I am trying to consolidate all of the China Adoption threads into one useful thread. If there is something that you definately want added, please PM me. I will do my best to get all the good tidbits from each of the stickies.
I will also be making stickies for other general adoption topics (books, travel lists, etc).
Do you just travel to go get the child? Yes you take one trip to travel to get the child. Only one parent needs to travel. If you choose to send just one parent there will be a delay in citizenship, but if you both travel citizenship will be automatic once you hit the states (if that is of any concern to you).
How long does the process usually take? After your homestudy process (which seems to range around 3-4 months) your "dossier" is sent to China. Once it is logged in there is currently a 6 month wait until referral. Generally from referral it has been a 6-8 week time until travel! So, roughly altogether we are down to a 1 year wait for our next daughter!!
Are you sure to get a girl if you want a girl? Yes! They will ask which sex you would like and you can say "either" or specify male or female. Of course, you probably know the history of the one chld policy making girls much more available for adoption, but there are boys there too.
How much does it usually cost? Estimated? Including travel, estimate around $15K-18K depending on agency. Our agency is on the much lower end of that range. A great advantage is the $10K tax credit which helps many, many people.
Is the cost paid up front or how is that done? Our saving grace is that the cost is spread out through out the process. Fees are paid here & there and the travel cost is paid right before you go. Check out our agency link below and they give you a breakdown there.
How long do you have to stay when you go? You stay in China for roughly 2 weeks. It's a glorious, yet tiring, trip!
I HIGHLY recommend our agency China Adoptions With Love (www.cawli.org). Check out there site for LOTS of info too!
BEST OF LUCK!! Hope I've helped some and I have lots more answers if you need them! (((((HUGS)))))
__________________
Happily married for 19 years & mommy to 3 beautiful daughters
~13 year old (born preemie @ 24 weeks), 5.5 year old & 3.5 year old (both born in China!)~
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I know you have to be 30 right to adopt. That's both parents right? Yes, both parents have to be 30 to adopt.
I am pretty sure (not 100%) that you have to wait to do your homestudy till you are 30. Otherwise you'd end up with a homestudy update anyway--not too sure, though. YOu could always get the paperwork together to start passing the time now though, you know?
Also when you do the tax credit. Will I be able to do that on next years taxes ya think (won't be turning 30 till Dec.) Or will I have to wait till the following year. Tax credit is totally DH's game here--but I do know that you can file for the credit once the adoption is finalized. So for Emily we are able to do that on the 2004 taxes.
Will they be able to pretty much tell me the costs when I ask or will their be surprises?
Is there any surprises that I might not be aware of? We actually knew all of our costs up front. The only thing we didn't know were our travel expenses and that came in *way* under what we thought it would be. Three of us traveled there and four traveled home for under $5K. I thought 2 weeks in China would be much more than that. We were never surprised by costs. Our agency is very open and we appreciate that. They have the fees listed out on there site. We did need to do a homestudy update last time for $75 but that was because our wait was longer than we expected. This time we should be all set on that part.
What are the ages of the children you adopt. We really want a girl of coarse. But do you know the age of the child? Are they usually under a year? The babies from China tend to be right around 1 year old, unless you ask for an older toddler or older child. I know a friend of mine requested a 2 year old and got an 11 month old, though! I think what happens is they try to accomodate as best they can, for the most part. On your dossier you would state "As young as possible". The youngest I've heard of is 6 or 7 months but that's more unusual than 10/11/12 month olds. I don't think there's much of a guarantee but once you see that cute little referral picture your heart will melt anyway!
Oh yeah and how long is the plane travel there? We flew from Boston to Chicago to Beijing. The flight from Chicago to Beijing was about 12 hours. You know what--I HATE flying! HATE HATE HATE FLYING! I thought I'd about die thinking of it. I did so fine! The plane is so huge you don't feel like you're flying. You just get up and walk around, watch movies, sleep...eat....it goes by relatively quickly to be totally honest. And on the way home, with 30+ babies on board you never would have known they were there! lol
You will also have travel within China. We flew from Beijing to Emily's province, then from her province to Guangzhou (where all US adoptions are finalized) then from GZ to Hong Kong to Chicago to Boston. So there is a lot of travel during the time you are there but it's not so bad really. And remember, I HATE to fly! I will advise you to take Dramamine or a prescription motion sickness pill if you get sick though. Lots of up & down when flying over land areas in China.
