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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Adoption, Ashby, Shay ·

Post Adoption: Month 10


Ten months!
Ten months!
We’ve had our girl for 10 whole months!
We managed to pack a lot of fun, fall, fabulous things into this month.  We also managed to fit in a trip to NYC and a surgery.  Whew.  It was a doozy.
Here are some highlights from this month and then I’ll answer your questions from earlier in the week.
Well, we managed to teach Ashby all about Halloween, pumpkins and trick or treating.  She may not have all of her colors down yet, but she sure knows that if she says trick or treat on your porch, you’ll give her candy.

Ashby is all about “playing” this month.  She loves to take her babies places, love on them, rock them, kiss them and such.  She also loves playing dolls with Kensington, talking on her pretend phone, vacuuming the floor with her toy vacuum and stuff like that.  Ashby is also really good at playing independently when the kids are at school.  She’ll get her babies together, take them for a walk around the house with her stroller, feed them lunch and such.  She’s a good little mama.
That being said…she’s also picked up a new bad habit too ;).  Ashby is really testing us with the word no.  Ashby has learned to say no when she doesn’t want to do something…so we’re working through that.  Ashby has that three year old sass thing down this month. #luckyus  Disciplining and correcting children that have her background and have been through so much is tricky…but, we’re working on it. 

I mean…that face.

Today, we head back to see her doctor to (hopefully!) remove her cast and dressings.  At this appointment, we will also discuss physical therapy (if she needs any) and what happens next.  I blogged about Ashby’s surgery this month here.

Because of the surgery, our month has been kind of crazy and we’ve been home-bound, but listen…this girl has been a trooper!  Not one time over the last two weeks has she lost her sparkle.  Ashby has just amazed me with her recovery!

