This week has been... interesting. I'm thirty-seven weeks pregnant. (Or, really, today I turned thirty-eight weeks pregnant but spent the majority of the week counting through the thirty-seven week days.) Yesterday my (older) son celebrated his second birthday. (And, really, he'll be celebrating it today as well at his birthday party.) So, that said, I've also been planning a birthday party. And working. And nesting like mad. And shopping for said birthday. And my daughter's upcoming birthday. And Christmas presents. And. And. And!

I'm kind of worn out. But we do have another successful NaBloPoMo... more

The first full week of November was, well, full! It was also the first full week of NaBloPoMo and I'm happy to announce that the birth/first parent blog is on schedule! I'm not 100% sure that we'll meet the challenge this year if our son arrives early but, alas, we'll keep on keeping on in hopes of succeeding!

We've got a theme going on this month (to help me along with the NaBloPoMo challenge) and, thus far, it's been very enlightening. I've been in the process of an in depth look at post-adoption contact agreements and that state-by-state... more

Whoa! Where did November come from? Apparently it decided to sneak up on me while I was complaining about the warm temperatures that ruled over October. Because, here we are! Speaking of November, how did you enjoy the time change? We've yet to see what it will do to Nick's sleep schedule (and, thus, our sleep schedules). Here's hoping that it's a simple adjustment. I mean, we do have a baby on the way. I'd like to get some sleep before this child arrives. (Please?)

We wound up October in a quiet fashion. (I had been pretty wordy for the entire... more

Welcome to November! While some crazy folk are attempting to write an entire (50,000 word) novel this month, there are other crazy folk who are going to attempt writing (at least) one blog post, per day, all month. That's right! It's time for NaBloPoMo! National Blog Posting Month for those not on the up and up with crazy abbreviations. That includes weekends. And holidays. (Thanksgiving much?!) And birthdays. (Nick turns two!) And, you know, the possible birth... more

I've been blogging here for an entire year. As of the beginning of this month, that is! I had looked back at some of my previous posts from this time last year and I can see the strides I've made in my own healing just by how I talk about various subjects. By no means am I suggesting that my adoption related grief and loss are issues of my past. No, not at all. I'm just pleased that I've managed to pull a few things together, make some sense of others and continued to learn about the issues that affect us all. It's been a good year. Not always easy but good!

That... more

We had that unique mix of legitimately fall weather over here this week. We had some rain. In fact, we had some pretty nasty storms. We had some gray, dreary days. We had some windy days. And we had a day like today; mid-warm but still cool enough not to make me complain and so beautifully sunny that even those who wanted to complain couldn't find the negativity to do so. The leaves are changing now that the temperature has changed and juxtaposed against the brilliant blue sky today, well, I haven't seen anything that pretty, nature wise, in quite some time!

We also had... more

Oh, sweet glorious Autumn! You have arrived! After starting the week off in the nineties, we're now experiencing more fall-like weather. I'm wearing corduroy pants! And sweaters! And slippers around the house! I feel like making hot chocolate and bundling in warm blankets. I couldn't be more content.

This week was busy as ever, both in our house and on the blog. I took some time to talk about how birth parents should choose words and how they might be perceived, either by your child's adoptive parents or your... more

The first week of October is over. I'm in some form of shock or denial, mostly because it's still in the mid-80's here, leaving me thinking that it's August. If the weather doesn't change soon, I might never realize that the holidays are quickly approaching. I wonder if I'll get any of my shopping done before this child arrives!

I started off the week and the month with a reminder that, a) it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and b) birth mothers should be aware of their breast... more

Hey, if everyone else is doing it, I can do the Four Things About Adoption meme, too. I'm a sheep. It's true.(In fact, so can you. Feel free to post this on your blog with your own answers. Let me know if you do because I'd... more

Holy smokes! It's the end of September? October is in two days? I think I'm caught completely off guard because of the heat that has permeated most of this month. Finally, thank goodness, the temperatures are beginning to resemble something fall-like. In fact, we're headed to the Pumpkin Patch today! We're excited!

September was a busy (very, very busy) month on the blog. We covered a lot of ground including two different book... more