I do not think I have ever waited so long for something as I did for my little sister. The thing was once we got Gracie’s referral we had to… what? WAIT MORE?! I could not stand it! I had to wait over a year for the paperwork to be completed and when it was I was left holding the picture of my sister in my hands. I would then have to wait a few more weeks until I could actually hold her in my arms. Needless to say, I had a hard time with patience. So, how did I deal with all that waiting? Here are a few ideas that might help you in your wait for your little brother or sister to come home.

Baby Book- I looked and looked and looked for a baby book that was specifically geared toward adoption and I could not find one, so I made one. Just buy a plain scrapbook and add what details you would like to include such as siblings name, date of birth, referral day, gotcha date, nanny’s name, orphanage name, firsts (words, teeth, steps, etc.), favorites (toys, songs, colors, videos, etc.), update of each month, your personal letter to your sibling, or anything else you would like to share in your personal, one of a kind baby book. Start by adding pictures of the adoption process, pictures of the paperwork, the referral picture, pictures of your family packing to go get your sibling just to name a few.

Adoption Video- I love photography and to videotape things so I combined the two and made an adoption video! I have made videos on a few occasions such a graduations, videos about trips I have been on that my school has taken, and yes, the adoption of my little sister, Gracie. You can start gathering pictures of the adoption process such as pictures of the dossier, passports, and other paperwork so you can have a head start on your video. Once you have all your pictures and videos you could always do one of two things, hire someone to make your video or make one yourself if you have the software. I passed a lot of the time by learning how to use the software. If you would like to watch Gracesyn’s adoption video, then you can watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmC2jDLLhgg .

Plan to Pack- Do not pack if it is to soon. Instead, plan what you should pack. Make a list of what you need to bring. Include in your list what you should bring to take on the plane trip so the hours in the air will not seem to be so long and so you can be comfortable.

Shop- When we were adopting Gracie, my parents and I went to Babies R Us and Wal-Mart to register. It was so much fun helping my parents pick out things Gracie would need. I really did enjoy it.

Decorating Your Siblings Room – You can help your parents paint your siblings room and get it all set up for his or her arrival.

If you set your mind to it there are many other ways to help pass the time until you get your little brother or sister. Trust me, the wait will be worth it.