micro update #2

The second DNA test is done & a match (Sara is still Sara) so now we are just waiting for our Embassy appointment! We could get that email any day, and it will give us about a week to get down there. So we should be going down in a little over a week! Maybe closer to two weeks.

Yay!

Also, Sara is our kid now...we are just waiting to be allowed to take her out of the country.

Yay!

micro update

Things are moving along. Sara's blood sample got taken Friday (poor kid) and should be with the DNA lab by now, if it hasn't already been completed.

We're going to go over some final paperwork with the agency tomorrow.

Hopefully in a week or so we'll get the call that we have an Embassy appointment & can get flights lined up. We'll certainly let you know when we get the call! Until then, steps are happening, and we continue to be impatient.

Also, it got warm here so we went fishing! There's a place called Waterton Canyon which is only 45 minutes away & is pretty much the same altitude as Denver, so not all frozen over. No luck, didn't even see any fish, but I should post a picture just to make you all jealous of the lovely scenery.

wish list - ya'll made us do it

OK, this feels like one of the more obnoxious things we've ever done, but since ya'll keep asking, here is a list of baby-related items we could still use.

No one is obligated to buy anything of course! You have gifted us all up a-plenty already! We are truly grateful for everyone's encouragement & support through this process, and that is the best gift you could ever give us!

But since you've asked... We're not registered anywhere because we aren't that particular about the exact model of anything...haven't done the research to know what's good or bad, so your guess is as good as ours. And we don't want the junk mail that comes with registering. And target.com made me mad because you could only put a birth date in the future! But Sara's not being born in the future! I suppose that means receipts might be a good idea, in case of duplicates.

p.s. We are also kinda tree huggers (you guys knew that already right?) so non-toxic, non-plastic, or used items are very much appreciated! Will try not to be too obnoxious about it however. :-)

- baby spoon, or whatever babies need to eat with (we have a million bottles already), bibs
- sippy cup
- spanish or any cds, music or stories
- little cd player for Sara's room
- any book, spanish/bilingual or regular ole English
- play saucer
- pack n play
- baby bjorn
- soft shoes (www.isabooties.com, www.cutebabyshoes.com)
- baby gates
- diaper genie type thing
- bike trailer

- stroller (not with built in carseat). My coworkers tell me we want a Bob stroller, though the fact that it is "the official stroller of the Ironman Triathalon" seems rather alarming. Hopefully for us it would mean "easy going over the bumps to get the the Mexican bakery" http://www.bobgear.com

- carseat - the infant to toddler type, not just the infant only type (http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/choosing-a-car-seat.htm)

- if toys, we lean toward wood/non-plastic, such as Melissa & Doug or Haba brands (see Amazon.com)

- this thing to use as a low bookshelf & reading seat in the baby's room: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-1/?ie=UTF8&asin=B00085FNG8

- bath stuff--I think she is old enough that we don't need the bassinet, but one of those water temperature things, bath toys, whatever else (we have towelly & wash clothy things)

- we do have quite a few clothes (passed along, brand new, from the friends who got the extra-grande baby from Guate), but I would never try to tell anyone not to get clothes. c'mon, thats the funnest thing--it's a girl! 12 month & up sizes would be most useful though.

- cute night light http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=sc_qi_detaillink/601-0730632-7246533?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000XTBDUE

- the gift of no stuff! college savings starter, hugs & kisses, donation to http://www.mayanfamilies.org/

- whatever secret stuff you guys, especially you parents, know we would actually use that we have no clue about.

For those keeping score at home....

We are getting REALLY close to picking up Sara. It sounds as if many, if not most, of the Guatemalan approvals have been done and documents created (Guatemalan birth certificate and passport) for Sara. In fact, Sara is probably our legal daughter right now, although only in Guatemala. We are in the last review step right now: the US Embassy in Guatemala City (GC). We should travel to pick Sara up in about 3 or maybe 4 weeks from now.