So, that’s a little bit about Ashby this month.  
And for month 10, I thought I’d do a little Q&A. 
I get a lot of questions about our adoption, so I thought today might be a good time to answer some of them.  I loved this because you guys are asking THE EXACT same questions I asked my friends before we adopted.  We asked every single one of these questions.  These are honest, sincere, and genuine questions.   I really tried to answer every question that was asked.  I hope this helps some of you who are considering adoption!
1. I received questions about her Klippel Trenanuny syndrome and blood clots.
The biggest health concern we have for Ashby are blood clots.  That being said, her hand doctor, hematologist and radiologist all agree…there really isn’t that much we can do for them.  Ashby throws clots differently than you or I might.  Things like aspirin, compression and such don’t prevent her from getting them.  Traveling and flying don’t affect them either.  Ashby throws clots because she has way too many veins all in one concentrated area and if her blood starts to get backed up and slow down, it becomes stagnate and throws a clot.  
At the beginning (before her two MRIs and surgery), we tried a compression garment but immediately the doctors knew it wasn’t the right thing for her.  The compression actually pressed all of her blood straight into her hand and it swelled up to like five times its normal size.  It was scary looking and painful for her.  As far as traveling goes, our doctors are very supportive of our love of travel.  At this point, there is no indication whatsoever that traveling will affect her health.
There is one injectable drug that we’re considering for Ashby.  At this point, her physicians are not ready to put her on it, but if she continues to throw clots, we will.  This drug comes with some pretty intense side effects, so as of now, we’re not using it.
2. I received the most questions about attachment issues.
Okay, I can only speak for our situation…but Ashby does not suffer from any type of attachment disorder.  The most commonly referred to disorder is RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder).  I have a big community of friends who have adopted and most of my friends’ kids have done great, but yes, I have a few friends whose kids do fall somewhere on the spectrum of RAD.  
I wish I had some secret for you…but to put it plainly, it was just the luck of the draw.  We didn’t do anything to prevent Ashby from having RAD, she just doesn’t have it.  We were prepared for her to have RAD or another type of attachment issue, but honestly, she just didn’t.  She was very shy and timid when we first got her.  I posted the video a few months ago…but she screamed her head off when she met us and didn’t want us to hold her.  She spent the first few weeks with us desperately not wanting to smile for us.  She didn’t know us, didn’t understand us, and didn’t trust us. 
For us, I would say the biggest thing that brought Ashby out of her shell was Kensington.  While we were in China, she was very quiet, shy and reserved with Andrew and me…but Kensington could get her laughing.  Kensington brought out this amazing personality in her.  Once she felt safe with Kensington, she slowly opened up to us.  This took time and patience, but she was really receptive to our love and very eager to show love back.
I was talking to my friend the other day about why we tend to hear so much negative regarding adoption and not a lot of positive and honestly, we feel like it’s because at church for instance, my friends who’ve adopted and are struggling with these issues talk about them and ask us to pray for them (which we do!)…but my friends who are truckin’ right along and doing great, aren’t saying that.  They’re just doing great…they’re not talking about doing great.  So, at least in our community, we often hear about the hard cases and are praying for them, while the positive cases just move along quietly.  I do think our adoption has gone really well…but I most definitely don’t think it’s us. I think a lot of adoptions go really well, we just don’t tend to hear about them as much as we do the hard ones.
3. What did I read prior to adoption?
I read a lot of books…but the only one that stands out…my very, very, very favorite is Forever Mom by Mary Ostyn.  This book took everything I read in the other books and condensed it down to the nuts and bolts.  Such a good book!
4. How did we pick a little girl from China?
A lot of prayer.
We felt called to adopt.  You can read my post on that calling here and Andrew’s post, here.  (We felt called at different times…it was not a simple decision by any stretch of the imagination!).
 I mean, first we prayed and felt called to adopt.  Then, we started praying about where, what age, what gender…so many unknowns!  As we talked and prayed about it, domestic just didn’t feel like where the Lord was leading us.  After we stopped thinking domestic and began focusing on international, that felt right but…we didn’t know who we were supposed to adopt.  One day, we would talk about adopting a boy from Uganda and then the next, we would talk about a child from South America or Eastern Europe.  We talked about all of these scenarios.  We messaged people on Facebook, had dinner with people, called people, emailed people…we researched this.  As we dug deeper into international adoption, one thing kept coming back up time and time again…the little girls in China.  Every time we would think we were on the right path, little girls in China would creep back into our thoughts and conversations.  Once we started looking into Chinese adoptions…we never looked back.  We felt called by the Lord to adopt from China.  It was a specific calling for us.  
After we felt like our calling was a Chinese girl, we reached out to several people who had already adopted Chinese girls and they helped us find the right adoption agency to meet our needs.  We really wanted to stay in our birth order, so we needed this child to be younger than Smith…who was three at the time.  So, we turned in our dossier requesting a child 36 months or younger.
5. How much does this all cost?
Good question!  Everyone we asked prior to starting this process said $30,000.  Everyone.  No matter who I asked and which country they had adopted from…they all said about $30,000.  And now that I’m on this side of things, I would say the same.  This amount covers not only the adoption/legal fees/Visas/and such but travel expenses too.  This amount includes hotel/airfare/ground transportation as well.  The money is due at the beginning and then at the end.  If my memory is correct, I would say we paid about 1/3 at the beginning and 2/3 at the very end.
I was also asked if the orphanage or adoption agency helps with the cost of Ashby’s medical needs and the answer is no.  By law, she has to be added to our existing health insurance (adopted children cannot be denied coverage no matter what their medical condition is), so we added her to our health insurance and off we went.  I was asked this question the other day too, but it’s our responsibility to find the right healthcare providers for her.  The adoption agency and/or orphanage does not help you find doctors to meet your kid’s medical needs.  Your kiddo, your job to meet their medical needs (both financially and physically).  

6. How long did the process take from start to finish?
That varies depending on a wide variety of things…but for us, it took 18 months and 5 days.  From very beginning to the day we got her was 18 months and 5 days.  I was told to expect it to take between 12 and 24 months…and well, there you have it…right in the middle.

7. Were we able to send stuff to Ashby once we were matched?
That’s a case by case situation depending on the orphanage.  We sent some things but the only thing I for sure know she received was our pictures.  You can send stuff…but you don’t know if your kiddo actually gets it.

8. What’s been the hardest part since we’ve been home?
For me, it’s been “where to start?”.  Ashby was like this blank canvas who didn’t know anything.  It was overwhelming to know where to begin.  Do I begin by teaching her numbers? Colors? Family relationships? Do I need to teach her body parts in case one of them hurts? Do we do puzzles? Color? Play-Doh? Do I just need to sit and read to her?  Do I need to play with the tea pots? The stuffed animals? Where do I begin????  Help!

