[waitinginnj]

Welcome to the ride. I am a single mom, with a child from Russia. I brought my daughter home in Oct. 2003 at 2 years old. I jumped right into the toddler thing and the terrible twos. My daughter has adjusted wonderfully.

Check out agencies carefully. Make sure the you speak with other single parents that worked with the agency. Some agencies treat singles the same as couples other don't.

There are pros and cons to both countries. The Russian program is a bit unstable right now. If you decide upon Russia I would make sure that your agency is accredited. The wait for girls is longer than boys in Russia and there were beautiful toddler boys in my daughter's play group.

The China program is stable and less expensive generally. The downside is that there is a quota for single parents, so it isn't always easy to find a program with an opening for a single parent.

In the past Russia was faster than China. I don't think you can necessarily say that now. The timing in Russia seems to be running all over the place lately.

Check out the Russian and Chinese boards. Each will offer you a lot of inight and help.

Good luck in your adoption journey. Let me know if you have any specific questions.