While I was on vacation, I actually had the opportunity to read a book. Significant opportunity, in fact, because it rained so much of the time. It has been so long since I have had time to read a book for more than a few brief moments, I was shocked when I actually read a whole book in one day! I only took one with me, and I had the time to read two.

The book I did complete, however, was one I learned about from the May/June issue of Fostering Families Magazine. The book... more

Have you noticed that during your pregnancy you have become forgetful and your brain isn’t working as well as it used to? Do you find yourself doing silly things like forgetting phone numbers you’ve dialed a million times before or thinking you can’t find your keys when they are right there in your purse? Or worse yet, in your hands? Don’t worry – it really is from the pregnancy and will get better.

Many women experience this forgetfulness, which has also been nicknamed “pregnancy brain” or “pregneisa.”... more

Intimacy is a big subject within itself and often people shy away from talking about it for various reasons. Even outside of adoption issues, intimacy can create problems for many individuals. So how and why would adoption affect intimacy in a birth parent? In general, it's a culmination of everything we've talked about thus far smashed into one issue:

The multiple, ongoing losses in adoption, coupled with feelings of rejection, shame, and grief as well as an incomplete sense of self, may impede the development of intimacy for triad... more

“Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and McLean Hospital have found that practicing yoga may elevate brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels.” So what you might ask? Well this is neurochemical “proof” that yoga can help those suffering from many mental illnesses.

First off, you have to understand the role of GABA. It is the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. That means it STOPS things…impulsive... more

I gave up counting how many Kleenexes I went through during Sunday night's Dateline NBC piece on Lisa and Hythem Salem and the children they adopted from Russia. If you saw it, you know already that it is that kind of piece. If you didn't, then you can catch large chunks of video from the segment on Dateline's Web site.

But in going through the Russia Adoption forum yesterday,... more

Today's post in the Transracial Adoption ABCs is brought to you by the letter "M".

Money, money, money – Money is such a big issue in adoption that I wrote it three times. :)

One of the very first things that people tend to ask me when they are inquiring about adoption is, “But isn’t it really expensive to adopt?”

The truth is, it IS pretty dang expensive to adopt, but I have seen time and time again how doable it is, and how even when it seems like there is no way to come up with the money that you need, that when there is the will (and some faith and some determination), there... more

According to the FDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, under the Freedom of Information Act, there were 1,637 reports of adverse reactions to the human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV), called Gardasil. The vaccine is designed to help protect women from developing a certain type of cervical cancer. The virus HPV, human papillomavirus, is spread through sexual contact and the vaccine blocks two types of HPV before they can begin. Researchers are recommending the vaccine be given to girls around 11 or 12 years of age, in three separate doses, so their immune systems can be activated and build up antibodies, prior to beginning sexual activity and being exposed to HPV.

Three of the... more

A friend asked if there is a way to tactfully encourage a social worker to get the homestudy written up in a timely manner. I think it is an excellent idea to address the issue directly. In fact, that was one of the first questions I asked when we had to switch homestudy agencies for this past adoption.

But I do think you need to be tactful and friendly. You don't want to kill any positive vibes right from the start, and you also don't want to sound unreasonable with your requests.

There are probably a variety of ways to approach it. But here is an example of how I would frame a discussion like this:

"I am planning to have all my documentation to you by June 1,... more

Whether you adopt internationally or domestically, it is likely that you will need to travel to meet your new child. If you travel, will you bring along your other child or leave him at home? If you leave him at home, who will take care of him? How will your child react to being without one or both parents?

When we signed with a local adoption agency for a domestic adoption, I assumed that travel would not be an issue. I was surprised to learn that adoptive parents were... more

Characterized by minimal or no immune response, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), typifies a group of rare, sometimes fatal, congenital disorders. An abnormality in the specialized white blood cells (B- and T-lymphocytes) that protect us from being infected by viruses, bacteria, and fungi is the defining characteristic of SCID, also known as "bubble boy" disease. SCID patients can contract the same illnesses repeatedly, like pneumonia,... more