The Official Wait Begins

We heard from our agency today. Our file was delivered to the Ministry of Education last week for registration.

Now we wait. We really wait. We wait for the call. The Call.

Thankfully, this gives me (Pam) something to do. Really. I've been driving Adam bonkers with my restlessness. I do better when I can do something, or control something. So now I have a few things to do:

1. Order US funds to our bank. We need new, non-creased bills. This will be used for official fees.
2. Order Rubles in - we need money for in-country expense.
3. Track down and organize what International Adoption Specialist we will use to help us review our referral. Until we decided to adopt, we didn't even know Adoptive Medicine was a discipline!
4. Make sure we have suitcases and everything easily accessible and good to go. 
5. Fill out Russia VISA applications and don't sign/date them yet. That will be the most harried rush of the first trip.
6. Talk to our work supervisors and let them know that it may be a matter of days, weeks or months, and our first trip will happen with approximately 2 weeks notice.

Now comes the real wait. 

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In my ever-patient state, I happened upon a great list of things to do while waiting and I thought I would share with my readers. Some don't really apply to us, but others are a good shove to get things done. I've picked out a few from the list that stuck out.

Courtesy of Creating A Family:

3. Get the required immunizations. If you are adopting internationally and travelling to get your child, find out if you are required or recommended to have any immunizations for your adoption trip.  Some immunizations, such as hepatitis B, require several shots over about six months, so get started.

8. Prepare Grandparents on Attachment Parenting.  If you are adopting a newborn, this likely won’t be necessary.  But if you are adopting an older baby or toddler or child, then you need to educate then on parenting techniques to enhance attachment and how they can help.
14. Choose a name.  Check out these name books. http://www.creatingafamily.org/adoption/suggestedbooks/babyname.html

15. Pamper yourself.  Consider long soaks in a tub with candlelight and wine if money is tight, but take a vacation if you can afford to.  This babymoon may be the last child free vacation in a long while.

19. Organize your closets, drawers, and cupboards.  If you are feeling really industrious or anxious move on to your basement, attic, or garage.  If you still have excess energy, come start on my house.

20. Take a child CPR course.  It should cover the Heimlich manoeuvre for babies and young children.  Ask your pediatrician where a course is offered or call the local Red Cross.

22. Learn as much of your child’s birth language as possible.  Obviously this only applies to international adoptions. At the very least learn travel phrases (where’s the bathroom, how much is this) and polite phrases (please, thank you, hello, good bye) and child phrases (I love you, mama, daddy, are you hungry).
28. Learn a few lullabies and bouncy games. Check out these resources to help you. http://www.creatingafamily.org/adoption/suggestedbooks/lullabies.html
31. Learn baby massage techniques. The Creating a Family suggested baby massage books. http://www.creatingafamily.org/adoption/suggestedbooks/babymassage.html

38. Get information on kid friendly activities. Your community likely has many inexpensive activities for you and your child to participate in such as library story times, mother/child gym or swimming classes, and neighborhood play groups. 

40. Buy baby/child announcements and address the envelopes.  You can find online sources to buy adoption specific announcements on our Adoption Shopping page. http://www.creatingafamily.org/adoption-resources/adoptionshopping.html