I mentioned before I left for China that I have been working on a big project. After several months of hard work, I’m pleased to present to you Mine In China–the book!

I’m sure you’ve all noticed that I have a brevity problem. Several of my articles, especially the series on how to choose an adoption agency, are so long as to be not conducive to the blog format. Statistics for the site show that there are quite a few people who sit down and read all the articles on my Adoption Resources page in one or two sittings. When you add in that there are still many more questions that people have about the nitty gritty of the process, I decided that a book would be the best option. All of the information–big and small questions–are answered as you read through in order that makes more sense than clicking on blog posts as they catch your eye.

There is a lot of new content in the book. In fact, it’s almost 350 pages long! I begin with the basics of who qualifies to adopt from China and go all the way through the early days home to looking ahead to parenting older internationally adopted children.

Some new topics covered in the book include:

• A reference list of terms and acronyms specific to adopting from China
• The steps involved and a timeline for each
• Affording adoption
• The pros and cons of hosting programs as a way of finding your child
• How to know if a referral is the right match for your family
• The post- LOA process
• Understanding your child’s Chinese name
• How to transition your child to their English name if you choose to give them one
• Medical appointments and important legal paperwork after you arrive home
• Handling comments about your child and family

Plus, for the first time I write about TRAVEL!

• Hotel reviews
• Private guide options
• What is involved in flying out of Hong Kong
• Cultural differences
• What to do about car seats
• A squatty potty tutorial (yes, seriously)
• Important reminders for the day you meet your child

While you already know I won’t skimp on the bullet points in the book, you can look forward to these printable reference lists:

• A master list of questions to ask a potential agency
• Questions to ask in a child update
• Things to remember to do before you travel
• An annotated China-specific packing list
• Souvenirs to buy in China
• Plus, a reference list of suggested websites and books

The book will be released on April 4th. I hope to also be able to have a print option as well. I have more posts than usual planned in the time leading up to the book release. Later this week I will be posting a sample chapter, then next week I will be starting a giveaway to kick off the celebration. I hope you guys are excited about this because I have worked really hard on it. I’m excited to finally be able to share it with you!