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17
May

Tips and Tricks for Taking Photos of Babies

By Annie

Baby PhotographyInspired by this week’s post from Cup of Jo, we’ve scoured the web for the best tips and tricks to getting great photos of your children. So whether you’re preparing your profile photos as you begin the adoption process again or are anxious to capture every Kodak moment once your little one arrives, read on for tips from the pros.

1. Lighting is key. A flash might startle your child and ruin a candid moment, so get as much natural light in the room as possible, face your child toward the light if you can or even take the shoot outside.

2. But timing is everything. Think about when your child last ate or slept and if he or she is overstimulated by visitors or strangers, and try to plan your shoot around that. A soothing distraction like a favorite snack or toy could be incorporated into the photos, or you could even take pictures of your child sleeping.

3. Shoot what you want to remember. What’s the cutest thing he or she is doing right now? Is it the way he furrows his brow when he hears your voice or how she purses her lips when she’s upset? Is it the grip she has on your finger? Is it the determination on his face as he pulls himself up in his crib? Try to catch these candid expressions and actions.

4. Shoot what a birth parent might … Continue Reading

13
May

Newsletter Recap – May 10, 2013

By Annie

Newsletter RecapTo read the contents from last week’s newsletter, visit the following blog posts:

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend! - No matter where you are in the adoption process, our round-up of links has got something that could be helpful for you. We hope you all had a great weekend with the women in your lives! Florida Home Study 101 Tele-Seminar in May! - Calling all Florida residents! Let us help you begin the adoption process with an adoption home study on April 23rd! Come See Us for an Adoption Seminar in Florida in September! - We’ll be in Tampa, Florida on Saturday, September 14th! Please Note: Our Phoenix seminar has been cancelled due to a lack of interest at this time, but will be rescheduled at a later date. Adoptive Family Summer Get-Together - Ever wanted to meet up with other families with adopted children? This summer, you’ll have your chance. A Kansas City area adoption play group is hosting a picnic on July 20th in Overland Park, Kansas, and welcomes all adoptive families to attend – no matter where you are in your adoption journey! For more information about the event, you can email adoptive mom Carrie at jeff.carrie1@gmail.com. Please note: Although American Adoptions adoptive families will be in attendance, this is not an American Adoptions-sponsored event. However, there will be American Adoptions staff members in attendance.

10
May

Wishing You a Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!

By Annie

Mother's Day 2013American Adoptions wishes you and yours a happy Mother’s Day weekend! Whether you’re a birth mother, adoptive mother, first mother, forever mother or expectant mother – waiting to adopt or pregnant – we want to thank you for considering and choosing adoption.

It’s hard to put into words the feelings that come with becoming a mother, but below you’ll find moving quotes from two wonderful women we’ve had the pleasure of working with:

“The moment I saw her, there was nothing else that mattered more than her,” birth mother Randi says of her daughter. “It was overwhelming because I’d never felt that before. I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve never held or made anything so important. It was like a step back from reality, so many emotions, one word doesn’t explain it.”

“It was one of those moments where she was sleeping, but I instinctively wanted to run over and pick her up, start smooching on her and cuddling her,” adoptive mother Shannon says. “We both felt an immediate connection to that baby, even though we didn’t watch her grow in my stomach, didn’t feel her kick, and didn’t see her ultrasound. But we knew she was ours, and we immediately felt that parental bond with her. It was just like we imagined – she was our baby the moment we laid eyes on her.”

The following links are full of information for women, no matter where … Continue Reading

9
May

A Great Keepsake for Adoptive Mothers and Birth Mothers Alike

By Annie

Necklace for Adopted DaughterAs we approach Mother’s Day weekend, we wanted to share a great keepsake idea – for adoptive parents, adopted children and birth parents alike – from one of our adoptive families.

When Jerry and Laura were matched with their first daughter Sofie’s birth parents almost three years ago, they were blessed to lay the foundation for a good relationship with Sofie birth parents and extended birth families. Laura was even in the delivery room at Sofie’s birth.

As their relationship developed, Laura knew she wanted to create some kind of a keepsake that would be special for her future child and her child’s birth parents.

While trolling online, she came across a company making commemorative paw prints for animals that had passed away out of precious metal clay (PMC). She thought to herself, “wouldn’t that be cool with fingerprints?”

Laura found a local jewelry store in Colorado called Bead-It that could help her work with the silver clay. “I told her, I’d like to do four fingerprints because we have four parents involved,” Laura says. “And I’m not quite sure about shapes. We just kind of brainstormed the butterfly, and she did a beautiful job!”

Necklace for Birth MotherLaura also made a keepsake for Sofie’s birth parents with a fingerprint from their daughter. The couple keeps in touch with Sofie’s … Continue Reading

3
May

Florida Adoption Seminar in September!

By Annie

Come see us in Florida on September 14th for an Adoption 101 Seminar!

