Sorry for the lack of posts these last two days… I got hit by a horrible fever/chills/stomach bug and have been really out of it. None of the kids are sick (knock on wood) and neither is Josh, so hopefully it will be another one of those “just Mom” bugs (I seem to do that a lot for some reason).

Anyway, I thought I would let you know that we have another new addition at the Henderson home…not another child, but one of the four-legged variety.

We have been on the hunt for the perfect family pet for some time and have had some bad luck... more

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If you are adopting a baby this is something you won’t have to worry about, but for those adopting toddlers and older kids, here are some tips to help you until your child gets their “American tastebuds”. -Know what your child is used to eating, what they like and what they don’t, and have some familiar foods that they enjoy available at home. Food can be very comforting, and to a child who has their whole world turned upside down, finding their favorite food can help them settle in. We have found that sometimes even a familiar... more

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Kids and food are a funny thing, and how to feed a newly adopted child is one of those issues that comes up a lot. On one end of the spectrum you have kids like Belane, who instantly take to American food. While we were still staying at the hotel in Addis, I would order one American dish and one Ethiopian dish to share, and regularly she chose the cheeseburger and fries or pizza over the injera and wat (good thing I like Ethiopian food!) This picture is from our first day together in Ethiopia.

Another family that we traveled with adopted... more

Amanda came home to us from South Korea just before her second birthday. It also happened to be the week before Easter, and we remember fondly how that first Easter of hers she refused all chocolate, jelly beans and candy, looking at us like we were crazy when we offered them to her.

Instead, she happily ate her white rice and Kimchi (a spicy cabbage dish served very often in Korea) that we kept prepared for her, while her siblings enjoyed their sweets.

As we knew she would, she got to liking American food fairly quickly (including sweets!!!),... more

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Last but not least, my sweet Belane. As most of you know I spent two weeks in Ethiopia with Belane in a hotel room. We had one king-sized bed and she slept great in between Josh and I (although she whimpered in her sleep that whole first night).

She was a bit trickier to get to fall asleep for naps in the beginning…at first I tried all sorts of tricks, from carrying her in a hip carrier, to riding in the taxi, etc. However after a few days I just had to shut off the TV, darken the room and lay down... more

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Marcus was with us from his first day out of the hospital, so he was pretty much like any other newborn and had "normal" newborn sleep habits and patterns. He was a blissfully good (easy) baby.

Mercy and Des came to us at ages 9 and 6. They were not adopted internationally, but their lives were not turned upside down much less than our kids that were adopted internationally. The one benefit that they had was language, and that we could talk about things.

They had always slept together (often... more

Here are some of our personal experiences with sleep and our children that joined our family via adoption…

I think by sharing these stories you will see how some kids are just easier than others and how plans don't always go the way you think. I do have to say that we have been lucky to not have any major sleep challenges, however, before you call me lucky, you should have been around when our Ryan was a baby. IKES. :)

Maggie came home from Vietnam at age 3 ½ months. She had been sleeping in a crib with two other young babies. We... more

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Other things to keep in mind regarding adoption, kids and sleep…

-You can’t read the sleep books and take the advice from grandparents, etc. that isn’t especially for adopted children, because it is a much different situation than a biological child that has been with you since birth and is having sleep issues. Very newly adopted children are often very much like newborns in the fact that they can’t be spoiled…they need lots of love and attention to become securely bonded and attached.

-Some kids... more

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So what is a parent to do? A lot depends on your child’s age and your own unique family, beliefs, etc., but here are a few suggestions on getting everyone a good night’s sleep and some of our experiences.

I always tackle a new child and the sleep issue by having two goals… a long term goal and a short term goal. The long term goal being the child happily going off to bed at bedtime with hugs and cuddles, a kiss and a “good night” like the rest of our kids. The short term goal is for us to get as good... more

Sleep.

As all parents can tell you…sleep…how much or how little and what quality is being had and by whom… has a direct impact on family life.

When people ask about daily life in our house and how we stay sane with 10 kids, I always say that I don’t mess with two things…meals and sleep.

While most parents expecting a newborn baby are aware of the fact that their sleep is going to be significantly impacted, adoptive parents should also be prepared for sleep struggles in the beginning, no matter what age of child they are adopting.

When... more