[spaypets]

Mazel Tov!

Well, one thing you'll need to ask is about the policies of the mikvah. In some areas, they are controled by the Orthodox shul and they only let conversions happen if you promise to raise the child Orthodox.

Never fear, that only means you'll have to find a natural body of water in which to dip your son. In our case, the mikvah did not have such restrictions, but we chose to have the conversion done in our own pond because it would be more meaningful to us.

Most rabbis are very familiar with adoption, including international adoption, because so many Jewish families are being created that way. It's absolutely appropriate for him to make an announcement on Shabbat and there are a number of blessings--my rabbi recited one thanking G-d for miracles when I walked in with our dd--that he can say. I think she also recited the she'hechianu -- thanking G-d for bringing us to this season.

We converted DD about two months after coming home in a private ceremony. About 5 months after coming home we had a naming ceremony and party at our house. Technically she had already been named as part of the conversion and we waited to have the party because we wanted her to be more comfortable with crowds. We took a lot of readings from two books about naming ceremonies -- one was "The New Jewish Baby Book: Names, Ceremonies, & Customs-a Guide for Today's Families" by Anita Diamant, which I highly recommend. We also used Celebrating Your New Jewish Daughter: Creating Jewish Ways to Welcome Baby Girls into the Covenant-New and Traditional Ceremonies by Debra Nussbaum Cohen. I realize you have a boy, but there were interesting services in that too. Since the actual bris will be much more of a medical procedure, you may want to just have a naming party after the boy recovers.