We requested a girl aged 4 - 8. We met Julia one week after her 6th birthday and came home w/her 3.5 months later.
She looks a lot like two of our bio DD, and I am happy about that. When a child looks very, very differently from the rest of the family, it makes him or her a curiousity. Politically incorrect, but true. As it is, as Julia ages, it'll be her choice to tell or not tell new friends about her origins. No one will try to ferret out nuggets of information based on appearance.
Different things work for different families. We already had children. We didn't request any specific characteristics. But I knew I didn't want my family stared at. And I know from whence I speak. I had a disabled brother, and life is seldom kind to one-offs, or their parents or siblings.
If we hadn't already had children, it would have been less of an...issue? That's not the right word. A joy. Joy is the right word. That dark hair and those dark eyes were just a joy to see. And are every day. :-)
Becky
The Woodworth Family in Beautiful San Antonio TX