With every passing season there is something we'll miss, yet other things to look forward to, as well… I trust each of you had a bit of fun and relaxation during the past few weeks - its wonderful to hear about all the wonderful places the A.S.A. families have explored over the summer….we love hearing all the exciting details of your trips and living vicariously through your reports!! As the summer months wind down, it's heart-warming to think about the upcoming holiday season and all the joy and togetherness inherent in those special days… Even though I don't have little ones starting school quite yet, its so inspiring to see all the children and their parents eagerly selecting fresh, new school supplies for the upcoming school year and anticipating the new adventures that lie ahead. I think I'll grab a few "Big Chief" tablets (do they still make those?!) and gather the staff around at our next weekly staff meeting to garner a bit of that same refreshed and renewed spirit as we embark on the last quarter of 2002. If it hasn't already, we hope that the remaining months of the year bring joy and love into your lives in the form of a precious little baby….
Several A.S.A. families have met their new sons or daughters in the past few weeks, and I know you'll join me and everyone at the agency in offering sincere congratulations and wishes for a lifetime of happiness in their new roles as moms and dads!
Congratulations!
The potential possibilities of any child are the most intriguing and stimulating in all creation. --Ray L. Wilbur
DOMESTIC ADOPTIONS:
Michael and Cecilia - Michelle Louise
Andrew and Susan - Noah Jude
Brian and Dawn - Garrett Ronald
Mario and Janet - Nicholas Andrew
Ted and Janet - Dante Joseph
Robert and Donna - Brady Robert
David and Carmen - David Christian
INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS:
Robert and Jane - Madeline Anastasia
Thomas and Edit - Elena Marie
Meet our Staff…
I'm Jim McMahon, I've been with A.S.A. for about seven years. I'm the computer
and graphics guy at A.S.A. and serve on the Board of Directors. I developed
and maintain A.S.A.'s web site, agency network and do some of our computer
maintenance. I write a synopsis of your lives compiled from your applications
and De-ID-ed Profiles that our counselors use as a reference while matching
your cases. I'm also involved in outreach; helping with seminars and advertising.
Although I work mostly in the "back office", it has been a wonderful experience meeting many of you at A.S.A. or seminars and watching your cases progress as you create your families. It is difficult to describe the staff experience at A.S.A. - emotional roller coaster comes to mind - but, challenging as it may be, it's an honor to work with our dedicated staff on your behalf.
I have three wonderful "mostly" grown children: Eric, 32, Heather, 30, and Dorian, 28 - and twin granddaughters. I've shared my life (our families) and home with a very special woman for the past ten years. We also share four cats, two dogs, five birds, two horses and four veterinarians. --Jim McMahon
One Family's Story
Nor need we power or splendor, wide hall or lordly dome; the good, the true, the tender - these form the wealth of home. --Sarah J. Hale.
This month I'd like to share a wonderfully informative article written by one of A.S.A.'s "alumnae", adoptive mom Pamela…
Who Says You Can't Breastfeed Your Baby?
Not every mom is interested in breastfeeding, but for those who are interested, adoption doesn't have to stand in the way of that dream. I don't remember anyone ever telling me that it was possible to breastfeed an adopted baby. I just knew that I wanted to breastfeed my children and it didn't occur to me that adoption would be any sort of obstacle to that. I've always been a fairly determined person (my mom would say stubborn!) so I just set out to find as much information as I could. After a bit of searching, I found LaLeche League and I was soon on my way with a folder full of information that was both practical and inspiring. Skip forward in time to my daughter's birth. August in San Antonio. The nursery nurse lecturing me about how adoptive breastfeeding wasn't possible. Did I mention that I'm stubborn? I thanked the nurse for her concern, hooked up my nursing supplementer, took a deep breath and put my daughter to the breast. And it worked! The world narrowed down to just the two of us, time stopped, we were showered in rose petals, angels sang, etc. Well, maybe my memory is a little hazy, but it really worked! Through supplementer hassles, extensive travel and all the joys and trials of life with a baby, it worked. It worked so well that I went on to nurse my son when he was born two years later. He had a breathing problem and some neurological issues but breastfeeding went smoothly for him, too. And I'll be breastfeeding again before long as we're currently awaiting our third A.S.A. baby.
So how does adoptive breastfeeding work? In a nutshell, it's the baby nursing that stimulates any woman's body to make milk. Pregnancy gets the breasts ready for milk production but it's breastfeeding that signals the body to keep making milk. Without a pregnancy, the body adjusts more slowly, but nursing a baby will still signal the body to make milk. If a mom has advance notice of a baby's arrival, she may decide to use a breast pump to get things started. Once the baby arrives, she can keep the baby fed and interested in nursing at her breast that isn't yet producing much milk by using a nursing supplementer. A nursing supplementer is a specifically designed bag or bottle that holds supplement (usually regular infant formula) and has a very thin tube that goes into the baby's mouth along with the mom's breast. The baby nurses at the breast and at the same time gets supplement through the tube.
Is there a full milk supply? Most mothers who adopt and breastfeed produce some milk. A few produce no milk, a few produce enough to completely wean from the supplementer. There are prescription drugs as well as herbal supplements that are used by some women to increase their milk supply. These drugs are not required for adoptive nursing but a mom may want to speak with a knowledgeable health care provider about them. Many moms find that developing a relationship with the baby is the major focus once the baby arrives and they find themselves putting very little energy into tracking their milk supply. Will it be the same as "regular" nursing? Just as adopting is a unique way to grow your family, adoptive breastfeeding is a unique way to nurture your baby. It's both the same and different from nursing a baby you gave birth to . You will really be breastfeeding regardless of how much milk you produce and you'll have the joy and satisfaction
As the summer months wind dotfeeding information and support to moms around the country (and overseas). Whatever your level of interest, your questions are welcome.
The Heart of the Matter
I came across this poem again this week when re-reading the book Dear Birthmother by Kathleen Silber and Phylis Speedlin… if you haven't already read it (the poem), I think you'll enjoy it… (By the way, I highly recommend the book, Dear Birthmother, as well, for all waiting families - it is a terrific resource to read while waiting for "the" phone call from A.S.A.!)
Legacy of an Adopted Child
Once there were two women
Who never knew each other
One you do not remember
The other you call mother
Two different lives shaped to make yours one
One became your guiding star
The other became your sun
The first gave you life
And the second taught you to live
The first gave you a need for love
And the second was there to give it
One gave you a nationality
The other gave you a name
One gave you the seed of talent
The other gave you an aim
One gave you emotions
The other calmed your fears
One saw your first sweet smile
The other dried your tears
One gave you up - it was all that she could do.
The other prayed for a child
And God led her straight to you.
And now you ask me through your tears,
The age old questions through the years;
Heredity or Environment - which are you the product of:
Neither my darling - neither
Just two different kinds of love.
-- Anonymous
Wishing you all a wonderful "summer's end" and a restful Labor Day weekend. A.S.A. will be closed for business on Monday, September 2nd and will re-open on the 3rd.
Warm Regards,
Denise Garibay, M.A.
Director of Social Services