All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go

[scarysuejonez]

I'm standing here outside your door

How exciting- hope all goes well, will be waiting to hear! All the best

Fantastic news Sue, I am so pleased for you, I can not wait to hear more about it. Good Luck

I hope everything goes really smoothly for you.

Any news on yours April?

Message withdrawn

nah still waiting to go to panel, sw has said that if they think they would have a match for us they would push it through quicker, she said that the delay would not delay us having a child, she has a few kids on her books that she said its her priority to place first, which we fully agree, hoping to go to panel December, but as you know the wheels go very slow.

Chuffed for you though, and who knows when you get back I may have some been to panel lol

Straight in then Sue ( as indeed were we!) Make sure there's someone around to take lots of pics - those first ones are the ones you'll treasure so much and so will the LO later one I'm sure. All sounds very organised once you get there so hoping it all goes well and that your stay is a positive experience for you as it was for me despite some difficulties.
try and see as much of the place as you can and take lots of pics our children loved those of the town where they were born as much as those taken within the confines of the orphanage itself. They also like to see pics of the children who were there when they were.
Bonding can be difficult, it wasn't for me but I do know people as I'm sure you do for whom it wasn't easy but that's no different to having a birth child I've been reliably informed! Our younger daughter was very attached to her carer and very reluctant to come to us at first ut that sorted itself out within a relatively short time, and of course we were glad that she was attached because we knew that it could be transferred. It will be a magical time for you and the LO.

oh hooray and good luck Sue!
Just to second beemail's post about bonding (and I know I've said it before) I think too much weight is given to the apparently instant attachment process for birth mothers. I'm a birth mother x2 and I didn't feel an instant bond with either of my children. Instead I felt as if I was being handed a stranger that I didn't know and who didn't know me. We needed time to learn and get to know each other. It wasn't probably until several months later that I felt anything that you might recognise as love. Before then I felt responsibility, protectiveness, pride and concern for the tiny strangers that had been placed in my care. Please don't ever feel that somehow if your child had come to you in a biological way that you would have found it easier or harder. You are starting the most amazing and wonderful process of getting to know your child and every one of us mothers goes through the same joy, panic, excitement, nerves and dread that you are going through now (except your matenity unit is half way round the world). We'll be thinking of you Sue, good luck.

Sue - sending positive vibes and shedloads of bonding mummy hormones your way (I have plenty of hormones to spare at the moment).

We'll all be thinking of you so keep in touch if you can

Ok this will probably be my last post for a little while. Need to peel myself away from the computer as I still haven't packed .

I keep crying about leaving my cats behind - how soft, not crying about leaving mother or sister or anyone else (yet), just the cats. I think because they won't be able to understand where I've gone for so long.

Hopefully I'll be better when something more exciting than packing is happening.

Thanks for all the kind thoughts and I'll be in touch as soon as I can.

Sue

xx

Wishing you the best of luck!

will be thinking of you and your DS/DD

Best of luck sue.

I have lurked on your threads for ages and have your blog bookmarked, so I will be watching for reports

Oh I quite new to mumsnet but just read through the history and want to wish you all the luck in the world. I cannot to wait to hear from you as to what is going on. Good luck Sue and keeping my fingers crossed for you.

I didn't feel I "bonded" with dd before she started smiling Sue. That red-faced screaming scrunched up little alien that didn't let me sleep! Forget when it is they start greeting you with a smile, but THAT made the difference for me.

Do you know whether it will be a boy or girl you're adopting and how old the child will be? Pack some good thermal undies now!

Sue may be meeting her new child tomorrow

oh wow, it's moving fast now. Hope everything goes well

Bit of an update - but we need more details!. Glad it's all starting to happen.

This is so exciting. No more news on there today yet.

There are more details now. It's a boy. Oh, I want to know more -- but I'll have to wait.

Awwwwwww tis very exciting. What a fantastic woman!