Travel plans made

The plans are made and I leave Sunday, August 3 to reunite with my angel and to return with him on Thursday, August 7. I will be so elated to get home. But, first things first, I need to recheck the luggage and be sure I have everything I need and review what paperwork I need to bring with me.

I was surprised at airfare, but at this point, it doesn't matter, just get me there and home again. Since when do you have to pay for a lap child??? Again, I don't care, just get me there and home again with him in my arms. I was informed they did away with adoption rates last year... Duh! OF course!

Anyway, have I said, it doesn't matter, just get us both home safely!

I can't wait to introduce him to all his new friends who have waiting with me.

WE ARE PINK!

I was impatiently waiting and trying to figure out how to email the embassy when I decided I was going to take a nap before our concert tonight. 2o minutes later I got up, opened my email and there it was---PINK!!!!

Embassy date is August 5.

I will be purchasing tickets tonight for travel.

Oh Happy Day!

DNA arrived at Embassy

Okay, the DNA results arrived at the Embassy this morning at 10:15am. Now, I wait for the email to come from the Embassy. It makes me nervous because they just send me an email, not the agency, so hopefully there won't be any typing errors. I know, I am paranoid. I also have a fear that something else will end up being missing. But, that's me, think the worse, then be elated when all is good.

I have a few hours to keep busy, so I'll check my email again later and see if there is any news.
I can't believe we are so close. I will have my sweet angel home!

I want to thank everyone for the support you have given me. All the prayers, the wearing pink, thinking pink, being there to listen (even if you were sick of listening).

Diaper Fun

We are all getting into the excitement of a new baby. I have been having fun buying cloth diapers. The prints are so adorable and I can't believe how soft they are. Michael says, "Yeah, and he is just going to poop in them!" The one pair of cheetah prints I just loved. I brought them down to show Michael and he agreed they were cute and then proceeded to put them on his head. (Maybe he shouldn't be allowed to change Luca's diaper :-). Michael's comment, "Wow, these are warm, his butt will be warm in the winter."

Then Nico got into the fun and tried them on himself. At least he got the diaper on the right body part. Nico is a little guy for six years old, weighing only 44 pounds so I wasn't too worried about him stretching the diaper out too much (Luca weighed 23 when we were there in May). He had fun modeling from all views.

Brian wasn't with us this day or I am sure he would have had a creative way to wear the diaper too. (One day I might find one on the cat!)

I love the smile on Nico's face. He is usually all smiles anyway. His smile always brightens my day!

I love my house of boys!

DNA update

The DNA results are sitting at the Fedex office waiting for pickup. Ugh, the darn weekends! I guess they'll get it on Monday. Praying for pickup the first week of August! Everything is ready for Luca's arrival.

We have one last thing we want to do this week before he comes home and that is to go see "Journey to the Center of the Earth" in 3-D! Nico has been wanting to see this movie and we will be studying the Earth this year in school.

Update on Monday.
Stay tuned for the fun pictures of the new diapers and the creative ways the 'big boys' decided to try them out ;-) I love my boys!

DNA on its way

The internet is a wonderful thing! I am following the DNA results down to Guatemala. They left the lab in MO last night at 6pm and this morning left Florida at 8am. My baby boy is getting closer to me every minute.

I only have two nights of work left. I am happy, yet a little bit sad. Happy to not have to work every weekend, but sad to miss my friends at work. However, we see each other out of work as well, so I'll see my good friends. I also enjoy my work schedule, only working three nights a week over the weekend. It gives me so much more time to have with my boys. Especially with homeschooling we get so much together time and I am able to get them to activities. Thank goodness for my dear sister who is the babysitter when I work. What better place to leave my children then with someone who runs her household like me (only she is a much better cook)!!! That is another thing I am looking forward to, having time and energy to cook more. Also getting moved and settled in our new home will be great. I won't be running back and forth to two houses trying to keep them both going.

More information later today as the dna treks its way across the continents.

DNA Update

The lab wrote me back and said the testing should be completed by this Thursday. She said it will then be FedExed out Thursday evening back to the Embassy, arriving by Friday. That would mean they should send me PINK the following week with a date! Looks like I'll hopefully be travelling the week of August 4.

Everyday seems so long when the wait is this close. I am hoping for some new pictures when they take him to the Embassy doctor. I am curious to see if the Foster Mother broke down and cut his hair. I know it was long in front, so hopefully if she cut it that was it and not the curls.

