[BrandyHagz]

ADOPTION.COM FORUMS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Vol. 2 No. 3 March 2006

Welcome to another issue of ADOPTION.COM FORUMS Monthly, bringing you the best and brightest from the Adoption.com discussion forums every month, and an invitation to join in. The support you have to offer or the story you have to tell may be just what someone else needs to hear.
http://forums.adoption.com

THIS MONTH:
* Announcements
* New Addition
* Chat Schedule
* Featured Forum
* Featured Posts
* Member in the Spotlight
* Favorite Stories of the Month
* Journal Entry
* The Photo Gallery

Sponsored by
************************************************** ******
AdoptionShop.com's New CD: Do You Have A Little Love To Share
14 beautiful songs celebrate the shared love that is at the center of adoption. This collection of original words and music, by Janice Kapp Perry and Joy Saunders Lundberg, will touch the hearts of every member of the adoption community, from placing and adopting parents at the beginning of their journeys, to adoptive and birth families
after adoption, to adopted children and adults.
http://www.adoptionmusic.com
************************************************** ******

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Chat Features
Our new chat software has launched! Check out the new chat rooms, such as Guatemala adoption, China adoption, Russia adoption, foster parenting and fertility! Chat is a great place to talk to others about adoption, regardless of your triad position! Visit http://forums.adoption.com/chat/ .

=================================================

NEW ADDITION

A Loud Noise: AdoptionBlogs.com

Adoption Media is pleased to announce the launch of AdoptionBlogs.com, an exciting new network of 26 blogs related to adoption, foster care, fertility, and special needs. We invite you to visit, read, and add your comments.

AdoptionBlogs.com bloggers bring their individual knowledge, experience, and personal style to topics including adopting (international, domestic, stepparent), foster care, crisis pregnancy, parenting (adoptive, birth),
faith-based adoption, birthfamily search, fertility, and special needs. And these individual voices are creating a collective loud noise - sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes reflective, sometimes inspirational, sometimes controversial - but always insightful and thought-provoking.

Our bloggers draw on their personal experience with their topics not only to share tips, family stories, and "how-to" information, but also to delve into deeper issues that are not always talked about - issues that play a
very real part in family life. Topics like "Someone Else's Child," nature vs. nurture, choosing adoptive parents, and school battles between parents and teachers over a child's abilities are some of the issues being explored.

The new blogs at AdoptionBlogs.com have already started gathering an audience with opinions, stories, and information to share (the blogs are open for comments), and many readers tell us they visit one or more every
day to see what's new!

We extend an open invitation to those interested in adoption, foster care, fertility, and special needs to visit, "meet" the bloggers, and join in.

=================================================

CHAT SCHEDULE

Birth Mother Chat, Mondays, 10 pm EST, with FauxClaud in the Birth Parents room

Fost/Adopt - Getting Started, 2nd & 4th Monday, 10 pm EST, with NDN in Hosted room

Russian Adoption Chat, Wednesdays, 9 pm EST, in the Russia Adoption room

International Chats, Mondays, 1 pm EST, in the International room

Foster Adopt, Tuesdays, 9 pm EST, with Luv’mall in the Hosted room

Adoptees, Wednesdays, 9 pm EST, with mlassi in the Hosted room

Adoption Scrapbook and Lifebook, 2nd Wednesday of each month, 9 pm EST, with DianeScraps in the Hosted room

International Adoption, Get-together, every Thursday, 9 pm EST

http://forums.adoption.com/chat

=================================================

FEATURED FORUM

Adoptive Parents Post-Adoption Emotional Issues
A forum for members who are struggling emotionally after an adoption.
http://forums.adoption.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2831

=================================================

FEATURED POSTS

* Revealing Your Child Is Adopted
Adoptive parents discuss adoption disclosure and what it means for their children.
revealing your child is adopted

* Reactions/Support from Friends & Family During Reunion
A discussion about the emotions of adoptees reuniting with their birth families and how their friends and family react.
Reactions/Support from Friends & Family During Reunion

* Stressing Out
A foster parent with her first placement discusses the stress involved in visitation supervision and fostering multiple children who participate in afterschool activities.
Stressing out

* Reunion - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Birth parents discuss the ups and downs of reunions.
Reunion -- the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

=================================================

MEMBER IN THE SPOTLIGHT

FH-SchmennaLeigh, birth mom

Jenna is a birth mom, a wife, a mom and a professional. Due to financial constraints and lack of support from her family, Jenna placed her daughter in open adoption in 2003. While Jenna says she has regrets surrounding her decision, she also says that she deals with those daily. She has been exploring her feelings regarding the placement of her daughter. In fact, she recently found a therapist in her area that is helping her deal with her post-placement emotions and regrets.

Jenna has cultivated a friendship with her daughter’s parents which she treasures. She and Munchkin’s family have become so close that she asked D, Munchkins mom, to be the bridesmaid in her wedding in December 2004. Jenna recently gave birth to a son, Nicholas.

She says she enjoys the forums at Adoption.com because they offer support from all sides of the triad. She enjoys reading the varying
experiences and opinions from everyone. Jenna says she feels that reading from all sides has benefited her, which is why she continues to come back time and time again.

You can read more about Jenna and her story by visiting the Birth Parents in Open Adoption forum, which she hosts.

=================================================

FAVORITE STORIES OF THE MONTH

* My Story, Cross Posted, FH-Taramayrn
If you would have told me 6 years ago that I was to place a child for adoption, I would have laughed at you...
My story, cross posted

* Birth Mom: Who Am I? And What Do You Want from Me?, Mamabee
After 22 years, I was re-united with my daughter in July 2004...
BirthMom: Who am I? and what do you want from me?

* "What Age Are You Willing to Accept?", JLyle
Our social worker is busily working on the home study report and keeps sending questions via e-mail...
"What age are you willing to accept?"

=================================================

JOURNAL ENTRY

Ahimsa, hopeful foster-adopt parent
The Grandfather They'll Never Know - The Final Chapter
http://journals.adoption.com/?do=showentry&e=3943

=================================================

THE PHOTO GALLERY

Volcano Seen from Antigua
http://photos.adoption.com/showimage.php?i=1037

Lya's Referral Photo
http://photos.adoption.com/showimage.php?i=430

Dinner at Lake Atitlan
http://photos.adoption.com/showimage.php?i=469


Watch for ADOPTION.COM FORUMS MONTHLY each month and remember: the post that makes a difference in someone's life could be yours.


'Til next month
The ADOPTION.COM Forums Team


Previous Newsletters
For previous newsletters, visit http://forums.adoption.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2820.


To Unsubscribe
If you would like to unsubscribe from future issues of the Forums Newsletter, please check “NO” in your forums profile where it says “Receive Admin Emails.”