Hi Doreen - I too am a member of the same site that you are and have been following your journey (I don't post very often there as I got slammed big time by a current and fairly prominent member who is a mother of adoptive Russian children)
This is a great forum - you find helpful, empathetic people who will not take advantage of you, flame you etc. We are all adoptive (or soon to be adoptive) parents and we love this forum and we love helping newbies (or oldies
) here.
You received great advice above and the best advice someone gave me .... just go with the flow - you will be taken care of ROYALLY!!! There will be nothing they forget to do for you - it is amazing that you could really just close your eyes and let them lead you thru the process. Once you are on Russian soil - listen to everything they tell (things to do - or not to do) you - they know this process and what works and what doesn't.
Just enjoy the time meeting your little man. Enjoy seeing the sites of your sons birth country and learn as much as you can about his region. It will be priceless as he grows and starts remembering his past and asks questions (and boy do they).
Leave a disposable camera with the orphanage and ask that they take pics in between your trips - leave your little man something to remember you so when you come back he will have it (like a blanket or a picture of you) - we took a Polaroid camera (yup they still make them) and took pics of the 3 of us and left them in a picture book - our son was 15mos old....
Congrats on your journey - it is amazing and so fun (and goes by sooooo quickly).
Welcome !!!!