Coming to a blog near you - or at least this one.

Every now and then, I go back and re-read some of my old posts. A couple weeks ago, I realized that I would occasionally say write like - "more on that later" or "maybe I'll explain that more later on." So, I'm sortof preparing re-visit some of "that" in February. Sometime there-abouts we'll be in a waiting period of some sort, so updates will be largely about things not directly linked to the process, like getting the room ready, and upcoming "Guatemala night" (more on that later - hehe).

I also noticed that I've been providing more technical updates and fewer "reflections." This will be remedied in the coming months to be sure.

SO, here's a preview of the things I would like to blog about.

1) The "Language" of adoption. This is in some ways a really big deal and in other ways no big deal at all. We're not the least bit obsessed with worrying about political correctness and the like - I always refer to myself as unoffendable. At the same time, there are ways of talking and writing about adoption that one needs to consider. I've learned that some adopting parents are hyper-sensitive to these types of things, but I've also learned that one must speak clearly about the adoption itself so as to accurately explain what's going on. The title of this blog - for instance, might imply that I consider CJ to be a thing, a commodity, to be "gotten" so to speak. But really, I'm talking about how to go about finding a daughter with whom I will share my love by bringing a family together. There are entire chapters of books written about the language of adoption.

2) That brings me to my next future topic - our required readings. We're all finished up with those, and now are supposed to share them with friends and family. Luckily for us - the one we disliked the most is the one we didn't actually buy for ourselves -we borrowed it. The one's we have on our home and ready to lend out are Cross Cultural Adoption and Raising Adopted Children. You might find these at your local library as well, but let me know if you'd like to borrow our copies.

3) Incorporating Guatemalan culture and history. This is something I'm very much looking forward to, not just because of the food, but because history and ancestry intrigues me anyway. I've spend some time researching my own Huguenot background - so why shouldn't Carmen learn about her roots as well? Of course, our roots will be her roots as well. Should be fun!

4) Why a birth mother (specifically a Guatemalan woman) might choose adoption. There are chapters and books written about subjects related to this as well. I can never put myself in someone else's shoes, but it's important to at least try to understand something about the adoption from the birth-parent's perspective.