More Excitement

Today Michael went back to the other house and retrieved the mail. Much to my surprise there was a DVD in there with movie of the baby! I was so excited. We watched it once and Nico immediately said, "Let's watch it again!" He is adorable and looks healthy and happy. I wish I would have kept up with my Spanish though as I can only understand a few words they are saying. I have a call into my friend from Colombia to help me out!

If I can download it to my computer then I will try to add some of it here or send via emails.

Update

I emailed the attorney in Guatemala yesterday, hoping to get more accurate information. She wrote back today to let me know that she entered us to PGN on December 26 so we could have a 2007 date on our documents --- this will grandfather us in. We will be kicked out with what is called a 'previo' because we don't have Pre-Aprroval yet, but we should have that within the next two weeks - I hope.

I am hoping while it is in PGN if they find other things they need then they will have us fix them at this time instead of going back in and getting previo'ed again. It would be so great to have him home before his first birthday!

I am anticipating new pictures of our now 7 month old baby boy the first week in January. Keep an eye on your emails for new pics and hopefully some health information.

I am hoping he received his Christmas package and they will send some photos of him with his toys.

Happy HOlidays everyone!

Counting the days

The agency has confirmed the DNA is at the embassy. So now we wait for Pre-Approval. They say it could be 4-6 weeks, here's hoping for 4! An email is sent from the Embassy saying we are approved, so rest assured, I'll be scouring emails carefully until this adoption is complete.

It is a little more relief to me to know we are moving. The agency received the DNA yesterday and mailed it to me. I should get it today or tomorrow. It will be great to have another photo of my baby and it will be with his birthmother, a priceless item for him when he is older.

I'll post more as I hear more.

Guatemala or bust!

I purchased the tickets tonight to see my new angel. I head off on February 4 and return February 8, way too short of a trip I am sure, but gotta save some vacation to visit later in the year - or bring him home.

I only worry about leaving my other boys home. Brian is fine he is with his dad. Nico will be fine too, as he is staying with Mike and my mom and sister. He is totally spoiled and loved by all three. No doubt I'll be calling home everyday.

I hope to get more information from the agency tomorrow about the DNA and where the paperwork is at. I was sick all today and slept past the time they left.

Anyway, counting down the days to hold this guy.

DNA at Embassy!?

Well, the ants in my pants got to me. I phoned the lab today to check on the DNA results. The woman who answered told me the DNA was at the lab November 19 and completed and sent to the Embassy on November 26. So if this is the case then we should be in Pre-Approval, I believe.

I called the agency and talked to Maria about it, she said they still didn't have results in their office. So, what happened to them??? She was going to call herself and find out and have the results sent to her. I am also curious to find out if for sure the results are at the Embassy and if we are in PA.

I didn't hear back today, so of course, I'll be phoning again tomorrow.

Still no DNA results

Ugh! I am so depressed over this. Still no DNA results today. I sure hope something comes in this week or I will go crazy!!! I just keep looking at his little face and want to have him with me so much. This wait is going to be harder than with Nico. There are so many uncertainties right now, I just want our paperwork to get moving and get him home.

NEW PICS!! December - 6 month Pics

I have been waiting anxiously for DNA - still no results yet. Instead, today I received the December pictures of the baby! He is absolutely adorable!!!! He is smiling and pushing himself up. I have to say I have the most beautiful boys in the world --- okay, maybe I am a little prejudice.

I didn't get a medical report, so I don't know his weight or height measurements. I emailed back to see if they have them. He looks so healthy! I am so glad.

I can say I am going to book this trip to Guatemala today! I am ready to hold this little guy NOW! Heading out in February - it's seems so far away.

iGoogle

iGoogle

Baby's name will be.....

Baby King's name will be Luca Jose Austin King once he arrives to us. I call him Baby King, the Baby, Chubsy Wubsy, but not Luca until he arrives. I do this in case something happens to him and he doesn't come home to us. While he grows everyday in my heart, in my mind by not calling him by the name I want, it keeps him more distant just in case which I know many people don't understand, but being through the adoption process twice before, keeps me on the side of caution.

