Still in PGN after Previo #2 - It's Home in February, 2008

It's a little bittersweet posting this entry tonight because although we don't have any good news (in fact it has gotten worse), we have to stay positive for the fact that Blake and I are here together as a team.  On December 4th my mom arrives to visit for 12 days and then Chris comes so we can count on all being together for Blake's first Christmas.  

So the latest news is this.  After 3 hopeful trips to PGN, we've only been disappointed with the results.  We were told during the second trip, from Barrios' assistant, that she would request our file to be expedited.  She did do this, however Mr. Victor Barrios declined.  Since we have had 2 previos for our attorney's mispelled last name, it has put us back another 8 weeks starting on Thanksgiving when we got the second one.  We have tried everything in our power to not have to wait 7 (now) more weeks now to be signed, but nothing has worked.  Therefore, we are counting on being signed and OUT (we can't wait to say this word when the time comes) of PGN on January 17th.  This will be exactly 8 weeks from November 22.  If we get signed earlier, it will be a complete miracle because Barrios will be signing out of the goodness of his heart (which we're not sure he even has).  On Monday when I arrived for the 3rd time with our facilitators, Barrios walked by me as I sat in the lobby.  At first, he turned to me like he recognized me (from the meeting with him before) and for a minute it looked like he was going to say something.  Wishful thinking on my part because he didn't say a thing and kept on walking.  When he returned and walked past me again, he wouldn't even look at me.  Nice.  Oh well.  I have done everything I can and now all we can do is sit and wait - once again.  If we don't get signed until January 17th, it will have been almost 5 months in PGN.  I have heard of longer times believe it or not, so I guess we can't complain.  

So Christmas, 2007 will be celebrated Latin style!  It will be an experience we will never forget, that's for sure.  We have been told of beautiful festivities that go on in the town and just the fact that we'll be together as a family will be amazing.  I am actually starting to look forward to it.  I think the month of December will fly with both my mom and Chris here therefore making January 17th come that much faster.  If we are lucky, we will be home around Valentine's Day or a little after.  I will be extending my leave at work until March or so now, but will have to take unpaid family medical leave because my paid sick leave ends on January 7th.  This might get a little complicated, but we'll make it work I'm sure.  

Blake continues to grow and change daily.  His big boy haircut truly makes him look like he's already 1 and every Guatemalan in town swears he's 1 anyway and not almost 10 months (on Dec. 7).  Every day I hear, "Cuanto tiempo tiene?" (how old is he - this is how they ask here) and then when I say, "Casi 10 meses" they gasp and say, "Whoa, muy grande nene."  Yah, whatever.  He's normal sized for the U.S.  It's just because everyone is used to seeing tiny babies here (even though I've seen some huge ones)!  This and staring are just little pieces of our day here in Antigua.  Today, Amanda (my roommate) and I went to Hyper Paiz which I've mentioned before is like a Walmart.  We love it because we can go once or twice a month and get necessities we can't always buy in town like formula, baby nail clippers, normal brand shampoos, and decent clothing.  We brought Maya only (Blake and Aleeyah stayed with our house nanny) today to make the day a little easier.  As we walked through the food court you could've sworn that two ghosts had just entered the room because for some odd reason today, EVERYONE stared at us!!  Yes, we are blond and brunette and speak Spanish and have a Guatemalan child.  It just cracks me up because in the states this is considered so rude and we just don't stare like this at people.  We just continue to smile and brush it off.  I have to admit it gets a little hard to take after awhile.  Anyway, I'm not sure why I got off an that tangent.  I also loaded up on Christmas decorations, tree lights and a garland for my new apartment!  I will move in on Monday as I decided I missed my roommates too much now to leave on the weekend.  So, hopefully the next pictures I post will be of the decorated apartment and Blake!  I will post pictures in the morning because I'm using one of my roommates computers to post tonight.  Besides, I need to take some new ones of our boy!  I hope everyone is enjoying the festivities of the upcoming holidays and decorating your homes for Christmas.  I miss the cold at Christmas and still have not completely warmed up to the idea that I will be in warm weather for it this year.  It will be an experience we never forget and although I miss my family and friends dearly, I know that next Christmas we will be together.  I love you all and know that we think of you all the time.  I've kind of forgotten what home and Seattle looks like a bit - I feel like I've been here so long.  It will be nice to reacquaint myself with my hometown once we return!  Happy beginning of the holiday season!

Flaunting the Colors and Blake with Daddy!

Thanksgiving in Antigua!

