Boy Mom

To raise boys into men feels sacred & important. Maybe I overthink everything (I do), but maybe it’s because I feel the way society has (quite poorly) raised men so far is due to not thinking enough.

Im not a man-hater. I don’t think alllll men suck. Im aware there are plenty of women who kinda suck too.

Regulate Yourself

How many times have I failed to regulate a child when I myself am dysregulated? 10/10. We cannot help our children regulate if we are not regulated.

Practicing regulating skills while regulated —together— is an amazing way to teach our kids these skills. Plus it lowers their frequency of becoming dysregulated, if we are frequently actively grounding ourselves.

Categories of Openness in Adoption

In 2014 I figured a closed adoption was all I’d be willing to be a part of. It would be too confusing for a child to have BOTH families in their life. What if they tried to kidnap MY kid back?? I was sure I knew all about it.

Then I started reading & educating myself. LOL joke was on me because really quickly I realized my (falsely placed) confidence in what I “knew” was...so off.

My Kids Demand My Healing

“We don’t support adopting {an infant} while pregnant. If you’re pregnant, agencies won’t allow you to adopt. Virtual twinning is frowned upon.”

We had driven an hour to her Beaverton office for our final home study visit. We’d soon receive our official home study license & immediately submit our applications to 5 agencies across the nation + apply for a number of grants. 3 days later I’d test ➕ for pregnancy.

My Freeze Response

My throat physically closes in on itself when asked or trying to be truly vulnerable & state my deepest needs. I find myself rubbing my neck, trying to squeeze the air through, sure the unsafe space is going to choke me. My whole body feels heavy and empty all at once, I want to dissolve into thin air and escape, hoping my inability to speak will make me invisible. I’d categorize this as the freeze response.