Hello.
I certainly hope 46 is not to old because I am 47 and in the middle of an international adoption. Actually, almost no one in the process has commented on my "advanced" age as a problem. I have completed all my home study paperwork and (drum roll) the home visits!
My home study should be done in about a week. I am about 2/3 the way through my dossier work.
Although I had been thinking and reading about adoption for quite a awhile (and share the view to read, read, read) I started my paper work in earnest in May. I would recommend trying to determine a country and agency before you are too far down the road on your home study because it can save you some time - especially if you end up having two agencies (one for home study and a placement agency) and I found that I needed some specific requirements in my medical documents for my specific country.
I choose Kazakhstan to seek my child. I originally looked at China, but the new quotas are pretty problematic. I've heard percentages between 5 and 10 percent. Agencies I checked with had a waiting list of at least 2 years for singles (and I'm not getting any younger while I wait
). Kaz is a bit more expensive, mostly on travel because of the required bonding period, but it seems to have a good program, less risk of some issues, etc. Feel free to PM me for more info.
I also started by thinking about toddlers. But as I've thought and read more, I think I will pursue a younger child (Kaz starts at about 7 or 8 months since there is a six month time that they seek in-country parents). It all comes down to the relative challenges of young age verses the risk of more significant transitional issues. But of course, once you choose parenthood, there are never any guarantees about what you might experience.
Whatever you decide, good luck and welcome to the group!