Oh yeah and what about Desi will I have to make arrangements for her to stay some where for the time we're gone to get the baby or will she be able to go to? How does that work? Of course you could take Desi if you choose to. If you were to travel at the end of next year, how old would she be? That makes a huge difference. Personally, my own opinion, is that I wouldn't take a child under 5. But that's me. Some people I know are taking there kids who will be 3 next year. FOr me I could never take Emily this time since she would distract too much from bonding with our new baby and besides that she wouldn't travel well!
OH Do you have to go thru a agency that is in your state? Your agency does not have to be in your state but you will need to find someone to do your homestudy in your state. I know CAWLI has clients from Illinois. Ijust checked there website and you could use them but you'd need a homestudy done in your area.
Hope this helps!
__________________
Happily married for 19 years & mommy to 3 beautiful daughters
~13 year old (born preemie @ 24 weeks), 5.5 year old & 3.5 year old (both born in China!)~
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I don't know about the homestudy thing--we used our agency and since they are here in MA we were all set. I mean, we had people from Iowa, Kentucky, all over the states and they all used our agency so they got their homestudy done somehow. I bet if you called CAWLI they could answer for you. They have a 1-800 # on their website. Give them a ring. Ask for Stephanie she is great! Although anyone who answers can help you out.
When you travel you will be with a whole group. We had 34 families in our group although that's on the larger side. Normally there will be about 15 or so. There is a YAHOO group for your "DTC" date and an agency email group too. Lots of support on the net. Lots of other YAHOO groups too. In fact, there is a waiting till 30 type group for those who are sure they are adopting from China but need to wait till 30! You should look for that one!
Once you receive your child you NEVER HAVE TO LET GO!!! The nannies will bring her to you and that's it! Lots of paperwork follows for the next 10 days in country but you don't leave her. She stays in your hotel room with you. All the rooms in China already had cribs in them--it was so cool!
The trip is very tiring but so worth it really. Nothing beats experiencing the Chinese culture. It's fascinating to me.
Let's see...for touring...in Beijing we went to the Great Wall, Tiannamen Square, Forbidden City, saw Chinese Acrobat show (others have seen Chinese opera), and went to a Jade factory. We also ate at neat restaurants and went to some other shops.
In her province we went to a village to visit houses of "rich" and "poor" people to see the contrasts. Not too much contrasts but certainly gave the feel of their lifestyle which is soooo different than ours. We also ate outside of the hotel restaurant some days. They tended to keep us local to give the babies a bit more rest and not shock them with too much traveling around. You may also get to visit your child's orphanage and/or foster home but that doesn't always get to happen depending on distance and time restraints (we didn't get to go). You will spend a lot of time in your hotel for these few days adjusting to the baby (and her to you) and doing paperwork.
In Guangzhou (where you finalize) most families stay at the White Swan Hotel. Fabulous place! It has a 5 star rating (if you go with CAWLI most hotels are 4 & 5 star) and is beautiful. In this city you will SHOP TILL YOU DROP for sure. You'll also shop, oh yah, and shop some more! lol But you will also take your baby for a Buddhist blessing if you wish--that was a wonderful experience. We also went to a huge mall full of pearls. Pearl prices are fantastic in China and I can't wait to get more souvenirs there. Didn't realize how cheap till too late. I did get the girls & myself earrings for $12 each!
I'm sure there's much more I could share but I have to get Jess ready for school!
No problems. I don't mind answerig questions about one of my favorite subjects! If you'd like to email me instead send me a PM with your email addy. How's that?
Cash--yes, you do need "new" bills. Basically there is a history of counterfeit money in CHina and in order to avoid that they now ask for new bills when you pay the orphanage fee. It's not as big a deal as people make it out to be but we did stress over it. You just ask you bank ahead of time to save you new $100 bills and they'll gladly do it for you. It's not too hard to do. You will have a lot of cash on you so you will want to always wear it in a money belt under all your clothing. Preferrable tucked in.
Credit card--yes you will probably want to have one for shopping (they take CC's every place) and for emergencies!
