4 months

these are our nieces and nephews -- tyler, delaney, peighton, parker, and trevor.

they're cutie pies, right?

as much as i love these munchkins, i can't wait to have 2 of my own to add to the bunch.

and we've been waiting now 4 months.

someone told me recently they heard we're adopting because we're concerned about passing on jamie's disability. i was a little jolted because we've been trying hard to explain that adoption is a choice we have made because we want to adopt. it has nothing to do with any other external factor, including jamie's disability. i don't think people realize how offensive it is to jamie and to our children to suggest that we're only adopting because we're scared our biological kids might have RP (retinitis pigmentosa).

it's offensive to jamie because it suggests it'd be understandable (perhaps even beneficial) if people like him -- people who can't see -- didn't produce anymore people who can't see. it suggests that being a person with a disability is a curse or an affliction or an unnecessary suffering that one wouldn't want to pass on to someone else. and it also suggests that the significance of a person is found solely in their ability to see, or walk, or hear, or think.

but it's offensive to our adopted children because it suggests they are some kind of second choice or last resort -- an option we had to choose because we didn't want to take the risk of having a biological child. seriously, you will never know how much our society emphasizes biology and genetics until you (1) choose to adopt before even trying to have biological children and (2) choose to adopt when one parent has a disability. many people won't get why you don't want to pass on your genes if you adopt first; many others will simply assume you don't want to pass on your "bad" genes if you choose to adopt when one parent has a disability. it's really pretty ridiculous because nobody actually thinks that people simply want to adopt.

and quite honestly, i want to adopt a blind kid one day. so there.

and also, for those who are wondering how the whole "blind dad" thing is going to work, i'd like to write a blog post sometime about how having one parent with a disability isn't really that different. there are some unique aspects, but life looks pretty much the same, which is really what people should understand about living with a disability. but for now, i leave you with proof that jamie is going to be the most awesome dad in the world.