By: jodi

jodi — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 17:03:56 +0000

Colleen – thanks for the tip! Those are really great suggestions. I hope we won’t have to make two trips. I’d just as soon live in Ukraine for a month if need be, but you never know, and sometimes ideas like the one you shared have more than one application.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 04:42:16 +0000

Congratulations! You are moving along! I hope you get to go over there soon!!

By: Colleen

Colleen — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 03:46:41 +0000

Just in case you have to make more than 1 trip(we did and it was totally worth it!), I would advise you to bring the following: a backpack filled with a soft toy, crayons, playdough etc., and a photo album, preferably one that records short messages with the photos, and if not, then a tape player and recording of you and your husband singing, speaking English, saying the child’s name etc. When my husband and I had to leave because of a waiting period, we hired a college student who spoke English to visit our daughter several times a week until we returned. She brought the backpack, played with her, and showed her the photo album that we had filled with photos of us, our home, her room, the 3 of us together, etc. We had the kind that records, so she heard “Twinkle Twinkle” and “This is Mama and I love you” and her name, and all kinds of things. The one on one attention was great for her, plus it really helped her remember us, and the person we hired emailed us after each visit which made us feel so much better. Even if you couldn’t find a person to visit your child, the nurses at the orphanage could at least keep a photo or 2 of you in sight.

Comments on: Adoption Process – Week 29

By: jodi

By: Michelle

By: Colleen