I felt loved this week. Loved because I was respected and, really, that's a good kind of love, isn't it? Because love without respect isn't really love at all. I also felt some validation and some joy. In turn, I was able to return some loving respect as well. It was all very good for the self-esteem, I tell ya.

Occasionally, readers of this blog or either of my personal blogs will contact me via e-mail with questions, concerns, rants, raves or any number of possible reasons for correspondence. I'm always intrigued when I see something in... 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

As I talked about earlier in the week, there are many birth parents who haven't told various members of their family about the existence of their placed child. The pregnancy and subsequent relinquishment were kept secret for any number of reasons. And so, how does one go about enlightening family members and what are the consequences of that revelation?

Obviously, situations and experiences will vary. Personally, I didn't have to tell anyone in my family. Instead, after... more

Unless you've been living under a rock (like I was yesterday evening), you have heard that Britney Spears has lost custody of her two children to Kevin Federline (the kids' dad). She was ordered by the judge to have them handed over by noon on Wednesday but the kids have already been given to the Federline camp. After the turn over, Spears apparently went tanning and finally applied... more

I hate overly simplistic views of complex issues. Presidential campaigns bring out the best of them, don't they? With abortion remaining a hot button issue, we're bound to be subjected to some real bang-up statements regarding abortion, adoption and how easy it all would be if the world just magically acted in one way or another.

For example, Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani has decided that if you decrease the number of abortions, the number of adoptions... more

An unplanned pregnancy that involves an adoption plan is a stressful thing. And the sad reality is that many parents are facing that stress on their own. Even today. In a recent thread on the forums, some birth mothers discussed whether or not they told their families about the pregnancy and subsequent relinquishment of their child.

I can imagine few things that are worse than having absolutely no support during a pregnancy. Even the healthiest... more

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink is being rolled out on websites and blogs all over the internet. Pink ribbons are being worn. Money is being donated. And people are talking about the absolute importance of awareness. Talking is good, in my opinion. Getting word out about the importance of self-examinations and other screenings can help women survive. Early detections is key.

And that's why we're talking about it here, on the birth/first parent blog,... 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

I didn't come up with the idea for this particular tradition. In fact, Munchkin's Mom surprised me on Nick's first birthday (and simultaneously left me in tears!). This idea works for any open adoption family that loves books and works especially well when there are children of close age proximity on both sides of the adult triad.

Each year, whether you choose a birthday, holiday or random event, pick out a book to send to your placed child. Your child can also pick a book to send to either you, if you have no parented children, or to your parented... more

Learning about other countries and their customs and laws surely puts things in perspective. Another recent story out of India tells about forbidden love, unplanned pregnancy, an "almost" adoption and a happy ending. I mean, two happy endings on the birth parent blog in one week? It's kind of crazy up in here.

You see, it starts out with Manju, the mother in question. It turns out she is a (child-bride) widow. Her community forbids widows to marry again. (I'm curious as to whether non-widows are allowed... more