Just call me Herman....New adoptive parent training...oh do we need it....

This weekend, on Saturday, Sonja and I attended the final training class sponsored by Holt that is required before we are able to travel to China.  The training primarily focuses on helping both you and your new child in making the transition as smooth as possible. There were six couples in class with three couples matched with children from Korea and three couples matched with children from China. Based on what I could ascertain, all the couples were thinking no more than 6 months left of wait time before they would travel to pick up their child.  One thing is for sure…everyone is about paper worked out and are getting excited for “Gotcha Day”.  Many of the concerns we had were also shared by other couples including but not limited to:

1.       How long will it take for one or both parents to bond with the child…more importantly         how quickly or how long will it take for Zoe to bond with us and our family?

2.       Zoe will be 4 years old or there abouts when we pick her up….how quickly will she begin to understand English so she feels comfortable in her new setting.

3.       How long and how quickly will we be able to introduce new foods into her diet versus what she is used to having for meals in China.  Want to make sure we continue providing some of her favorite meals so she does not lose her culture

4.       The difference in times zones, they are approximately 14 hours ahead…there night time in China is our daytime here in Nebraska.

So the class brought out some very good points…some we had thought of and some that were new to us. We had two couples who had adopted before so they shared a number of tidbits that were very helpful.

I think the part that was of keen interest to me was what is affectionately termed as “Gotcha Day.” This is when the parents first get to meet and take their new child back to their hotel before making their trip back home to the U.S.  I have seen a number of “Gotcha Day” video’s on You Tube based on other parents experiences and the children look scared and not sure what is going on….Sonja,  Nathaniel and I will look like Herman, Lily and Eddie Munster…as lovable as we may be our first appearance to Zoe will probably be very scary for her. 

So the training was good and we had a good facilitator (Bonnie Mayer)…it answered many questions we had.  It was another milestone moment for Lily, Eddie and I….just joking….it is another milestone for us…we continue to meet a number of very nice people along the way…so far it has been a memorable journey….

Until next time…



What do you mean you don't want to go to China...really!!

Our biggest challenge is traveling to China.  Our son Nathaniel is not sure he wants to go.  What a great experience for a 13 year old.  However, I need to pause and walk a mile in his shoes.  His biggest concerns are missing 10-11 school days.  He's worried about all the school work that might be waiting for him.  I guess I can appreciate his concerns as I am always worried what will be waiting for me when I comeback from a week of vacation away from the job. However, I am sure we can work out some agreement with his teachers which would allow him to keep up with his studies while he is traveling. I wonder what others have done...I would be very interested in any advice others might have regarding this.... Also, we are assuming we will travel during his baseball season (spring/summer) and he just absolutely loves the game. He would miss a number of practices/games. I know he doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize his status on the team.  I don't blame him for that.  Finally, I am sure he has some apprehension going to a country where he is not familiar with the food, customs or the people.  He is beginning to go through that stage where it is not cool hanging with the parents so that might yet be another issue.  I think the more we talk to him the more open minded he becomes about the idea. I think down the road he will regret not going...but maybe I am wrong.  Ultimately we will let him choose whether he stays home or he decides to travel...I know he will make the best decision for him. I think we will still get him a Visa in case he decides last minute he wants to go.


Also, this weekend...we are going to a one class sponsored by Holt International which is for parents who have been matched with a child.  Although it is a requirement, I think both my wife and I are looking forward to it. The last class they offered really put international adoption into perspective and I hope this class will bring additional insight and continue to prepare as we open our hearts and home to a baby girl. We are getting closer but we still have some things that need to be done.  Crazy as ti sounds I am already thinking about what we will need on our trip, even though our trip may not be for 3-5 months.  I just want to make sure we are well prepared as I know there will be so many things to do and we will lose track of time....anyhow...that's all for now and thanks for reading our posts as we continue our progress towards bringing Zoe home.