Clothes--You'll want to pack some outfits in various sizes. You'll get her age & weight before you travel so you'll have an idea of her size. We brought 2 sizes just in case. We also traded with another family since we both needed opposite sizes. But..you won't want to bring too much because you can always buy stuff there. See...didn't I mention SHOPPING earlier?! lol
Diapers/wipes--You'll bring dipes but not too many. We bought them there and they were Huggies. Seemed a little thinner but worked juut the same!
Gifts--that's a whole other subject I'll talk to you about as you get closer. There are tons of things you can pick up and put away for later years. I bought a lot and didn't nearly touch on all I wish I had so I will buy more for all 3 girls when I go back.
What about shots? Will my DH and I have to have any before we go over or come back? And what about Kimsey will she have to have any shots? or what about her Immunizations? Will she have to have them again when she gets in the U.S?
Shots are recommended before travel. Hepatitis, Typhoid, ummm....can't think of the rest, but you will be advised to have them done before you go.
It's hard to know what the kids have while in China so you can either have a tither done to see what she is immune to or revaccinate when you get home. We chose the latter--the pedi doubled up when needed and Emily's all caught up now.
How often are they held and stuff in the orphanages? I heard (don't know if this is true) that some might not even seen outdoors. It's highly unlikely the kids never have seen outdoors. I know Emily's SWI (Social Welfare Institute) is quite bright and airy--one of the newer ones. They have playgrounds at most SWIs and if the child is in foster care they will go out I'm sure with their families. Actually about 50% of the children are in foster care. Their foster mom might even work at the SWI allowing her to bring the child to work during the day but home with her at night.
We don't know Emily's situation but we don know she was in F/C for about 9 months of her life. She returned to the SWI in November to meet our agency director and stayed there till we came in February.
How long does it take them to pick up the English laungage?
This will depend on the child's age at adoption. For most that are around 1 year old it won't take too long. Em was speaking some Chinese when we met her but she understood us remarkably well too. We know that they were teaching her "mama" & "dada" because she could say those relatively quickly. You will be surprised at how quickly they pick up English but you will also need to expect some delays. Remember that they have only heard another language for the first year of their life so you have to take that into account. At 2 years old Emily is catching up quite nicely.
what about photos when the baby is tiny? do you receive any or just what you get from the referrel?
Depending on the foster care/swi situation you may get something from her past but it's more uncommon. Some folks on our trip were lucky to meet the foster parents and have received pictures of their kids. That's nice.
When you receive your referral you can send a disposable camera over and ask them to take pictures for you. That was great--we have 24 pics of Emily in the SWI with her friends and nannies. It's from when she was 9 months old but it's at least something.
What about foods? What types of food do they eat, I read some where that you should take a food grinder?
No, you don't need a food grinder! lol They eat the same things as any other baby. Mashed up stuff, eggs, noodles, yogurt. Nothing different here.
I'm just curious on what they would eat and how to do the formula? From like formula to milk here, do you keep them on a soy or something or how does that work?
When you meet your baby they will give you a container of formula she has been using. You can then go out and get the same kind in China. You can either bring some from home to mix in and transisition her to US kind or you can do that once you get home. That's what we did--we bought extra in China and brought it home and switched her over.
It'll depend on what your pedi says about milk. Some can do it right away and others need to let their bellies adjust.
Traci! I never mind questions about adoption especially when they make sense! lol Believe me--I get some doosies sometimes!
OK...I'll try my hardest to help you ...
Process: 1. How/when did you tell your family & how did they react? We're worried about 4 ppl on DH's side & what they'll say & a few years down the line...guess it's none of their business though...
We sent a letter to all of our family members explaining our adoption plans once we knew where we were adopting from. I can get you an example of the letter if you'd like. It was really nice. We tried to ward off some questions we were expecting before they happened and I think we did a pretty good job. Only one or two people still reacted slightly negative but that was because they didn't understand the whole process. They have since been enlightened and adore Emily to pieces.
This time we just applied and waited a few weeks to tell family (folks here knew before family did!) and everyone is quite excited. No one is surprised we are returning to China!
2. Do you have any pets & how did you get them used to having a new person in the house before you brought her home? (I'm kinda worried about our cats & when you have a baby they say you should bring something home beforehand that smells like the baby...how do I handle that one?--they've hardly ever been around kids...)
No pets except fish so I don't know how to handle this one. If I find any info I'll let you know.
