I strongly suggest researching your communication options in Viet Nam before you travel. If you have a few ideas and resources planned out before you leave, you will thank yourself when you’re in country and your mind is wrapped up in your new child. My husband and I called home from the hotel phone a few times and our parents called us, but that was ridiculously expensive. My main outlet and means for communication was my blog. We brought our laptop, so I was able to upload pictures in our... more

I discovered the wonderful world of blogging shortly after beginning to research adoption. Especially during my wait to travel I was absolutely addicted to reading blogs online. I followed many, but found great comfort in reading the words of other families who were in a similar situation as I was and were at the same stage (or close to it) in their adoption process as I was. Now that Ella’s home I have had to cut back on my blog reading due to lack of time, but there are still some that I love to check in on and read what’s going on in their... more

If you haven’t been over to the Anti Racist Parent blog yet, you really need to check it out. I learned about it recently and am inspired every time I read something new there. It is geared specifically towards parents who want to raise their children with an anti racist point of view. Transracial adoptive parents are very much included and many topics that appeal to us are covered.

The columnists at this blog provide such thought provoking ideas and information that you’ll... more

Getting your future child’s room ready before they come home can require some thought. The adoptive parents that I know are split down the middle about when to start getting ready. About half waited until they were very close to travel, because seeing a room all ready to go with no child in it was depressing. The other half started shopping and decorating before their official application was even submitted. They felt like the preparation helped calm their nerves and provided them with a tangible outlet... more

Looking at waiting children profiles can be heartbreaking, and I know many people avoid them because it’s too hard to see their little faces and read their stories. But many families are formed from agencies' waiting children lists and adopting a waiting child can be an amazing and rewarding way to build your family.

Waiting children are children who need homes, are paper ready to be adopted and often have mild to severe physical disabilities, emotional disorders, are of an older age or are part of a sibling set. In other words, these are the children... more

This morning Ella and I went grocery shopping. We go out regularly and I have noticed that she has been getting more and more comfortable in public, but today really topped the cake. We had at least half a dozen people stop us to talk about how cute Ella is, ask how old she is, etc. All of these encounters happened when I was pushing the cart, so Ella was facing me and could see my reaction to the people.

At one point while I was scooping granola out of a bulk bin, I was at the end of the cart so Ella was facing... more

For today’s Love Thursday post, cupcakes represent the amazing support system that my family is lucky enough to have. Those cupcakes mark the culmination of the many exhausting hours of hard work that led up to Miss Ella’s first birthday party that we threw for her this past weekend. There is no way I would have been able to pull it all off if it wasn’t for the family members and friends that pitched in.

The day before the party my house was full of Ella’s female relatives. Both grandmas, a great grandma and an... more

Many of us can credit our companion animals with helping us get through tough times. They’re likely used to being doted on and can be quite surprised when all that changes with the addition of a child into the mix of your household. In cases of international adoption, children often come home mobile or very close to mobile, so your cats and dogs won't get much quiet, still time to get to know to them. If your family pre-child was made up of you and furry, spoiled children; this new creature tearing... more

We had just started the adoption process when I received an email from a (now ex) friend of mine. She started off by saying that she didn’t know the proper terms to use in relation to adoption language and to forgive her for any mistakes. She then went on to ask if we; meaning my husband and I, were going to “try again for another baby.” I responded by asking her if she meant another biological child, and telling her that we were indeed having another baby right at that moment and we just didn’t know her yet or when we would meet her. I... more

I’m still trying to wrap my head around how I feel about the holiday that is Birth Mother’s Day. The Saturday before Mother’s Day is set aside to celebrate birth moms each year. When I first head of Birth Mother’s Day I thought it was a great idea…now I’m not so sure. I have done some digging and found birth moms who whole heartedly support and some who vehemently resent the idea of Birth Mother’s Day. The general public may not have ever heard of this day, but it seems to becoming more common and well known within the adoptive community.

I... more