There is a popular saying that "No news is good news", and while I can definitely see how in many different situations that would certainly be a true statement, I can also say with confidence that most often when it comes to adoption, no news is definitely not good news.

When you have sent in your initial application to your homestudy and/or adoption agency and are waiting to get the paperwork you need to officially start your adoption process, no news is not good news.

When you have filed your I600A for an international adoption and have sent... more

Back almost two weeks ago I wrote this post about surviving the wait until we get to travel to bring home our Solomon.

I also posed a little competition to see if any of you out there had some suggestions on how I can spend my time over the next three to four months (other than compulsively checking my email and packing, unpacking and repacking my suitcases).

You all had some really good suggestions, and they definitely ran the gamut, and at times even conflicted each other. For example, "pastormacsann" suggested... more

We got word yesterday that our dossier was on its way to Ethiopia as of Monday. We also got news that was pretty encouraging regarding the rest of the process. We had been assuming that we would have a very long wait for a court date since the courts in Ethiopia are just reopening after being closed for two months for the rainy season, but our agency assured us that they do not have a backlog and things will move right along.

Once our paperwork arrives in Ethiopia, the dossier will be translated and then it will be prepared for court. We have been told that our paperwork will likely be submitted to court in November, and by my estimates, I am guessing we will have a court date in early... more

When people are going through times of change in their lives, or times of stress or times of excitement, (or a combination of all three) it is common for them to have very vivid dreams. Pregnant women and people who are about to get married often find themselves having all sorts of dreams interrupting their slumber.

I have never been a big dreamer. I don't know if it is because I am too tired, too deep of a sleeper or what, but I have never even been able to remember any of my dreams, with the exception of two recurring nightmares I had as a child (one involving Woody... more

Here are the rest of my tips on putting together a photo album for your child, while you are waiting for the adoption to be completed. You can read the first two posts in this series here and here.

- If you have weather very different from where your child lives, include a picture of that. Ben LOVED the picture we sent of the kids playing in the snow, since he had never seen snow in Ethiopia.

- For many of our adoptions, we have taken an hour or two on an afternoon to take photos just... more

In my last post I started offering tips on making the perfect photo album to send to your child while you are waiting to be united. Here are some more tips.

- Label the pictures. An album full of smiling faces is nice, but it is much more helpful if your child can get to know who is who. If you use an album where you slide photos into a sleeve, you can write on the plastic sleeve with a permanent marker. (However, if the pictures get pulled out and put back incorrectly, confusion can occur! Belane's album had a rough life in Ethiopia, and when she came home she had Daddy's picture in the... more

In many adoption programs, the adoptive parents have an opportunity to send a small package to their child-to-be, as a way to "introduce" themselves and let the child know that they have a new family. While small gifts are often a part of this package, often the most important part is the photo album.

Since this photo album will be your child's first look at you, your family, your home and his new life, it is very important. With all of our children, these photo albums have not only been very treasured items, but they have also really seemed to help our children "recognize" us and their new siblings once they were placed with us.

Even Amanda and Belane, who were both young... more

Wow! I am up to letter "W" in my Transracial Adoption ABCs. I am still open to brilliant suggestions for the letter "Z", which is just a few posts away now.

The letter "W" is for the wait (insert ominous music here).

The Wait - Waiting is hard. Waiting stinks. Waiting for something as huge and eventful as a new child is harder to wait for than most, and waiting for that child while knowing that that child is "out there" in the world is arguably one of the most difficult things possible to wait for.

Unfortunately,... more

In my last post, I wrote about how difficult the waiting can be in adoption. Whether your wait for a referral is long or short, it is sure to be an anxious time. Whether your wait to travel is long or short, it is sure to be very challenging as you wait to be united with your child.

So how do you survive all that waiting?

Here are some tips.

- Remind yourself (frequently) that it will all be worth it once your child is home.

- Read! Read books on attachment and bonding. Read books and articles... more

Adoption is all about “hurry up and wait”. The activity in the adoption process happens in spurts. You hurry and get your homestudy completed, and then you hurry and get your dossier turned in, and then comes the wait for a referral (unless you are adopting a waiting child).

Waiting for a referral is difficult. You have put in tons of time on adoption education and researching your transracial adoption options, you have (hopefully) carefully chosen an agency, you have put lots of time in on the paperwork for the homestudy... more