[Delmom]

It seems to me that there are a few who are starting the process to adopt from Kaz for the second time (and a few who already completed number 2).

We adopted in July of 04. We had a good trip, but had a few rough first days with our new son in Almaty (he was a different boy then during our visits to the orphanage).

When we were saying goodbye to the coordinator she said, "I think I see you again!" (Does she say this to every family?) Anyway, my response was, "OH, NO YOU WON'T!" My husband loves to remind me of that now.

We also have a 9 yr old daughter and are considering adopting a girl in the 4-6 yr old range. Although when we went the first time we were so convinced that the baby had to be as young as possible. Statistics can be so scary.

I love to hear from other families going again! Does everyone think you're crazy? That you were just lucky to get a great kid the first time and you're pushing your luck to do it again?

[jtsmommy]

Hi! We are second timers, when we were in the US Embassy getting Jabari's visa, we said " NO WAY are we going back". Yeah, we are eating our words!!

We are looking to have a good experience this time as the agency we are with is already night & day different from the one we used last time.

Our dossier is being translated then off to the Embassy.

[chickpdesign]

Hi, We are also second timers. Our daughter arrived home from Kaz on December 25th 2005. Our trip was pretty rocky, as well. As we sat on the plane to depart Almaty, I said to my husband, "I hope I never see this airport again." By the time we arrived in the US, (less than 24 hours later) I was already telling family "We will probably go back again!"
We will send off our dossier to be translated next week for our second. Our daughter is 15 months old now and we hope to adopt another baby.
Good luck to everyone!

[bgashler]

This will be our second adoption, but the first time in Kazakhstan. We adopted a two year old girl from Ukraine 5 years ago to join our two biological boys. We now plan to adopt an 8 year old girl from Kazakhstan. Our dossier was submitted to the Kazakhstan Consulate in New York on June 15.

[JuleQuin]

No one was really surprised to see us back again. In fact, our director and homestudy worker both heard my voice and said "Let me guess!"

The first adoption was a lot shorter (back in the day of the 3-1/2 -4 week trip). This time around (completed in Dec. 2005) was the long edition. But, the homesickness was still the same.

Not that I know from experience, but I think that it's like labor. People said it was too painful I won't do that again! But, you know you want that child, and you know it's worth absolutely any discomfort.

Julia

[hml1976]

We're second timers as well, still in the dossier stage. We adopted our daughter in 2005 and expect to travel sometime in 2007.

[Reeser]

We too adopted a litttle boy from Ukraine in November 2004 and just began the paper work to find him a little brother or sister from Kazakhstan. Isn't it interesting to find that when you realize what a blessing it is to have a child, you want to share that love and have another?

[Megs2]

Alright, I am curious. Why did all of you say, " never again". Was the trip just that rough, or was it the entire pregnancy that was so hard ?

[jtsmommy]

For us the hardest part was the in-country staff, they were awful! We were treated like crap from the get go. We had to ask to go to the Ramstore, this was after we were there several days & we figured out they were not going to offer it, we needed a adaptor for our video camara & after several days of asking our translator to help us find one, we struck out on our own & through DH's Pictionary "Skills" :-) We were able to get one. We discovered a route from the Ramstore & internet cafe to our apartment so we walked 35 min one way instead of hearing our driver sigh or laugh that we wanted to go to those places AGAIN. Our driver was late & I'm talking 30-45 min everyday after the first week, the one day he didn't show up for an hour my hubby decided we can hire a taxi to go, now that was an adventure, just an FYI, the Russian tranalation in our phrase book for the english word "baby" was child, so he first took us to the childrens home, then when we said no this isn't it he went to a school & had a friend who spoke english come out we told her what we meant & he took us to the babyhome. When we got to Almaty we were on our own again, we walked all over the place in both cities.

[Delmom]

Megan,

My husband never said, "Never again!" The whole time he would say things like, "The next time we come..."

I, on the otherhand, was missing our daughter like crazy. We left her with my parents for nearly 6 weeks. My new son wasn't happy to be out of the babyhouse. He was VERY cranky. He wasn't attached to any of his caregivers, but he likes routine.
Money was also a big concern. This time we are taking both kids with us and money will really be a concern.

Our in-country staff was WONDERFUL! We were told by our agency to ask for what we wanted because they will assume you are fine otherwise. (It's a cultural thing.) Our translator was very experienced and she went above and beyond without our asking.

I guess one of the great things about these forums is that families can share their experiences with in-country staff with families looking to choose an agency. I think every agencies website says there in-country staff is "the best".

[hml1976]

Hi Megan,
We swore "never again!" and yet here we are

We swore never again because it was a) so expensive and b) the trip was long and my husband didn't think he would be able to leave his job again for that long.

We had a great in country team and had a smooth trip as far as travel stuff goes, no problems at all and we actually had a lot of fun for 90% of the trip, until the end. We had the added complications of our daughter getting very ill in country (after we had custody) and I got a parasite (DON'T use the water to brush your teeth!). After figuring out the medical system in Almaty we were imagining our next adoption from Korea and meeting our new son at the airport in the US!

We had the application filled out and just couldn't do it, it was just too easy. Part of our hearts are in Kaz and while we swear THIS is the last time, my husband once in a while refers to the guest room as "number three's room" so we will see. However, if our kids are ever going to go to college and my husband is going to keep his job we "need" to stop after this one. Also, we're leaving our daughter at home this time (we'll probably do two trips and I'll go with my sister on the second) so I think in some ways it will be even harder this time around. Its important to me that our daughter has a (for lack of a better term) "cultural touchstone" and there simply aren't any other Kazakh kids where we live. I hope that she and her brother will find that in eachother.

That is if my stupid stupid 171H ever comes! Week 7 and counting!

[DET62]

I remember so well that when I got home with my daughter I was so exhausted we both slept about 12 hours that first night home. I thought, I don't ever in my entire life plan on doing any more 10 hours flights! Yucko! Even in Business Class [we were on buddy passes].

However, I saw how much my daughter missed her friends from the orphanage and needed other kids. I also had a health crisis with my mother and my brother was right there helping me, and I thought, I need to adopt another child. My daughter, now 15, needs a brother, for so many reasons.

I have a child picked out in Kaz already. Yes, I know you're not supposed to get referrals but this is a bit different. My son is special needs [limb difference] and so I specifically want him. If I don't adopt him - he is 10 years old - he faces a very bleak future. Plus, I've heard he is a terrific kid, despite the missing limb.

So I am going to do the adoption in 2 trips, so I don't have to leave my daughter with her Granny the whole time. I dread leaving her, but she needs to stay with her tutors [she is homeschooling, trying to get ready for high school next year], and I think I need the bonding time with my son alone.

I almost wish he had a sibling. I am open to another child, though I'd have to buy bunk beds for somebody's room...

Just waiting on my 171H since mid July, and trying not to go nuts! I had hoped to have my son home before Christmas but I was obviously delusional. I started the paperchase May 1. Oh well.

Dee

[mlb]

We always thought we would go back, but had hoped it would be sooner than this. I feel like an old timer, having gone in the summer of 2000 when adoption there was fairly new. I can't wait to see how much it changed.
We were pretty adventureous and went to different restaurants, walked a local lake almost daily, visited outdoor markets and the "mall". I am glad that we did; it really added to the experience. We rarely had our translater with us, maybe five times the whole trip (one of those times being a trip to the liquor store for a great bottle of $8 vodka). DH and I are bringing our 7 year old son with us (along with Papa) and are excited that he can see where he was born. I hope some of his caretakers are still there, he really wants to meet them. Our paperwork is being translated now and the agency is shooting for a late November trip. We'll see.