sara's first trip to the zoo

Sara went to the zoo today. Her favorite animal is the human, especially other kids. But penguins, birds and monkeys were also a hit.

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pictures!

oh yeah, we got a cute one

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We did it!

I picked up Sara's visa this afternoon and we will fly home tomorrow. She will become a citizen when we hit the ground in Atlanta. She is doing better and better with us each day. Let's just say that she is an incredibly happy baby. We took a trip to the old colonial town of Antigua this morning and Sara charmed everyone she met. She gives strangers a huge grin. Hopefully, she'll do the same with Americans. Sometimes I wonder if it is a relief to have someone talking to her in Spanish. She spent the entire cab ride back laughing while playing with a stuffed frog and a water bottle. Let's hope she is just as jovial on the plane tomorrow.

We are starting to figure each other out a bit more. We've learned that when she starts talking to her stuffed animals while looking into their faces the window to put her down to sleep is open. If we miss the window she seems to go to a very silly and happy place and she will goof and play for hours (literally). At least she doesn't get crabby.

We'll talk to everyone soon. And, thanks for all of your nice thoughts and support. This has been a hard, but amazing process and we are so excited to go home and be a family. It has been nice to know so many people were cheering us on.

We'll post pictures over the weekend.

Mike.

Sara is a very happy baby.

Hello -

Just a quick update: Sara was approved for her immigration visa this morning. We pick it up tomorrow and will fly home on Wednesday. When she hits the runway in Atlanta, she will be our newest citizen. The embassy was a confusing experience, but luckily our lawyer told us exactly where to stand and which bullet-proof window to stand in front of. In Central America, the concept of lining up isn't as clear as it is in the U.S. so it was much easier to have a Guatemalan guiding us through the process. We are now past the last BIG hurdle and not only is this baby ours, but she will be allowed into the U.S. We are incredibly relieved and incredibly happy.

Tomorrow we are going to Antiqua for morning tourist visit and then in the afternoon we pick up Sara's visa at the embassy.

Sara is doing wonderfully. She is an incredibly happy baby. Right now, I hear her squealing upstairs at the hotel while riding in the walker-thingie. Every day we have taken her out for stroller rides in Guatemala City and she has proven to be a very extroverted baby. Beth and I will have to figure out that extroversion trait as we go along. She trusts me much more now and will gladly stay with me alone in a room - sans Beth - and she seeks me for comfort now. So, we have quickly become a happy family. She loves listening to music and squeezing soft food like beans and fruit in her fists. She also loves a bottle and I seem to be the go to man when she wants one.

Okay back to getting my face scratched of by baby.

Live from Guatemala ....
Mike

smiley smiley girl

Well this little girl gets more and more smiley and smiley all the time. She is super duper happy. She wakes up happy, with great big smiles for us. If you help her stand up she becomes wildly happy. If you let her cruise around in the walker she is wildly happy and cruises back for a kiss from mom, and even dad now, from time to time. If you let her eat a cracker she is super happy. If you let her turn the light on and off she is super happy. Last night she even feel asleep happy, and spent some time smiling madly at us and peeking out from under her covers. She definitely likes music, especially if mom does a dance for her. She even appreciated our rendition of 'Eye of the Tiger.' I think the only time she was unhappy today is when I went to wipe her face off and knocked her flat on her back on the hard wood floor. Oops. Bad mom.

So all you grandparents and relatives get ready, this little girl is pretty darn charming. Just don't horseplay her too much or do scary funny things at her...she doesn't care for that kind of thing yet. But since every day she gets more and more comfortable, she may get into that too for all I know.

OK tomorrow is the big Embassy appointment...can't wait to get that over with...and then just a few more days til we get to bring this sweetie pie home.

p.s. Sara is also getting much more comfortable with New Dad, and much less uncomfortable if I leave the room. Yay!

We know you all want pictures

We don't have our own computer here. There are some here we can use, but there's no way to get pictures off our camera onto their computers. You'll all have to wait til Wed. or Thurs. after we get home. Sorry, hang tight and trust that she's a cutie. We're taking lkots of video too, to bore you all with some day.

