Well, folks, I was planning on writing a blog this evening on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and adopted children. Either that, or on Masha, that poor girl who was adopted from Russia by a pedophile and then imprisoned for several years before someone figured out what was going on and she was rescued. I also thought I'd do a little bit on post-institutionalization syndrome, or some other cheerful topic like that. Or maybe a little profile on Voronezh, the region where we adopted. I'm starting a section profiling regions in Russia, you see.

But I'm not in the mood for all that seriousness. Rest assured, all those topics will be covered - but not tonight. Tonight is just for fun, because that's what kind of mood I'm in.

First, go to this silly little essay by Doug Weiner, on how his friend got a baby from Siberia. Not hilarious or anything, but somewhat amusing:

The Russians are apparently way ahead of the USA in baby technology. The cost is a bit higher, even ignoring currency exchange rates, but the process is much easier on the mother (she doesn't even break a sweat), and involves the father even more than USAian birthing center. And get this: No breathing exersizes! Amazing!

Finally, this new technology allows Russian babies to be delivered much farther along, developmentally, than even Japanese babies. Irina (Marc's new baby) tested at an incredible 7 months, right out of the package (so to speak). Can you believe that? Their first day back, she was bouncing and grabbing fingers and already on an eating schedule and pretty much doing everything short of changing her own diapers.

You should also check out the website of Sandra Bell-lundy, a cartoonist who does the strip "Between Friends." In her comic strip she did a whole series on fertility and adoption. The archives are on her website. I read a bunch of them and they're quite good. Not laugh-out-loud funny, but definitely worth the read. She has a book available, too.

And finally, here's a cartoon by Dan Wasserman that sums up my feelings about adoption vs. fertility treatments and "having your own" perfectly.