In part four of our family’s adoption odyssey, our daughter grapples with her learning disability.
“Learning How to Settle In” — Part 3 of Foster Adoption Series
In the third part of our family’s adoption odyssey, our new daughters help us rediscover the joy in everyday moments.
“A New Family Dynamic” — Part 2 of Foster Adoption Series
In the second part of our family’s adoption odyssey, we meet our new daughters and confront their past — and look to our future together.
“In the Beginning” — Part 1 of Foster Adoption Series
In part one of our family’s adoption odyssey, we make our way through our state’s Fost/Adopt program and find that things don’t always go according to plan. But sometimes, that’s for the best.
“Would I Be Allowed to Adopt After the Diagnosis?”
I was terrified that telling our social worker I’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder would end our dream of having a child.
“To All the Moms I Know”
My daughter is considering becoming a mother. As I think of the ways her life will change, my main resounding advice is, “You will never regret it.”
“Someone to Watch Over Me”
A Russian toddler flourishes despite a babyhood in an orphanage abroad.
“Certificate of Live Birth and Parentage”
The document we receive is not called a Mothering Certificate, it’s a Certificate of Live Birth. So why isn’t the birth mother’s name on there?
“The Therapeutic Value of Playing Our Adoption Game”
My daughter was two when I first met her at the orphanage in Russia. I knew nothing about the first years of her life, and she has no conscious memories of that time—but an elaborate fantasy life that she cultivated gave me a glimpse into how she may have experienced her early years.
“Finding Her Birth Mother, A World Apart”
Opening our daughter’s international adoption has allowed her to ask questions and receive answers, brought her birth mother a sense of peace from knowing that her child is alive, well, and happy, and given us the unforgettable privilege of personally thanking our child’s birth mother.
“Who’s His Real Mom?”
My little brother was stunned, and I was enraged, when a schoolmate asked an innocent question.
“A Home for Helen”
She was a motherless five-year-old living in an Ethiopian orphanage. The package in her hands promised a brighter future.
“Visiting My Daughter’s Birth Mother”
Taking my daughter to visit her birth mother, I found that, while shared genes make them alike in some ways, it’s shared experiences that make us family.
“Helpless Love”
There is an irrevocable moment when you become a parent, an instant when the idea of your child enters your heart forever.
“What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting”
Without sonograms, morning sickness, and kicking, you have to find the joy in your own “moments” as you wait to adopt.
“My Hands-On Wait”
I wasn’t going to just wait around during the wait. Instead, I filled the time with networking, decorating the baby’s nursery, and more.
“The Baby Who Never Cried”
Our newly adopted baby didn’t like to cuddle, and, when needed us, he either banged his head on the floor or screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Old Bones”
I’ve reached a point in life where both my young daughter and my aging mother depend on me. Can I afford to be fragile?
“Open Adoption Works for Us”
From a rocky start, we’ve built a relationship with our children’s birth families that has enriched their lives, and ours.
“We Are All Storytellers”
The desire to give our children a history is something we all share. Here’s how I turned the story of bringing my son home into an adoption memoir.