Yes.  That’s how I felt.  She was sweet and easy going…but there was just so much for her to learn…and it was up to me to teach it to her.  That was very overwhelming to me at first.  I finally had to just let it go and realize that she’ll get it when she gets it.  I needed to just be her mommy and love on her.  Right now, she can tell you that she wants to color and eat Goldfish crackers while watching Peppa Pig on the iPad…but she cannot tell you which is the blue crayon…I mean, it’s all a work in progress.

9. How did we work on attachment?
Well, we didn’t give her much choice.  At first (back in China), she was very nervous around Andrew.  She didn’t mind him picking her up off the ground, but she didn’t want him to take her from me.  How did we work through that?  He took her out a lot by himself.  At first, she would cry the entire time, but after a few days, she started enjoying going out with Andrew.  We just worked through it.  We were going to bond with that girl whether she liked it or not :).  She might have cried and not made eye contact, but we didn’t take it personally…we just kept on loving on her.

10. Does Ashby remember the orphanage?
I don’t think so.  We have a lot of pictures from the orphanage and just the other day, we showed them to her and she seemed completely oblivious.  We even showed her pictures of the orphanage workers and she acted like she had no clue who they were.  She left the orphanage when she was 2, so that’s understandable.  Two is really young to remember.

11. Things we’re saving to tell Ashby.
Well, as much as I love sharing my life with you…we do keep some things private around here ;).  We have three pictures of Ashby from when she lived in the orphanage that we are keeping private along with the name she was given there.  We feel like Ashby needs to see and know that stuff first when she’s ready.  We also took additional pictures of the orphanage that we’re saving to show her when she’s older.  My prayer is that I’m encouraging other families to consider adoption (of any kind!), so I’m always very happy to share our story with you…but that being said, some details we keep private because Ashby Shull deserves first look at that stuff.

12. The ugly stuff.
I mean…part of me wishes I had some ugly stuff to share with you because I think you really want to hear it, but honestly, it’s going really well.  At the beginning, I kept saying “well, this is just the honeymoon phase of adoption” and then finally one day my friend Jennifer (who has also adopted) told me to stop saying that because it wasn’t the honeymoon phase anymore, it was just going well and that’s okay to say.

Now…we’re doing great right now.  Our big kids have adjusted really well, Andrew, Ashby and I have adjusted really well.  This has been a very positive experience for us.  That being said, it’s not always going to be sunny and happy.  One of these days, it could hit Ashby like a ton of bricks that she’s adopted.  She could grieve.  She could be mad.  She could be sad.  She could rebel.  One of these days, she might not like being a Shull.  She might not like being adopted.  She might not like being American.  I don’t know what the future holds…I can just speak about the present.  At this moment in time, I have a very happy, well-adjusted little three year old girl without a care in the world.  My prayer is that she continues to feel that way…but if one day she doesn’t, then we’ll handle that too.  Just because the ugly stuff hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean I think it’s never going to happen.  It just hasn’t happened yet.

13. What do I wish I would have known going into adoption?
Hmmmm…I went in preparing myself for the worst and hoping for the best.  That being said, I wish someone would have told me to relax a little more.  I’m relaxed about it now, but at first, I was too overwhelmed with the “to do” list.  She needed a good doctor (or three), she needed to learn English, she needed to learn how to communicate pain to us.  She needed, she needed, she needed…no.  All she really needed was a lot of love.  I’ve learned over the last 10 months that she’ll eventually learn to count to five or be able to identify a dog verses a cat…what she needed from day one was just lots of love.  Love is the key.

14. How have Kensington and Smith handled this?
Listen, I did not give these two kids enough credit.  All of those years I spent praying about my calling and Andrew’s calling…I never prayed and asked God about Kensington and Smith’s calling…but you know what, he equipped them despite my lack of prayer.  Sheaffer says this all the time, and I appreciate it when I hear it, but Kensington and Smith have done such a phenomenal job with all of this.  God really prepared their young hearts for all of this.  My big kids are extraordinary and I’m so anxious to see how God uses this experience to shape them into adults.  They were young when we started the process (3 and 4), so they didn’t really say much about it.  They were excited but they didn’t really understand…now, I can see exactly how God used this situation to shape them.

