Comments on Production, Not Reproduction | A blog about open adoption and home of Open Adoption Bloggers: A Common Thread

I LOVE reading about visits between first families...

2007-08-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

I LOVE reading about visits between first families and a-parents... and getting ideas about caring for our daughter's firstmom.
Our youngest daughter's adoption is the first of our five to be "very open", which, as you know, the definition of "open" varies from family to family. But chances are you know a bit of my relationship with Bidgie's first mama, since you "know" her too.
Geography isn't a problem for us since we only live about an hour apart, and quite frankly that makes me very happy. : ) It enables us to see eachother every couple of months or so.
Also, the internet has been a great means in building our friendship as we chat several times each week. I feel we can share openly about adoption with each other, and I highly respect her opinion on the topic. (We actually thought about replying to Jenna's appeal for pairs... but neither of us really have the time.)
Anyway, if you have any specific questions feel free to email me. You can PM me on OAS.

Laura Christianson, mom in two open adoptions, dis...

2007-08-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

Laura Christianson, mom in two open adoptions, discusses OA in her new book, The Adoption Decision.

I'm probably not the best OA example since things ...

2007-08-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

I'm probably not the best OA example since things are always so uncertain with M, in spite of our efforts to keep things working, but I love that you've put this out there. I hope that lots of other a-fams post in response to this!

I hadn't really blogged alot about our open adopti...

2007-08-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

I hadn't really blogged alot about our open adoption but your post made me want to blog about it so I did. I don't know if you will find a common thread with me or not but I thought it would be nice to put our a positive post about OA so I did. We are truly blessed in our OA and with our daughter's birthfamily and I wanted others to know that they can have a positive OA too.

Poor_statue, I'd love to!

2007-08-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

Poor_statue, I'd love to!

Have you been to Jenna's blog lately? I'd love to...

2007-08-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

Have you been to Jenna's blog lately? I'd love to pair up with you......

You know, I think about this a lot, too. I compar...

2007-08-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

You know, I think about this a lot, too. I compare our situation to every other situation I hear about, trying to find common threads, to see what we could be doing that we aren't, to get validation about our situation, and to see where our OA is unusual. It seems like every open adoption is incredibly unique; in ours, for example, it's heavily impacted by geography. It's comforting to think that our OA will grow and change over time as Hester grows up and as her families grow and change as well. I'm hopeful for all of us.

The LATimes story was, in my opinion, an example o...

2007-08-22T05:08:00.000-07:00

The LATimes story was, in my opinion, an example of how, even with extreme circumstances, OA can garner a positive outcome for the adoptee. The truth in the article is that without communication, things are going to get tough. Thankfully, the family pulled through in the end and the adoptee herself, as she stated over and over again in the chat, wouldn't change things.

Some people were "scared" by the article. Some people said that they felt sorry for the adoptee, the adoptive parents. Yet, the parties involved stated that they would change little things but not the outcome.

That should be the goal of OA: a positive outcome. Because, goodness, we're all going to screw up here and there as we make the journey. That's what parenting, in any form, entails! Our hopes are that our own mistakes, as we are human, don't totally screw up our kids.