Today’s Love Thursday post is more of a Love / Hate post. In the past few weeks in particular, Ella has been growing up right before my eyes. On one hand, I am thrilled to see her new developments, new skills and new vocabulary but on the other hand, I am already missing my baby. She’s not even a year and a half yet, how did this happen?!?!

Having never raised a child before her, every stage of development is as exciting to me as it is to her. She is honestly thrilled when she masters a new toy or discovers... more

Earlier this week I posted about the delays that are occurring in the US Passport system, and how it is important to start any passport applications or renewals many months in advance of when you will actually be needing them. A reader posted that she had already sent in her application before she knew about the delays and sought advice as to what to do now. It’s not her fault that she was not aware of the delays; the wait times listed on the processing... more

If you need to apply for a new passport or even apply for a renewal on an expired passport, please be sure to do so as far in advance of your anticipated travel date as possible. The United States is still facing a backlog of passport applications that has caused serious delays that are affecting many would be travelers.

New rules were implemented in January that required passports from travelers coming into the US from countries that did not require passports before the new rules. This caused a large scramble for passports, thus causing... more

A few weeks ago (July 8, 2007,) Reuters reported that the rising number of incidents of Dengue Fever in Viet Nam were causing concern. As of July 8th the disease had taken the lives of 27 Vietnamese people. It had also infected over 20,000 people in the first half of 2007, which is 23% more cases than last year. A warden message was issued by the United States Embassy in Hanoi... 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

Yesterday I wrote about some of the reasons behind switching countries during the adoption process. The following is some information about how to make the switch. This is basic information and can vary from state to state and agency to agency, so please be sure to double check.

Depending on where you are in the process will determine how much paperwork needs to be re-done or amended. Your original birth certificates, marriage certificates, financial statements and the like can all be used for any country.

First, check with the agency that you are currently working with.... more

Many people decide to switch countries during their adoption process, and there are many different reasons that parents make this decision. Here are a few reasons that some make the switch.

It is not terribly uncommon for countries to change their rules, lengthen time frames, decide to no longer allow parents to state a sex preference, change their guidelines so that only children of a certain age are able to be adopted, and on and on. Prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) who decide to adopt from one country and a few months into the process learn that they are no longer eligible to adopt from there, or the wait has significantly increased may choose to turn elsewhere.

Situations... more

As Vietnamese adoptive parents and prospective adoptive parents (PAPs,) we are lucky to have so many books to choose from to help our children understand their adoption and their birth country. Danielle, Where Are You? by Cindy Roberts is especially relevant today because Danielle’s parents headed to Viet Nam after their Chinese adoption fell through. There are many, many families currently in this same situation, as I wrote about here,... more

Ella’s second PPD test (for tuberculosis) came back negative this week!!! Many months ago she was tested and her result was 5 millimeters, which is viewed as a borderline reaction (depending on who you ask.) We had her tested as a precaution due to the prevalence of tuberculosis ( TB ) in Viet Nam. She had received one TB vaccination while she was there, and bears the scar on her upper arm to prove it. This vaccine is very common in Viet Nam and other countries in Asia.

When her first test came back as a five, my husband and I were worried, but our doctor wasn’t too alarmed. She felt it would be best to wait a few months, let her immune system develop a little more and re-test her.... more

Earlier this week I did a review of Todd Parr’s The Family Book, and wanted to continue to shine a spotlight on his work with a review of It’s Okay To Be Different. I am a big fan of all his books, but this one is especially perfect for transracial adoptive families. Kids will see faces of different colors and people with different features, and see that they are all smiling and confident in themselves.

One of the phrases that jumped right out at me (of course!) is “It’s okay to be adopted.” Parr seems to have such... more