15. How do we incorporate Ashby’s heritage into our family?
Right now, we’re starting small and building.  Our main priority this year is for Ashby to feel like a Shull…to feel like she’s home and with her family.  Now that she feels comfortable with us and in our family, we’re starting to incorporate more of her background into our daily conversation.  For instance, now, if you ask Ashby who’s Chinese, she’ll  grin really big and say “me”!  She also does the same thing if you ask her who’s American ;).

We’ve recently started showing her pictures from China and talking more about how special it is that she’s Chinese.  We didn’t want to do these things in the beginning because that wouldn’t help with attachment to us.  We plan on traveling back to China sooner rather than later, celebrating the Chinese New Year and trying to incorporate bits of the Chinese culture into our own family.  After all, we love China…China gave us this precious girl…we want to celebrate it!  Also, we have a Chinese church within our church and Ashby is in a Sunday school class with five other Chinese girls, so hopefully she’ll continue to grow up in our church where we have a large Chinese population and can have friendships with these girls.  We are so blessed that China was open to our family adopting one of their children, so we have nothing but respect for them and hope Ashby grows to as well.

The date we met our Ashby.  To see the story behind these bracelets, click here.

Whew!  Okay!  Lots of questions!  My prayer is that one or more of you will be inspired to adopt.  I just cannot say enough about this experience.  It’s been such a blessing to us.

To see, learn, read and really understand our adoption better, check out these posts below:
To see our other posts on adoption:
Post Adoption: Month 9
Post Adoption: Month 8

Post Adoption: Month 7
Post Adoption: Month 6
Post Adoption: Month 5
Post Adoption: Month 4
Post Adoption: Month 3
Post Adoption: Month 2
Post Adoption: Month 1
Meeting Ashby for the first time: here
All of our China travel posts: here
All adoption posts: here

And for dinner tonight…

…Creamy Mushroom & Sausage Soup!

Yum!

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Comments

  1. Piston says

    Your day in the life post yesterday inspired me to start my day early. My routine every morning with my coffee is to read your blog post! I thought for sure I would be drinking alone since we are in a different time zone! So happy to see I can have coffee with you this morning! Thank you for all that you do for this blog. -Loren F

  2. Elizabeth Brophy says

    I've been reading for about two years and this was the best post yet. I'm so happy things are going well for your family 🙂

  4. Danielle Mcdermott says

    So inspired to adopt! I'm only 24 right now and way too young but I pray the moment comes sooner rather than later!

  5. Erika Slaughter says

    And now I'm gonna brag on YOU…You have been a rockstar!! You've opened your arms and heart with so much love for that little girl! It's so sweet to see how much she loves you AND the other way around! You heard God's call and you obeyed!!! It wasn't easy but you are rockin' it!! Love you, friend!! XOXO

  8. Nicole says

    Shay! I really need to sit down one day and email just how much you've impacted me 🙂 in a good, only with God kind of way. 😉 This post brought me to tears and truly has planted seeds of desiring to adopt. (I have a 3 year old girl, and 1 year old boy.) Perfectly timed, I am heading to India for a two week long mission trip tomorrow! We will be working in an orphanage there and I know God is preparing my heart to hear from Him in a way I never have before! Thanks for sharing your heart!

  9. Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says

    I have several friends who have adopted, but this is the first time I've had a front row seat to the entire process. First off, I had no idea how much work it was on the parent's end leading up to the adoption. That alone was so eye opening to me! My favorite part has been seeing Ashby transform from a timid little girl into the one we know today that RADIATES joy. The transformation was such a blessing to watch (and just plain fun)! And as a friend with a front row seat, I can attest to the fact that the medical issues are only the real issues you've had thus far (and we've been praying through them). But if emotional issues ever arise, we will all pray y'all through those as well. I'm just so thankful that the Shulls were called to adopt and that y'all listened! I've loved my front row seat and I of course adore Miss Ashby. And yes, I'll say it again…Kensington and Smith have been PHENOMENAL…but Erika's right, so have you and Andrew!

  12. Lover of blogs says

    Your story is beautiful. Your wonderful and loving mother. When I read Andrew post it was so inspiring. I'm just curious now on his post adoption thoughts. If it's possible you should suggest to Him to write another post perhaps on your 1 year anniversary of having ashby. I hope one day I can adopt too and to have the same kind love that your family has. Keep up the great work mix match mama!