Our free adoption seminars for adoptive families help families learn the basics of adoption and more about what American Adoptions has to offer. Watch this video with Adoptive Family Coordinator Mike Aguilar to learn more:

An American Adoptions Adoptive Family Coordinator will answer all of your questions about domestic adoption and more at our free adoption seminar for adoptive families. Topics of discussion include:

The differences between domestic, international and state adoption American Adoptions’ advantages over other adoption professionals Details on the domestic adoption process Common myths concerning domestic adoption

Attendees will  hear from an adoptive family that adopted through American Adoptions, and each adoption seminar wraps up with Q&As so that attendees can ask any questions they may have about American Adoptions and the adoption process.

floridaDate: Saturday, September 14th, 2013

Time: 10:00 AM (EST)

Where: Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore
2225 N. Lois Avenue
Tampa Bay, FL 33607

Notes: There is no cost to attend this seminar.

Pre-registration is required. To pre-register, email an Adoptive Family Coordinator AF.Coordinators@americanadoptions.com or call 1-800-ADOPTION. Please provide your name, phone number(s) and how many will be attending. Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding our seminars for adoptive families as well.

1
May

Share an Adoption Badge on Your Blog or Website

By Annie

Badge 1Show your support for adoption or spread adoption awareness with one of our adoption badges!

We’ve got an adoption badge for everyone, whether you’re waiting to bring baby home, have already been blessed by adoption or simply love and support adoption.

Want to add a badge to your personal blog or website? Simply copy the provided code and add it to your page. Adding a badge creates an easy link back to our blog, helping to create more exposure for American Adoptions and our waiting families as well! Check them out today and show your support for adoption!

And if you have an adoption blog you’d like to share, send us the link to editors@americanadoptions.com.

29
Apr

Newsletter Recap – April 26, 2013

By Annie

Newsletter RecapNational Infertility Awareness Week

This week has been National Infertility Awareness Week sponsored by Resolve.org. It’s estimated that 1 in 6 couples get diagnosed with infertility every year and that more than 7 million American women are affected by infertility issues. Many of these couples experience successful fertility treatments, while others pursue medical intervention without success before turning to adoption. Still others know that adoption is right for them as soon as (or even before!) they learn they cannot have children biologically.

During National Infertility Awareness Week, we’ve been sharing some of our educational videos, which can help a couple move from infertility to adoption, on our blog and through social media. Adoptive Family Specialist Kelli Cox shares her insight from helping hundreds of families along the journey from infertility to adoption. Visit the blog to watch videos on the following topics:

Are you ready to move from infertility to adoption? Infertility and Grief and Loss Can you love an adopted child like a biological child? What if my spouse is struggling with adoption?

Or you can visit the Infertility to Adoption section of our website to learn more.

Adoptive Family Summer Get-Together in Overland Park, KS

Ever wanted to meet up with other families with adopted children? This summer, you’ll have your chance. A Kansas City area adoption play group is hosting a picnic on July 20th in Overland Park, Kansas, … Continue Reading

29
Apr

Thanks for Your Support of the Birth Mother Scholarship!

By Annie

On April 13th, we held our annual Birth Mother Scholarship Fundraiser, which included a raffle, silent auction and trivia competition at the Sports Cave in Overland Park, KS. The event was a huge success and a lot of fun for all who attended!

This year, we raised approximately $15,000 in proceeds for our scholarship fund, 43 percent above our goal, making it our largest fundraiser to date. One hundred percent of these proceeds will go toward our Scholarship Fund, which supports birth mothers who have placed a child for adoption through our agency.

Around 70 businesses and retailers in the Kansas City area donated their services and products to the silent auction and raffle including Buca Di Beppo, Encounters Salon and Day Spa, Family Tree Nursery, Kansas City Steak Company, JSI Photography, Kansas City Royals, Sporting KC, Massage Envy, Kosama, Ssekos Designs, Southmoreland on the Plaza, Steve Bird at Permanent Paving, Thirsty Palette and Rau Construction.

We also want to extend a special thanks to the folks at Sports Cave, Shaun at Xtreme Trivia and Shannon at ADA Fundraising for supplying our venue, trivia and silent auction items and to Jason Nivens and the folks at 98.9 the Rock for promoting our event.

We are also blessed with support from other members of the adoption community, including Scott Nehrbass, Kevin Kenney, Felice Webster, Jean Cavaliere, Marni Denenberg, Michael Belfonte, Peter Wiernicki, Scott Myers, Gary Patton, Mary Beck, Chris Feld, Kelley Law Firm, Dexter and Moffitt, Wayne Mott and Shorstein and … Continue Reading

25
Apr

Florida Home Study 101 Tele-Seminar in May!

By Annie

Adoption Seminar for Florida ResidentsCalling all Florida residents! Let us help you begin the adoption process with an adoption home study!

An adoption home study is a basic overview of your life and home environment. It includes a review of you, your spouse, and anyone else living in your home and highlights items such as your relationships and interactions with children, your home and neighborhood, your childhood and your finances. A home study also verifies requisite documents and background checks needed for an approved home study. An adoption home study is required in every adoption and helps the court system, judges and our agency determine if a stable environment exists for a family to receive an adoptive placement.

