Families come in all forms. We’re just trying to live our lives and the question you might have considered innocent can sting us and our children. My two youngest kids are adopted from China, which makes them…well, Chinese. My husband and I are Caucasian, so you get a little more at-a-glance insight into our family […]
You know you’re an adoptive parent if you dread school assignments that involve the “family tree.” My brother is adopted. Three of my cousins are adopted. It was a normal part of “how you got kids” when I was growing up. I got married at the tender age of 42 and the fertility ship had […]
Don’t assume a family who is adopting doesn’t want a celebration, even if the child isn’t a newborn. I know it might sound trite but I’m kind of bummed that I never had a baby shower. Part of me knows I should get over it but another part of me knows I’ll never let it […]
It’s hard to be a parent who doesn’t attach to their child. It’s crushing. I know. I was that parent. My son is one of the bravest people I know. That seems like a weird thing to say about a 5-year-old, but it’s true. My husband and I adopted him from China when he was […]
I expected adoption to add to the number of people who lived in my house but it’s been much more. It’s changed every nuance of my life and turned things upside down and sideways. I’ve been on what I like to call the adoption crazy train since 2011, when we first decided to adopt our son […]
No one talked to me about post-adoption depression until after we adopted. This isn’t something I ever heard discussed outside of adoption circles. Maybe it’s time to change that? Here’s part of my story. I was crying the ugly cry in my hospital room after my daughter was born. A nice nurse found me some […]
The kids you’re talking about? The ones standing right next to me, paying attention to the question? They are my own. Why shouldn’t I speak up and politely make the distinction? I really, really try not to get wrapped around semantics when people make thoughtless remarks about our adoptions or when they ask a question that maybe […]
Adoption is a life-giving blessing and wonderful option for many people, myself included. However, it is also incredibly, heart-achingly painful. My three sons all have my dimples. It’s the one trait, so far, I can tell they share. Comparing baby pictures, I see some of Aden in Liam, some of Carter in Aden…bits and pieces […]
In our late 40s, my husband and I adopted two boys. We knew our lives would be different, but we didn’t expect our friendships to change so drastically. I’m not shy but I’m an introvert. I like other humans but I have a limited tolerance for “peopling”—you know, cocktail parties, wedding receptions, any place where […]
The idea of an open adoption can be scary because the false security of anonymity disappears. But we can’t imagine doing it any other way. Near midnight on Tuesday, September 9, our adopted son, Stryder, entered the world. Many people have misconceptions about adoption. Because most parents can’t imagine giving their child to someone else, they assume […]
