
,,%AN?I'S ,,F/ ,,AM]ICAN ,,YE>
  0,B>B>A ,FREEMAN

  ,MIKE ,FREEMAN1 A BL -PUT] ANALY/1 & 8
WIFE ,B>B>A 7:O IS SI<T$7 >E L;G-"T
L1D]S 9 ! ,WA%+TON /ATE A6ILIATE (!
,N,NAL ,F$],N (! ,BL4 ,:5 ,MIKE & ,B>B>A
2GAN ! ADOP;N PROCESS AB F\R YE>S AGO1
!Y 7 A LL N]V\S4 ,N ONLY DID !Y H 6D1L
)! USUAL 2WILD]+ MASS ( PAP]"W1
9T]VIEWS1 & UNEXPECT$ PITFALLS ASSOCIAT$
)! ADOP;N8ESPECI,Y OV]S1S
ADOP;N8PROCESS1 B !Y _H 6D1L ) "QS &
D\BTS AB ,MIKE'S ABIL;Y 6C>E =A *4 ,:Y8
,= NO O!R R1SON ?AN ! FACT T ,MIKE IS
BL4 ,=TUNATELY1 X IS NO L;G] R>E OR
UNUSUAL = BL 9DIVIDUALS SU3ESS;LLY
6ADOPT *N4 ,! ,N,NAL ,F$],N (! ,BL HAS
BE5 PROVID+ HELP & 5C\RAGE;T
6PROSPECTIVE BL ADOPTIVE P>5TS = OV]
TW5TY YE>S4
  ,Z A 3SEQU;E1 BL P]SONS G5],Y H FEW]
DI6ICULTIES TD 9 OV]COM+ NEGATIVE
ATTITUDES & IGNOR.E AB BL;S AM;G ADOP;N
SOCIAL "W]S4 ,S X 0 ) ,MIKE & ,B>B>A1 &
EV5TU,Y ,%AN?I JO9$ H] FAMILY 9 ,AM]ICA4
,B A :OLE NEW SET ( *ALL5GES AWAIT$
,MIKE & ,B>B>A4 ,%AN?I1 TOO1 IS BL1 &=
NE>LY A YE> %E _H BE5 9 A LESS ?AN ID1L
5VIRON;T4 ,"H IS ,B>B>A'S /ORY (
8,%AN?I'S ,F/ ,AM]ICAN ,YE>40
  ,MY HUSB&1 ,MIKE1 & ,I MET \R NEW
DAU<T]1 ,%AN?I ,ANNE1 AT ! ,S1TTLE-
,TACOMA ,9T]N,NAL ,AIRPORT ON ,NOVEMB]
#AC1 #AIIJ4 ,%AN?I1 !N AG$ ELEV5 &A HALF
MON?S1 FLEW 6U F ,9DIA4 ,\R SOCIAL "W]
_H RECOMM5D$ ? BABY 6U 2C %E 0 \T/&+LY
RESPONSIVE & AL]T :5 %E OBS]V$ H] ON A
TRIP 6,9DIA ! PREVI\S ,APRIL4 ,%AN?I IS
ANOPH?ALMIC1 ? M1NS %E 0 BORN )\T EYES4
  ,:5 ,%AN?I >RIV$ AT \R HOME 9
,NOVEMB]1 %E _H *ANG$ LL S9CE %E _H BE5
PLAC$ 9 ! F.DL+ HOME ! PREVI\S ,APRIL4
,%E CD N BE> WEI<T2 %E CD SIT UP1 B N
GET 6A SITT+ POSI;N 0H]F2 & %E CD ROLL1
B N CRAWL OR CREEP4 ,%E EXAM9$ P'S
FACES1 H&S1 & CLO?+1 B N"E R1*$ \ 6F9D
ANY?+ 2Y ! P]SON HOLD+ H]4 ,MO/ 4TURB+ (
ALL1 ,%AN?I DID N "K :AT A BOTTLE 0 & CD
N USE A CUP OR EAT F A SPOON4
  ,ANO!R SET ( P>5TS _H VISIT$ H] F.DL+
HOME & _H OBS]V$ ! BABIES 2+ F$4 ,2C (A
