by Astrid Dabbeni
Question from an Adoptive Parent:
I have two sons. The older has a close relationship with his birthmother; the younger hasn’t seen his birthmother since he was a baby. We have tried to involve our younger son’s birthmother in our lives, but, sadly, we have lost contact. How do I help my kids with this?
by Astrid Dabbeni
I recently stumbled across a list in Adoptive Families magazine titled “30 Things Adoptees Wish They Knew About Their Birthparents – But Often Are Afraid To Ask.” Many of the questions I grew up wondering about, and sometimes stressing about, were sitting in front of me on a piece of paper written and published by someone else. The fact that someone had taken the time to write these 30 questions was very validating for me. It was a profound moment.
by Mina Bacigalupi
You have been waiting for this moment for months. You have been examined, studied, notarized, and authenticated. You stayed up until 3:00 AM packing and re-packing every possible item a new baby would need, fitting it into one bag, weighing less than 44 pounds. You squeezed yourself into a hard seat with minimal leg room for 14 hours and 6000 miles. You have eaten just enough foreign food to feel slightly queasy and wonder why you packed the Pepto-Bismol at the bottom of your bag.
by Mina Bacigalupi
“DTC” – Dossier To China. The words themselves bring a big sigh of relief. The paperchase , the homestudy, and Immigration approval are all complete. Everything is signed, notarized, sealed, approved and authenticated and now finally… mailed off to China. Now begins the wait, the part that most couples find the most difficult and frustrating part of the adoption process.
by Mina Bacigalupi
Packing , airline reservations, Chinese visas, the final days of the long wait to adopt can be busy and hectic. Here is a checklist to help make sure that you remember it all before you settle down for that 13 hour flight.
