It can be extremely easy to over-pack when flying to another continent for a two to three week stay. Many parents to be worry that they will not be able to find the essentials for themselves and their new child(ren,) so they literally pack everything but the kitchen sink. We over-packed in a few area; Ella’s clothes and food and snacks for us. Here are some tips to avoid over-packing:

Find out about your hotel’s laundry service. Ours was excellent and affordable. We could have gotten by with half the amount of clothing we brought. Actually, my husband brought about... more

Don’t laugh at me…I brought Ella’s Halloween costume to Viet Nam with us last year. There was a possibility of us being home by Halloween, so I spent some glorious time ogling the baby costumes and choosing the perfect little lion costume for the little miss. Of course I didn’t know her size, so chose what I thought would be best. I bought it, took it home and dreamed of the little girl that would be THE cutest little lion on the East Coast that Halloween!

Then our travel date didn’t come as early as we had expected, and we were in sweltering, lovely Hanoi on Halloween.... more

My number one piece of advice for air travel with a child is be prepared. The next best suggestion I can offer is to be flexible. In this post I’m going to share some ideas that may help when you fly home from Viet Nam with your new child. The being flexible part rests squarely on your shoulders, but try to take a deep breath and remind yourself that this trip home is necessary to begin your new life together as a family.

Try and get a bulk head seat. This seating option is fabulous and made out trip home with Ella so much easier! Most airlines will not let you reserve bulk head... more

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has issued an official statement (posted by the Joint Council of International Childrens Services)about the new submission procedures for the I-600 petition. The announcement echoes much of the content of my last post on the subject, but goes into greater detail about the steps the process will entail starting on Monday. I applaud... more

The USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Service) and the US Department of State have announced that procedures for submitting the I600 Petition will be changed effective Monday October 29th. The changes will have adoptive parents receive their referral and then mail in their I600 to Viet Nam where is will take approximately sixty days to process the petition.

Details about the change:

~The length of... more

I cut my hair! It has been way too long and I have been way too lazy for a really long time. Since Ella’s come home my hair washing and styling priorities have gone out the window. Who am I kidding…I am about the most low maintenance person ever, so the fact that I spend even less time on myself now is not such a good thing.

Two months ago my grandma surprised me with a gift card to my salon for my birthday. It’s taken that long to decide what to do and finally get excited about cutting my hair off. I’ve been looking at styles online and in magazines like a crazy person. Then... more

We’ve been sufficiently slacking on the home study front. I honestly thought the second time around would be easier, and in some regards it is, but when it comes to our home study update it is most definitely not. Even though we completed Ella’s adoption just a year ago, we are required by our home study agency to re-complete many of the same forms that we did not too long ago. I understand that we need to be fingerprinted again, our financial status may have changed, we need updated police reports and a few other things that don’t bother me in the least. Frankly, I’m annoyed by the fact that... more

More Flooding in Central Viet Nam –It hasn’t been very long since the severe flooding brought by Typhoon Lekima wreaked havoc in Viet Nam, yet there was more flooding last week. The Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Thua Thien-Hue provinces were among those hit this time. Human lives were lost in the most recent flooding as well as rice paddies and fields. The Vietnamese government is predicting that the provinces of Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Kontum (all in the Central Highland area of... more

The term NOID conjures up fear in adoptive parents. NOID stands for Notice of Intent to Deny and the notices are handed down from the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to inform parents that the USCIS is intending to deny their child’s visa to enter the United States.

NOIDS are issued when a child does not meet the USCIS’s criteria for orphan status. Sometimes paperwork is filled out incorrectly or only partially completed by agency staff or provincial employees and a red flag is raised, other times the means in which a child was relinquished or referred is brought into question. The... more

UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) is viewed by most as a highly reputable, wonderful organization that works hard to help children in need. Those of us involved in international adoption know that the term “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” can be used when talking about the revered charity. They have worked hard to polish their squeaky clean image and get empathetic people to write checks in the hopes that they are helping needy children. What most people don’t know is that if those needy children happen to be without a family to care for them and are living in orphanages and are up for international adoption, UNICEF would (in most cases) rather they stay put (without thought to the reality... more