3. DH is worried about the financial statements & the employment verification b/c he's self-employed (computer programming contractor)...do you have any idea how to handle that? We definately make enough, it's just proving that we make enough...should be fine I guess, we bought a house & brand new straight from the factory car both w/ the same info...
Your agency (are you going with CAWLI?) will give you a sample financial statement to follow and you plug in your info. I hope it works out for you--if you want a sample I can email you one. I think I have one on file. LMK if you want it.
4. Did you fly directly to China or did you have a layover somewhere else? I thought we would fly up to Boston & then to China which would be perfect b/c my family still lives in Boston but DH said last night that he thinks all flights fly through LA so we would have a layover in LA which would make completely no sense since we'd fly from Dallas to Boston to LA to China...
We flew from Boston to Chicago to Beijing. We had a few hour layover in Beijing. Not too bad. Some flights do go to LA or Seattle (I think it's Seattle!) but many go through Chicago too. We are hoping for the same this time--it was great and I HATE to fly! On the way home it was Guangzhou to Hong Kong to Chicago to Boston.
Afterwards: 4. When you were there, did you carry Emily around or did you have something to carry her around in? How big was she? I'm just wondering if we should bring something w/ us...
The first hotel we stayed at when we received Emily provided us with a stroller. We then purchased one (CHEAP!!!) for $15USD in GZ. It is great--still have it.
We also brought a wrap that she loved being in. That was great for bonding and it was easy to get her on & off at all the stops we made. We only used the stroller when we were walking places and even then we didn't always use it. I definitely recommend a wrap or Snugli when you travel.
Emily was 11 months old and 18 pounds when we met her. She fit in mostly 9-12 month clothing.
5. How did you know what to buy before you got Emily home? Toys, clothes, etc?
I was blessed to have a baby shower before we traveled. Actually, it was even before we knew who Emily was! My family gave us all sorts of goodies plus I still had things saved from Jessica. That came in handy!
What I did make sure I had once we knew her approximate size was mostly for travel and I filled in once we got home with diapers, etc...(they will give you an update on height/weight before you travel).
You will want to have some clothing but definitely wait until your referral so you have some idea on the size. Many CHinese babies are smaller and some that are Emily's age are still in 12-18 month clothing. EMily is not small--she is in 2T and she'll be 2 in 2 weeks!
As for toys--lots of good stuff like stacking cups, rings, shape sorter, etc...The stacking cups are a must on your trip! I think every baby had them! lol I can give you lots of ideas for what to bring. I have my packing list that I need to pare down for this next trip too.
6. Any favorite toys you/Emily love? Any toys you/Emily hate? Toys we like=--some ideas above, like rings & cups. Also the a lot of people like the Leap Pad alphabet magnets. I need to get those for her bday.
Toys we hate--not too many here. lol We like toys!
7. How about books?
Lots of the usual books==Good Night Moon, etc....She loves anything by Sandra Boynton too. We read all day it seems around here.
Adoption specific books--I love you like Crazy Cakes is wonderful, Choco, ummm....I have a whole stack and I'm drawing a blank! I'll get back to you on that!
Hope I've helped. Please feel free to email or PM or post anytime!
How many bags did you take for the 3/4 of you? Did you have laundry done while you were there? If so, how was it? I'm just wondering how much we'll really need to pack to be there for 2 weeks...could we just bring one big suitcase (on wheels of course) for the 2 of us or do you think we'll need more/less?
Thanks!
Traci
Hi Traci & Lisa,
You girls are keeping me hoppin'! lol Sorry I haven't sent those 2 forms to you yet Traci. I'll try to do so today.
I think it's unlikely you will be able to get away with one bag when you travel. Reason being--in China you can only have 40 lbs of luggage per person! Believe me, that goes quickly! You will want to take advantage of 2 suitcases for sure. Once in China, if you purchase a ticket for your baby she will also have the allotted weight. Now, on the way home the limit is 70lbs per person so you can stock up on all the goodies you want to bring home-and there will be many things you'll want.
**If I remember correctly they will add all of the groups luggage weight together and if you are overweight with your luggage the group will be assessed a fee so it's VERY important to stick to it** You'll be weighing & re-weighing your luggage for days before you travel. Keeps you occupied!
Friends we traveled with were ULTRA smart! They dressed for the cold weather in Beijing--and then donated their clothing as we moved on to warmer weather. So smart to do we may do that too next time depending on the time of year we go anyway.
