[watermelon0719]

Hi there! My husband and I are in the process of adopting a little girl. We are so excited to become parents! We have been working so hard on the dossier that now that it's complete and we are about to go on the waiting list, I am freaking out!! Our wait is supposed to be really short - 1 to 3 months, and then we travel to pick her up. What do we need to have for an approximately 6-8 month old baby? We have bought a lot of stuff so far - crib, bottles, pacifiers, clothes, bathtub, stroller, and a baby carrier to name the essentials. We also have a ton on our registry that family is going to get for us. What are some must-haves that we should definitely not leave here without? We will be staying in India 2 months, and then flying back with a baby. Thank you!

[SchmennaLeigh]

I could not live without my Mei Tai carrier. That said, around that age, Nick loved his exersaucer. (Another big one at that age range is the Jumparoo but we didn't have it.)

And books. That's how we spend our evenings: reading books.

Best of luck!

[HBV]

I'm w/ Jenna on the books, but my other must haves are: Boppy nursing pillow, a baby monitor and a HUGE stock of batteries (esp. AA and AAA) You won't believe how everything seems to require them.

Oh, and it's getting colder, so a wipe warmer.

[mommamarci]

Wow, two months in India!! That would be tough. You might cross post this on the intertnational board. I am not sure what all you would be able to buy in India. You would definitely need the essentials while there: clothes, towels, washcloths, burp rags, shampoo, lotion, diapers, wipes, formula. However, it would be much easier to buy some of this stuff if you can. Not sure about the availability and costs though.

Let's see, other things you could take. I think Wal-Mart sells a jumparoo seat that comes in a fairly compact box so you would be able to transport it easier. Have you heard of Bumbo seats? It might be nice to take one so you can do feedings in that and not need a high chair. Can you get a crib from the hotel? If not, you would need a pack and play (unless you are co-sleeping.)

Hope some of this helps you. Good luck and hopefully the process is fast!

[StorkWatcher]

Congratulations! I can't wait to hear about your journey. T he wait is SO short for you at this point- 1-3 months? YIKES!

I keep small bottles of hand sanitizer in my diaper bags (i have 2. One large, one smaller/plain one for Dad to carry or that we can use on quick trips places).

For home, I heartily second the exersaucer, unless your daughter will already be walking/cruising some (once our son starting crawing a lot and cruising, he did NOT want to be in the saucer any more).

I love my bottles - Playtex Ventaire. The easiest to clean! And they are GREAt at preventing gas in babies.

At this age, we used a lot of bibs and several burp clothes, because babe was a drooling freak, due to teething.

We also love for feeding the Gerber small plastic bowls with lids - very handy for travelling/storing food in fridge. they come in a 6 pack, and if you visit Gerber's website and request coupons and their newsletter, they'll send you several for feeding utensils.

We also use baby washcloths to clean him at every meal and for diapering (for a boy, they are peepee teepees to prevent us from getting sprayed - hopefully, you won't have that problem!)

A carrier is a must! I'm getting a MeiTai soon that Jenna recommends. I have a cheap hip carrier now, but it is NOT comfortable. W/ the mei tai's, you can carry several different ways, and baby wearing is a HUGE benefit when you're bonding and trying to attach to the baby. (Plus MUCH easier than using a stroller). I used my other carriers all the time when babe was little so I could do housework and keep him with me all the time. And it keeps strangers in stores from poking the child so much and getting too close.

I've always been fascinated by India. What part will you be travelling in? I'd love to hear (or read!) all about it after you return. Please keep me posted, and welcome to the First Year forum!!!

When my BIL adopted from Eithiopia, they had a small photo album filled w/ photos of grandparents/aunts/uncles cousins so when they brought their daughter home, we already looked a little familiar to her, and she was learning our names/titles as she learned English.

I've known people to take bags of Cheerios (out of the boxes, adn they double as packing material for cushioning). And lots of diapers packed in and around things.

Also - medicine? Check w/ your ped. or other int'l people. Infant Tylenol (be careful to read ahead and know the correct dosage!).

2 months - I will have to really think what else you might need. That's such a long time! But what a great opportunity to be able to experience her culture and have so many things to tell her about later on in life!

[McNally720]

How Exciting!! Congratulations! I think the ladies before me have given the most complete list I've ever seen.

The only other thing I can think of is some "night" music--some white noise, soft classical, nature, whatever, that will help cue her to sleep. I'm assuming she's in an orphanage right now where there's probably always background noise. Being in a quite place may freak her out!!

You could always bring a portable player, or get one of those alarm clocks that makes nature sounds.

Please keep us posted!!!

[watermelon0719]

Wow, thanks everyone! This list is terrific! I am already feeling much better about this trip. I think much of the basics like food, etc. we will be able to buy over there in India. Our agency coordinator will be there to hand walk us to wherever we need to go. We are so excited about this baby, and now that we're so close to getting her, we have new-parent jitters as well! Thank you all so much for your help. I will be sure to post a follow-up once we get a referral, and then once we get back!