One drop...

Have you ever watched a drop of water in a pond....the ripples keep going out and out...larger and larger.  That is what the adoption world is like....one tiny drop and slowly more and more people touch your life and you are able to touch their lives.  Maria and Zack's story has touched so many people's lives...it has rippled out, brought new and amazing people into our lives. 

I have a great friend in Valerie who adopted one of Maria's friend about a year and half before Maria came home.  The two of us continue to plan on a reunion for our girls. 
I have a new friend in Sherry who is working hard to bring Zack home....hopefully she will have him in her arms as soon as possible.
So many new PAPs in the process, asking questions, seeking counsel.  Some are bring home older children and anxious to have someone who has been walking down this road to help them along the way.  I don't know if I'm the right person, but I am trying to support them in their journey....the way so many of my adoptive parent friends supported me.
New friends in Bulgaria in Toni, who took a chance and got Zack's file (most likely to get me to stop sending her emails where I was BEGGING her to get it) and Desi, who works for a human rights group.  She is visiting the different social homes to ensure that the children are being cared for properly.  She has also agreed to help 2 friends who were left behind....J and S.  Today I got an email from her....I was told that Desi got to meet J and S.  She is helping to get them back on the waiting child list.  She is working to help them be able to have a chance for a family!  Tomorrow she meets with the city's social service agency....the ones who have to help with getting the kids on the waiting child list.  This is also the agency that didn't have their report ready for Maria and my court date last May....So, here is hoping and praying that Desi can move mountains....that J and S's files will start to move!

I also have to say that another one of our ripples is in Maria's social home family....the doctors and staff there really are part of our family.  I know that might sound strange, but they have so much love for Maria.  She was and still is their princess.  They miss her.  The director Dr. U even thinks of her like his daughter....he misses her terribly....so much that he is trying to keep his distance to protect his heart.  I completely understand his reasoning....he will always have a special place in my heart and I hope that one day Maria can see him again.  It is one of the reasons that it is important that Maria maintain her Bulgarian....and she is, hasn't lost any of her Bulgarian and she has been home for almost 7 months!

Snow!!!

Oh snow....one of the joys of living in Iowa in the winter is the weather.  Ok, so there are times when I do not like snow.  I have had concerns about how Maria will manage in the snow for obvious reasons.  I have worried about it being too slick and her falling....but I also know she has to try.  So when it snowed prior to Christmas break she tried walking on snow and did a great job!  But the snow was short lived and she did not have snow pants at that point.  Today it snowed again....started off with the lightest snow and gradually got heavier.  We had a couple inches of fluffy snow.  Maria and I had a fun day staying warm and then decided that enough snow had fallen that she could go and play in it.

So, what prior experience has Maria had with the snow?  According to Maria she and Zack would get to go outside in their wheelchairs for short periods of time to play in the snow.  Not much time....never out of her chair.  Today was different....she walked outside (I was there in case she needed me), she got to sit on the ground (with a little help) and play!

She kept saying "Poor crutches."

She loved brushing the snow off her snow pants.

Update on Zack

Today I got an amazing gift that brought tears to my eyes....new pictures and a video of Zack.  The family that was going to his orphanage was there on Monday.  They had his belated birthday gift with them.  The pictures were from Monday and played out from him rolling in to watching the facilitator open the US mail box and handing him the box of Legos to flipping through the album of Maria.  The video was of Zack flipping through the album making comments and asking questions....and lastly blowing a kiss to Maria or "Mimi" as he refers to her and to me.  I was so excited to show Maria.  She loved the pictures and had the biggest smile on her face during the video....just like Zack did while he was looking at his best friend's pictures.

The other great news is that today they told Zack that he has a family working to bring him home.  I was told that he was a little preoccupied looking at Maria's pictures that this news wasn't the huge amazing Hallmark moment we would all expect it to be....I was told his eyes did get big.  I'm sure it is hard for him to believe at the same time.  I hope that it does give him the hope to keep his spirit up and pray that his family is able to get there soon.

6 months home

I know I'm a few days late with this post.  Maria has now been home for 6 months!  It is hard to believe where we are now verses a year ago.  This time last year I was dealing with an unethical in country agency trying to get everything worked out.  After much frustration and anger it did get worked out and now I get to celebrate Maria being home with me.  I have no contact at all the the in country agency with the exception of the post placement reports (PPR) and very limited contact with my US agency.  To be quite honest the other adoptive families I have met along this journey are the ones who have been my biggest supporters.  They were the ones who supported me from afar while I was on my pickup trip.  They are the ones who were honest about the time frames and what to expect.  I am so happy that I now get to pay their support forward to other adoptive families in the process. 

As for Maria....she continues to do well.  She is becoming more and more fluent in English while maintaining her Bulgarian.  She is becoming more comfortable at school and doing better with her school work.  She even sang in front of the talent show with other 5th graders this past Friday.  He personality continues to become more and more her own.  Still a perfectionist at heart....but more willing to accept mistakes than she was.  Still sensitive and shy in a way.....but forever growing emotionally and opening up with the love she has in her family.  Still working on her telling when mom is teasing her.  Still ticklish....but now requests to be tickled.  Showing her maturity all the time.  She has been so responsible with her pierced ears.  She is just amazing and I love spending time with her.  I'm so excited to see what the next 6 months brings in our lives.