The second in a series of four wonderful articles titled "Finding Family" that highlights transracial and transcultural adoption from The Chicago Daily Herald, is titled “A First Year Filled with Love and Mystery”.

Like the last article, this one hits home in many ways, no matter where you have adopted from. This article tells the story of a couple who adopted an 11 month old from China, and follows them through some of her challenges during her first year home.

The little girl is diagnosed with some unexpected health challenges, which is not totally unusual in adoption (and is something all parents should be prepared for). She also suffers from separation anxiety, night terrors and difficulties sleeping, which again, are also common occurences in newly adopted children. And like many children, she only wants one of her new parents in the beginning.

I am sure that adoptive parents will find things in this story that are familiar...and see themselves some ways in the experiences and feelings of this couple.

Here is an excerpt from the article when they are discussing baby Madison’s sleep struggles…

Still, Madison's bedtime crying and clinging take their toll. Andy and Jenny haven't slept alone together for four months. Four more months will go by before they do so.

The tension echoes in a dialogue that gets repeated. It goes something like this:

Andy: Is this ever going to change? Is she ever going to sleep in her own bed? Is this marriage normal?

Jenny: We have to make sacrifices. We'll be married forever. We'll be with each other forever. It's OK if we give up alone time now so she can feel comfortable. It's temporary.

It's not that Andy's not important, Jenny says. For now, Madison is the top priority.

"It's stressful for us," Andy admits once. "We're not fighting. But you feel like two strangers again."

Eight months after she comes home, Madison finally starts going to bed in her crib.

A year after her arrival, Madison sleeps until 3 or 4 a.m. Then she climbs out of bed, walks to the gate at her door, and calls for Mom and Dad, a teddy bear in one hand, her Elmo blanket in the other.

Andy admits he likes this routine. From day one, Madison bonded with Mom, reaching only for her, crying when she left the room.

Andy, thinking he would be an instant hit, was hurt. As he filmed the family's China adventures, he would interject narration of the day's plans with comments like, "She was with Daddy for an hour!" Or, "She loves her Daddy. But she adores her Mommy."

One year later, it's different. In the middle of the night, Madison cuddles up with Dad. And those times, no matter the stress, are worth it.

"We needed something better in our lives," Andy says. "Our marriage was good, but we needed to have this family."

The article also discusses the parents desire to adopt again…both because they want to have another child, and because they want their daughter to have someone else in the family “like her.”

"Madison will never be able to say she looks like Mom or Dad," Jenny says. "But if she has a sister, they'll be from the same place and can share culture."

This article does a great job of showing what things can be like in the early days with an internationally adopted child. It serves as a good reminder that we should be prepared for the unexpected, and shows how well children can settle in and adapt, even when it is difficult in the beginning.

And again, make sure you don't miss the slide show.

I will be posting about the third and fourth articles in this series tomorrow. Enjoy!