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BirthMom Buds Bulletin
“Life is like an ice-cream cone, you have to lick it one day at a time.”
What's new with BirthMom
Buds: Just a
little note to keep you up to date with all the great things we are doing!
Adoption Spotlight: Focusing on any adoption or women's issues related web site, organization, individual, or issue.
Adoption Songs
Ideas and Insights: Some ideas for gifts to your birth child or adoptive parents, creative ways to deal with being a birthmom, insight on things to do or say with your buddy, and ways to shed some light about being a birthmom to those who just don't get it.
Scrapbooking 101
Okay, you have
It isn’t hard. It may take you a little while to figure out what your style is and how you like to work, but it will come to you. You just need a few pointers.
I get many ideas on-line. I check out many sites and magazines, like Creating Keepsakes and Oriental Trading to get some ideas and find some supplies. I go to AC Moore and Michael’s to see what they have done. I look at other people who post their pages online and see what grabs me to work. Each person has their own style. After a while you find what works for you and it becomes something that you enjoy to do and look forward to with pleasure instead of “something” that you feel you should be doing.
Buddy of the Month: All of you are appreciated, but each month we will spotlight a different involved member. You can also nominate fellow BirthMom Buds who you think deserve to be buddy of the month. For more info or to nominate a friend, visit the Buddy of the Month Page.
July Buddy of the
Month
Mandy is going
to be taking over the Buddy of the Month column each month and we thought
it would be a good idea to take this month to introduce her to all of you.
I am currently involved with BirthMom Buds and am learning what it is to be an impacting voice for open adoption. I am an adoptee and my adoption was closed, so I am very passionate about open adoption and cannot wait to get my voice out there. Eventually, I would like to be a mentor for birthmoms and girls in unplanned pregnancies.
I am not
married, nor am I parenting any other children. I am currently a nanny
for 3 wonderful children who keep me on my toes. They are fun and cute,
but also very outgoing. It’s going to be an awesome school year. I have a
ton of hobbies!! There is not much that I don't enjoy doing. I
love to scrapbook, watch movies, listen to music, house clean, do One of my favorite quotes is: "So, it's not gonna be easy! It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you. Everyday. Forever. You and Me. Everyday." This is my favorite quotes because I am a hopeless romantic and someday I want a sweet, tall, Christian man to feel this way about me. *insert sigh here*
I am a very
outgoing, compassionate and patient person. If I could sit down and have
coffee with God, I would want him to answer this question: "Why is that
you can stop a flood from ruining the earth, but you could
My
If I was a
cartoon character, I truly believe that I would be Theodore of Alvin and
the Chipmunks. He is a little pudgy around the edges, as am I. But, he is
also very sweet. He loves Dave and his brothers to no end. He is very
loyal and loving, yet also a bit emotional. He is a lover, not a fighter
and I feel that I have a lot in common with the little sweet heart.
I am also a bit of "Steele Magnolias" if you will. In the event that my life was made into a HallMark Special, I truly believe the title would be something along the lines of "Heart Ache and Heart Strings: A Birthmother's Journey to Healing". I truly believe that my life did not take on any significant meaning until I became a birthmom. I grew up and was bred in California so I love palm trees, coconut oil, and sunshine living all year round. But I have restless feet syndrome and I my heart belongs in the South so I’m inching my way there slowly and am now living in Arizona . I hope that you have enjoyed getting to know me and having the chance to learn about some of the "golden nuggets" in my life. As a fellow birthmom, I am wishing you all the best and hoping you are well. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me, I would love to hear from you.
Prayers Please ~ We added this section because so many of you have asked us to remember you or your loved ones in our prayers. We have never wanted to force religion on anyone, so if you don't pray, then skip this section and go on to the next! And if you do pray - add the people listed here to your prayer list. Email Amy with your prayer requests. Jodi's daughter, Savannah, has been in remission (brain cancer) for about a year now but sadly her last MRI showed two new tumors. She will have surgery July 2nd and chemo afterwards so please keep Jodi, Savannah, and their entire family in your prayers.
“My husband goes in for surgery on July 30th. This surgery is dealing with
our fertility problems. He does not do well coming out of surgery. Please
just pray that his surgery will go well, that it will be a successful
solution, and that he will come out of surgery OK.” ~ Amy Schumaker
Birthday Buds:
Founder's Corner: A little section to help keep you up to date with Coley and Lani as they share their lives, their thoughts, and what they're doing with BirthMom Buds. “What? You too? I thought I was the only one!” Do you remember feeling like that as a birthmother? I instantly felt that when I met Lani. Finally, I’d found someone who really got what I was feeling. I know many of you have probably felt that way once you started to meet, talk with, and get to know other birthmothers and because of that you have asked me about brochures and other information that you could pass along to adoption professionals or other birthmothers in order to spread the word about BirthMom Buds. I realized that I have probably not made an announcement to all of our members letting them know that we do have this type of information on hand. We do have a brochure that can either be emailed (in an Adobe PDF file) or mailed via regular mail. We'd love for you to pass them along to the adoption agency, adoption attorneys, etc. that you worked with. Just email us and we will be happy to send you a copy! I appreciate your willingness and enthusiasm about spreading the word about BirthMom Buds. Hugs,
Inspiration: Little things to inspire a birthmom from poems, stories, and quotes to encouraging words.
Pictures
He has pictures
hanging
Remembering Jessica
You blew into our lives with
that big smile and sweet heart.
Newsletter Archives
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I think I started singing right after I
started talking and debuted my talent singing a solo of “I’ve got the Love
of Jesus Down in my Heart” in front of my church at just four years old
and I’ve been singing ever since, whether it was in high school choir or
in the shower! So, it’s no doubt that songs and lyrics mean so much to me
I love how I can slip into a different mood or mind frame or evoke certain
memories or feelings just by hearing a song. 
a box or drawer, or even a memory card full of pictures. Or if you are
like most people I know – you have many. Now you have decided that you
want to start a scrap book but have no idea on how to go about this. You
are asking yourself:
page
and only need 1 or 2. I then choose the papers that I wish to work with
and find anything else I may wish to put on the page.
name is Amanda Dickinson.
My friends and family call me Mandy or "MandyGirl". I live in San Diego,
CA and I am 27 years old. I am a birthmom to two wonderful children;
Alison Bailey who was born on July 2, 2006 and is just a ball of crazy
energy!! Her Brother, Henry Levi has just recently joined us on May 6,
2008 and is just beautiful. They both are such loves. Her adoptive
parents, J and E, are wonderful and extremely loving parents. Great Choice
Mandy!! You Go Girl!!
laundry, workout, drink coffee and journal. Of course, there is more, but
the list is extensive and would take up pages!
Role
Model is my sister. She is an awesome woman of God and an excellent wife.
She always knows what to do in any situation and is the best prayer
warrior that I know. She is the perfect example of the Proverbs 31 wife
and someday, I hope to be able to follow in her footsteps, just on a
different path and in my own shoes. She has really tiny feet!