Adoption Blogs

Unfortunately, there is no news in regard to Vietnam adoption. The country remains closed in order to finalize paperwork to complete its Hague Convention status. This makes it very difficult for the prospective parent who has been told repeatedly that this country's adoption program was slated for re-opening. All of the slated dates have come and gone with no word as to progress being completed. The question that I am routinely asked is, "What do I do while I wait?" I have a standard answer and many of you, who have read my blogs before know it by heart. I say, "Study, study, study." Research Vietnam's adoption program. Read all of the material that you can find. Figure out what (if any) special needs… [more]

This post is #2 in the series of posts that will take you step by step through the process of adopting a child from Viet Nam. After you have made the decision to adopt a child, you’ll next have to decide where that child will be from. Assuming that you have already decided that an international adoption is for you, you will next need to ask yourself what country you would like to adopt from. Have you always had your heart set on adopting from a certain part of the world? Do you qualify to adopt from the country that is your first choice? Countries have their own set of requirements regarding adoptive parents. Age, sexual orientation, length of marriage, health issues and number of children in the home can all be… [more]

Today's post goes hand in hand with my recent post about spending some time preparing your home during your wait between referral and travel. However, nesting is an interesting creature and I felt it deserved its very own little spotlight. The term “nesting” is most often used in relation to pregnant women who nest, or prepare their home for their babies while still in utero. I know first hand that nesting applies to all parents expecting a child, and as adoptive parents we deserve to revel in the preparatory nesting as much as the next person. Bird mommies and daddies prepare their nest for their new hatchlings as a survival mechanism as well as a means of comfort. For me, nesting was all about spending time… [more]

Hey everybody! Sorry I was “quiet” over the weekend… I don’t even have anything overly exciting to share that we did…we hung around, braided hair, watched movies, played games, did some cleaning, went to church and just had a lot of family “down time”. Kind of nice! O.K., Angela asked about the next “Day in the Life of Me”…well, I missed February because I was in the middle of my “A Year Ago Today” posts, but I promise I will jump back into it for March (as long as you promise not to give me too many “oh my goodness you are nuts” comments). :) Today I wanted to share some really great Belane news… Last week got the awesome news that Belane's… [more]

Well, have I got the blog for you! Christmas For All And talk about the "For All". The posts on this site run from instructions on how to decorate with lights on the outside of your house, all the way through to the Brad and Angelina wedding planned in South Africa this Christmas. The posts are pretty put up pretty regularly and are very lengthy and fun. The blog started back in August with a post on "Christmas Party Ideas". The blog is written by Sean Carter who also has blogs titled, "Thanksgiving", "Valentine's Day" and "Halloween For All". There are lots of links for almost every Christmas need and also a running countdown until Christmas, which always freaks me out as it lists seconds as well. For a… [more]

So let’s see…what did I forget…. Belane is a copy cat and she is a very girlie girl. When I was getting ready for the day with my one-gal audience, she had to put on moisturizer when I put on moisturizer, she put on lipgloss when I put on lipgloss, she brushes hair when I brush hair, etc. She is darling! She is not overly fond of the crayons, games, dolls or other toys we brought, but she has been sporting the pink sunglasses we brought her almost constantly. She was a little less standoff-ish with Josh today. She does this “one shoulder shrug” which we have been told means “no” and that is what she does to him if he gets too close and she is not in the mood (mostly… [more]

Over on the transracial adoption message board, I found a post about an interesting research project being done by a professor at George Mason University. The name of the project is “Transnational Adoption and Changing Faces of American Families” and it is being conducted by Prof. Linda J. Seligmann in the Department of Sociology and Antropology. The website describes the project like this… This research is an in-depth, long-term project. It examines the impact of international adoptions on the ways that people in the United States are thinking about families and how they are constituted. It is designed by Professor Linda J. Seligmann, an anthropologist at George Mason University. It looks at how racial mixing, identity, and family structures and… [more]