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Honoring Her Birth Momma
How do you honor a birth mom? How do you thank her for choosing life for your daughter? Chris and I have wracked our brains around this for months. We love and adore this beautiful woman, and we always...
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Adventures of a “Single,” Working Mom + Why I Want a Keurig
I have a whole new respect for single, working moms. Being a working mom and wife is hard enough. But without the help of my hubby? I just about went off the deep end. Chris was out of town for a few...
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Calling ALL Adoptive Families!
If you are a family blessed with adoption… I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!! Chris and I have met SO many fantastic people on this journey — but most of you don’t know EACH OTHER! I’m working on putting...
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Sickness Strikes
Apparently it’s normal for new parents to be sick… All. The. Time. Our sweet Olivia was so sick and fussy for more than a week. We’re “those” parents who call the nurse line all. the. time. But because...
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“Families Look Alike”
My jaw hit the floor when a friend sent me this photo: “Families Look Alike:”A 1st grade project “Families Look Alike” was the title of a project hanging on the walls of her child’s elementary school....
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Why Not?
I was staring at boxes of eye drops in the pharmacy when a woman pushing her baby in a cart said [LOUDLY], “SO, WHY’D YOU DO IT?” I must have given her a confused look. Because in my head I thought,...
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Curiosity vs. Ignorance
The steam was billowing from my head at my desk yesterday afternoon when I received an email from an aspiring journalist at a nearby college who wanted to do an interview with someone who adopted from...
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Infertility.
Infertility Awareness Week is coming up in a few days. I spend a lot of my time here advocating for adoption, talking about my struggle to balance a full-time job with mommyhood, and venting about my...
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Infertility: I’m Not Ashamed
I’m not ashamed to admit we can’t have biological children. I’m not embarassed. Sad? Used to be. But in a way, I feel blessed. Blessed that the painful road of infertility led my husband and me to the...
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Infertility: In Her Words
“From the outside looking in you can never understand it. From the inside looking out you can never explain it…” Meet Steve and Abby. They’ve treaded some mucky waters with infertility. I had the...
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Infertility: 5 Things You Shouldn’t Say
1.) Never ask a couple when they’re going to have a “family of their own.” Eh-hem… Let me be clear: NEVER ask a couple when they’re going to have children. Why? Well, frankly it’s none of your...
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An Acquaintance Writes In…
I received an email not too long ago from an acquaintance who remembered me from years ago. “Congratulations on your daughter. She is beautiful…” she wrote. With a smile, I continued reading. Until I...
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A Follow-Up: “Families Look Alike”
A couple of weeks ago, I met with the teacher and principal behind the “Families Look Alike” project I wrote ranted about. And I have to say — we had a great conversation. They handled the feedback...
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To My Daughter’s 1st Mom on Mother’s Day
To my sweet daughter’s 1st Momma: Today I get to celebrate my first Mother’s Day. And it’s all because of you. Because of your selfless, loving choice to do what you felt best for your perfect baby...
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PSA: Stop Pressuring
No doubt about it, adoption has been the greatest, most amazing experience for my family. It truly has. I’m glad Olivia’s cheeks don’t fall off from so many kisses And I’m so proud to advocate for...
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A Commericial Break
No doubt about it, certain experiences make you see life through a different lens. It wasn’t until after we brought Olivia home that I soon began to realize there weren’t many families that looked like...
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On Being Enough
We spent Memorial Day at Urgent Care in Cedar Falls. Dr. Mom’s ear infection diagnosis was confirmed. Running on little sleep, the rest of the day flies by. We go to bed. Before we know it, it’s 2:17...
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The Spark Continues: An Adoption BBQ
Remember that adoption “spark” I wrote about a while back? Yeh. It continues. And it’s pretty darn awesome, you guys. My heart is SO happy when I think about these families that — like ours — are being...
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To My Husband [On Father's Day]…
To my husband on Father’s Day: I still remember getting the phone call that our daughter was born hundreds of miles from home. I called you at work. You reassured me you’d be on the road soon. The...
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