While I Wait...

I have known my entire life that I wanted to adopt one day.  My mother is adopted and I always wanted a large family but did not feel I had the right to contribute to over-population.

My husband and I currently are in the process of adopting our first child and we have filled out the paperwork, finished our home study, been approved by all of the pertinent agencies and are now waiting for our placement and subsequent bringing the child home-ness!

I have to say that I am not having as much trouble waiting as I thought I would though I do find myself getting impatient once in a while.  One thing I wonder, and maybe those of you who have adopted can help me with this, is how early should I start getting ready to bring the child home?  I mean when should I start looking at car seats and toys and such and how soon should I start buying that stuff.

Part of me thinks I should do it now so that I can spread the cost out over time and thus not be hit as hard and part of me thinks I should wait until I know the age and size and gender for sure and their coming home is imminent so that I don't get something wrong or worst of all find out it is not going to happen (which is not likely but always a fear I think).

So far I have had what I consider a very good experience and now I am reading a great deal about how to be a good parent and though some of it is very scary, I am excited.  I hope to perhaps have one or two biological kids and adopt again in the future but for now I just need to wait...

Good luck to all of you out there who are thinking of adopting!