  13. Not A Mom says

    Such a great read! I pinned this article because while kids are in the future for my husband I, adoption has always been a topic and I've always felt a twinge in my heart for it. Praying now about our future but making mental notes of everything and all the answers you gave. Thanks for being so open!
    Linds @ Not A Mom

  14. Tricia Cole says

    I just watched a Ted Talk the other day by Hank Fortener. He runs the non-profit, AdoptTogether.org. It's a fundraising site for people looking to adopt. The Ted Talk is the ONLY thing I know about this organization. Just thought it might be beneficial for people looking into adoption.

  15. I Like Ike says

    These adoption posts are always my very favorite and I'm so thankful sweet Ashby is thriving in her forever home. It's absolutely beautiful to watch, even from afar! Thank you for sharing.

  16. Rebecca Jo says

    I just love seeing the process of adoption in your family & how well its all been going for you all.
    Your kids are amazing little people the way they have just taken in their new sister… says a lot about their upbringing 🙂

  17. Sarah says

    I love reading these posts. We were also blessed with our second son Zavier on Jan4/15. Happy 10 months!

  18. Shannon says

    Ashby is such a doll. So happy she has found her forever family and has adjusted so well.

    Shay, if you wouldn't mind, I'm going to ask you to pray for us. Several months ago, I wrote to you about the hundreds of families who have adopted children from the Democratic Republic of Congo but cannot bring their children home, due to their government suspending exit letters for adopted children. You graciously shared a petition for your readers to sign and we were very thankful for that gesture.

    Sadly, our children (including my son) are still not home. Yesterday, the DRC has decided a few children will be allowed to come home and the rest will have to wait indefinitely. Our family has been matched with our son for over 2 years and have been in the adoption process for almost 6 years. We adoptive families are tired and grieving the loss of these years with our children.

    Please pray for us. We get to Skype with our son occasionally and he asks us when we are coming to get him. He's just a little boy and doesn't understand things about government and exit letters, but he knows that we haven't shown up to get him. It just breaks our hearts. I love reading your Ashby updates because I look forward to the day when I can celebrate these milestones with our son, but until then it is so, so hard waiting.

    • Happylife38 says

      Shannon, I'm pretty sure most of this blog's readers will be praying for you and the other families who are going through this kind of heartbreak. Tears in my eyes and tears in my heart when reading about your son asking over skype when you are coming to get him. Wishing you all the strength that can be wished!!! Please let your child be home with you soon!!

  20. Kelly Stamps says

    I loved reading this! Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope it encourages a lot of women!!!!!!

  21. Slightly Askew Designs says

    I would have to agree with Erika – you've listened to and heard every one of Ashby's needs and your mother's intuition has been spot on in helping her adjust. What a FANTASTIC post!!! LOVE YOU, friend!!

  22. Embraced my Grace says

    I've had people ask me how they can give to adoption and orphan care and Lifesong for Orphans is a great place. I think more would give if they knew how…and this Sunday is Orphan Sunday

  24. Melissa Owens says

    We adopted our daughter from China 6 years ago. So much of what you experienced we did too. I think what made things clear to us and helped so much with Emma's adjustment was that the whole process was bathed in prayer and when she became part of our family our church welcomed her as part of their family with open arms. Adoption is a beautiful thing. It never occurred to us to adopt. We had 2 teen aged sons. What did we need with another child but when God speaks and you just can't block Him out there's a reason. For us that reason was a beautiful daughter and sister. Thank you for sharing.

  25. Melissa P. says

    I rarely comment, but have been reading for a while & I have to agree with Elizabeth up there-this is my favorite & absolute best post you've done yet!! Your family is a true inspiration & you can just see God shining through! So happy for you all, but most of all for the beaming, joyful Ashby!! <3

  26. Melissa says

    Thank you so much for your inspiring, honest post! I devour your adoption posts each month and try to really absorb what you are saying because I am hoping we get to adopt someday. It thrills me to read such an uplifting story on the topic because as you said, so much of what we hear is the hard stuff. Ashby radiates joy in all the pictures you post and you do too!

  27. Alyssa Lamphear says

    Domestic adoption is much less than international adoption money wise! I just wanted to state that for others, because often times people don't follow their heart, once they see that number!
    So happy for you all that Ashby is thriving, and has adjusted so well to her home!

  29. Aubrey says

    It has been such a beautiful thing watching this girl really and truly become a Shull! And it's equally beautiful to watch you, Andrew, Kensington, and Smith love on her nonstop for 10 months. Love to you all!

