I wish I had a cute Thanksgiving-ish picture to share today, since it is finally Turkey Day. But I don’t! Instead, I’ll share a recent picture that arrived in my email box of Charlie looking at his life book.

It goes perfectly with yesterday’s thankful post since I wrote about how thankful I was that I created a life book for Charlie. I really feel like that this is very important and I am so glad I made it for him.

But looking at... more

This month, thanks to Jenna’s idea, I have written many posts about how I am thankful for various adoption related experiences and things in my life. It’s been fun and challenging as it is sometimes hard to find adoption related things to write about in a positive light when for birthmothers there is a lot of sadness and grief involved in adoption.

Today, Thanksgiving, I want to write (or list rather) the non-adoption related things in my life that I am thankful for. Some of these things are... more

My title doesn’t mean my big brother in the literal sense. I only have a younger brother. Instead my title is referring to the Big Brother reality television show.

I know, you are probably wondering what in the world the reality show Big Brother has to do with adoption.

It was in its second season during my pregnancy. I didn’t have the time to watch it during the first season, but I had a pretty rough pregnancy and of course, wasn’t going out as much anymore, so I had time to watch it. If you know much about me, you know that I used to be a huge reality... more

As you have probably noticed, I haven't been posting much! I have been pretty sick and just can not seem to shake this cold/virus I have. I have practically slept all weekend, thanks to my wonderful hubby who has taken care of our son, done housework, and checked on me numerous times through out the weekend.

I have already used up the pieces I had written ahead of time in my reserve folder and haven't felt well enough to write something coherent. I am already feeling a little more like my old self, so hopefully tomorrow I can write some! I must get better so I can prepare a delicious Thanksgiving feast on Thursday!

I hope all of you are staying healthy!!

I am thankful for Charlie’s big sister, N. N is adopted too and was about four years old when I was pregnant and making an adoption plan.

She was (and still is) very cute and sweet and I enjoyed the time I got to spend with her during my pregnancy. I knew that I wanted a family for Charlie that either already had children or would be planning on having more children. I have a little brother and although at times growing up, we want to strangle each other, I was glad I had a sibling and enjoyed the brother/sister bond we shared and I wanted that for Charlie. A big sister sounded even better since I had been a big sister myself.

During my pregnancy, N. would always ask questions... more

I am thankful for the phone calls with A. (Charlie’s adoptive mom) that I receive as part of our open adoption. We don’t have any kind of written agreement that says we should have “x” number of phone calls every “x” amount of days, we just kind of talk when we need to, want to, or feel up to it.

In the hospital, we had discussed when we would or should talk again. A. asked if it would be ok to call me the following evening and check on me and I said yes and she did. Then she called me just a few days later after Charlie’s first appointment at the pediatrician.

We... more

School is a big part of childhood. After all, we spend a huge chunk of our childhood in school.

Charlie started kindergarten this year and his first day was at the end of August. His first day of school and the few days leading up to it were an emotional few days for me. I knew I was missing taking him to buy a new back pack, lunchbox, and whatever other supplies are required for kindergarten nowadays. I knew I was missing making him a special breakfast that first nerve filled morning, driving him to school, walking him in, and meeting... more

I love poetry. I never dreamed back in high school when I was getting frustrated trying to find the symbolism in stanza after stanza of poetry, that one day I would actually be thankful for poetry. But I am, I am thankful for adoption poetry!

I can be having a terrible day and find a poem that I identify with and feel less alone and re-group. Poetry is such an artistic expression and there is really no right or wrong to poetry since it as a form of art, so to speak.

Two of my favorite adoption poems are written by other birthmothers.... more

I’m not feeling so hot today as my sweet son shared his cold/virus with me, but I at least wanted to post my thankful post for the day.

In the general hustle and bustle of everyday life, we tend to take normal everyday things for granted. As a birthmother one of things I am thankful for is the small moments I am able to have with Charlie.

Some of my favorite “small moments” have been:

Riding in a bumper boat with him at a fun park Talking to him on the phone on Mother’s Day, Christmas, and Thanksgiving and all the normal, ordinary days in between Watching him model his “My Birthmom Rocks” t-shirt Going with him... more

I am thankful for my journal and journaling. I began journaling when Charlie was just a few months old. I’d never been too good at keeping a journal but remember reading online somewhere that it was a good idea for birthmoms to keep a journal. It sounded like a good idea to me. It would be a good way to get my feelings out, to recognize my feelings, and to later see where I had grown emotionally.

I didn’t journal every day; just when I felt the need or when something happened that made me sad or when Charlie passed a milestone or there was something... more