Travel tips

Congrats! I brought my son home in July 2003. Time flys now. While there, you will pick up your child from the orpanage and probably go directly to Sofia (depending on the location of the orphanage) to have the Visa physical exam. This is quite simple, upstairs they look in the kids ears and eyes, then downstairs for a quick exam and any shots. My son needed Hib. From there you will probably stop somewhere to have a picture taken for Visa and back to the hotel to rest. The next day is the Embassy visit and then you're pretty much done with the formalities. I printed the forms I needed off the internet and brought it with me and filled it out with my agency, the night before my Embassy visit. I was quite keyed up about the Embassy interview, but it was really a piece of cake. My agency told me to bring a copy of my whole dossier and my travel agent told me to be sure to have my I171H on my person, just in case. I also brought my last paystub and taxe returns. I didn't need any of it. But I felt better having it just in case someone wanted to see something. Definitely bring Infant/Childrens Tylnol and Benedryl. I brought Tylnol PM for myself for the first night and crashed early. I don't know how old your child is, but something to suck on for landing and take off is helpful. I brought suckers, my son was nearly 3 and made a mess with them. But they helped. Which brings me to a MUST. Packets of Wash N Dri's. Keep these handy, make sure they don't get packed on the way back home. Hand sanitizer - in case you need to change a diaper and can't wash your hands. Your child might have a parasite, you don't want to pick it up. Small toys that can travel. I brought a beany baby that was a gift, a small stuffed frog that ribbets when it's squeezed and some mega blocks. They all came in handy on the plane as well as the crackers from the plane. Pack snacks. These kids like to eat and experiment with new foods. I brought crayons, which I had to wash of the walls. But my son was obsessed with taking them out and putting them back, so when I got home I bought a Barrel of Monkeys, he loved it. That is small, you may want to pack that. I know that there's a ton more, that I can't think of right now. Be prepared for your child to not remember you. I really wasn't prepared for that. My son was a different child. He wasn't as friendly as he was on the visit trip. On my visit trip, he held my hand as we walked to the family room, on my pick up trip he wanted nothing to do with me. He was stoic, didn't cry or anything, but my translator brought him into the car and he sat on her lap. I must confess it broke my heart. After he fell asleep, she moved him to my lap and he was fine after that. Oh, I also hear that alot of the kids throw up in the car. Most of them have never been in a car before. My son didn't. But you might want to have a bag or something to cover up with, just in case. Feel free to PM me or email me through the system with any other questions you have. I'd be glad to help you out. Sorry so long, I talk alot.

I agree with what Q's mom said. Have your dossier with you and more current financial info. We did not need it either, but some other couples with a different agency taht were at the Embassy did! Keep the toys simple. Our daughter loved to play with a ball that the hotel fitness center had (about softball size) She was and still is very active. Putting thngs in a container is fascinating!?! We let our daughter play with spare change and an empty film canister (she was 2 1/2 when we picked her up). We wer lucky, she loved water and gave hints about using the bathtub, so we tried it and she spent much time in the hotel bathroom. The actual pick up fromthe orphanage was very emotional. She had no clue who we were, and screamed. Our translator also picked her up and brought her to the car and put her on my lap. She fell asleep and was fine when she woke up. She did have a photo album with her that we had sent during the wait and in the car (we went from Varna to Sofia) she would look at the pictures and then look at us. We put pictures of us holding her on our first visit - I could see her little mind working! Congratulations on the begining of a new adventure. We waited about 15 months between visits (this before the law changes), so I know the elation you feel in finally approaching the second trip. Once your son is home time will go all too quickly - enjoy every moment.

Pictures! I totally forgot about pictures. I had 2 small albums of photos from my first trip that I brought with me. My son hung onto them like they were gold! When asked, "where's mama?" he would point out my photo from the album. He had never seen the album before. I also had left an album with the orphanage on my first trip that they gave back to me. I didn't actually use it on my pick up trip, but it was obvious that they used it. He knew my picture and it was fairly worn. FYI. I was 8 month between trips for me. Also, old laws. I know I'm very lucky, I've know other who waited much, much longer.