In honor of National Adoption Month, I’m resharing some of my previous posts on the topic. If you’re a longtime reader, you already know this is an issue close to my heart. If you’re new, or if you (like me) tend toward a little motherhood-induced amnesia occasionally, I’ll tell our story in a nutshell before we move on.

The super-condensed version of our adoption story:

In 2009, we adopted almost 15-year-old Lindsey from foster care, making her the third (and middle) child in our blended family. Four years later we adopted again, but this time, it was two at once: a biological brother (age 4) and sister (age 5) who had already spent two years in foster care even at that relatively young age.

Since becoming an adoptive mom, I’ve developed a passion for encouraging other adoptive families, and helping educate anyone who might be considering adoption or foster care. Now that we’re 7+ years down the road, my glasses are decidedly not rose-colored anymore. Most adoption stories aren’t full of rainbows and unicorns, and that includes ours.

Adoption rocks, but I refuse to candy-coat it.

{irrelevant but humorous photo because adoption requires a sense of humor}

Unicorn-free adoption posts:

• Foster Adoption is exhausting :: This one is back from when were in the early stages of our adoption placement with the youngest two.
• Adoption is hard. And weird. But worth it :: Because it’s true.
• Kids ask hard questions :: If you’re around kids much, you know they can come up with some big questions, but youngish kids being adopted from foster care have some particularly big doozies.
• Invisible Special Needs in Adoption :: The “invisible” special needs of kids from trauma backgrounds are hard to deal with, even without a long list of diagnoses.
• Confessions of an Adoptive Mom {aka Great Expectations} :: Man, it’s crazy how entitlement creeps in everywhere if we let it. Even to me, as a parent.
• When Mom Struggles with Bonding in Adoption :: Maybe one of my MOST real confessionals as a mom.
• If Someone You Know is Adopting… :: Things you can do to help, and things you just should not do or say to a new or prospective adoptive parent.
• Advice on adopting a teen: Reader Q&A :: We’re certainly not the only ones who have adopted a teen, but seemingly few of us blog about it, so I often get reader questions. This post answers a few of them.
• The challenge of parental authority in adoption :: One thing that surprised me in adopting younger kids: just as much difficulty accepting my authority as mom as with the daughter we adopted as a teen.
• Real Mom :: This realization was a long time coming.
• Quilted together family :: It’s been a long road and we’re still traveling it – but I love this crazy quilt we’ve made.

Don’t miss these, too:

10 Days of Adoption: a whole lot of information in a ten-day series of posts.

And then there was that time we were interviewed on television!

I’ve also collected a series of personal adoption stories from adoptive parents in all sorts of adoptions, plus a few from adoptees and birth mothers as well. Worth your time to read at least a few.

*awesomely fun photo courtesy of gratisography

Jamie

Wife, mom, J-ma. Introvert who enjoys good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand – unless it’s lost yet again in the microwave. Read more »