[Skye Hardwick]

Hello Everyone;

Well, with the beginning of the holiday season tomorrow ...I thought this would be a great question.

For those with more open adoptions, what are you planning on getting your child's aMom or bMom (depending whose reading this) for Christmas? What about your child?

Anyone have any suggestions?

And for the aMoms who are reading this post: I suggest for a bMom, things that tie in with the child. For instance, an ornament with the child's name on it. A new frame with the child's Christmas picture in it ...maybe a necklace with the child's birthstone in it.

Last year I got Beth (Emily's aMom) a frame and it had the verse in I Samuel "for this child I prayed" - She really loved it. I also got her a package of bubble bath and lotions from Victoria Secret.

How about you?

My daughter's birthday is on Saturday ...and I am getting her a huge stuffed crocodile. Her fav show is that Crocodile Hunter show. She is such a tom boy, just like I was.

I'd also like to get her a book - whenever I get her books, I am sure to fill out a letter to her on the inside cover. In the past, I had gotten her "The Tale of the Three Trees", "The Velveteen Rabbit", and "Pugnose Has Two Special Families".

Thanks for sharing! Happy Turkey Day! Safe shopping!

Skye

[wraith]

I havent even thought about christmas yet!! my bson will be 2 in a few days though and for that I got him a fisher price truck with little people and a button that plays music when you press it. its addictive, I was playing with it all the way home so I hope it wont drive his parents insane.

[bmLisa]

I am making a scrapbook for my son, hopefully it will be done. I plan to continue making pages for it so he can keep on adding to it.

For Cole's parents, last year I sent them 2 red roses, 2 white roses and 1 pink rose, and it might be something I do every year.

I was at a craft show recently where there was a man and a woman who will make a cd with a lullaby on it customized with names and fun things. The man plays the keyboard, and they both sing adding whatever names you want. It comes with sheet music with the lyrics too. It is really neat, and I am thinking about getting that for Cole as well.

lisa

[GenXMum]

We adults don't usually give gifts to each other over the holidays but every year I send presents to my birth daughter and her little brothers. Last year I bought a unique stocking for each of them and bought lots of little presents and wrapped them.

One of the gifts in the stocking that my birth daughter seemed to appreciate most was a CD compilation of some of my favorite female music artists... like Ani DiFranco, Mary Jane Lamond, Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan...etc. I figured it is stuff she has most likely never heard before and is a good alternative to all the boring Britney Spears-look-alike stuff that is played on most top-40 radio stations these days.

My husband also made a neat compilation CD for her younger brother. (Including some Simpson's songs since he's a big fan of that show.)

It's a lot harder to find the right songs for the CDs this year but it is still my goal to try to do it again.

Happy Holidays to all!

[laurie25]

I have 2 other children that were given up for adoption and about to give up my 3rd.Even though I have open-adoptions with all 3 I will only send Christmas cards out.I only send cards out for special occasions such as these.Just to let them know they are in my thoughts and loved always.

[Skye Hardwick]

Hey GenXMum;

I love Sarah and especially Tori! I've loved Tori for years - fav songs are "Cloud on my Tongue" - "Doughnut Song" - "Siren" - "Cornflake Girl" and "China"

Fav Sarah song is "Do what you have to do" ...and that one off of Stumbling ..lol, I forget the name! It goes ... "The ice is thin, come on dive in, underneath my lucid skin ..."

Alright - enough of my off topic ramblings!

Skye

[schatz]

I've also been planning to make a CD for my daughter with my favorite songs. Ani and Tori are a must but my daughter is only three months old so I'll need to include an advisory.....LOL. I planned to put it in her scrapbook. I don't want to leave out the good stuff but I'll probably make another CD that she could listen to earlier.

