Last month, I was interviewed for GIMH’s first “feature writer” post.  This month, I had the honor of interviewing one of my co-writers here at GIMH, Judy Miller of The International Mom.  Judy’s a gifted mom with a beautiful heart for encouraging and equipping other adoptive...

This morning I completed my first round of genetic testing, an intensely painful endometrial biopsy. On Monday I have an ultrasound and on Friday I see a geneticist – my mother beside me to help answer questions about my own family history. Why all this? I am lucky enough to have a brilliant OBGYN...

The Day of the Black Christ is an annual holiday in Guatemala. Sounds a little creepy to me but in actuality, the Black Christ is the most revered Catholic shrine in all of the region. Thousands pay homage to it every year in the Guatemalan town of Esquipulas. Esquipulas was the site of the original...

In our house the Christmas season extends through January 6th.  This is because our youngest son was born in Guatemala and we have assimilated his native culture into our family. Similar to other Latin American countries, Guatemalans celebrate Dia de los Tres Reyes (Day of the Three Kings). It is widely...

I have not personally tried these but my husband has and he loves them (he spent quite a bit of time in Puerto Rico). Fried Plantains are a traditional holiday treat in Guatemala. Although they are native to Africa, plantains have become very common in Southern American. There are many ways to prepare...

I used to talk with friends at lunch about how I was preparing myself for the “worst”…reading up on FAS, sensory issues, making sure I baby-proofed everything and they thought I was crazy. They told me that that having children was supposed to be easy. That attachment and bonding came...

My boys are polar opposite. They hail from opposite sides of the world. One is habitually happy, the other walks a tightrope. One dances, one hits. One cuddles, one shies away. But, that is what makes a family, right? It’s what bonds brothers…at least I hope. They both inadvertently posed...

The tiny town of Santiago Sacatepequez in Guatemala is famous for its annual gigantic kites festival on el Dia de Todos los Santos, Day of the Dead or All Saints’ Day. The gigantic kites, barriletes gigantes, were originally flown as a way to remember and connect to ancestors. “Up to 40 feet...

This morning, after waking countless times to feed Gus’s hungry tummy, rock him, or soothe his gentle spirit, he finally fell back to sleep next to me on the bed. And he laughed as loud as he would if he had been awake. A sweet baby sleep giggle and a smile so innocent I almost couldn’t...

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