Media Monday: Max and the Adoption Day Party

Max and the Adoption Day Party by Adria F. Klein

We gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

You can read it on Google Books.

Here is a brief summary from Good Reads:
It is Maxs friend Josés adoption day party. There is cake and ice cream, games, and presents. What special present did Max bring?

Our Thoughts: This book also comes in Spanish! We have read it in both languages, since Caden is bi-lingual. We love that this is also an easy reader, that Caden can read all by himself! We LOVE the idea of an adoption day party! There is nothing better for a kid to celebrate with a party, and this helps his friends and family celebrate the miracle of adoption with him. We are definitely going to do this!

Tender feelings!

We are LOVING having sweet Chase in our family. Caden almost always says this in his prayers: "We thank thee we have Chase, Mommy and Daddy in our family". He could not be more proud of his baby brother. He tells EVERYONE we pass in the store that we have a new baby. He is constantly checking on him, giving him a stuffed animal, making faces at Chase to get him to smile, etc. It is the sweetest thing I have ever seen. It makes my heart so happy and full of gratitude when I watch them together.

The other day when I was walking Caden to school and pushing Chase in the stroller, Caden said "I can't wait until we have another baby!" I was completely shocked (since Chase is just over a month) and asked him why. He said "I love babies". He is the best big brother EVER!!

Today, we took Chase to church for the first time. He looked so handsome in his white button up shirt and khakis! In choir practice, we were practicing "Silent Night". I barely got through the first lyrics before the power of those words hit me and made me want to cry. I was rocking Chase in the car seat with my foot and looking at him while I tried to sing:

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant, so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

These are some special days always to be cherished. We always give thanks in our prayers to two very special people that made it all possible. We just had them over on Friday night and we were playing the Kinect. After awhile, Caden said "I know. This is family game night!". It warmed my heart to think that yes, this was family game night because J and A are (and always will be) a part of our family now. What a blessing!

Media Monday (or Wednesday): Conversations at the Park

Sorry this post is late! We have been loving on Chase and not getting as many other things done as we used to.

Sometimes our interactions with others are the best media available. We had a great experience with the power of open adoption recently.

Last Saturday, we went to the park with Chase's birth parents to get pictures done with them. We had a great time seeing them (as always) and Caden loved playing at the park. One sweet older lady started talking to us, trying to guess who Chase's parents were. We told her that we adopted him and that A and J were the birth parents. She started talking about how neat that was that we were still in contact with each other. She said "I hope you know how special this is to me". "That makes me want to cry. That is just so special".

She meant every word of it. We reassured her it was even more special to us! We LOVE open adoption and the way that it allows more people to love, hold, kiss and be with a very special baby. We have already seen the blessings of open adoption and are excited to continue seeing those blessings for years to come with A and J.

Media Monday: My Adopted Child, There's No One Like You

My Adopted Child, There's No One Like You by Kevin Leman & Kevin Leman II

We gave it 4 out of 5 stars

Here is a summary from Christianbook.com
This delightful story, filled with colorful illustrations, is designed to be read by parents and their adopted children with one goal in mind: to show them just how special and loved they are. Your child will realize that while your family is "different," it is a family built on love both from the birth mother who gave them up for adoption and the adoptive family who chose them. Perfect for children ages 3 and up.

Our Thoughts: It seems like this was the first discussion that they had about adoption, but we would rather have our child know about adoption as early as possible. We love that Mama Bear in this story welcomed any questions he had and was willing to give him information about who he was. We are going to create an environment for our child to feel willing to ask any questions they have and to celebrate who they are! Our favorite part is how it talks so positively about birth parents. She talks about how smart and loving the birth parents are. She then says, "That's adoption honeybear. It's the most loving thing someone can do." Such a sweet, simple and incredibly true statement!

Big news!

Here are two (of many) of Caden's versions of our big news:
And here is our version of our big news:These are our dear friends that we have grown to know and love these past few months that made everything possible. They are so much fun to hang out with, play Kinect with, talk with, etc. We even played hackey sack and Phase 10 while J was in labor! We have loved getting to know them and we look forward to a long friendship and open adoption with them.
I love this pic of Caden meeting his new little brother, my Mom holding him and J looking on as proud as can be. Introducing....Chase Adam! He was born on September 26th at 7:36 AM. He weighed 6 lbs 12 ounces and was 20 inches long! We feel so blessed and we love the miracle of adoption! We love, and are so grateful, for J and A for trusting us with their sweet little boy.

Media Monday: You're Not My REAL Mother

You're Not My REAL Mother by Molly Friedrich

We give this 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Here is a summary from Good Reads:
What are some of the qualities of a real mother? She's nurturing--she'll let you put twenty Band-Aids on a bruised knee when you only need one; she's dedicated--she'll drive miles out of her way to retrieve your beloved bear left behind; she's playful--she catches fireflies with you after bedtime . . . and much, much more. Drawn from the author's everyday life as an adoptive parent, this cheerful yet tender parent-child conversation offers a response to children who've ever asked an adoptive parent why they don't look like one another. Gentle, lighthearted watercolors by Christy Hale complete the picture of a very special relationship. Here is an invaluable companion for adopted children--and the adults who love them--as they explore the emotional realities of a different kind of family.

Our Thoughts: We love how it points out that looking alike isn't what families/mothers are all about. A true mother is there to care for, help, teach, love, raise a child and so much more! We love that the daughter realizes for herself what makes her mother her mother, even when she doesn't look like her. The only thing we would change is to add the father into the story and to have it be an open adoption, where the child can see/know their birth parents. It is a very cute and fun story to read.