NIPPLE-BORNE 9FEC;N1 ! DOCTOR _H =BI45
BOTTLES4 ,Z A RESULT1 AT E FE$+ "O
C>ETAK] WD HOLD ! BABIES D[N & PRY OP5
_! M\?S :ILE ANO!R C>ETAK] WD P\R ?ICK
WAT]-BU6ALO MILK 9 F ABV4 ,! BABIES WD
SCR1M & GAG ! :OLE "T4 ,! SOCIAL "W] :O
BR"\ ,%AN?I F ,9DIA _H BE5 FE$+ H] )A LL
M$IC9E SYR+E4 ,%E WD SQUIRT =MULA
96,%AN?I'S M\? :ILE ,%AN?I SUCK$ H]
?UMB4 ,%AN?I EXPECT$ 6BE F$ LY+ D[N1 &
N"E TOOK H] ?UMB \ ( H] M\?4 ,%E GOT M
=MULA ON H] ?AN 9 H]4
  ,WE DROVE HOME ) \R BABY )\T ANY IDEA
AB H[ WE 7 GO+ 6FE$ H]4 ,^U ! ADVICE (
\R P$IATRICIAN1 WE DECID$ 6TRA9 ,%AN?I
6A CUP 9/1D ( BACK 6A BOTTLE4 ,\R DOCTOR
AL ADVIS$ U 6/>T FE$+ H] A WIDE V>IETY (
FOODS IMMLY4 ,%AN?I 0 "UWEI<T & _H MILD
ANEMIA4 ,"! 0 NO "T 69TRODUCE SOLID
FOODS GRADU,Y4 ,%AN?I'S FRONT TEE? 7 -+
9 :5 %E >RIV$ S X 0 D\BLY IMPORTANT T %E
LE>N 6BITE & *EW "R AWAY4 ,A * :O DOES N
LE>N 6USE H] TEE? :5 !Y >E -+ 9 (T5 HAS
EAT+ PRO#MS4 ,A DELAY 9 LE>N+ H[ 6EAT
PLUS ! E>LY TRAUMA ( =C$ FE$+ MI<T V
WELL H CAUS$ A LIFE-L;G PRO#M4
  ,?US 2GAN AN EXTREMELY 9T5SE ?REE
WEEKS4 ,MY GOALS 7 TWOFOLD3 F/1 6T1* H]
H[ 6EAT A MIX$ DIET & SECOND1 6GIVE H]
3TROL OV] H] FOOD 9TAKE Z SOON Z POSSI#4
,I B"\ TRA9+ CUPS ) LIDS T ALL[$ ! =MULA
6FL[ :5 ! CUP 0 TIPP$4 ,I WANT$ ,%AN?I
6"K T TIPP+ ! CUP CAUS$ ! MILK 6FL[4 ,"S
TRA9+ CUPS >E S SPILL-PRO( T ! MILK M/ 2
SUCK$ \4
  ,I 9SI/$ F ! F/ T ,%AN?I SIT UP 6EAT
OR DR9K4 ,I SAT H] 9 MY LAP ) MY LEFT >M
2H H] BACK S %E CD N LIE D[N4 ,0! ?IRD
FE$+1 %E 0 SITT+ 9 ! HI<*AIR4 ,:5 ,I
GAVE H] A DR9K1 %E LE>N$ %E CD 3TROL
9TAKE 0PU%+ MY H& AWAY4 ,I AL GOT H]
6EAT A LL /RA9$ FOOD B ,I _H 6*ASE H]
M\? Z %E MOV$ H] H1D BACK & =?4 ,%E AL
KEPT H] ?UMB 9 H] M\? MO/ (! "T & ,I _H
6CAT* H] :5 X CAME \4 ,I LE>N$ 6KEEP !
SPOON 9 "O PLACE & LET H] -E 6X4 ,)9 T5
"DS ,%AN?I CD EAT GRAHAM CRACK]S & EV5 A
FIG NEWTON COOKIE4 ,^U ! ADVICE ( AN
EAT+ !RAPI/1 ,I /OPP$ US+ BABY-FOOD !