By the way--when we traveled the 3 of us brought one bag eacy plus each of us had a huge backpack for the plane ride.
Now, saying all of that.....there is a Carry On Only Yahoo Group where people actually make it to China with carry on only. They buy lots of thin clothing and such and probably rewear lots of stuff. I don't think I could do it--there's just too much "extra" stuff I'd like to bring.
One more thing...yes, there is laundry service in China. We didn't like the first service we used. People came to the hotel to pick up our clothing and it was pretty cheap if I recall. Only thing was the clothes were still wet when they were returned and they didn't use dryers--so if you wore jeans and like how they sort of shrink back to size after being dried--you were SOL in that department!
In Guangzhou they have many good services and laundry is one of them. There are markets across from the hotel we stay at that offer all sorts of good stuff.
Oh yeah--in in GZ you can purchase humongous luggage pieces (like the big size ones with pull out handles) for $10 USD!!! They aren't the best quality but it's enough to get you home with all the extra stuff you'll have and you'll have the extra weight allowed to enter US.
PS--If you want some of my links let me know. I can start a separate thread for you. I have tons so it might take a bit to do it. Lisa could maybe make it a sticky for you. XO
Thanks so much Lisa! You're such a wealth of information! DH has chopsticks & eats w/ them all the time...it's me that's the problem b/c I've tried & can barely use them. I don't want to look silly trying to eat!
Is this still true: (I read this in that letter but wanted to know if it was still true since the letter is almost 10 years old...
The Chinese People: All reports from those who have made the trip say the same thing: the Chinese people mob you on the street when they see you with your daughter. They are quite friendly, usually none speak English, and there is a lot of incomprehensible comment on both sides while they try to find out what you are doing there and where did you get the Chinese girl? Once the language barrier is broken and you are able to convey that you adopted a Chinese daughter, their reaction is first surprise that such a thing is possible and second to say “lucky girl” when they understand she is going to America. It is common in China to use “business cards” to introduce oneself personally; we’ll steal someone else’s excellent idea and have cards printed with a message, in English on one side and Mandarin on the other, explaining who we are and that we are in China to adopt our daughter named ________ , after which we will take her back to America. That should help our interaction on the streets.
The Chinese on the street are not shy, and they readily poke, tickle and generally play with the child, perhaps because they love babies and there are so few. The Chinese habitually cover their babies in multiple layers of clothing (5 seems to be a minimum), even in warm weather, and we have received many warnings that if the child has too few layers of clothing according to the Chinese on the street, we will receive a strong lecture in Chinese from a woman just about every ten feet we walk!
Can you suggest any tapes we could get to learn the tones?
How many cans of formula did you take for the 2 weeks?
As well as diapers & wipes?
How about bottles/nipples?
I read somewhere to bring 5 cans of formula, 70 diapers, & 100+ wipes...is this really how much we should bring?
Can you tell I'm trying to pass the time until April when we can actually do something?
Thanks Lisa!
TTYL
Traci
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Yes, Traci, that is all still true! The Chinese are not shy about coming up to you and trying to cover up your baby. They will put up their 5 fingers and say "5 layer" over & over again. At first it is disturbing but you get used to it--and you also get used to the fact that while you are in their country you should dress your child appropriately to their standards, kwim? You also will want a big cuddly jacket if you are there when it's cold out.
Originally posted by angeleyes_1975 Can you suggest any tapes we could get to learn the tones?
I have some old ones from my FIL I am borrowing. I don't have them nearby right now--have to admit I haven't been religious about this end of things yet. We have Jess enrolled in a Chinese Culture Class at a local college and it's fantastic. We learn a few words, cooking, and cultural events each month--it's taught by university students who are here from China. It's fabulous--I can't wait till Emily can enjoy it too.
For simple words we purchased a Mei Mei CD www.meimeiandme.com A bit monotonous but great for the kids (and we met Mei Mei 2 weeks ago!)
How many cans of formula did you take for the 2 weeks?
I suggest you bring the formula they sell now that comes in single serving tubes. They are a great way to transport it without the mess or need to measure. I think we brought about 30 of these packages but didn't use them!
