began to put together photobooks for the children. I finally found adorable little photobooks at a local store approprate for toddlers. I started to sort through my thousands of family photos and decide which ones I should include so our children can see their forever family and home for the first time! I plan on keeping the photobooks with them in Poland until we return for our second trip to bring them home! Our cousin did this with her two boys adopted in Russia 10 years ago and she said it was a big hit with them. Their caregivers said the they would look at the pictures everyday!
We adopted a sibling group of three for the exact same reasons you mentioned above. We wanted them to always have each other. We also wanted them to have each other DURING the adoption process. We figured - hey, they can hate us and they may have a very difficult time with us as parents, but they will always have each other to talk to and help each other through the emotional roller coaster of adopting new parents.
ReplyDeleteFor those reasons, our kids STILL sleep in one room. Yes, two boys and a girl sleeping in one room. Best decision we made in the process of adoption. They shared a bedroom at the foster home for two years, so we couldn't possibly separate them when we just brought them to a new country, new language, new culture, etc.
They still talk at night about the day's events. This proximity helps them process their feelings and thoughts. The proximity also gives them a very calm feeling and a sense of control. They wake up together. It's almost like having triplets.
Since the bedroom is ONLY for sleeping, there's no issue of a girl with two boys. For now, they are very comfortable in one room together and they're inseparable.
It's not a bad idea to prepare the room before getting the referral. It will lessen the stress once you do get the call.
I hope you get that call soon!
I totally agree. I think preparing the room beforehand also gives you something really positive to focus on and will definitely help reduce stress later on.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, we actually had a domestic adoption fall through (mom lied about dad's paternity- said she was date raped but later, after birth when baby looked rather distinctive, she recanted and it was a looong story). Needless to say, since we couldn't trust her, we were advised by the attorney to not continue. Yada, yada, yada....My point is, we got the call when she was laboring and we thought we were bringing a baby home the next morning; so even though we had the baby furniture from our bio son, we were freaked and had to hurry to Babies R Us to get bedding, etc. The stress of that little event was wild so having the furniture will definitely help. It'll also make it seem even more real and the last thing you want to do is hurry around looking for that when you get the call. I think its a fabulous idea!
Did you have a pic? Your last sentence seemed to say so, but it didn't load. No biggie, just wondered :)
I'm praying for you to get that call really soon!
Ok, I love, love, love those bunk beds!! Mission style is so versatile and will last them a while. We have a bedroom set that is similar that we'll be using too. Those books are uber-cute too. We'll be getting together as well so our son can have it with him in Poland- I think its a great idea.
ReplyDeleteLook the photo books you found!! I am working on one online, and I have to say, it's hard to narrow down what pictures to use, isn't it??
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're into the Pimsleur too, its hard to stay motivated, but when the Pimsleur reviews the last lesson, I love the feeling of having the right answer!
Just found your blog and was reading a few entries. I have a bunch of children's polish songs, night time lullabies and "hyper" kids songs. Right before we went to Poland my parents took my son on a Disney cruise and his counselor was Polish. Mom spilled the beans and the young lady copies a whole bunch of stuff for us. I have them on itunes so if you know an easy way to transfer I can.
ReplyDeleteGood luck - i hope the waiting isn't long