[Yelena]

My DH and I are driving ourselves crazy trying to decide if/when we should visit. Our baby will be 3 months old at the end of January. We definitely want to visit, and the sooner the better. But our agency requires that certain conditions be met before we can visit, one of which (if I remember correctly) is the 3rd sign-off by the birthmother. When does that happen? We have DNA and PA, and we might be in FC (we should know for sure next week).

So, it could still be a while (weeks? a month or more?) before we're good to travel...what if we're in PGN by then? What if we visit, then come home and find out Pink is right around the corner?

Of course a visit would be awesome and certainly worthwhile, but if it's potentially just a matter of weeks between visit and pick-up, I'd rather save the $$ and take more time off work for when she comes home.

Someone please offer suggestions, or tell me if I'm getting too hopeful by thinking we're closer to the end than we are!

[lockharts]

Is the visit trip included in the cost of your adoption? Ours was.. Well at least the first one was.. The others have all been on us....
I would go... But that is just me...
Good luck. I know it is so hard to figure this stuff out.

[Keren's Mom]

I am in the same situation. My DH and I would love to visit, but are thinking that having already been in PGN for 2 months we may get home and have to leave again soon. Not that we wouldn't love to see our daughter, but we have 3bio boys that we would have to find care for. We are going to give PGN a few more weeks, and then come to a decision! Hopefully God Willing, we will be out of PGN by that point and will be making the trip to bring her home.

Good Luck, and I pray that everything goes smooth for you for you.

[waiting for #3]

We just went to visit our daughter the first week of Janurary, and when we went to pick her up we found out that we were already out of PGN!!! Of course we were excited, and even more so knowing that we would have her sooner than we thought.......I highly recommend seeing you child if at all possible, it is so worth it.

Waiting for Gabriela
Yolanda

[josiah1112]

I would go. There is so much that we learned about our
little boy from our visit. Not to mention the videos we
took of his foster family. I also learned a lot about him and his birth mom through foster mom. Foster mom
gave me his first little outfit and blanket!! I don't think
I would have gotten them if we didn't have time to get
to know each other and bond.

[micpac70]

My DH and I were on the fence - but our agency ürges" the visit and it is not included in their fee. We were already in PGN (not out yet) and I am so glad we made the trip - a little face to a name - and we were able to hold our daughter - it was the best moment - best 6 days in the world.....Do it if you can!!!

[ej-momtobe]

Can you contact your agency and see if you can visit sooner than their normal requirement? Just an idea...it shouldn't hurt to ask. I would go visit as soon as I could. I have never seen anyone on the board regretting a visit.

[KJones5]

Our visit trip was one of the best experiences I've ever had. It was awesome to spend some time with our little guy and to meet his foster family. The trip relieved so much of my anxiety. I fell in love with his foster family and knew if I couldn't have him at least he was in a warm loving home getting all the TLC he could ask for.

As a first time mommy, I felt more prepared as to what to expect when he got home.

I can't put into words how much I enjoyed and would highly recommend a visit trip!

[shellysarita]

I highly recommend it! We visited when Isabel was 3 months - it was wonderful! I am going back again in less than 2 weeks. It was so reassuring to see how well cared for and loved she is by the foster family. And the pictures and video are priceless and making the waiting a bit more tolerable.
Shelly

[cr653]

visit!
if you are fortunate enough to have to 'go right back' count it an added blessing!
you never know with pgn! and the precious time you have on your visit is really unspeakable.

best wishes in your decision!

cris

[jcmc]

I would definately visit if it were possible. Our Visa card is "feeling the love" of my 2 visits and our pickup trip. It turned out that I was scheduled to go for my second visit Dec 18-23 and found out we exited PGN and would get pink first or second week in January. Do we wait for pick up or go ahead and go and return in less than two weeks?? We decided that we couldn't look at it as money we looked at it as a week with our daughter which was priceless. We racked up several thousand dollars extra in visits, but as I work to make that Visa payment, that beautiful little face and those priceless photos and video are worth it all..... Good luck whatever you decide.

[guatamama]

Definitely go! I never regretted it on my first child, I have so much video and pictures! I saw alot of the country, purchased "treasures" for him, etc . . . same as everyone else. I wouldn't regret it for a moment. I would never had this priceless photo of hubby and son!

We have plane tickets to leave February 16 to visit #2.

[sdsb1996]

I would highly recommend a visit trip. We traveled to spend her first Christmas. I would not trade a second of the time we were able to spend with our beautiful daughter. My only suggestion is to try to enjoy the time you are visiting without worry about the day you have to give him/her back. I wasn't able to stop worrying about it and cried a little each day. When we actually had to hand our daughter back to the foster family it wasn't nearly has devastating as I had anticipated. They were so excited to see her it made me have peace about the situation. It was still extremely difficult to give her back but I cherish the seven days we had with her. I just wish I wouldn't have spent so much time worrying about leaving her.

You will also meet so many wonderful families during your visit. I highly recommend the Marriott.

[mildredjohn]

I think that the 3rd sign off is in FC! and I definitely go! is a time that you would not change for anything in this world!


many blessings,

[Ozwald]

Oh gosh,

If you can swing it......... GO!!!!!!!!! The sooner the better. The memories/photos/ etc of the visit trip are priceless. Yep, it is hard leaving, but I would never change a darn thing about our visit trips.

I am so glad we were able to visit all 3 of our boys before the adoptions were complete.... Can't say enough about how great those visit trips were. I do realize that not everyone is able to visit due to family responsibilities, costs, etc. But if you are able to visit... my vote is to go.

Take Care,

Jen