Care Package

I've been putting together a care package to send to Emily. Sometimes this is the first notice to the orphanage of the impending adoption. But it also helps to let her know that we are anxious for her to be with us.

It can't be bigger than a shoebox though so it's hard to decide on what to include. It's also somewhat iffy whether she'll still have the items with her or not when we take her home so that plays into it as well.


We've settled on a super soft bear, a mini see-n-say toy (because she likes toys that make noise), and a photo album. Some orphanages will take pictures for you if you send a disposable camera for them to use and return it to you when you pick up your child. So we're including one as well.

The little lotions are a gift to the nannies. Many gift suggestions for when we receive her suggest things like quality cosmetics so I thought that might be a suitable introductory gift.

The photo album is way to introduce her new family to her before we actually arrive. The nannies are supposed to be pretty good about using this tool to prepare them for their new lives.


Our agency even included a page with some English/Chinese phrases that I could glue in next to the pictures.

When we were discussing what to put in the box, it occurred to me that even if we only get back the album and the camera, it might be nice to have something to put it in. I expect her to be having a mini-meltdown (like most of the kids), if not when she greets us then as soon as she hears the other babies crying. It's actually pretty normal for most children.

If that's the case, the nanny will be juggling handing her off as well as the photo album and camera and anything else she has. It isn't likely to be more than a coat but if she bonds to one of the toys that would make it easier for her to calm in the hotel room as well. After all, she'll be in a new place with two people who are not only strangers to her but also don't look like any of the other people she's ever been around.

So I made a little drawstring bag to put her gifts in and placed the lotions in a little goodie bag for the nannies. Hopefully, they'll make good use of the bag even if it doesn't come home with us.

I'm so excited to send this to her. It is our first actual contact with her. It isn't as nice as it will be to hold her in my arms but maybe this little package will prepare her for the exciting journey that she doesn't know is coming yet.