[LMA1959]

Hello All:

I was on the Caribbean and Int'L general boards, but without notice, I found the door to the DR shut in my face after months of waiting- no more single parents allowed...

However, in a whirlwind of events, I find myself, a week and a half later staring at pictures and a glowing medical report of a one month old gorgeous baby girl from Ethiopia! My change of country and proposal mtg are being done simultaneously this Thursday, and I am told I will travel in January.

So, my question is- what the heck do I pack to take?????? Besides bottles and diapers?? Those of you who have gone to get your little ones, please let me know what you took, and what, in hindsight, you wish you had/hadn't taken.

Thanks so much!
L.

[teranga]

Hi L,
I'm happy to give you my opinion on some things to take, but I do just want to make sure you are working with a reputable agency for your Ethiopian adoption. It sounds from your post like you only started pursuing Ethiopia last week, and from everyone I've heard of, there are wait lists for baby girls from the reputable agencies....and you would need to have your dossier in Ethiopia before you could even get a referral for a baby. Is your Ethiopian dossier complete and in Ethiopia? Have you already been on the wait list for a baby girl?
Maybe you've already done all that and I read your post wrong. I just want to make sure you're not linking up with a disreputable agency (there are some...). Even when I adopted, almost 2 years ago (when the program was much less popular) it took 5+ months, start to finish..

Teranga

[LMA1959]

The agency I am with is in Ontario, where I live. They have a MUCH shorter time from point A to Z (I am around Y, right now) b/c, as I understand it, the orphanage they deal with is not connected to the State, and therefore to the State's waiting list. It is the lady who runs the orphanage who matches waiting babies with adoptive parents. They are referred as young as 5 days old. The medical certificate I have, photos etc have all been taken by the lawyer for my agency. The admin of the agency here speaks with both the people I have mentioned a few times a week, and is, herself, travelling to Ethiopia next week. She has invited all the parents waiting, in this area, to send a baby blanket to our child and will be taking pcitures of our babies with the blankets we send. She is an absolutely wonderful woman who will bend over backwards, and b/c I have dealt with her for 8 months already and have met with her in person etc, I am not worried that this is not for real. If anyone from Ontario wants to know who I am dealing with, please PM me.
So, do tell- what to take??

God bless,
L.