Trying to figure this out.

Welcome to my blog. As the title says, I'm the mom of three happy kids, and my goal is to keep it that way. I adopted all three as a single mom. They were all born in Guatemala. I was born in the U.S. Like every family, we have our good times and our challenges. This blog will chronicle our journey.

My children are:

• Jackson -- my first-adopted. He's 8 and came home at the age of ten months. When he arrived in the United States, his little baby body was scarred from what we think was chicken pox. He had a flat head (positional plagiocephaly), weighed 25 pounds at 10 months (the Guatelmala caretakers thought Americans love fat babies). He couldn't roll over or sit up. He started early intervention right away. He's had occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech pathology and special education. He didn't walk until almost 20 months, and his speech was delayed and late -- he has been behind on almost every milestone. There were times when I didn't know if he'd ever be "normal" -- if he'd walk, run, talk. With the help of some amazing therapists and teachers, he's reading and writing. Every time I see him run, I think about how I wasn't sure if he'd ever walk -- or how we had to work on which foot went first going up the stairs. He has taught me patience and perseverance. What are expected milestones for other kids are huge celebrations in our family. At 8, he's happy, healthy and a whiz at video games (better than anyone in the family). He loves his dog, transformers and legos.
• Cole -- my second-adopted son. He is 6.5 and, from the moment I met him at 20 days -- he was making direct eye contact. While the other babies in the nursery were looking around aimlessly as babies do -- Cole wouldn't leave my gaze. He's been incredibly smart and articulate from day one. His ability to articulate has helped him to explain to the grown-ups in his life that he is transgendered. In other words, he's a girl trapped in a boy's body. Just recently, he's decided he's ready to transition into a girl. I purchased his first girl clothes just last week. He's doing a lot of teaching to all of us how about who he is and what he wants from life. From him, I have learned courage and conviction.
• Rosi -- my third-adopted daughter. Rosi is 12.5 and constantly reminds me that she's almost a teenager. She has a birthmother and family in Guatemala with whom we have corresponded and visited. Rosi was surrendered for adoption by her birthmother at age 6.5. She has an older birth sister and a younger birth brother who live in Guatemala. We believe she has at least two other birth brothers -- one of whom was also adopted and the second of whom should be about six and lives with the birth father. The circumstances under which Rosi came to be adopted are questionable, as she was not ever an orphan. She has an extended family in Guatemala that is well respected and who would have adopted her given the chence. She's going into seventh grade -- she's smart, funny and beautiful. She has just discovered boys, and is in the braces and glasses phase many of us have gone through.

So those are my children. Each has their own challenges, but then again -- so do I. I love each of them more than life itself, and they literally saved my life after my sister died of cancer. Our most recent challenges have involved Cole's transition from male to female. It has affected us all, but it makes him no better or worse than my other children -- just different. I take courage that we live in a time when differences are not only accepted, but also embraced. I am not naive enough to believe that there are not risks for transgendered children. But hopefully, I can guide my son through these challenging times and have him still be one of my three happy kids.