Playing off of last week's Faces of First Moms beauty, I need to talk about some more love via pictures. As I said, I really like looking at others' photographs. I like smiles. And serious faces. And unique angles. And funny faces. And families being families.

And this being an adoption-related blog, I also like looking at "pictures of adoption." Now, I know that there are some among us who are asking, "How do you show adoption in photograph form." In many ways, of course. And that's why I love the group on flickr, "Adoption is a Blessed Gift." Of course, the name makes me gag but, alas,... more

I've never been to Montana. And after studying their post-adoption contact agreement laws, I'm glad that I didn't live in Montana when I placed the Munchkin for adoption. Basically the statutes leave us asking more questions than when we began.

Let the frustrations begin.

What may be included in postadoption contact agreements? Citation: Ann. Code § 42-5-301 An express written agreement may be entered into between the birth parent and the prospective adoptive parent for contact or communication between the adoptee... more

There are good people left in the world. I promise. Despite the stories we hear, day in and day out, there really are genuinely good-hearted people alive and well in our country. Need some proof? Okay.

Take this story out of Michigan. To paraphrase: a mother fell into some hard financial times, got pregnant. And had not one baby. Not two babies. But three babies. And not in nine month increments. All at once. Triplets. Goodness gracious!

Can you imagine with me for a moment?

You've... more

For those unfamiliar with the State Statute Search, it's really simple to use. You go to the page, select the state(s) you're interested in and then put a check mark next to the issue(s) you want information regarding. When researching post-adoption contact agreements, you either see a page full of writing or the words, "These issues are not addressed in statutes reviewed." A page full of words, of course, means that the state has addressed the issue. And so, I always get excited when I... more

Having worked for the television news media, I'm all too familiar with the general gloom and doom that is normally reported. Journalists, print or broadcast, know that "if it bleeds, it leads," and producers often push ratings and subscriptions (quantity) over things that viewers and readers would like to see or read (quality). However, sometimes that quality comes through and I'm always pleased to see when adoption is presented in a positive manner.

A reunion story out... more

What's Minnesota got besides snow, cold weather and some Twin Cities? It's one of our states that addresses post-adoption contact agreements! So, not only does this state have one of my favorite things (snow!), it actually takes the time to address something that is big in my life and my heart. Good job, Minnesota!

What may be included in postadoption contact agreements? Citation: Ann. Stat. § 259.58 Adoptive parents and a birth relative or foster parents may enter an agreement regarding communication, contact, or visitation... more

I was kind of dreading the start of this week. I didn't want to dive back into the state-by-state look I've been taking at post-adoption contact agreements because, let's face it, some states aren't really clear on the issue. Or friendly. Thankfully, Massachusetts has decided to let us start the week on a good foot! Not only is the wording easy to understand but it covers many questions that we're normally left asking at the end of our review.

Good job, Massachusetts! Let's see how they handled the issues!

What may be included in... 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

To first look at the statutes that cover post-adoption contact agreements in the state of Maryland, you get a little worried. It seems brief. There aren't many words. And some other states, like California, were much more wordy! So what does this lack of words mean? Is it completely too vague like Alaska? Or were they able to cover the topic in a minimal amount of words,... more

I don't know about your family, but my Mom and Grandma have always been "all about" a "pretty looking table" on holidays. Not only do we use the good dishes and flatware but there's always some beautiful centerpiece involved as well. Even if you're using your normal, everyday plates on Thanksgiving, you can still spruce up your table with a centerpiece!

In fact, it could be a tradition to start for years to come. You (and your family) can make a centerpiece for your child's family and they could make one for you. That way, even if you can't be together on Thanksgiving,... more