SuChin Pak was on an episode of the Oprah show awhile back that was titled “Children Ashamed of the Way They Look.” The episode was about how people from different racial groups do not see themselves as beautiful because they do not look like the blonde haired, blue eyed “All-American.” Pak is an MTV host and correspondent who is Korean.

She told Oprah about the huge importance that the eye crease (a fold of eyelid skin that makes the eye look larger) plays... more

Todd Parr’s The Family Book is one of the books that my husband and I purchased while we were waiting for our travel date to head to Viet Nam and adopt Ella. I was instantly drawn to the bright colors, happy drawings and most importantly, the message that’s conveyed through the words and pictures.

The people and animals in this book are all different colors, shapes and sizes to emphasize that we are all different, and those differences are to be celebrated. Many different kinds of families are represented (one parent,... more

I would highly recommend getting out of your hotel and exploring Viet Nam during your adoption trip. There is much to learn about your child’s birth country and you will be rewarded with stories to tell them as they grow up. Experiencing new restaurants, shops, museums and just walking around town will give you a much richer in country experience. With that being said, there are a few different ways to travel (and I loved them all!)

Taxis are plentiful, quick, easy and relatively inexpensive. In most areas of the cities... more

Did you all know that we have our very own Viet Nam adoption forum on the adoption.com website? If you haven’t made your way over there yet, I would encourage you to do so. Feel free to lurk, post, ask questions and daydream as you read about other family’s Viet Nam adoption experiences.

I have long been a huge advocate of online forums, and this one (due to its Viet Nam focus) is of special interest to me. Forums provide prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) and adoptive parents alike a place... 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

I love hearing new sounds, words, inflections, anything come out of Ella’s mouth. She has mastered momma, da da, cat, bye bye, gone and ba ba. She also much too often uses her famed grunt to let us know that there is something that she wants right NOW! She is fascinated with language and really studies our faces and voices as we point out new words in her books or in everyday life. She’s growing into such a bright little person right before my eyes.

In the past few weeks or so Ella’s added a few new... more

A recent article about where the best place to invest in the manufacturing sector according to Price Waterhouse Coopers was titled “Vietnam ‘a better bet than China’.” Clearly, my mind isn’t on manufacturing investments, but the title caught my eye. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Viet Nam is better than China, but I wonder about all the people drawn to China who will no longer be allowed to adopt from there. How will... more

Your trip to adopt your child will be an enormously emotional time that you will remember forever. Here are some ideas to help you remember your entire adventure. Not only do these ideas make for great scrapbooking, but they will help to teach your child about their country and their adoption:

Bring a camcorder! We bought one off of ebay specifically for our trip and I am so glad that we did. We were able to record the entire trip to Ella’s baby center, them opening the gates for us and us meeting her! We also have pictures of that... 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

Who among us isn't a sucker for anything related to Viet Nam? Before I traveled to adopt Ella, I was hungry for anything that would help me feel a little bit closer to my little girl on the other side of the world. Now that we’re home and I’m almost always feeling nostalgic for Viet Nam, I love looking at books and items that take me back. I’m also always on the lookout for things to share with Ella to help her learn about and feel a connection to her birth country and to understand more about adoption.

The... more