This time last year was Ella’s first Thanksgiving. We had only been home a few weeks and were still feeling completely overwhelmed and sleep deprived, but it was a really nice day none the less. It was extremely sweet to watch my brothers bond with their new niece and watch her get to know the whole family. This year will be a little different, a little more low key, but it’ll be a nice day just the same. Two of her uncles won’t be home for the holiday this year, but it will still be really nice to have a whole day free of work and other responsibilities and full... more

Well folks, we made it home in one piece! Actually, we’ve been back since Wednesday night but have been trying to decompress a little bit. Our very long (and very fun) road trip went extremely well and I am so glad the ridiculously large number of miles we planned to travel didn’t deter us. We spent a little over a week away, traveling through four states, spending time at my husband’s family’s lake cottage and spending the weekend with families that I have become friends with in an online adoptive parenting group.

First of all, let me tell you how refreshing it is to be with a group of adoptive parents and their ridiculously gorgeous and adorable children. As I have mentioned before,... more

Mary over at the Ethiopia Adoption Blog recently wrote a post about encouraging empathy in children, and it touched very close to home for me. Ella has begun testing limits and pushing boundaries at an amazing pace. Honestly, in the past week she must have had a little light bulb go off in her head that brought all kinds of new questions with it.

The reason I was so glad to read Mary’s post was because; of course, I want Ella to be an empathetic child who grows into an empathetic adult, and I am seeing positive signs of growth as she goes through this new stage. Her main testing limit trick of choice... more

There are times that I am absolutely amazed by the innocent eyes through which Ella sees the world. We have been taking her to a local park with a swimming creek lately and she absolutely loves it. It is here that I have witnessed the sheer innocence and joy that she inherently approaches life with.

First, she readily and happily makes friends. Every child who crosses her path is a potential friend. I’ve caught her with a painted on smile scanning the crowd and trying to catch a certain little person’s eye. As soon... more

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. It was so nice to both be home and get to hang around with Ella all day. It’s also really nice that Grandma’s going to watch her tomorrow night so we can go out to dinner and a movie! We started our morning by going into to Ella’s room together to get her when she woke up. Well, she must have known it was a special day because this baby was beyond ecstatic to see us. She was cheering and jumping up and down in her crib and doing what Steve calls her “Maniac”... more

Add another first to Miss Ella’s life experiences: her first boardwalk outing! To say the least, she was fascinated. The colors, the lights, the new foods to try, the ocean; she just ate it all up. We went on a weekday morning that was a little overcast, so it was quite empty and we didn’t have to wrestle the crowds. Honestly, I don’t think the crowds would have fazed her; she loved exploring the boards that make up the boardwalk, going right up to the fence that separates the beach and boardwalk to study the ocean and... more

We are pretty much officially in our transitional home for however long it takes us to find our new home. Luckily, the home comes complete with a grandma, grandpa, great grandma and lots of cat cousins to love. Our house is still on the market, but hopefully that won't be the case for much longer. Ella’s been doing extremely well and really loves all the extra attention that is being lavished upon her. We’re also settled in a wooded area, and she loves sticks and rocks and dirt, so she’s pretty much in her glory.

We’ve... more

Erin’s “Happy Fourth of July” post over at the Transracial Adoption Blog really hit home for me. She speaks of the opportunities her children have been given by being adopted into an American family, and how she is grateful to be an American. She writes:

I am grateful this Fourth of July to be an American, and I am grateful that as an American, I was able to adopt my children internationally. I am grateful that my children... more

Ella’s Re-Adoption Day was yesterday! It was relatively quick and easy, which surprised us. We decided against hiring an adoption attorney and I did all the paperwork myself; I figured that after compiling a dossier I could do anything! It was a wise decision because our documents were flawless and the meeting with the judge went smoothly; we certainly did not need a lawyer there to represent us.

I didn’t know what to expect going in, so I was pleasantly surprised at how it all was handled. My county must set aside... more

I don’t know if all moms feel this way, or if it holds more meaning to adoptive moms, but when my daughter initiates hugging, holding or cuddling it just takes my breath away. Part of me goes “Yes! She’s attaching!” and the rest just melts. It’s been within the last few weeks that Ella has really started to become more affectionate and I’m just eating it up.

It all started with her treasured books. She loves to “read” and we would always sit on the floor or the couch and flip through her books. Then one day she... more