In the first part of this post, I looked at some of the issues that Russian and U.S. officials will want to see on your homestudy.

Most of the homestudy, however, will be devoted to answering six basic questions: Who, What, Why, Where, When and How. It can speed things along for the social worker if you jot answers to these questions down before your first meeting and print or send a copy.

By "Who", I mean talking about who you are as a person or family. Your social worker will likely want to know about your childhood: How you were parented and your relations with you parents and siblings.

"What" is where you talk about what kind of child or children you are looking to adopt. Yes, you will be covering this in a separate document for your agency, but you should plan on recapping it here. Russia does not like to see requests for "healthy" children; use the phrase "as healthy as possible" if you are not seeking a special needs child.

The "Why" answers will cover why you want to adopt. Russia does not require proof of infertility, so instead focus on your decision to build a family through adoption, and how you came to choose Russia.

For the "Where" section, be prepared to talk about where you have lived and how long you were at each address.

Tempting though it is with all the delays that have been happening in Russia, don't use the "When" section to say when--and how soon--you want your new family members to be home. Prepare to talk instead about how you will care for your children when you come home.

As for "How", answer questions about how you are going to fund your adoption and how you will honor your child's Russia heritage.

Most of all, just relax during your talks with your social worker. He or she can be a wonderful ally in your quest to be a parent.