Nov. 29th Makes 3 Months in PGN

Yes, it's true. We're going on 3 months. It turns out we've had 2 previos now because our agency didn't correct the last name error the first time adequately. Both times we've been resubmitted the next day - which is fortunate because some families have to wait 2-3 months to be resubmitted. So, last Monday and Tuesday I physically went to PGN with Blake and my agency. On Monday, I talked to the infamous Barrios (the guy who approves and signs you OUT of PGN) and then on Tuesday I met with one of their second reviewers (the steps are Advisor, Reviewer #1, Reviewer #2 and then Barrios). On Monday, Barrios told us to return the next day with our Notary and Mandatory in charge of our case (since it was the Notary attorney who mispelled our Mandatory's name). I was wondering why they weren't there in the first place. That would've saved a day. So, on Tuesday, all of us returned. First, the Mandatory and Notary talked to the second reviewer lady and admitted that they had made a mistake on our file. They came out of her office and explained to us what was going on (like I didn't know what was wrong about a month ago). We were about to walk out and I was feeling frustrated that I even made an appearance as I didn't seem needed in any way when the reviewer asked to see me and Blake only in her office. Yahoo!! We went in and instead of crying and begging, I decided to maintain composure. She explained to me what was happening to our file (for the 80th time) and showed me the exact paper and exact last name mispelled. I explained how we had received approval in October and were so excited to go home and now it was a big let down. After my big sob story she said, "I'm going to give your case a special exception because we usually don't see clients here. If you have your agency go fix this immediately with a special signature saying it was fixed, then I will recommend to Barrios that he sign quickly." I graciously accepted her offer and now am going to hold her to it! Our case is with a second reviewer now, however we're not sure if it's with THIS reviewer (which it needs to be so she remembers us). So, guess who's going to PGN again on Monday morning to make sure?!! You've got it. Why do I feel like I'm running my own agency and adoption at this point. What are we paying money for again?!!!! I will do anything to get Blake home and that's all that I can think of so of course I'll go. It's just a bit frustrating that I'm doing this all myself. It's not an easy jaunt to the city 3 days in a row.
Blake got his first haircut at the Barbershop yesterday! I know you're thinking that he's a little young for one, but trust me, his hair was starting to look like a girl. He looks so grown up now (see the AFTER smiling pictures). He was happy at first when he sat down on my lap for the cut, but by the end of it, he was livid. Please don't think I torture our baby from these photos, I just thought they were so cute! :) He really only cried for about 2 minutes!
On November 30th I will be moving to the one-bedroom apartment I think I mentioned earlier. I will be living next to another friend I met here who's adopting so it will be nice to have a neighbor. We'll miss our roommates here though. We'll have to visit all the time.
Things are going well, but I'm just a little bummed lately. It seems like a never ending hole sometimes. Today a Guatemalan man followed me in the street asking me how much Blake cost twice. Somehow, I just didn't need that today!! Let's hope for good news next week.

GOING TO PGN WITH BLAKE AND OUR AGENCY REPS.

We received a phone call last night (Sunday) from our agency. Because of mixed information we're all receiving and almost 3 months in PGN, our agency felt it was important for me to make an appearance with Blake at PGN. So, as you're reading this on Monday morning, we are waiting for our taxi to pick us up. We will arrive at PGN around 11:00AM (9:00 AM your time). This is a bold move, we know, but our agency thinks it might tug on their heartstrings a bit. We'll see. I'm very nervous, but willing to do whatever is needed at this point to bring Blake home. We're not sure who exactly we'll be able to talk to, but regardless, hopefully we'll all get the same information so we can all be on the same page. Please be thinking of us at 9:00 AM. We need your support to get OUT!!! We love you all.

PGN IS STILL DECIDING ON OUR CASE :(

Yes, this is the latest news. The meeting went well (from what we heard), however we were informed that Barrios (the sub general attorney who signs us out of PGN) is still deciding if we'll be approved right away or not. Apparently he is on a power trip (since the error has been fixed) and he is just going to take his time at deciding. Seriously, I don't get it. We were told that by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, we should have a resolution of some sort. It will probably be that we sit in PGN for 3 more weeks for NO REASON!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I'm venting. We're going on 10 (wait maybe 11) weeks in PGN. They're saying now that the mispelled attorney's name was made by the attorney. Hmm...that makes sense. The attorney spelled his own name wrong. Sure. Please pray that next Tuesday or Wednesday (don't even know why those days were designated) we will be out or we'll know at that time that we'll be out shortly. My roommate Amanda got out of PGN on Friday. Another friend on Tuesday of last week. We should be next I hope. Anyway, sorry to be the bearer of not-so-great news. We're still hanging in there and Blake is still climbing into closets. Chris and I both want a girl soon after this, but honestly, I'm not sure I could deal with this process again. We'll see though. I'm sure I'll change my mind. Thinking of you all. Here are some gorgeous scenery pictures that help me smile!