Remember you will want to keep her on Chinese formula to adjust her belly. I recommend not changing her formula till you get home and then doing it gradually--mix some of her formula with the US kind. It'll be easier on her belly.
Diapers & wipes--I would say one pack of wipes and about 30 or so diapers if I recall. The Chinese diapers are actually a thinner version of Huggies. They still work the same! The wipes were also just fine so you can save yourself some space by bringing enough to get you through the first day or 2 till you can get to a store and then enough just in case you run out. Or, like me, you want to be safe on the plane rides with thicker diapers.
How about bottles/nipples?
This is tricky for me because Em didn't like the fancy Playtex drop-ins I brought! I did pack a whole kit of them with various nipple designs but she hated them. Cried the whole time we tried to feed her. Thankfully I had a good ole fashioned type bottle and nipple and that's what worked best! She was fine with that so I donated the other stuff to her orphanage.
In general they say that the babies like the formula to come out fast so bring a needle with you to make the hole wider. Actually, DH sterilized a pair of scissors and cut a hole in it for Em and she loved it that way! I would say you'd be fine with 3 because you can wash them in your hotel room too.
Every hotel room had a pot for hot water so it was easy to make bottles in the room. You'll also want to bring a thermos with you (16oz size) so you can take hot water with you around when you travel with baby.
I read somewhere to bring 5 cans of formula, 70 diapers, & 100+ wipes...is this really how much we should bring?--NO--see above
Can you tell I'm trying to pass the time until April when we can actually do something? YES! And I don't blame you one bit!!
* Pack & Play Borrowed by cousins PNP and did use it for a while with Emily. She's in a big girl bed now so she'd never enjoy the PNP again! I would still get one, though, and glad I have one for Katie
* Bouncer (I think we're going to get the infant to toddler rocker so it's used for much longer)She won't be in a bouncer for too long. I didn't have one for Em and I wouldn't buy one now for Katie.
* Changing TableYup--still have the table from Jess so I lucked out there. Still use it when Em doesn't fight me!
What did you get & use, what did you get and wish you hadn't, what didn't you get and wish you had?
There is nothing I didn't have that I miss. Things I definitely recommend:
Exersaucer--although she won't be in it long Em LOVED it! She used to bounce away in that thing!
Fridge Phonics--She'll love pushing the buttons for the songs and sounds that come out of it. I forget the age minimum but Em got this for her 2nd bday and she loves it.
Don't buy too many clothes till you're home and you know her size. Wait till you see the prices in China and you'll know why you need an extra suitcase!
Beads--you know like you may see at a dr's office on a table or something. The beads slide all around these wire thingies. Hard to describe but a ball to play with.
Blocks--can never have enough blocks.
Stroller--You'll find cheap umbrella type ones in China. We paid $15 for our's there and we love it. Has the hood and the storage underneath. A bit wobbly from the flight but we still use it and we have a larger one for the mall and stuff too.
The usual stuff...car seats, etc...
Hmm...let me think on it. I'm trying to think of true "baby" stuff and I'm drawing a blank!
LMK if you have anything in particular you're questioning!
__________________
Happily married for 19 years & mommy to 3 beautiful daughters
~13 year old (born preemie @ 24 weeks), 5.5 year old & 3.5 year old (both born in China!)~
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You said "not drinking water" lisa....do you bring your own or boil it? I think I know why everyone speaks of bringing the immodium
LOL! You will buy bottled water there--in fact even the Chinese (or most anyhow) drink bottled too. You'll be OK with boiled water for tea & such, and even for making bottles. Each hotel room we were in provided a hot pot and bottled water each day. We still bought water everyplace, though, since we wanted to stay hydrated.
You definitely will not drink water from the sink. Keeping your mouth shut in the shower is also very important. In fact, I had Jess put a towel over her face & eyes so we could try to keep water out of her eyes & mouth as best we could.
I also barely ate any veggies or fruit, uncooked anyway, while there. I did eat some melon but that was about it for raw stuff.
Did I miss anyone's ?'s ??
__________________
Happily married for 19 years & mommy to 3 beautiful daughters
~13 year old (born preemie @ 24 weeks), 5.5 year old & 3.5 year old (both born in China!)~
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Thanks to the fine print in the 1996 Welfare Reform Bill passed by Congress, we will have to produce three years tax returns to the Consular Officer to demonstrate our financial ability to support the child in order to obtain her visa. Is this still true (all or part)?