  30. Wannie says

    Shay, thank you for sharing! I teared up and got emotional reading this post. I am not yet married, let alone have kids, but have thought about adopting someday. You and your family are an inspiration!

  31. Jenny says

    I couldn't love this post more!!! Thank you for sharing your story, and your sweet Ashby with us. 🙂

  32. Megan says

    This is such an amazing post!!! I know it took hours of work and thought, but it's soooo good. And Ashby does sparkle!!!!

  33. KRISTIN TATE says

    I read this entire post with a lump in my throat. Y'all are heaven sent, the whole family.

  34. Linsley Schneider says

    This is such an inspiring story! The transformation that has already happened to Ashby is amazing! What a blessing 🙂

  35. Leigh Clark says

    What a beautiful post!! This is so encouraging for anyone considering adoption, and I love that you said multiple times she just needed/needs love. Truth!

  36. Lindsay at Lindsay'sSweetWorld says

    This post is incredibly honest and inspiring and it may just be one of my favorites of your posts so far. You guys are absolutely amazing. Just amazing. And Ashby could not be more blessed to have you guys, as are you guys to have her. You're doing great, Momma!

  38. Jeanie says

    You did such a great job on this, Shay! I'm waaay past the age where I would consider adopting, nor do I know anyone who would, but my instinct is that anyone planning to adopt should be required to read this post. It's so positive and would be so very beneficial to adoptive parents.

  39. mrs. mewie says

    Thank you so much for sharing more about your blessed adoption of Ashby. She is so precious and full of God's love and light! I have been praying over adoption for our family and your story is inspiring me more everyday. We will see where God leads!

  40. Kim in RI says

    Such a great post! I love reading about your family and I love your honesty. I am so happy for you all!

  41. Kelli @ A Deeper Joy says

    We're in the process of being licensed to foster/adopt domestically right now and have many of the same fears it sounds like you had. I'm trusting the Lord through it and know that since this is His calling, He will equip us. It's great to know that there are other people out there that get where our hearts are.

  42. DangCollier says

    Hi Shay! thanks for sharing your life with us! I just wanted to mention adoption camps…I used to volunteer as a counselor for Colorado Heritage Camps (www.heritagecamps.org) several years in college and even now consider adoption myself but if you haven't heard of it check it out! Many adoptive families attend these camps to help incorporate the heritage (Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese/Latin American etc) and have some fun with other adopted kids their age. Its really such a great camp, I can't say enough about it!

  43. Alicia Marie says

    Thank you for this post! We are just starting our adoption process and right now, China is on our forefront! It has been so helpful to watch your journey from afar and very encouraging. You do always hear more of the bad than the good…so thank you for your transparency! I look forward to seeing Ashby grow!

  44. Emily Parham says

    I love reading these post-adopt updates! I work in family development for Covenant Kids which is a foster care and adoption agency here in DFW. We SWEAR by TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention) developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis at TCU's Institute of Child Development for children who come from hard places. I know that you aren't experiencing any issues as of right now, but I have included the link below to use as an AMAZING resource in the future!

    http://child.tcu.edu/about-us/tbri/

  45. Emily Parham says

    I love reading these post-adopt updates! I work in family development for Covenant Kids which is a foster care and adoption agency here in DFW. We SWEAR by TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention) developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis at TCU's Institute of Child Development for children who come from hard places. I know that you aren't experiencing any issues as of right now, but I have included the link below to use as an AMAZING resource in the future!

    http://child.tcu.edu/about-us/tbri/

  46. Emily Parham says

    I love reading these post-adopt updates! I work in family development for Covenant Kids which is a foster care and adoption agency here in DFW. We SWEAR by TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention) developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis at TCU's Institute of Child Development for children who come from hard places. I know that you aren't experiencing any issues as of right now, but I have included the link below to use as an AMAZING resource in the future!

    http://child.tcu.edu/about-us/tbri/

  47. Emily Parham says

    I love reading these post-adopt updates! I work in family development for Covenant Kids which is a foster care and adoption agency here in DFW. We SWEAR by TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention) developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis at TCU's Institute of Child Development for children who come from hard places. I know that you aren't experiencing any issues as of right now, but I have included the link below to use as an AMAZING resource in the future!

    http://child.tcu.edu/about-us/tbri/

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