Greetings from San
Antonio!
A belated "Happy Valentine's Day!" to all, we hope your day was extra-special,
and included treating yourself to at least one piece of chocolate! Perhaps
because February is a short month, or simply because things have been incredibly
busy at the agency, the weeks have just flown by and it's hard to
believe that Spring is just around the corner...
We often wonder what Spring
feels like, because as you know, Texas seems to have one long summer that
goes from March to November!
CONGRATULATIONS to those of you who've become parents for the first time
(or again!) in 2001 -- we're happy to report that thirteen babies have already
joined the A.S.A. family this year in the domestic program... A hearty "Welcome
to the world!" goes out to these brand new little ones: Emma, Malia, Kaylee,
Emma, Emma, John, Kyra, Samantha, Ilaria, Lucio, Bryce, Nickolas, and Gabrielle.
(No, that wasn't a "typo", Emma seems to be a not only a beautiful name
but popular one this year!)
Thank you for the feedback you've offered after January's "flagship" newsletter.
I'm happy to hear that many of you have subscribed to Adoptive Families
magazine, and I'm interested to hear from you if you've found particularly
constructive ways to pass the time while you're waiting to be matched with
a birth couple and bring home your own bundle of joy... Perhaps some of
our new parents could offer suggestions for what worked for them; I would
be happy to pass these along...
This month the counseling staff was fortunate to have had the opportunity
to attend a two-day conference, which was held right here in San Antonio.
Entitled "Prevent Child Abuse Texas", the conference provided a forum in
which social workers from a variety of backgrounds could share strengths
and solutions to issues of child abuse through speakers and training workshops
from a variety of professional perspectives. Country singing star Collin
Raye was in attendance for the closing ceremony and performed the moving
song "11th Commandment", which was hauntingly fitting for this event. Nikki,
Yvonne, Jeannie, and I came away from this experience with a wealth of knowledge
on several current issues in this field by having attended workshops such
as "Impact of Violence Prenatally on Infants and Toddlers", "Shaken Baby
Syndrome", "The Importance of Touch", "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome", and
"Recognizing Developmental Red Flags in Children".
Because so much of our work is focused upon helping birth mothers not only
make an adoption plan for their unborn child, but also more effectively
nurture and care for the child or children they may already be parenting,
these workshops were invaluable. Yvonne and I were particularly moved by
the training on the importance of touch, specifically in regard to the way
in which touch is able to enhance the bonding between a baby and his parents,
whether they are the biological or the adoptive parent. Some of the benefits
of touch for infants are infant health, relief, enhanced development, stimulation,
communication, bonding, sleep, relaxation, and the promotion of positive
body image. Some of the benefits of touch for parents are empowerment, parenting
skills, communication, bonding, and relaxation. Many wonderful books have
been released recently about this subject, and I encourage you to find out
more about infant touch and massage. Most of the hospitals in San Antonio
offer infant massage classes for new and parents-to-be, so check out what's
available in your area.
In closing, I'd like to remind all "Parents-in-Waiting" to please leave
us with a contact number if you're planning to get away during the upcoming
Spring Break holidays. Murphy's Law would have it that the moment we urgently
need to get speak with you about a case that you've been chosen on will
be the day you're cruising the Caribbean on vacation! You drop us an e-mail
or make a quick call to let us know how to contact you while you're away
from home...thanks for your help! Have a wonderful
weekend ahead...
Warm Regards,
Denise Garibay
Director of Social Services