Embassy Outfit Selected

I have finally found an outfit for Luca to wear to the Embassy. Children's Place was having a great sale and I bought the whole outfit for $6.00! It is nothing to fancy, but it will look cute on him I'm sure. I didn't buy any shoes, so I am hoping the FM gives him to me with his walkers I left him with last time. His feet are so fat and big I am afraid to buy shoes until I have him with me.

Of course, his closet is also full of wonderfully cute outfits. I can't wait to get him in them.

I have also made the decision to use cloth diapers. I have some of the cutest prints, too cute to even cover with clothes. Michael is a bit skeptical about this, but the money I will save in the long run with benefit us and not to mention the savings on our environment.

I am so excited I can hardly stand it. The last few weeks of anticipation on a pick up date are killing me. I am trying to get things organized at work for family leave, preparing the room, organizing the toys (Phew! this child needs no new toys....between everything Nico and Brian had - yes, I saved it for 16 years, Luca is set on toys).

I hope to have exciting news later this week as I'll be calling the DNA lab to check the status of the testing.

2nd DNA Taken!

The 2nd DNA was taken today and on it's way to the US lab. Hopefully they will be quick to get it analyzed and back to the US Embassy in Guatemala. Then it's pink! Starting thinking PINK.

DNA

We are hoping DNA will be taken tomorrow or Thursday. I can't believe we are finally so close to getting Luca home. I am so ready to hold him in my arms and bring him home to his forever family. Everyone is anxiously waiting his arrival. I have so much support from friends and family it is wonderful.

I am ready to be off work for my 12 weeks of family leave. I think work is surprised I am taking off all 12 weeks, but the time I will have bonding and adjusting with our new family is priceless. I will get to enjoy some beautiful summer/fall months in Missouri with my children, before the hectic holidays hit. Nico is excited to show Luca all the new things to discover.

Thinking PINK

The DNA request is suppose to be put in today. I have started wearing my pink this week. Every shirt will be pink. Even the boys get to wear pink socks as something red was washed with them last week....so now they are thinking pink too!

On a sad note, the agency informed me that Luca's foster mother's son was killed last week. He was her only son. He was only in his 20's and did not live with her. Please say extra prayers for her and her family through this very tough time.

They are not changing foster homes for Luca as we are so close to the end and she has had him since birth. It would be horrible to take him away too. Hopefully Luca can bring her some comfort and help keep her busy during this hard time.

Baby Bed Vibes Worked!

Well, you guessed it, the baby bed vibes must have worked. The atty got the Birth Certificate today!!! Tomorrow the passport will be done. I am so excited!!!

What an emotional rollercoaster this adoption has been. I'll be so glad to get my angel home.

Thanks so much for all the prayers and well wishes, it all helps.

A Disappointing Day :-(

Well, today did not bring the good news I was hoping for. The atty. went to get the Birth Certificate but they told her it was not ready yet. She said she will be going every day to check on it. I asked her if they asked for any other paperwork, she said no. She feels that is a good thing, but it is just not ready yet. It seems no one has gotten their BC's since we all got released from PGN last month.

It is so frustrating! It has been over a month since we got out of PGN. I got my hopes up for him coming home within the month or month and a half. I should know better than to get my hopes up. I wish it was affordable to go visit again.

I am picking up his baby bed tomorrow, so hopefully that will send good vibes!

I'll post when I have any news.

Anxiously waiting!

July 8th is almost here. I can't wait to open the email that says my little guy now has my last name. Luca has several new outfits now hanging in the closet. I can't wait to see him wearing them.

Nico andLuca have matching 'Future Copter Doctor' tshirts with a big helicopter and some wrenches on it. Nico was outside helping Michael today working on the helicopter. I was watching from the window upstairs and listening to them work together,,,,it was priceless as I listened to Michael instructing Nico what to do to help him out.

Nico has been collecting frogs all week. The Lincoln County Fair is having a frog and turtle contest. Today we found a big toad. He is not afraid to grab these things and then grab some grasshoppers to feed them. My brother, Vince, found a turtle hurrying across the road the other day and grabbed him for Nico to use in the race...then he will be released.

Brian is on vacation from school work and hanging out with his dad for a week and a half. It is a nice break for him. He is growing and changing every day. He has his new driver's permit and working towards his 60 hours behind the wheel. He drives mostly with his dad because I won't let him drive with Nico in the car ---- and honestly I am SCARED to let him drive. I have no brake on my side of the car. I think I'll let Michael do the drivers ed with Nico and Luca.

Well, hopefully on Tuesday I will have good news. I am picking up the baby bed Wednesday and then getting things together for Luca's arrival.