Category Archives: Our adoption narrative

Fear and fiction

The central truth of your life for the time being is that your mother is dead. Likely this will always be among your central truths, though I do hope someday it is displaced at the middle by something warm you share … Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, Our adoption narrative, Writing | 3 Comments

A wrap-up to my unplanned week of posts on diversity and transracial adoption

In case you missed any of them, below are all five posts I wrote this week on the topic of race, diversity, and transracial adoption. Feel free to share these with anyone you think might benefit from them. Thanks! Different, … Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, Diversity and Race, General adoption topics, Our adoption narrative, Parenting | 1 Comment

The meaning of permanence

Today is the final post in my series with Melanie. Melanie lived with Lyndie and I in 2006 after finding out she was pregnant and choosing to place her baby for adoption. Today we are looking back at the day … Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, General adoption topics, Melanie series, Our adoption narrative | 7 Comments

Meeting Melanie

On Monday I shared a little about how adoptive parents feel about birthmothers after making the initial decision to adopt. We feel defensive, scared. We get over it, but it takes time. For us, that happened in the most beautiful way possible. … Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, General adoption topics, Melanie series, Our adoption narrative | 8 Comments

How I learned to stop worrying and love birthmothers

Birthmothers get no respect. Or, at least, they got no respect from us, until we lived with one. The early attitude of first time adoptive parents toward the birthmother as an institution is initially one of fear and defensiveness. Fortunately, we … Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, General adoption topics, Our adoption narrative | 5 Comments

Gotcha Day

To my Yoselin Rubi Grace, on an important day - It was three years ago yesterday I first held you. Three years ago last night since you cried through the dark hours, weeping your loss onto hotel sheets and your parents’ clothes, and … Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, Our adoption narrative, Parenting | Tagged , , , , , | 37 Comments

Adoption Week Narrative 12: Coming Home

 I have been writing a series of posts recently talking about our experiences the week we went to Guatemala in 2008 in bring home our daughter. You can can read the previous entries by clicking the links at the bottom … Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, Extended Family, General adoption topics, Our adoption narrative, Travel and vacation | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Adoption Week Narrative 11: Final Sights and Saying Goodbye

I have been writing a series of posts recently talking about our experiences the week we went to Guatemala in 2008 in bring home our daughter. You can can read the previous entries by clicking the links at the bottom … Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, General adoption topics, Our adoption narrative, The Adventure of Life, Travel and vacation | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Adoption Week Narrative 10: Embassy Day

I have been writing a series of posts recently talking about our experiences the week we went to Guatemala in 2008 in bring home our daughter. You can can read the previous entries by clicking the links at the bottom … Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, General adoption topics, Our adoption narrative, The Adventure of Life, Travel and vacation | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Adoption Week Narrative 9: Eduardo

  Both of the girls were quite proud of themselves. On Tuesday we planned a trip to Antigua, the beautiful former capital of the country, about 45 minutes from Guatemala City. Our adoption agency knew of a local guide who offered tours to American … Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, General adoption topics, Our adoption narrative, The Adventure of Life, Travel and vacation | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments