what to get friends who are adopting from china?

[ehmom]

we have very close friends who leave in about a month to get their baby girl, and we are soooo excited for them. they have had a very long wait and this baby girl is so loved already. i really want to get them something special. for those that have adopted internationally, did you like getting things that reflect the child's native culture, or is that kind of overkill. for example, i thought i might get her a really nice brocade diaper bag. but is that tacky because the baby is from china? do you see what i'm getting at? also my mom wanted to get her the asian corolle calin doll. what do you think? i am really clueless here, so any input is very greatly appreciated!!
thanks, emily

[Melanie]

I'm clueless, too, about the other stuff, but the doll sounds like a lovely idea to me.

[peaceil]

I think just get something special that you would give for a non-adopted baby... but keep the idea in mind for when the girl is a bit older, so that you could get items like dolls that look like her, or artwork that reflects her native culture, at a time she'll appreciate it more. (Have two siblings adopted from other countries, and it seemed more important to get things from the home country when they are a bit older.)

[Jenn98]

We haven't adopted, yet, but I just wanted to chime in that even though my bio daughter looks like me I would love and totally appreciate a doll of another race. That said, DD hasn't had the chance to play with any dolls or stuffed animals very much because they are too advanced for her (she's 10 months old).

Your question is hard to answer because it really depends on the people who are adopting. I'm not sure you can really go wrong with a thoughtful gift.

Just as a suggestion, when my good friends came home with their child (almost a year old) I put together a basket of quiet, fun things for them to do in those early days. It had a set of playsilks from bumbershootbaby.com, some oil and a baby massage book, bubbles, a blow-up beach ball, stacking cups, etc. Just little things to do when you suddenly find yourself alone with a baby and a whole afternoon to fill. And I would have thrown in a bottle of wine if they had been wine drinkers!