Gotcha Day--A Year Ago Today...

I didn't give you the gift of life,

but in my heart I know,

the love I feel is deep and real,

as if it had been so.

For us to have each other

is like a dream come true.

No, I didn't give you the gift of life,

Life gave me the gift of you.

Viktoria Grace Beck
Born:  11.17.2007
Gotcha Day:  12.13.2011
Home:  12.23.2011

World AIDS Day 2012

Given that today is World AIDS Day and that I spent most of the month of September and October advocating for two orphaned girls living in EE, who are HIV+, I have decided I will be running the Project Love One 1/2 marathon, in their honor, as well as all the children living around the world who are HIV positive.  If you are wanting to sponsor me, all proceeds will go towards the adoption of children being adopted, who are HIV+.  It's quick and easy...click on the PayPal button to the right...

 What does life look like for a child who is HIV+:  It means they will most likely live a long and healthy life. It means they will take medication twice a day for the rest of their life. It means health insurance is required by law to cover their condition and resulting medical care. It means they will be seen by an infectious disease pediatrician every 3-4 months. It means parents are not required by law to disclose their child's HIV status to their school, daycare, sports teams, etc. It means parents do not have to worry about themselves or anyone else contracting HIV, as long as standard precautions are followed, if there will be contact with bodily fluids- and since standard precautions should be used anytime anyone comes into contact with bodily fluids, this should not be anything out of the ordinary for schools, daycares or sports teams. It means parents can share eating utensils with the child and wash their laundry together and kiss their little faces without fear. It means their viral load will likely be undetectable as long as they are on the proper combination of medications. It means, quite frankly, that they can grow up to have a normal sex life and even have children who will be HIV negative!

What you need to know about HIV:

• HIV is considered a chronic but manageable disease with proper treatment, even easier to manage than diabetes.
• Children who receive treatment are expected to live a normal lifespan.
• HIV has never been transmitted in normal family living conditions.
• HIV is spread in three main ways: sexual contact, IV drug use through the sharing of needles, mother to infant (pregnancy, birth or breast feeding.)
• All around the world orphans are overlooked for adoption because of their HIV+ status.
• Medications called ARVs (antiretrovirals) can mean the difference between life and death.
• With medications HIV can be effectively managed to the point that the virus is undetectable in laboratory tests.
• You CANNOT contract HIV from casual contact. HIV is not found in tears, sweat, mucus, feces or urine.
• You don’t have to fear catching HIV through day-to-day activities with people who are HIV+. You are free to share plates, cups, utensils, food, toilets, towels, linens and other household items without risk of transmission.
• HIV cannot be spread by shaking hands, hugging, & kissing infected individuals.

In short, HIV means taking medication twice a day and a couple of extra doctor's appointments per year.
It is a part of who they are, but it will NOT define them!

Happy Fifth Birthday Vika!

Happy Fifth Birthday Vika!  This girl has watch several of us have birthday and she was beyond ready for her birthday!  When asked what she wanted for her birthday, the answer was consistent:  “a Dora and Boots Birthday Cake!”   For never celebrating a birthday, she totally knew how she wanted to celebrate her special day:  it was all about the singing and blowing out the candles on her Dora and Boots birthday cake.

Vika did not celebrate her birthday just once this year, but instead twice over a period of three weeks!!!  Babushka and Dedushka flew out to be with us for nearly two weeks and she had her first birthday party with them, as well as Justin and his family. 

Then Auntie Jenn and Auntie's Boy flew out for four days and was here on her actual birthday, so we celebrated her turning five...again!  She didn't get older...but she insists she definitely got bigger when Auntie was here :)

Here are a few words that describe Vika:

smiley

loving

affectionate
happy

playful

musical
(did I mention she is taking piano lessons and still loves to sing)

A few things she loves:

Dora, Clifford, Curious George, monkeys, dogs, running, being read to, the park, coloring, play doh, M&Ms (thanks to Babushka), southern sweet tea, potatoes, pasta

A few people she adores and loves:
Babushka

Dedushka

Auntie Jenn
Auntie’s Boy (Jesse)

Justin

Chuck
Joyce

Kristin

Nana

Papa

Jackie

Alex (her big sis)

Michelle
Michelle #2

Abby
Auntie Steph

Sylas

Kathy

Nana

Pastor Rick (with all his suckers)
Lori (with her MANY kiddos)
and…MAMA!!

From the first time I ever laid eyes on Vika’s photo, I knew she was my lil’ girl. She is such a precious gift, and I’m so thankful the Lord chose me to be her Mama.  It is really hard to put it into words how well she fits into my family and how much she blesses me daily. Vika is such a joy and it is a true privilege to spend this lifetime with her.  It is mind boggling to me...five years ago, in St. Petersburg, RU, a beautiful baby girl named Viktoria was born...Happy Birthday little one – you will always be my Baby Girl!

Love the Least of These

(v1) Little hands, shoeless feet, lonely eyes looking back at me. Will we leave behind the innocent too brief. On their own, on the run when their lives have only begun. These could be our daughters and our sons. And just like a drum I can hear their hearts beating. I know my God won’t let them be defeated. Every child has a dream to belong and be loved. 

(Chorus) Boys become kings, girls will be queens. Wrapped in Your majesty. When we love, when we love the least of these. Then they will be brave and free. Shout your name in victory. When we love when we love the least of these. When we love the least of these 

(v2) Break our hearts once again. Help us to remember when. We were only children hoping for a friend. Won’t you look around these are the lives that the world has forgotten. Waiting for doors of our hearts and our homes to open.

