International adoption is becoming a route that more and more parents look to when they wish to have children. This increasing popularity has led to their being an increased awareness about the specific needs and situations of adopted children and their families. I was recently contacted by a graduate student at Harvard who has created a survey for adoptive parents that will aid her in her studies.

Wendy Valentine is working towards her graduate degree in human development and psychology at the school’s graduate school of education. Being the older sister to two sisters who were adopted internationally from China, she has an interest in the area of international adoption and sought... more

There are times when I am quick on my feet and fully able to answer someone’s questions about adoption with answers that leave both the questioner and I satisfied. There are other times that I’m left feeling unsettled about the exchange and I wish I would have answered differently, phrased something in another way or offered information that I hadn’t thought to at the time. At a holiday gathering last week I was faced with a situation that fell somewhere in the middle of those two scenarios, but ultimately came out on the positive end.

While chatting with a family friend,... more

Even if you consciously chose to slow things down this year and not go overboard for the holidays, it’s likely that your child can sense things are more stressful and fast paced than usual during this winter season. If your child was recently adopted, has only been home for a short time or is just very sensitive to changes, the holiday season can wreak havoc on their emotions and behavior.

With the holiday rush behind us, it’s time to unwind and come down from the crazy days leading up to the winter holidays. Children who are newly adopted may be feeling overwhelmed from the... more

We have accomplished another step in our second process to adopt from Viet Nam. Our I600 Petition has been submitted to our local USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.) Our petition will be help until our final home study report joins it, which should be soon. Our home study agency had forwarded our home study to our placement agency for approval and was in... more

Traditions help to form family bonds. They help children feel like they belong, like they’re part of something special that only belongs to their family. Adopted kids who may be feeling out of place or struggling with their own adoption story can find comfort in family traditions.

Starting when they first get home is great, but it’s never too late to start a new tradition. Older children can offer their own input, ideas and opinions on what is to become a new family tradition. Just make a strong effort to continue with the tradition even when life gets too busy and it’s... more

Over the weekend Ella said “adoption” or “adopted,” it’s hard to tell! Her vocabulary seems to grow by leaps and bounds daily and she’s become quite the little parrot (making all of us adults around her keenly aware of some of our not so nice verbal habits!) Now that she’s more verbal I’ve been trying to talk to her about adoption little by little. I’ll throw in a “when we were in Viet Nam to adopt you,” or “he was adopted just like you” here and there. We also have books about adoption and lately she’s been extremely interested in “Happy Adoption Day.”

I’ve blogged about this book before and she... more

One of the topics that is discussed often this time of year is how to adjust your holiday plans when you have just come home with your newly adopted child. Even my husband suggested I write a post about it since it’s likely to be on the minds of many people. See that picture on the right? I don’t know who that poor cutie is (I found it on Flickr,) but that’s what we’re trying to avoid ;)

Some people will travel cross country to Grandma’s, baby in tow, just like every other year and others will scale back almost completely and spend time at home. A great deal of what you decide... more

This isn’t our first Christmas as a family, nor is it Ella’s. This year marks her second Christmas, but it is full of so many holiday firsts. There are so many parts of the holiday and season that she is experiencing for the first time as an active participant and it’s amazing to watch her experience it all. Last year she was eight months old, had recently met her new parents and had only been in her new home and country for a month and a half. This year, she’s queen of the world and loving every second of it. She truly relishes every new sight, sound and taste and we’re on the... more

This time of year has brought about a lot of reflection for me. Last year we were in a complete new baby daze after coming home with Ella and a lot of it is a blur. This year we are in the process of our second adoption and I’ve been thinking about Ella’s birth parents and the parents of our soon to be child. There is a woman in Viet Nam who right now is carrying the child who will become a member of our family. Does she already know that she will not raise this child, or will it be a last minute kind of decision? Why is she unable to raise her child and does she wish that she... more

Last Christmas Ella had been home a little less than two months. She was only eight months old and had no idea what was going on around her during all the festivities. She actually conked right out in the middle of opening presents and slept on the floor right in front of the tree.

This year is an incredibly different story. My now twenty (20!!!) month old is thrilled with the changes that she’s seen in our house, especially the lights. Every morning she insists that the first thing we do upon arriving down stairs is turn on the lights on the Christmas tree. The very... more