What I Wish I Had Known Before Our International Adoption

May 6, 2013 | 3 Comments
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If I could have written a letter to myself before we started the international adoption process, here are some things I wish I would have known. Some I already knew, but after adopting (or going through the process) others became much clearer to me. Adoption and parenting in general are selfless. Keep in mind that you are not just adopting a family member, but there is a mutual merger of birth and adopted families, culture, and country. Research thoroughly. Melissa Fay Greene recommends The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: adoption, Parenting, Uncategorized

Adoption and the Real Mom

April 29, 2013 | 15 Comments
“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day.

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day.When you’re 9 years old and a girl, I suppose being an emotional wreck is to be expected. Ah, heck. When you’re 37 years old and girl, I suppose being an emotional wreck is to be expected. But sometimes, it’s hard to know which 9-year-old wrecks are I Stubbed My Toe And That’s A Great Excuse To Let Go Of The Emotional Mess Smouldering Inside Me, and which wrecks are Real. Yeah, yeah.  I know they’re all real.  But the Real … [Read more...]

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To Assume Makes an Ass out of (Yo)U and Me

March 25, 2013 | 16 Comments
meme1

  Oh, I remember the days when everyone and their mother was writing articles about this blog without actually reading it. A total lack of understanding for the term “attachment parenting” caused very odd outbursts from journalists against my blog’s name. It was very creepy how they described it as some sort of weird mantra we “attachment parents” *must* have because *all* AP mothers "must stay home" and "refuse childcare"... Except, the name behind my blog is meant to be a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: adoption, Ethiopian adoption, family, Parenting Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Ethics in Adoption: Dr. Jane Aronson, the “Orphan Doctor”

March 24, 2013 | 2 Comments
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This guest post was written by Grace Showalter. Although the views and opinions presented here may or may not necessarily be the same as “I Am Not the Babysitter”, we appreciate and respect the educated opinions of all mothers. Dr. Jane Aronson, the "Orphan Doctor" is an invaluable asset to the international adoptive community. There is no doubt that her expertise in pediatric medicine for internationally adopted children has literally saved lives. Her work with the Worldwide … [Read more...]

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The Real Men of Parenthood: All Kinds of Great Dads Week 9

March 3, 2013 | 1 Comment
adopted toddler on back

This week we're celebrating Tim Nelis as our Real Man of Parenthood. His wife, Sara, hit the jackpot in this guy.  In this picture below, he is wearing their first son, Bennet, in an Ergo. Bennet is three here. They adopted Bennet at 2 years old and used baby-wearing to encourage attachment. Baby-wearing helped to teach him that he was theirs and to let him know that he was home, not in another foster placement that would end.  Tim often wore Bennet, who has developmental delays and really … [Read more...]

Filed Under: adoption, Uncategorized

Love Liberates, Birth Mother Quotes and Inspiration

January 31, 2013 | 5 Comments
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We are framing this photo for Samuel, taken by Kyle LaMere in Ethiopia, September 2012.  Under the photo will be Maya Angelou's "Love Liberates" quote. How beautifully she sums up the importance and love of the birth mother and family. How true love frees; it does not enslave. Someone once said, "Children need two things: One is roots and the other is wings." I know Samuel's birth mother was strong enough to provide our son with wings. Now our prayer is that together we can provide him with … [Read more...]

Filed Under: adoption, Global Community, Parenting, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

The Real Mommy War

January 25, 2013 | 4 Comments
birth mother

Today, as I fly to Houston to raise awareness for phase 2 of our water project with Waves for Water, I will be thinking about my friend Laura, and her family. Laura has reminded us what mothers really are at war with. Mothers around the world are fighting daily to preserve the health and wellbeing of their families. This is what the world should be outraged about. This is the true "mommy war." There is so much we can do. "The Brightest Light . . ."  Letter from Laura … [Read more...]

Filed Under: adoption, Global Community Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

over 8,000 people will receive access to safe drinking water for the first time – thanks to you

December 13, 2012 | 2 Comments
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Thanks to everyone reading, this is the message I am able to deliver to you: By the end of this week, Argisa, Ethiopia will have clean water! Most of you know that you all raised, over the course of one week, the money we needed for our first phase of the Ethiopia project. That, in and of itself, was a miracle. Jack, from Waves for Water, boarded a plan on December 12, and I have just been informed he has landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Jack will be bringing 80 Sawyer filters to the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: adoption, Believe, beverly hills, Breastfeeding, christianity, Delight, Embrace, ethiopia, Ethiopian adoption, ethiopian adoption video, family, Global Community, Homeschooling, humor family, Inspire, international adoption, Just for Fun, los angeles, Marriage, mixed race, Move, Parenting, transracial, Travel, Uncategorized

The Rose That Grew From Concrete

December 8, 2012 | Leave a Comment
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Filed Under: adoption, Believe, beverly hills, Breastfeeding, christianity, Delight, Embrace, ethiopia, Ethiopian adoption, ethiopian adoption video, family, Global Community, Homeschooling, humor family, Inspire, international adoption, Just for Fun, los angeles, Marriage, mixed race, Move, Parenting, transracial, Travel, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Waterlink Africa: Water Changes Everything

December 8, 2012 | 11 Comments
Clean Water Projects Image 2

Did you know? $1 can give clean water to one person for over a decade. Why is water life-altering? Unsterile water is the number two killer amongst children. Around the world, fetching water is a woman’s task. Thus, one of the most crucial health issues for women in Africa is the clean water shortage. 1 in 5 children worldwide dies of a water-related disease. Water is a women’s issue. In order to get access to clean water, women and girls must carry up to 50lbs of water every day … [Read more...]

Filed Under: adoption, Believe, beverly hills, Breastfeeding, christianity, Delight, Embrace, ethiopia, Ethiopian adoption, ethiopian adoption video, family, Global Community, Homeschooling, humor family, Inspire, international adoption, Just for Fun, los angeles, Marriage, mixed race, Move, Parenting, Recipes & Food, transracial, Uncategorized
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