[bmLisa]

The CDs are such good ideas! I never thought about doing that before, thanks for the idea. Last Christmas I sent Cole a copy of "Dedicated to the One I Love" by Linda Ronstadt. She sings love songs in a lullaby-upbeat type of way and I just love it.

lisa

[JORDANMODE]

Well I had no idea what to send to ***s family and was not even sure if I should send anything but I decided that while I was shopping for those on "my list" I would just see if anything came to me ... took the cosmic route ... Originally I had planned to bind together a lot of what I have been writing lately and send in a nice ribbon bound form for HER and **** and **** and even her Big Brother I have written him as well on the importance of him in her life ... (don't know if that was overstepping bounds or not even though it is not adoption related just Big Brother related and when she was born and I packed her "stuff" up from the hospital I sent HIM a Big Brother gift Anyway I may still send the letters but I did get each of them something else ... For MY GIRL I got her a stuffed rocking horse ... too cool and too cute ... big enough for her to ride (the first thing I ever bought her was stuffed horse and this was in her basinnett at birth and went home to *** with her .... forHER BROTHER I got the learning toy Leap Pad ... he and my neice are the same age and thats all she talks about ... For *** and **** I selected an Austin Sculpture .... these are beautiful and I as well as my mama and granmama have one. The one I selected was of 2 kids back to back reading .... A lil boy and a lil girl .... so those were my choices for presents ... this is the first year I am sending anything so I hoped they are received well

[musicmama]

You sound like a very sensitive, caring person, and I'm sure your little girl's aparents will be overwhelmed with thankfulness by your gesture of love for them. They are *very blessed* to be involved with a birthmother who desires to be a part of her daughter's life.

We are in the process of adopting an infant girl who will be born in Jan., and the birthmom doesn't want any contact after the baby is born. I understand that open adoption isn't for everyone, and in our situation, having a semi-open/closed relationship is probably for the best, since she is currently in jail, and also in treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, but our little one will most likely have some very hard times in the years to come because of her mother's decision.

Just wanted to encourage you, Cindy. Your Malia will always know you love her! May the Lord be your strength and portion as you continue in your relationship with her and her new family.

{{{HUGS}}} and Blessings!!

Musicmama

[JORDANMODE]

Thank you I appreciate your thoughts and prayers I have read many of your posts and wish you all the luck with your new arrival I however am sooooooo aphresive ... *** and *** have such a full life and they were so good to me while I was pregnant and the life they now are giving MY GIRL is one I could not in my wildest dreams could ever offer her ... I know I have many qualities that are good and will one day benefit ... BUT I wonder if it would be better for me to just receive their letters and send annually an update and photos from my end of the world ... nothing more ... no gifts no writing daily of my thoughts ... (I do not send these to them though maybe 4 times over the past 20 months I have sent them an email ... with my thoughts ) our arrangement was pictures and a letter once a year on her birthday ......... no visits nada ......... they after seeing the bonding ... between her and me and my family my son included ... upped it to every 6 mos ... but they expressed a desire to "stick to that" I will not elaborate SO I remain hesitant in my actions I do not want to disrupt what is an "IDEAL LIFE" and I remain in my mind an "outsider" ........... I guess thats where I belong ... so I guess time will tell ..... when the gifts arrive .... wonder if I should have sent them from Santa and not me

[JORDANMODE]

What a cute gift Looks like I need to go "Duck Hunting"

[GenXMum]

Skye & Schatz - I carefully listened to all the songs and ruled out any of my favorite ones that might have swearing or seemed too controversial. "32 Flavors" is a safe Ani song to include and it's really beautiful too. (Some other female artist covered it a few years ago and it got radio play...however Ani's version is still way better!)

[orangekitty]

I got my son a book from the Discovery store about dinosaurs; it's cute with these googily eyes that on all the pages. I also got him a "pianophone"-this cute xylophone that also has keys, so you can strike the metal notes with mallets or with the keys like a piano. His bdad & I are musical, but the aps are not, so I want to make sure he has access to musical instruments.

I don't know what to get for the aparents this year. On his first Xmas I went overboard & got them several gifts-wine, a nice candle, & something else (forget what). Last year I just got them something small-a paperback of "My Antonia" by Willa Cather. She's an early 20th-century American author. The aps are both of Czech (Bohemian) descent & "My Antonia" is a story about a Bohemian pioneer family.

The amom & I competed in a triathlon together this year; maybe I can find a little keepsake that reminds us of that. Happy shopping ladies!


Cec

[birthmom Chris]

I'm getting my bson a small picture frame to match his bed room design but I will let the afamily pick out the photo that they want to place in it. I have gotten his aparents a tiny glass rose at the Halmark store as a sighn of our love. This year I my burn off a song from my vocalists friends CD. On the disk it has all original songs but she recorded How Great Thou Art. I may burn this as a gift since her & I spent allot of time together during my pregnancy & she is part of my bsons legacy in utero. I have gotten my bson a teddy bear for his 2nd bday. I choose different gifts each year.