Adoptions don't always proceed as we want them to. In Guatemala the birthmother can change her mind throughout the process. I love the name Luca and want to name my little boy this, so I don't tie it to any one child until he is in my arms. So please when you refer to him, refer to him as the baby, little guy. We admire his pictures everyday and I can't wait to hold him in my arms.

Luca is just a name that I like. Everyone has loved Nico's name so much I wanted something unique for this little guy too. Jose I will keep as his middle name because that is his original birth name. Just as I kept Nico's birth name as his middle name. I don't know who named him and want him to have a part of his original birth name stay with him. Austin comes from the name that Nico actually wanted to be the baby's first name. I do like Austin and was going to use it as his only middle name, but will add it in with Jose.

Nico feels a connection with this baby already and is so excited to get a little brother. He tells everyone he meets he is going to be a big brother.

DNA Taken

Doing the happy dance here. I found out that DNA was taken on November 19. I am anxiously waiting for the results to come back. They say usually about 2 weeks. They tell me this time I will get a polaroid picture of the baby with his birthmother with the results. For Nico I received a photocopy of the picture with the results. Our file is in family court and apparently the interview with the birthmother is taking place. Once we get the results from DNA we enter Pre Approval (known as PA). This is the US side of the first stage. Once all clears family court and PA then we move to PGN.

It seems many people have gotten their pink slips this past week, which is the final stage. DNA still has to be tested on the baby again to be sure he/she wasn't swapped, but it means the baby is very close to coming home.

I am praying hard for his arrival home around his first birthday in May. But I am also going to be realistic and know it may not happen that fast.

The baby should be visiting the doctor this week so more pictures should be coming.

DNA Authorization

The week of Thanksgiving I was told we recevied DNA authorization. However, the agency was unsure if DNA was actually taken. I will find out this week though. There is also an appointment set up to get into family court. This is where they interview the birthmother. The birthmother does have several chances to change her mind and this is one of them. It is very nerve wracking when this child is already growing in your heart.

The down side is that this time of year many social workers take a long vacation. We are hoping our case doesn't get put on one of these desks. Again, hopefully I'll find out something this week.

Our case is moving on schedule and comparing it to Nico's it is actually a bit ahead of his.

I am anxiously awaiting the beginning of December as that is when the baby goes to the doctor to be weighed and measured. They also take the pictures there. I am hoping for some pitures of him sitting up and maybe a smile or two....actually any pictures will do. On Thanksgiving my little guy turned 6 months old.

The start of the journey

It was in February,2007, I made the decision to start a Guatemalan adoption journey again. I knew things were a little on the edge, but in my heart I felt there is one more child there waiting for me. I pursued an agency and put my money down. I immediately started on my dossier and my homestudy. Much to my dismay, my homestudy took 8 months to complete. I couldn't believe it took that long. I had to keep telling myself it was for a reason. I was getting so nervous because by the end of October, many agencies were shutting down their referrals to Guatemala. Anyway, it finally came together and the paperwork turned in and sent to BCIS. I had a RFE (request for evidence) come back from BCIS on paperwork for Michael, got the paperwork together within 3 days sent back to BCIS and in a week received my 171H....Kudos to BCIS!!!

On October 18, I faxed the 171H to my agency. Within the hour she called me and told me she had a newborn girl ready to send to me. I was excited, but was like, "A girl?" The agency had me down as requesting a little girl. Don't get me wrong, I would gladly adopt a little girl, but I have so many boy things and Nico wanted a little brother. I told her I preferred a waiting boy because I know there are a lot of little boys waiting to be adopted. (I picked Nico off the waiting list when he was 11 months old - he came home at 17.5 months and it was perfect). So within another hour she called me and told me she was sending me pictures and medical for a baby boy. He was 5 months old and a healthy 18 pounds. The referral pictures are from the beginning of Oct. when he was 4 months old and weighed 16 pounds. I was sooo excited. I was at the library when I got the call and couldn't wait to get home to open the emails - thank goodness for email! I fell in love the minute I saw him.