Initially, the home study process can be intimidating to some families, but American Adoptions helps make the process easy and stress-free. Our Home Study Tele-Seminar will cover the process to obtain an approved home study in Florida. We will also answer frequently asked questions from adoptive families including the overall cost for a home study, the time frame to expect for completion, how to get started, and what the State of Florida specifically requires of adoptive families regarding supporting documents and home visits.

Florida Adoption SeminarDates and Locations:

Date: Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013
Time: 7:00 P.M. EST
Where: Tele-Seminar for Florida Residents
Notes: This conference … Continue Reading

25
Apr

What if My Spouse is Struggling with Adoption?

By Annie

Throughout this week, National Infertility Awareness Week, we’ve been sharing some of our educational videos, which can help couples as they transition from infertility to an adoption plan. During this transition, it’s especially important for a couple to be on the same page and to have both reached acceptance that they will not be able to have a child biologically. Below Adoptive Family Specialist Kelli Cox talks about why it’s important for both spouses to be equally ready to move forward with adoption.

To learn about signs that your spouse may not be ready to pursue adoption, visit What if a Spouse is Struggling with Adoption? or visit the Infertility to Adoption section of our website.

25
Apr

Can You Love an Adopted Child Like a Biological Child?

By Annie

During this National Infertility Awareness Week, we’re sharing some of our educational videos. One of the questions that many families have as they move from infertility to making an adoption plan is whether or not they will bond and become attached to an adopted child the same as a biological child. Below Adoptive Family Specialist Kelli Cox talks about how attachment and bonding happens for adoptive couples in different ways.

To read more on this topic, visit Will I Love an Adopted Child as Much as a Biological Child? or check out the Infertility to Adoption section of our website.

24
Apr

Infertility and Grief and Loss

By Annie

As part of National Infertility Awareness Week, we’re sharing some of our educational videos. Part of moving from infertility to adoption is about acknowledging and experiencing a grief and loss process. Below Adoptive Family Specialist Kelli Cox explains the grief and loss process associated with infertility.

To learn more about the specific stages and emotions you might be feeling during the grief and loss process that accompanies infertility, read Infertility and the Grief and Loss Process or visit the Infertility to Adoption section of our website.

24
Apr

Are You Ready to Move from Infertility to Adoption?

By Annie

This week is National Infertility Awareness Week. It’s estimated that 1 in 6 couples get diagnosed with infertility every year and that more than 7 million American women are affected by infertility issues. Many of these couples experience successful fertility treatments, while others pursue medical intervention without success before turning to adoption. Still others know that adoption is right for them as soon as (or even before!) they learn they cannot have children biologically.

During National Infertility Awareness Week, we’re sharing some of our educational videos, which can help a couple move from infertility to adoption. Adoptive Family Specialist Kelli Cox shares her insight from helping hundreds of families along the journey from infertility to adoption.

The first place to start is to ask yourself: Are we ready for adoption?

To learn more about this topic, read Is Your Family Ready for Adoption? or visit the Infertility to Adoption section of our website.

17
Apr

Duck Dynasty’s Personal Connections to Adoption

By Annie

Duck Dynasty and AdoptionIf you’re anything like some of our staff members, you’ve fallen for the funny, Southern and honest-to-a-fault stars of Duck Dynasty. The show follows the Robertson family, who became wealthy from their family-owned and operated duck call business. The show is back for its third season this spring and continues to be one of the most-watched shows on cable, drawing a record 8.6 million viewers during its 2-episode season 3 premier.

Imagine our delight to learn that William “Willie” Robertson and his wife Korie are proud adoptive parents! Check out the video below to hear about how adoption has impacted their lives:

You can read about other famous adoptions on our blog and website!

17
Apr

ICWA Adoption Case Making News at the Supreme Court

By Annie

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard testimony regarding the case titled Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, which has come to be better known in the media as the Baby Veronica case.

The case involves the custody of a child of Hispanic, Caucasian and Native American descent, who was placed for adoption by her birth mother. Although the adoptive couple, Matt and Melanie Capobianco, and Veronica’s birth mother Christinna Maldonado believe that Dusten Brown, the child’s birth father, was given proper notification of the adoption, he contested the adoption four months after placement and took custody of Veronica (then 27 months, now 3 and a half) in December 2011.

As a member of the Cherokee tribe, Brown is entitled to special parental rights to his daughter under the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). ICWA was passed in 1978 after it was brought to the attention of Congress that as many as one-third  of Indian children were being forcibly removed from their homes and placed into foster care and with non-Indian families (according to an amicus brief submitted by former and current members of Congress). The law was passed to erect barriers to adoption outside the tribe, thus ensuring that Indian families were kept together and that Native American history and culture would be preserved for future generations.

By invoking his ICWA rights, Brown was able to contest the adoption four months after Veronica was born. Brown is a resident of Oklahoma, the state where Veronica was born, while the … Continue Reading

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