About

I am a thirty-something writer, editor and photographer living in Ohio with my husband and two sons. I am also a birth mother involved in a fully open adoption since 2003. That’s what this blog is about. For Frequently Asked Questions about my thoughts on adoption and blogging, visit my FAQ. For a bit more about me, read on.

If you’d like to look at my resume, which is in constant need of updating, go ahead and visit my professional site. Otherwise, I will tell you a little bit about my adoption story, my professional adoption credentials and other bits of pertinent information.

(Brief) Adoption Story

In 2003 I got pregnant with the little girl referred to on this blog as the Munchkin. At 18 weeks, I had to have surgery on my right kidney due to a previously unknown (to me or my doctors) kidney disorder. I was placed on bedrest and unable to work. I contacted a highly unethical adoption facilitator out of California in a moment of panic. (Read an adoptive parent’s point-of-view on ANLC.) The rest is history, though the silver lining is that I was matched with an amazingly ethical family who kept their promises despite the fact that open adoption was not legally binding at the time in the state of Pennsylvania. Since then I have been living in a fully open adoption relationship with my daughter and her family. Her parents eventually divorced and my daughter’s mom remarried and, thankfully, my daughter’s step-dad is supportive of our relationship. We visit roughly four times per year, give or take.

Speaking and Writing About Adoption

I have been involved in speaking out about my story for all but that first year of relinquishment. (I did blog my entire journey as well.) This blog launched in 2006 as a way to deal with the emotions that accompany lifelong grief and loss.

In 2006 I was also featured in an MSBNC piece about adoption. I have spoken at a few adoption conferences, including the Encountering New Worlds of Adoption conference at the University of Pittsburgh in 2007 and another in Cleveland in 2009. In May 2008, I was published in Redbook regarding the “darker” sides of motherhood. As I also talk about other issues that related to adoption, like teen pregnancy, I was quoted in a CNN.com piece about the Teen Mom phenomenon. In May 2011, I was published in The Adoption Constellation magazine where I shared about my Mothers’ Day experiences. I regularly write about adoption topics for BlogHer.com as the Family Section Editor for the site. I blogged for AdoptionBlogs.com about birth mother issues for three and a half years as well.

Just Me

As for who I am outside of my adoption story and my adoption writings and work? I’m a normal human being, I promise. I am a mom to two great boys who keep me on my toes. I am a wife to a professional firefighter. I write about those two things over at Stop, Drop & Blog. I really do love photography. I am retraining myself to run. I adore books of all kinds. And I really do kind of love my life. It’s not always easy, but it’s mine.

Contact

If you would like to contact me, please feel free to use my contact form. You CAN email me at firemom at stopdropandblog dot com, but with my high spam filter, you are not guaranteed entrance to my inbox. The contact form will make it through and is your best chance at a first contact. Promise!

I’m also available via twitter: @FireMom.