[bekalynn]

Joede,

I wanted to echo Heather's sentiments.

One of the first things I did was start requesting information from agencies. At the time, I was still trying to decide on either international or domestic adoption, so I collected information on both.

If you are interested in an available child, prepare yourself for him/her to have special needs or be a little older, as that is the norm that I've seen in children that are waiting. Heather is right. This route, though possible, isn't the norm.

Once I narrowed my decision down to international, I began my 'research'. Deciding on a country was for easy for DH and I. You might want to check out restrictions and requirements on various countries you are interested in, to determine if you are even eligible.
Gathering documents from the different agencies will also give you suggested costs for the adoption.

Also, check out the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints are lodged against the agency (or agencies) you are interested in. That helped narrow down my choices of two to the one I have picked.

Good luck and congrats on your decision to adopt!