SAME "D %E LE>N$ H[ 6EAT ! GRAHAM
CRACK]S4
  ,I TAU<T H] H[ 6PICK UP ! CUP 0PLAC+
H] H&S ON X & %[+ H] :AT 6D4 ,AF %E
LE>N$ H[ 6PICK X UP1 X TOOK S"EAL M "DS
6LE>N H[ 6TIP UP ! CUP 6GET ! =MULA4 ,I
PLAC$ CRACK]S OR L>GE /ICKS ( FOOD 9 H]
H& & MOV$ H] H& F ! TRAY 6H] M\?4 ,SOON
%E CD FE$ H]F F+]-FOOD4 ,Z ,%AN?I
PRACTIC$ FE$+ H]F1 %E SL[LY LE>N$ H[
6GET SMALL] BITS ( FOOD 96H] M\?4 ,Z
SOON Z ,%AN?I 4COV]$ T %E CD FE$ H]F1 %E
REFUS$ 6TAKE ANY?+ F A SPOON4 ,%E 2GAN
6USE A SPOON AG ONLY :5 ,I %[$ H] H[
6USE X H]F4
  ,%AN?I ATT5D$ ! ,,NFB ,N,NAL ,3V5;N 9
,NEW ,ORL1NS 9 ! SUMM] ": %E 2CAME M* M
AW>E ( H[ ADULTS DR9K \ ( OP5 CUPS 2C %E
SAT 9 \R LAPS A LOT :ILE WE TALK$ ) FRS4
,%E HE>D ! T9KL+ ICE 9 WAT]1 JUICE1 &
TEA & />T$ R1*+ = !M4 ,I WD HELP H] TA/E
!M4 ,:5 WE GOT HOME1 ,I TAU<T H] H[
6DR9K F AN OP5 CUP4 ,I MOV$ H] H&S F 2H4
,2C %E 0 HAV+ TR\# MOV+ ! FULL CUP 6H]
M\?1 ,I F$ H] A FEW "TS 9 J H] DIAP] )\T
A BIB S %E CD FEEL "R AWAY :AT MOVE;T
MADE ! MILK SPILL4 ,%E LE>N$ 9 F\R "DS4
  ,WE AL 2GAN HELP+ ,%AN?I ) H] MOTOR
SKILLS %ORTLY AF %E >RIV$4 ,%AN?I 2GAN
WALK+ ) U HOLD+ ON ) TWO H&S 9 ,JANU>Y1
#AIIA1 & CD WALK HOLD+ ON ) "O H& 0,MAY4
,9 E>LY ,FALL1 ,I TAU<T H] H[ 6CLIMB
/AIRS :ILE ,I HELD H] H&S4
  ,Z ,%AN?I'S SECOND BIR?"D APPROA*$1 %E
0 RAPIDLY DEVELOP+ NEW LANGUAGE1 *>M1 &
MUSICAL ABIL;Y4 ,%AN?I HAS Q A WIDE
VOCABUL>Y N[4 ,%E W ASK H] DA4Y 6PLAY !
PIANO & SAYS1 8,SEE BOOK0 :5 %E -ES ACR
ANY?+ ) ,BRL ON X4 ,%E CELEBRAT$ 5T]+ !
8,T]RI# ,TWOS0 0S++ ! 5TIRE ,/>-,SPANGL$
,BANN] SUB/ITUT+ 8NO0 = EA* ^W4
  ,%AN?I HAS GRT DIGN;Y4 ,H] DA4Y & ,I
HOPE 6BE A# 6T1* H] ! SKILLS %E NE$S
6PUT H] PR\D 9DEP5D;E 96PRACTICE )\T
CRU%+ H] _S 9 ! PROCESS4
  ,I H LE>N$ T IF ,I AM 6T1* ,%AN?I A
NEW SKILL1 WE M/ BO? 2 R1DY4 ,I W N ALW
"K J H[ ,I1 Z ! "M1 GET R1DY 6MOVE )
,%AN?I 6! NEXT PHASE ( DEVELOP;T4 ,I
2LIEVE MY MEMB]%IP 9 ! ,N,NAL ,F$],N (!
,BL W 3T9UE 6GIVE ME ! FAI? 62LIEVE T IF
,I T1*1 %E W LE>N4





