Here are the remaining steps: 1) within a week we should get a confirmation that the DNA sample taken from Sara this week was received at the company that runs the test (yes, we have to make sure the Sara we are adopting is, in fact, the same Sara we were matched up with in July), 2) within a week after that we will receive notice that the test has been run and the data have been sent to the US Embassy in GC, and then 3) we will get an email notice in about a week, after the DNA results have been evaluated, that we have an appointment at the embassy, probably a week later.

We will probably spend just a couple of days in GC and then get Sara back into the U.S. where she will be a citizen as soon as she lands in the country.

Hooray!

Welcome Ryan!

You little Valentine, you. You even look cute as a newborn.

Welcome! We can't wait to meet you. Give mom-Jill & dad-Jeff & big brother-Alex our biggest congrats.

this adoption is trying my p.a.t.i.e.n.c.e.

Oh boo.

We were not right about 3 - 5 weeks. The agency just told us to plan on 5 - 6 weeks (til we go down & get her, I assume, though they didn't really specify).

So, I guess we'll have to move the welcome home party date back a bit. Maybe we should say Xmas to be on the safe side? ;-)

Oh let us all now sing the patience song.
Everybody has to sing along.
Patience! Patience!
We lack patience!
We'd drink a whole lot if it weren't so wrong!

PGN Approval!!!

Big news! Good news! We are approved by PGN! This is the big step we've been waiting for. It would be veryyyy very unlikely for anything to prevent us from adopting Sara at this point.

Woohooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The little steps left include one last sign off by the birth mother, one last DNA test to make sure Sara wasn't swapped with another baby, and a few other little things. And there are the mysterious goings-on with the new Central Authority...which may not affect us at all, or may slow us down a bit...that part is still very unclear.

But, at this point, we think we may be able to go get Sara in the next 3 - 5 weeks! Once we get the call to go down, Sara is legally our daughter...we are just showing up to get her visa & escort her home. So we are really getting close!

Manitou Springs

We were tired of working on the house...blahhhh...winter....so we went to a little tourist town near Pikes Peak called Manitou Springs & had good tourist fun.

Highlights include.... Arcade - Cliff Dwellings - Latern tour at the Cave of the Winds - Good Bookstore!

more photos >

I would like to say....

I would like to say to our blog-reading public that my wife Beth is A-W-E-S-O-M-E for re-doing our stairs while I mostly bitched and moaned about it all.

Also, in adoption-related news, we will have been under PGN review for 60 days on February 11th. Cases are only released from PGN after being "under review" for 60 days. So, if we get our Central Authority approval before the 11th, we could hear some big news then. Are you following all of this? After we are out of PGN, the adoption will mostly be a done deal, but we will have to wait for a few weeks before we pick up Sara for a second DNA match test and a few other legal matters. We will keep you up to date.

Yours,
Mike.

delayed again?

Some of you may have seen this:

Dispute in Guatemala may delay adoptions

Sooo, we a probably looking at a bit more delay.

Right now we have "registered" our in progress adoption. If you're following along, that means we have our "aviso." Now we need the new, arguing, unpaid Central Authority to approve our registration...that will be our "constancia." After that we still have to get the final DNA test & get approved by PGN...those steps are fast (usually). So, who knows...the arguing Central Authority could pull up a folding chair tomorrow & stamp several thousand "avisos"...or they could argue for a good long time.

As you can imagine, we're getting really anxious & frustrated by waiting...it is getting old, old, old and driving us to drink. But at the same time, we knew we were taking our chances when we signed up for Guate. And, although it seems like the Guatemalan authorities are maybe just messing around, they have actually demonstrated that they are committed to moving forward & getting these adoptions finished. So, we think it will finish...just unclear, once again, how soon that might be.

stairs, at long last

I forgot to take proper before pics...it was all painted,with dirty white carpet on top. So these pics pick up well underway. Look, Mike is working on the stairs!