Jordan … its meaning is "down-flowing" - Think Baby Names

The baby name Jordan is of Hebrew origin. The baby name can be used as either a boy baby name or girl baby name. The Jordan River is a major river in Palestine mentioned in the Bible. The baby name is also likely to have become more popular thanks for basketball player, Michael Jordan.

The baby name Jordan has only been absent from the Top 1000 charts four times since 1880. Despite the longevity of the baby name’s popularity, it did not break into the Top 100 until 1982. The baby name Jordan peaked at #26 in 1997 and then moved down to #48 in 2008. The baby name was also a #3 twin baby name (with the baby name Jaden) in 2008. See Popular Baby Names.

I (unfortunately) had a flashback last night, so I thought I would write out what it felt like so foster and adoptive parents of traumatized children can have a better understanding of what their children are going through when they have one. I have been dealing with flashbacks for years, so I cycled through the process pretty quickly. What I am describing over a period of an hour used to take me days to cycle through.

I have been very sick with a sinus infection and bronchitis. I cannot sleep if I cannot breathe through my nose. It is very triggering for me to breathe through my mouth.

Out of sheer desperation, I set up my pillows so I was lying on my back and sitting almost straight up and down. I hoped this would clear my sinuses. Instead, it triggered a flashback.

***** trigger warning – This information is graphic ******

A reader wants to know if adoptive children are cherished more than biological children. I don’t think there are any scientific studies on “cherishing” your child. I also believe that how a person defines “cherishing” a child can be pretty subjective. Nevertheless, I’ll give the topic a shot.

First, let’s define what cherishing a child means. Right after my son was born and I was waiting to meet him, a friend gave me the following parenting advice:

Everyone loves their children, but not everyone cherishes them. Always remember to cherish your child.

This was said by a mother of two biological children (with a third in heaven who she lost halfway through her pregnancy). So, adoptive parents certainly have not cornered the market on cherishing a child. My friend went on to say that your child is only young once, so enjoy your time with your child. Don’t get so caught up in the day-to-day “busy-ness” of life that you lose sight of the wonder of this amazing human being that you have been blessed to raise.

I have seen both biological and adoptive families who cherish their children.

If I Love My Kid Enough: The Reality of Raising An Adopted Child author: Sara-Jane Hardman asin: 0595461948

I recently cycled out of a very intense, two-week cycle of emotions that were a symptom of my post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While it is fresh on my mind (and psyche!), I thought I would share what it feels like from the inside to help you understand your abused child a little better.

Anyone with PTSD might experience some form of this cycling of emotions. The symptoms will be much more intense for anyone who suffered from ritual abuse like I did.

It started with mild feelings of anxiety. I could not relax. I noticed myself slipping back into some of my anxiety-control tics, such as blowing on my hands. I could not pinpoint why, only that I was feeling a bit out of sorts.

Next came the headache. As the stress began to build inside of me, my head began to pound. I became cranky and had a shorter temper than normal. I was less able to shake off the minor irritations of life with humor, which is my normal way of coping with the day-to-day annoyances that arise.

Sleep loss came next.

Anyone who believes that all adoptive parents only think about themselves and do not care about adoption scams needs to pick up the June 22 issue of People magazine. There is a pretty incredible story beginning on page 92.

Mike Nyberg and his then-wife adopted a four-year-old girl from Samoa. The adoption agency had told the couple that “the girl had been abandoned by her destitute parents in Samoa and left in an orphanage.” The child wept and kept saying, “Tupu,” which Mike later learned meant “mother.”

Mike and his wife were horrified to learn that their adopted daughter had been happily living with her parents and seven brothers and sisters “until the night a stranger took her away.” The couple asked a missionary friend to look into the matter. Sadly, the friend confirmed the story.