As with all topics of this nature, I am not an expert. In fact, I know very little on this topic other than what I've read. I encourage everyone to consult with their personal physician if you have questions.

In Adoptive Families there was an article on speech development by Karen Gorman that I found interesting. For the most part the parents of Korean adoptees luck out in the speech categories. One of the biggest causes of speech issues in adopted children is living in orphanages and other institutions.... more

The Ethiopia Adoption Blogger wrote a post about her Korean son needing glasses and I read it with some nostalgia. After all, I was given my first pair of glasses right before I started kindergarten. I also made the comment that I hated going to the eye doctor because he always used to tell me to open my eyes wider. I have Korean eyes and they just don’t open as wide as the average Caucasian eyes. It was frustrating.

So, I started thinking about other ways that Korean adoptees weren’t... more

Getting fit has been on my mind lately. Where I work, my department has challenged another department to lose weight and get fit in 2006. Our two departments weighed ourselves as a group (no one would do it individually) on a big freight scale and the race is on. The group with the largest percentage of weight loss and the most steps taken (we are all wearing pedometers) wins. Anyhow, it’s a lot of fun and everyone is watching out for everyone else.

So, when I was scanning through the forums and I came across some posts on weight and Korean adoption, I thought... more

Hepatitis B – it’s a disease that has the power to strike fear into a prospective parent of a Korean adoptee. The word disease generally has people running in the other direction. We hear about it because it is more common among Asians and the adoption agencies have a duty to make sure people understand what it is before they adopt. So, what is it all about?

What is Hepatitis B? It is a virus that is transmitted through fluids like blood.

How likely is it that an adopted child will have Hepatitis B? According to an... more

Have you ever tried to catch a two year old who is covered in lotion? Come to think of it, have you ever tried to catch a two year old? I have tried to do both. The lotion adds an extra element of difficulty to the process.

Where am I going with this? Well, I was chasing my son last night and it came to me in a flash of brilliance. Here was another topic for my blog. This topic is so serious and life altering that I have to fill it with useless comedy so that parents and future parents don’t scream in terror. It’s the curse of the dry skin. A curse that... more

I hate milk. I have always hated milk. Unfortunately, I don’t hate ice cream and cheese. I am lactose intolerant.

I read somewhere that about 90% of Asians are lactose intolerant. This is definitely one of those times where I wish I wasn’t in the majority. Being lactose intolerant is definitely not fun.

What is lactose intolerance? It is the inability to digest lactose (which is a sugar in milk and dairy). Our bodies are supposed to produce an enzyme that breaks down lactose. If you are lactose intolerant, you cannot digest lactose... more

The information in this blog has to do with the article that I posted in my last blog (The Mongolian Spot – The Article). I suggest you read that one first.

When I first came, my mother’s aunt changed my diaper and came to my mother upset. She was sure that someone had hurt or was hurting me. She was concerned about the bluish mark on my buttocks that looks like a bruise.

My Mongolian Spot has long since disappeared and now I have the same issue with my son. Though I know that they vary in size and coloration, my son’s is very light and very small. Most people don’t even notice it. However, here are some things that you will want to do no matter how noticeable it is:

1.... more

WHAT ARE THEY? Mongolian Blue Spots are flat birthmarks with wavy borders and irregular shapes, common among people of Asian, East Indian, African, and Latino heritage. They may be seen in about 10% of Caucasians to over 90% of African Americans. Bluish gray to deep brown to black skin markings, they often appear on the base of the spine, on the buttocks and back and even sometimes on the ankles or wrists. Mongolian spots may cover a large area of the back. The pigmented area has large concentrations of skin cells called melanocytes, with normal skin texture. They commonly appear at birth or shortly after birth and may look like bruises. Example of Mongolian Spot Image... more