Adoptive Mom Life | Open Adoption, Adoptive Parenting, Birth Family, Christian Community, Biblical Encouragement

Happy New Year, friends!   In today’s episode, we’re starting a three-part series on self-care as it pertains to adoption. In Part I, we’re discussing self-care while you wait to adopt a child, from setting solid boundaries, to allowing yourself time to feel, to finding meaning along the way.   I pray this encourages you! Don’t forget to join our private Facebook group for waiting mamas. We also h...

Merry Christmas! This episode just so happens to be posted on Christmas Day!   For all of you mamas who are dealing with emotions on yet another year without a child in the home, I want to encourage you with some scripture for such a time as this.   I pray this encourages you to seek God’s perfect peace and His plan over your own when it comes to growing your family through adoption.    Praying fo...

It can feel overwhelming thinking about your first meeting with a birth mother, birth father, or birth family. You want to put your best foot forward, but it feels like a fragile situation — one where emotions on both sides are sky-high.   In this episode, my husband and I have a candid conversation about what it’s like to meet a birth family and what we’ve learned from these interactions as adopt...

Ever feel like a fraud or imposter as a mama or mama-to-be? I know I have.   First of all, what is imposter syndrome? By definition, it’s the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills.   Are you waiting to adopt a child and feel like a fraud evening thinking of yourself as a mom? Or are you holding yo...

In today’s podcast, we’re discussing simplifying holidays with little kids, especially if your family was made possible by adoption.    Everything we talk about applies to ALL families with little kids (probably aged 10 and under), but we’re looking at this through the lens of adoption.    This may or may not look different for your family depending on your child’s needs, but I think it’s safe to...

What do holiday dinners, weekend game nights, and summer vacations all have in common?   They're all traditions that bring families closer together. This goes for ALL families. When a child joins a family through adoption, one of the most important ways to build connection and a sense of belonging is through family traditions and rituals.   Whether you’re raising “heartgrown” littles or waiting to...

Where are all my mamas at?! So often, I’m talking to mamas who are waiting to adopt, but sometimes I feel that my current moms are left behind. But I’m in the same season as you - doing the mom thing, raising small kids, doing school drop-offs, chaperoning field trips, packing lunches, fighting screen battles, reading bedtime stories and having hard conversations.   What if I told you that good da...

Hey friends! We are on the fifth and final week of our series called, A Series on Waiting Well.   Over the past few weeks, we have talked about getting our physical bodies, finances, faith and our marriages in tip-top shape as a way to be ready when we get The Call, but also as a way to use this time wisely and wait well.   In this episode, we’re going to dive into all aspects of getting our home...

Hey friends! We are on the FOURTH week of a new series called, A Series on Waiting Well.   Over the past few weeks, we have talked about different aspects of our physical bodies, finances and our marriages.   When we are expecting a child by adoption, I like to call it being pregnant without a due date. This season of waiting can be a time of confusion, frustration and nothingness…OR it can be a t...

Hey friends! In this episode, which is part of our Series on Waiting Well, we dive into budgeting, finding ways to save, creating an emergency fund, creative ways to supplement your current income, and of course, praying about all of it!   I hope this inspires you and allows you more financial freedom while you raise your babies or await your child through adoption.   Disclaimer: In light of being...

Before you welcome a child, whether it be your first or third, having your marriage in a strong place sets the tone for a healthy home.  Whether you’ve been married 5 or 15 years, marriage takes work!   In this episode, I talk about ways you can better connect with your spouse, from continuing to prioritize date night (or date day!), to attending marriage retreats, to doing something your spouse e...

Hey friends! We are starting a BRAND NEW series today called A Series on Waiting Well. Over the next few weeks, we will dive into different aspects of our body, faith-walk, finances and home.   I’m a firm believer in using this time wisely. How can we improve every area of our lives while we wait? Because the waiting part…that’s inevitable. What we do with this time matters. And I believe we can i...

Ever feel like self-care is selfish and unnecessary?  Ever say something like, “Oh, I’d love to do that but I just don’t have time!”   Today I want to challenge you to shift your mindset. What if self-care was more like a vitamin, taken to benefit your overall health? What if I said taking care of yourself, both physically and emotionally, would help you pour into others in a more impactful way?  ...

In this heartfelt (and sometimes teary-eyed) episode, I talk about losing my daddy just a few months ago, followed by the loss of my son’s biological grandfather. Two wonderful grandfathers: one by biology and the other by adoption. Two significant losses for our family in such a short time span.   I discuss how we told the kids, how we are continuing to navigate things as they start to sink in, a...

Welcome back, everyone! In this episode, I’m talking about the BEST children’s adoption-related books to stock your nursery while you wait, add to your registry, buy for your child, or gift a friend!   I go through a summary of each book, the look of the cover, the content, and how “giftable” each one is.   I’ll also go over a few of the benefits of reading to your child, especially as it relates...

Do you struggle with feelings of sadness after you’ve adopted your long-awaited, very prayed-for child?   Or maybe you feel grief or guilt that won’t let up. Mamas, I’m here to tell you that you’re normal and it’s okay to feel sad post-adoption.   In this episode, I’ll share a few examples as to WHY you might be sad, from reality and expectations not aligning, to sleep deprivation, to PADS, to tra...

In this episode, we discuss positive adoption language – in other words, are you choosing your phrases or terms wisely when speaking about your child or child’s birth family? Maybe YOU are, but what about your inner circle?   We’ll discuss common phrase mistakes and what to say INSTEAD. We will even talk about really sweet things people say that actually aren’t true or helpful!   In Proverbs 31:26...

Calling all moms with sensitive or easily overwhelmed kids!   Is your child highly sensitive, have anxiety, ADHD, a sensory processing disorder, or just seem to have a hard time transitioning to the home environment after school?  We had a hard time with this, too.   Between the uncertainty as to what we were *supposed* to be doing, to our constant meltdowns from being over-tired and over-stimulat...

Waiting to grow your family through adoption can be lengthy, hard, or just downright frustrating some days. In today’s podcast, I want to share some mindfulness and gratitude practices, and even some physical habits you can implement today to make this wait just a little more bearable.   From gratitude journaling, to body scans, to nature walks, to finding your tribe – we’ve got a whole lot to cov...

Hey friends! This episode was a fun one to record. It takes me back to the excitement (and even uncertainty!) I felt when we had completed the mountain of paperwork, finished the home study and were officially a “waiting family.”   It was hard not to go crazy and buy a lot of baby items, or allow loved ones to throw us a baby shower, but we held off, and instead got only the essentials so we could...

In today’s episode, I want to talk about what open adoption is so that you may be better prepared to navigate this often “scary” part of adoption. We’ll dive into topics such as: What is open adoption, anyway? What does having contact look like? Who does open adoption benefit? Is it hard? How do I establish boundaries from the beginning?

This one's for all the mamas out there getting ready for back-to-school time! If your babies are BIG kids now and they're headed into the school year, tune in while I talk about my favorite (tested and approved!) gear, from backpacks to baskets to planners for all things #momlife! Earthley

Today we're talking about approaching the adoption journey as a team with your spouse. On this episode, I challenge you to do two things:  1) Ask your husband how you can be praying for him.  2) Journal prompt: If it were just the two of us, would I still be okay? Then ask the Lord to match your desires to His will for your family. 

Hey friends! Welcome to the Heartgrown Mama podcast.  This is a quick intro to who I am and the type of content you can expect in future episodes.  I hope this podcast brings you encouragement -- whether you're waiting to bring home your child, or while you're busy raising your beautiful family. Make sure to subscribe and stick around for more episodes!