No, you don't need to bring those with you.
Well also have to contractually commit to reimburse the US government should the child require government support prior to becoming a citizen.
No, you don't need to sign anything of that nature. I don't even remember reading that any place--sounds rather archaeic doesn't it?! You're right about when you land in the US she will become an automatic citizen. About 2 weeks later you'll receive her Certificate of Citizenship (as long as you both travel) which is SUCH a COOL document!
No, we didn't bring wash cloths. You'll get all your linens there. You'll have enough laundry to worry about as it is. Ooohh---have I told you or is it on your ever-growing packing list, about disposable bibs? Those are THE BEST thing to bring with you. That's a definite. Then, when baby makes a mess you can just toss it and not worry about it stinking up your luggage or having it cleaned. Definitely bring those!
I'm glad you 'resurrected' this thread. It's one of my faves!!
So excited you have everything together. I'm so happy for you!!
__________________
Happily married for 19 years & mommy to 3 beautiful daughters
~13 year old (born preemie @ 24 weeks), 5.5 year old & 3.5 year old (both born in China!)~
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That's a great idea about packing the diaper bag and then packing it w/ things once you get there! We'll definately do that so I don't have to carry so much!
I seriously think I'm overdoing it but I don't want to be stuck w/o something...KWIM? I definately know we're going to have to bring sinus meds for MIL (she goes through about a box/week by herself.) and saline spray for both of them as well as Aleve (for DH) & Tylenol (for me & MIL)
We'll definately have room in MIL's suitcase b/c the only thing she's going to have in there is some meds & her clothes.
TTYL
Traci
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2 fur kitties- 9 angels (Single Loss 05/03; Quad Loss 09/03-D&C; Twin Loss 02/04; Twin Loss 2004. All RPL testing "normal" No cause found ('05 & '09)
New Gonal-F cycle started 9/5/09- Cancelled 9/14/09 due to too many follies all growing the same (all under 10mm still) Started Soy 120mg CD12-16!
RE said IVF next To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ....starting IVF Feb/March 2010
Do you think we'll need flu shots for travel in June, July, or August?
Also, I know I've asked you this before but MIL is really on me about this b/c of the shots...
Here's the list from our health dept of what everyone should get when traveling overseas:
Vaccine Frequency Price
Chickenpox Long-term protection after series of 2 for adult $80
Hepatitis A Long-term protection after series of 2 $45/each
Hepatitis B Long-term protection after series of 3 $50/each
Immune Globulin (Hep A) Variable/Short-term/Immediate protection $65
Influenza Good for 1 year $20
Malaria prescription Needed for each trip to malarious area $15
Meningitis Good for 3-5 years $95
MMR (Measles/Mumps/Rubella) Long-term protection after series of 2 $50
Pneumonia Consult Health Care Provider $20
Polio Needed once as an adult $30
Tetanus / Diphtheria Good for 10 years $25
Twinrix (Hepatitis A/B Combo) Long-term protection after series of 3 $75
Typhoid (capsules or injection) Shot - 2 years; Capsules - 5 years $62
Yellow Fever Good for 10 years $95
Don't need the Chickenpox one b/c all of us have had Chickenpox. I'm already going to request the capsules for Typoid since we'll assume that we're going back. What about Yellow Fever & Malaria? I think you said you didn't do the Malaria but what about the Yellow Fever?
This is going to be really expensive... I can't find a travel clinic and the health dept doesn't take insurance. DH's dr already said they don't do hep a/b b/c they don't keep them in stock. I haven't asked my dr but I'm going to call to find out.
Thanks!
Traci
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Married 6 years (1/16/03) to my wonderful husband! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
1 DD (B: 9/06; A: 8/07) To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
2 fur kitties- 9 angels (Single Loss 05/03; Quad Loss 09/03-D&C; Twin Loss 02/04; Twin Loss 2004. All RPL testing "normal" No cause found ('05 & '09)
New Gonal-F cycle started 9/5/09- Cancelled 9/14/09 due to too many follies all growing the same (all under 10mm still) Started Soy 120mg CD12-16!
RE said IVF next To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ....starting IVF Feb/March 2010
Adopting from China 
.) and saline spray for both of them as well as Aleve (for DH) & Tylenol (for me & MIL)
