According the US Department of State, international adoption by US citizens decreased in 2006. The report states that international adoptions dropped to 20,679 in 2006 from 22,728 in 2005. This is the first time this number has declined this significantly since 1992.

Many of the most popular countries, including China, Russia, South Korea, and Ukraine showed declines. China showed the biggest decrease- 18%. With the newly tightening adoption requirements by the Chinese government, that number is likely to dip even further in... more

Here's the start of a great four-part series of adoption stories from the Daily Herald. Family in Waiting. Be sure to click on the links to read all four parts. There are lots of pictures and lots of details aboout adopting from different countries. (No Ethiopia, sorry...)

As I am planning my writing for this year, I am hoping to get some feedback from you all. I would like to know three things specifically.

First of all, which types of posts do you find most helpful? If it helps, look over at the categories on the right for ideas. Are there categories that you find especially interesting? Do you like reading about helping kids get settled in? DO you like hearing about my time in Ethiopia? What about travel tips? I'm hoping that each of you will vote for a couple specific types of posts.

The second thing I'd like feedback on is the organization of my categories. Are you able to find specific topics? Are there categories you would like... more

My husband and I got married in 1986, a year out of high school. Despite marrying so young, and both being stubborn firstborns, we’ve spent the majority of our marriage getting along pretty darned well. Babies came steadily, 4 in 6 years, two girls and two boys. A perfect number, we agreed. But by 1997, when our ‘last’ baby turned 3, I realized I wasn’t ready to be done with babies. I wanted to renegotiate our deal. I longed to adopt a baby. John wasn’t remotely ready to renegotiate. “Are you crazy?”... more

Adoption Media is hiring bloggers to host some new blogs at adoption.com. The categories that they are looking for include:

Adoptive Parenting Canadian Adoption (adoption by Canadians) Catholic Adoption Haiti Adoption Hoping to Adopt LDS Adoption Older Child Adoption Russia Adoption Adopting a Sibling US Infant Adoption Vietnam Adoption

If you enjoy reading and writing about adoption, can write well and use spellcheck, and would like to make a little money, one of these positions might be right for you.

Bloggers need to write a minimum of five blog posts per week and 20 posts per month. Blog entries should... more

Here's one more family writing a blow by blow of their time in Addis. Rich of No More Counting the Cost shares First Day Part One and First Day Part Two of meeting his two new daughters. I so much appreciate these families who share their stories with us.

Hooray!!

My daughters have an Ethiopian cousin. My sister and her husband just got the referral of a two month old baby boy!!

I am almost as excited as I was over our own referrals. He is a teeny, adorable little guy -- what a blessing!!

First of all, I want to make sure everyone knows that you are welcome to ask any question that's on your mind. I don't promise to know the answers, but I'll give it my best shot, and chances are, someone who reads here will know the things that I don't know. In the past I have featured some questions that readers had, and I'll be happy to feature more whenever I get more, so ask away.

Today's question is from Dawn:

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to help my husband and I with some questions. Rather than overwhelm you with them, we'll hit you with a big one first.

How did your older, biological children accept your adopted children? We have... more

Here's a story from the River Current News in Washington state, featuring a family who brought a little boy home from Ethiopia a year ago.

November is National Adoption Awareness Month, a time to celebrate the spirit of adoption, reflect on the lives adoption has impacted and look forward to the connections adoption will provide in the future. This month Carnation residents Doug and Michelle Poage, along with their four children Elizabeth (11), Hannah (8), Mattewos (8), & Kyler (6) will celebrate the one year anniversary of Matte’s arrival and adoption from Ethiopia last November. With three school-aged birth children, the Poages didn’t set out to become adoptive... more

Sweet little girl,

You're two.

We celebrated your birthday this weekend and you were into it every step of the way. Your eyes sparkled with glee each of the half a dozen or so times we sang Happy Birthday to you during the day. You reached up to the counter and stuck your finger in the powdered sugar at the very edge of the cake.

You begged to open your presents before the guests even arrived.You greeted your relatives excitedly when they arrived, then got shy and ran and wrapped your arms around mom's legs needing to be picked up.

For some reason... more