"Light" Needs Hope

Svetlana is a young Ukrainian orphan who has never known her father or mother.   Immediately after Sveta was born, her HIV positive mother abandoned her in the hospital with only a positive HIV test to remember her by.  
 
Svetlana, or Sveta, is a beautiful Ukrainian name that means  “light”.  In contrast to her name, Sveta's life has too often been full of darkness and hardship.  Like all children, Sveta waits and hopes for love, warmth and light, but it does not come.  She has spent her entire childhood in government shelters and orphanages and with each passing year her heart grows more sad and hardens.
        
Sveta's life has taught her to protect herself, and very often the very behavior that has allowed her to survive, has put her in conflict with the rules of orphanage life.  In spite of all these things, Sveta is an outstanding student.  She learns quickly when taught by motivated teachers who give her a chance.
  
She is a loving, curious, intelligent girl who loves life and loves to interact with people.  She also likes to learn, especially the English and Ukrainian languages, Literature and Art.
   
After living in an orphanage for a while she begins to shine like a star, wins friends and conquers the hearts of teachers and peers alike.  However, her hopes and feelings are dashed to the ground, when she is again moved to a new orphanage.   Then, she is once again surrounded by strangers, has no friends or admirers and, once again, faces each dark day with only a name that means “light" and her determination to survive and find a loving family. 
 
Life in Ukraine is difficult for many orphans, especially one who is HIV positive. The light of Sveta's beautiful spirit is just like her name.  Her loss is also the world's loss, because she has so much to offer the world.  Sveta wants very much to live and show her light as part of a real family.  But, she knows that with each passing day, the light of her world dims and her chances of ever being adopted and finding a loving family and stable life becomes extremely remote.  

Here's the deal:  she needs a family to say: "YES...Yes, You are beautiful, worthy...valuable, precious...adored...shameless...wanted, loved...OURS"  PLEASE PEOPLE...her fate if she ages out is a darker thing than any of us want to imagine.... This is UNACCEPTABLE.....she is 15 years old, HIV+ about to age out...this is NOT God's will for her life...She should be painting her toe nails and dreaming about her future in the security of a bedroom, in a house, with family in it that can't imagine life without her...we found Alyona a loving family.  Now we need a family to step up and say, "yes" to Sveta!

AUGUST 29, 2012

On August 29, 2011 I walked into a Baby Home, in St. P*te and met my daughter...

A year later, here we are...

 Look how much my baby girl has changed!

First day of Pre-K

Today was Vika's first day of Pre-K

Vika with her teacher, Mrs. King

Vika with her favorite principal

Vika and her new friend, Charlie

Vika had a great first day, minus the fact that the bus dropped her off 37 minutes late.  SERIOUSLY, I was one UNHAPPY mama.  Thankfully, she only has to ride the bus to school, and not home as well.  I'm hoping they got things figured out today, because that was a bit ridiculous!

Okay, so due to my pride, I didn't post this before...but I feel I should edit it, because I'm sure one day in the future, I will be glad I wrote it down.  As a teacher...and a parent...I want my baby girl to be the best :)  There I said it!  When I compare her abilities, it is not to other ELL students, or kiddos coming from a similar background.  In fact, it's just the opposite.  I compare her to the kids who have it all...all the possible advantages there can possibly be, and that is who I want her to be "competing" with.

Anyhow, today Vika was tested our building's ESL teacher.  The results surprised me to say the least...and I'm ESL certified...so I thought I had a good idea where she was performing.  Well,...apparently not to much, because according to the test Vika is non-English speaking.  Now, for all of you who have spent any amount of time with my baby, I'm sure you're thinking, "what the heck!".  But sadly, it's true. :( 

So, you, like me, may be asking, what did she miss?  Well, let me tell you.  First off, it's NOT COMPLETELY Vika's fault. 

Error #1 went something like this: 
Teacher:  "Vika, do you have any sisters or brothers?" 
Vika:  "Yes." 
Teacher (knowing me quite well):  "What?" 
Vika:  "I have a sister."
Teacher:  "Who is your sister?"
Vika:  "Alex"
Teacher:  "Where does she live?"
Vika:  "At my house."
NOTE:  Vika does have a "big sister".  In fact, she wears a necklace almost daily (including today to school) that says lil' sis.  And Alex has the other half that says:  wait for it...BIG SIS!!!  However, Alex is not her sister, but her COUSIN.  However, Vika loves Alex and Alex loves Vika...and they are like sisters!  When Vika is in Ohio, all she does is talk about her Babushka, Auntie Jen, and HER SISTER ALEX!!!! 

Error #2 went something like this:
Teacher:  "Who are the three people in this picture (after giving a lil' background info about what is happening in the story?"
Vika:  Points to the lady:  "Mama."  Points the the child:  "Vika (me)."  Points to the man:  "I don't know."  Answer:  Daddy.
As Vika overhears me telling this to my mom, Vika responds, "my daddy's in the sky."  With that said, come June 15, 2013, she will have TWO daddys...one in the sky and one living in her house...thus she will know who that third person in the picture is suppose to represent!

Error #3 went something like this:
Teacher:  "Point to the man."
Vika:  "What's a man?"
Teacher:  "Point to the lady."
Vika:  (Again) "What's a lady?"
Note:  Vika calls a man a "big boy" and a lady a "big girl".  Guess that's my fault for never giving her the appropriate vocabulary word.

As bummed as I was...okay, am...I am soooo proud of my baby girl and all the language she does have!  For only being here eight months, she really is doing fantastic!  I definitely have a SMART daughter...even if the test does have her as being NON-English Speaking!!