Love Thursday - what a great way to take a break from all the seriousness of my normal posts.

Here are side-by-side shots of my son and I, taken when we were both 2. (He's 8 now.) We look pretty similar, yes? What I like about these pictures is that they show the undeniable tie between birthparents and their children. We have certain links that no one can take away.

The next photo is another favorite, because it shows how much I love him--although it makes me a little sad, too, because at this point in our story, he had no idea who I was. Still, it's a photo I like and am happy... more

Have you had an ultrasound of your baby yet? I’ll never forget my first ultrasounds with either of my boys. It’s so amazing to see this little, tiny person growing inside of you. It definitely makes things hit home, as that baby becomes all the more real after seeing him or her swimming around on the ultrasound. Typically you are given a picture of the ultrasound, your very first “picture” of your baby! Since both of my pregnancies had complications, I had many ultrasounds and many chances to see them.

Typically ultrasounds are initially given when... more

We’ve talked about the options in choosing an adoptive family for your child when making an adoption plan. One of the big choices you can make is to choose a family that has children or to choose a family that has no children. It may be your desire to choose a family where your child would be the only or the first. Or it may be your desire that your child have a sibling, so you may look at families that already have a child.

For me personally, I wanted an adoptive family that already had children. It was important... more

Ever since Jenna brought Love Thursday over here to Adoption Blogs, I’m looking forward to Thursdays! (Thanks Jenna!) On to today’s Love Thursday Post!

Baseball equals love? What? Shouldn’t a dozen red roses equal love? Or a couple all snuggled together by the fire?

Not today!!! Today, baseball equals love! You may recognize the handsome little man in that picture, the one in... more

I’m a crafty girl – I like doing crafts and making things for my friends and family. I really wish I could sew. I have a sewing machine, I just can’t figure out how to thread the darn bobbin! Martha Stewart I am not!

But I LOVE making the no sew fleece blankets that are all the rave right now. They are simple to make, don’t take a whole lot of time, and they turn out cute and are something sweet and personable to give friends and family.

So, why not try making a no sew blanket for your baby? If you parent him or her, believe me,... more

I had planned on writing about today being Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day but Jenna beat me to it! But as each adoption story is different, each loss story is too. It’s been an emotional day today for many different reasons related and unrelated to pregnancy loss and as I type all I am about to type I feel freed.

My pregnancies with Charlie and Noah were both unplanned. When my hubby and I began talking about... more

It happened again! I wasn’t having a very good adoption day as it was after knowing that a young woman sitting a few floors above me was about to change her life forever by signing papers to terminate her parental rights.

As if that wasn’t enough to mentally process, not too long after that, I got the dreaded question while sitting with my Mom at the hospital. The question I think I have probably come to hate the most.

Let me replay how it went down – A teacher at Noah’s school had called my cell phone to discuss a few issues with Noah and after... more

My co-blogger Coley has just written an excellent post about hospital memories, and I’d like to expand on the subject, because it resonates so deeply with me.

Prior to becoming a birthmother, I never had a hospital phobia, but today, I can't stand the places. This newfound anxiety is all thanks to the adoption memories.

Recently, I moved to a new state, so I no longer see the hospital where I lost my son. But I used to have to drive by it daily, and for many years afterwards, I actually started to feel a little panicky whenever I would see it.... more

My Mom had surgery on Tuesday and is still in the hospital. It was nothing life threatening, just knee replacement surgery, so don’t worry.

Walking in from the parking lot going to visit my Mom, I had noticed a couple ahead of me. A husband and wife, beaming ear to ear, walking hand in hand carrying an empty car seat and diaper bag. They had a little boy with them. He was carrying a pink teddy bear.

I saw them walk into the hospital lobby where a local adoption professional that I recognized was waiting for them with an associate. I watched... more

Ok, I’ve jumped on the Love Thursday bandwagon with Jenna and Lauri. Posting personal pictures once a week is fun! I’d never even heard of Love Thursday till Jenna brought it over to the adoption blogs world last week.

I LOVE this picture. I have two favorite pictures of Charlie and me together and this is one of them. The other one... more