Well Sara is even happier today. And she is really warming up to New Dad a whole lot. While New Mom is still number one, New Dad is coming right up the popularity list, and can now hang onto baby Sara while I leave the room. I am also now being called mama, which is awfully sweet. Though I swear her first English word is Okay, which she said as clear a day yesterday.

The big outing today was to the Pollo Companero, the fried chicken fast food place. There is NOTHING open except POllo Companero, McDonalds and Wendys...no stores, no banks no nothing til Monday, so we are getting our fill of french fries. The hotel has food too but its not so delighful. But Sara loves going out and seeing all the people.

Hey, relatives who are arriving soon...Sara loooooves those walker things. If you just can't resist bringing something, Sara would really like one of those. She scoots all over with great glee, scooting back to New Mom for a big kiss every few minutes // yes, she can aim, more or less. And for all the talk of her being puny, she's quite comfortably in her 9 to 12 month clothes and won't be wearing them that much longer. Her head is still kinda pointy though!!!

Let's see what else...Sara can clap, she's starting to get chatty, though of course we can't understand much, she likes people, likes other kids a lot, likes peekaboo, likes when you put things on her head, except water, likes spoons and those little jelly packets at restaurants, likes touching all the plants in the garden , especially the rough ones, likes turing the light on and off., likes black beans on toast. Oh apparentaly she also likes coffee!!!... a Guatemalan snack even for babies it seems. Afraid we've made her kick that habit cold turkey. She doesn't like the bath, going to sleep, and that's about all so far, other than being scared of us at first.

That's all for now. B

Sara is great!

Hello,

We are having a good day with Sara today. She loves Beth but is a bit unsure about me so far. We just walked around downtown Guate City and had lunch at McDonalds, the only restaurant open on the Thursday before Easter. She is eating, peeing and pooping and we have been getting a lot of smiles and laughs out of her. So far so, good. Time to feed the baby ...

Mike.

hola from Guatemala

Well that was a nice long middle of the night trip here. No problems, and we slept on the floor in the Atlanta airport for a few hours.

We were hoping and, OK, assuming that Carlota, our lawyer here, would have the foster mom bring the baby today. But...we were wrong. She must have had other plans today, or thought we'd want to sleep. Sooo....we are just passing the time til 9 am tomorrow!!!! That's when we get Sara! So just one more night to wait.

OK we are off to eat some food and see if they show American Idol here. Gotta pass the time somehow.

More when we have more exciting news.

Sara is Coming Home!

WE GOT THE EMAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our visa appointment is the 24th (so far away!). We are going insane, so we're (probably) going to go down on the 18th. We will get Sara then & will be able to stay with her in the hotel til the 24th. Assuming all goes well (and there's no reason it shouldn't) we will pick up her visa the 25th and arrive home the 26th.

HOOOOOOOOOOOORAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!

(the good thoughts you all sent today must have worked--nice job everyone!)

send good thoughts toward the U.S. Embassy

Send good thoughts toward the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala today... hoping today will be the day they send us that email with our appointment.

C'mon embassy worker person! Make that appointment! Send us that email!

Still waiting ....

We are still waiting, anxiously, for the big email. Will it ever get here?!?!?!?!?

-Mike-

this kid sure is cute

We got a picture with Sara's latest DNA test. She looks so big! Which isn't really possible...I think she just looks big next to Angelica, the foster mom, who is the size of a fifth-grader. And she looks so much older...aghhhhhhh!

Serious thoughts going on in this kid's head. She continues to be intimidating. And cute!



p.s. I also kept thinking that writing at the bottom of the photo said "Lab Bistec" which would mean "Steak Lab" ...which seemed like a weird name for a lab...just figured out it must say "Lab Biotec" which is a lot less weird.

p.p.s. So cute!

on pins & needles

If I could draw like Sean, I would draw a cartoon of us balanced on pins & needles...with Mike hitting REFRESH REFRESH REFRESH on his email (we get news of our Embassy appointment only by email) and me sighing dramatically.

But I can't draw like Sean, so that's my description of us these last few days.

----

Ha! Sean rules! I was hoping he'd take the hint. ;-)