Recently a family member of someone that I posted about(and received many comments on) was nice enough to read the post and leave her take on the situation.

The original post was concerning birthmother Liliana Gullo and the open adoption of her son Caleb. After many thoughts were expressed about the original article, Liliana's sister Jessica was nice enough to offer her own very thoughtful comment. I felt what she had to say warranted... more

Today staffer Brandy over at the forums posed a very interesting question.

What does “adoption friendly state” mean to you?

I think it really takes no amount of guess work to figure out that the “adoption friendly” definition of laws in any state are really described as such with adoptive parents in mind. This is not to say that there are not states with laws that are in fact... more

Today on Oprah the topic was the great divide between stay at home mothers and those who work outside the home. This seems to be a battle that has pit mom against mom for far to long. Each side holds beliefs they feel are benefitting their children, but neither completely agreeing that there is more than one way to be a good mother.

I could not help but see a correlation between this ongoing struggle about who is right and wrong among the mommies of the... more

While creating a lifebook for her birth daughter, my friend Brandy, recalls feeling that it was lacking something. After much thought, she decided to add quotes that she found meaningful all through out the pages of the lifebook. It turned out beautiful and Brandy has agreed to share some of those quotes with us. Maybe one or two will touch you and find their way inside the pages of your child’s lifebook.

“One hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove or what kind of clothes I wore. All that will matter is that I... more

Now, that you know almost everything there probably is to know about creating a lifebook for your child from my previous posts, let me share a few resources and other ideas with you!

I love scrapbooking websites. They can provide you with inspiration, great quotes, poems, layout ideas, etc! In searching, I found a lot of websites that have ideas for adoptive parents of children adopted internationally or sell products geared towards scrapbooks for internationally adopted children but unsurprisingly there is not very much information out there that is devoted... more

Part 1 Part 2

When should I give my child the lifebook? Whenever you want! Some birthmothers begin them during pregnancy and give them to the adoptive parents upon placement. While others (like me) waited awhile to make them. Older birthmothers could also make one to give to their child upon reunification. No matter their age, a lifebook is something that will be treasured for years to come!

What age level should I gear the lifebook towards? This is dependent... more

Wikipedia describes

Regret is an intelligent (and/or emotional) dislike for personal past acts and behaviors. Regret is often felt when someone feels sadness, shame, or guilt after committing an action that the person later wishes that they had not done. Regret is distinct from guilt, which is a deeply emotional form of regret — one which may be difficult to comprehend in an objective or conceptual way. In this regard, the concept of regret is subordinate to guilt in terms... more

Continued from Part 1

How can adopted children benefit from having a lifebook? A lifebook constantly reaffirms your love for your child and can also make you more “real” to your child if you are not able to visit much. The adoptive parents can use a lifebook as a teaching tool to educate him or her about his birth family.

What should I include in my child’s lifebook? Below are some ideas of what you can include.... more

I’ve mentioned lifebooks or scrapbooks periodically in posts here and there, but don’t think I have written an article explaining them in detail and why I think they are important for all adopted children. Many adoption professionals are promoting the use of lifebooks for foster children and children adopted at an older age, but I think any adopted child could benefit from having a lifebook.

I made a lifebook for Charlie about two years ago and it was very well received by him and his parents. After seeing how Charlie and his family reacted... more

I ran across THIS article today detailing an open adoption story.

I seems that 22 yr old Liliana Gullo in 2005 found herself with an unplanned pregnancy, one she hid from family and friends at first due to fear of her abusive ex-boyfriend, also the baby’s father. At around five months she consulted with an attorney about an adoption plan for the baby, but then changed her mind when her son was born. She felt like the attorney was... more