Dear Parents,

Whatever your emotions are going into the adoption process, and through it, and it could be the feeling of excitement, anxiousness, confusion, frustration, etc., I can assure you when you bring your son or daughter home, you will mainly feel excitement and joy and that it was all very well worth it!

After researching many adoption agencies, we selected Adopt-A-Child (AAC) primarily because they focused on Russian adoption, and also because of the positive feedback from other families we knew had adopted from AAC. Laura Ellman, who is one of the directors at the agency, guided us throughout the process. She answered our questions and many times put our minds at ease, as adopting internationally has many challenges due to the country's regulations. We certainly learned to have more patience, as you have to be realistic in how the process works and that it's not a "speedy" process, though a successful one.

One of the nicest parts of the adoption process was going to the group discussions at the agency, which were usually led by Laura. They were very informative, had varied topics, and gave you a chance to meet other parents going through the process. Sofiya Girel, founder, would speak often and advise of her recent travels to Russia and she would answer questions and assist as best as possible to the help parents.

AAC does their best to accommodate your wishes to find your little one. It's an emotional roller coaster at times, and they will guide you through it all.

My husband and I are now blessed with a beautiful girl. We met her at 13 months and brought her home at 15 months. She had her 2nd birthday at the end of March and it is unbelievable how well she is doing. When we met her we felt she looked at us like another "care giver". No hugging, just a lot of staring. Today, she runs into our arms, hugs and kisses us, and says "love you" everyday. Her hair is so long now, a glossy dark color and she is very healthy. She is beautiful.  She was small when we brought her home, and has grown into the 50 percentile range. She is doing very, very well. We still can't believe she's not even been with us a year yet (when this was written in June, 2007). We feel she has been with us forever. You initially have to work through your child being scared and confused. You're excited and tired, and you're working with a language barrier. Though believe me, it does not take long for your child to understand you and eventually trust you.

AAC recently held their annual picnic at the Pittsburgh Zoo. We had a blast and were able to reconnect with other families who were going through the process at the same time. It brought tears to my eyes to see all the children who have been adopted and are thriving.

It's all good.

Bob and Sandra La Mar