There's no denying that stress is a big part of the holiday season! Fellow birthmom and dear friend, Alicia Moser, wrote a cute article attempting to help you de-stress this holiday season and put the "Merry" Back in "Merry Christmas!"

How to Put the Merry Back in Merry Christmas By Alicia Moser

There are many thoughts and feelings that are thought of when it comes to the holiday season, love, joy, peace, relaxation, and stress.

STRESS?? This is supposed to be the happiest time of the... more

Jennifer Divers is a new birthmother. I’m sure we can all remember that first Christmas as a birthmom. Jennifer eleqouently puts her thoughts, feelings, and emotions into this piece, entitled My Christmas Wish.

I was walking along the mall when I saw him, the big guy in red with the jolly laugh, crimson cheeks, and willingness to attempt to make all dreams come true for just one day. I thought about approaching him to make my very true Christmas request, but knew... more

Ah, the letter to Santa. Such a big part of childhood! I can remember sitting now to write it. Now, my son emails it!

I love reading children’s letters to Santa, with all their sweet suggestions, funny statements, promises of cookies and milk, and misspellings! They are precious.

But today I bring you a different type of letter to Santa; a birthmom’s letter to Santa, written by a friend and rather new birthmom, Patty. Patty eloquently, sweetly, and poetically shares her thoughts on this first Christmas without her son.

Dear... more

Continued from my previous post on Sesame Street and Adoption…

So, how to describe what I thought of the adoption segment on Sesame Street? I had mixed feelings on it.

I tend to try and look at some issues and shows in two different perspectives – the perspective of being a birthmom and personally touched by adoption and then I try to think what I would think if I was not personally touched by adoption.

From the perspective of someone not knowing... more

Jan posted awhile back informing us all of the new Sesame Street episode that features adoption as one of the key “issues” in that particular episode. I had the chance to actually see this episode over the holiday.

Even at ten, Noah is still a big Sesame Street fan and still enjoys watching those silly, popular, little monsters.

Let me first give you a brief description of the adoption portion of the show and then I will tell ya my thoughts on it. Gina... more

Thanks to my handy dandy Google News alerts I came across a published letter written by some adoptive parents who's child is now a grown adult.

This letter from adoptive parents was featured in a recent “Ask Amy” column which is similar to “Dear Abby.” It was so sweet and heartfelt; I knew I must share it.

Dear Amy:

This is an open letter to all birth mothers... more

What does adoption awareness mean to me as an adoptive mom in an open adoption relationship?

I realize that awareness month tends to be directed to educating those in the general public, but I wanted to take note of what I was personally aware of this month.

So here it is. It’s not complete and I’m sure by this time next year I’ll have more to add or even change.

• I am aware that it’s every child’s birthright to be loved and raised with love. It doesn’t make a child lucky if they are loved – it only makes it tragic if they aren’t.

• I am aware that adoption may be painful for my son to process when he’s older – and that is not a reflection on my parenting... more

I received in my email a “Happy National Adoption Awareness Month from AF!” newsletter. It is from the Adoptive Families Magazine. It shared a link to their Outreach Guide. The magazine in general and the guide are geared towards adoptive parents.

You don’t have to be a newsletter subscriber to read the guide. (But if you want to be a subscriber, it’s free and you can sign up here.) I’ve snipped a piece of it and linked to the full guide below.

Standing up and speaking out

We know it's good for our children—and our community—when we foster positive and accurate thinking about adoption.... more

I’ve had major bloggers block. My days have been filled with half-baked ideas and false starts. There are about ten started blog posts, five more I researched and zero actually written and posted.

For many days my husband has asked, “Did you blog today?”

My big-eyed-wild-haired answer was a resounding and agonizing, “No!”

Depending on Jimmy’s level of braveness for the day, he’d either fold his arms and stare me down or scamper quickly into another room. Either way my vision orbs would roll around my head like thrown dice and I’d snarl.

It wasn’t pretty.

It... more

Ok, I know we are all sick of reading/hearing about the Madonna adoption saga, but bear with me a second. This article from the Chicago Sun Times on Sunday starts out about Madonna, but then it changes tunes and gets real.

The journalist, who is an adoptee herself, starts off talking a little bit about Madonna’s comments in the media regarding adoption and the comments made on her Oprah interview, but then she (the journalist) begins to talk... more