Today was the big meeting and still no news :(

OK. We're waiting on pins and needles here for the results of our meeting with the head guy in PGN. We should hear shortly. It's already 2:00PM here though and I can't get a hold of anyone. We're still crossing our fingers as this was a big day. I personally called PGN this morning and spoke with a very kind woman who told us we were with the second reviewer. This is good because then it goes to the final guy for sign off, but the problem is we were there last week too. Hopefully by tonight or tomorrow morning we'll know more. The thing is now, we will for sure NOT be home for Thanksgiving. Now, possibly we'll be home for Christmas, but no guarantees. At least on Thanksgiving we can be thankful for the most beautiful baby in the world!
In order to pass the time by lately, my roommates and I either eat everything in sight and/or go shopping. Blake likes to eat too and his favorite meal is refried black beans. Today he ate a scrambled egg mixed with beans (a true Latino). He is also literally ready to walk. He is pulling himself up onto everything, standing up and today, balancing on me with one hand. He doesn't like to sit anymore! He has so much energy I can hardly believe it. Will he be a wrestler or football player? You tell us. Yesterday, he stood by himself for about 10 seconds. He's still VERY unsteady, but he wants to walk so bad!! He's done with this crawling business I guess. He also thinks it's fun to crawl into closets and play with things there or crawl under the table and then stand up (see the series of closet photos from last night). Can you believe we're already getting ready for his 10 month doctor visit? Yes, on Dec. 7th, he'll be 10 months. This is a great age. Blake has so much personality and is so funny to be around. He continues to be a flirt and is babbling all the time. He has sad "da-da" and yes today, "ma-ma." I know he has no idea what he's babbling, but who cares.
The other news is that at the end of this month I have to move out of this house (another woman has rented my room because we thought we'd be home by now). It is kind of ironic because after meeting another adoptive mom last week in the park from Redmond, it turns out that her apartment complex has a one bedroom available that I can rent week to week or monthly. Blake and I walked to it yesterday and it is perfect. It has a nice washer and dryer, my own large kitchen, a spiral staircase that leads up to my bedroom attached to a bathroom, Internet service (free) and best of all, Monica will be right next door! She just got out of PGN last week so will be going home in about 4-5 weeks. It will be nice to enjoy her company for a short time when I move in! I will post photos of the apartment as soon as possible. I promise to post any new news we here a/s/a/p! Wish us luck.

More Pictures!

Not the best news - but we'll try to hang in there

So the latest with our adoption is that no one seems to know anything! Isn't that comforting?!! Our facilitators told us we'd be out of PGN last Tuesday or Wednesday (that didn't happen), then they told us for sure this last Friday (that didn't happen). Now, our facilitators tell us that our file is on the boss' desk ready to be signed to be out of PGN ONCE AGAIN and the other side is saying it could be another 2 weeks!! So, we're very frustrated right now and just don't know what to think. I think the reality is that NOBODY knows when we'll get out again so they're just making up dates. Do you notice my sense of frustration?!! Nevertheless, I am enjoying every moment with Blake and I know there is nowhere else I'd rather be. I know I've said that so many times, but it's true! Every day brings something new. A couple days ago I found myself assisting an intoxicated woman who was 3 months pregnant. Yesterday, I spent 2 hours with 3 Mayan women in the park selling jewelry and we ended up taking care of each other's babies while sitting there on a park bench. I love the way I walk by families or people walking alone and they smile back when I do and say "Buenos Dias" or "Buenas Tardes." In the states, it's not this friendly! Here are some other great things I've experienced lately or enjoy about Antigua:

1. Going to the market every day. It's like walking through Pike Place Market, but much more in depth, detailed and colorful. Every day I have to buy something new because it's such a great deal.

2. Buying $2.00 illegally reproduced DVD's (I'll probably get caught with these on my way home). I think I have a collection of 10 movies now for about $20.00.

3. Cheap imitation Abercrombie and Fitch, Lacoste, and Ralph Lauren clothing and hats. Even though they practically fall apart in the washing machine, they're still fun to buy and wear while I'm here.

4. The outside seating area with a garden, fountain and view of the volcano at McDonald's (see my pictures)>

5. Discovering that my camera has a few more interesting settings (see my new black and white or monochromatic pictures - yes I'm bored again).

6. Meeting new people every day and hearing there stories. Would you believe I met a woman who is also adopting that literally lives about 15 minutes away from my house in Washington?!!! Small world I must say.

7. Sharing adoption stories.

8. The Guatemalan children.

9. Reading a bilingual book with a little Mayan girl, Gabi, in the park. Oh how I miss my students and reading these books with them (see pictures).

10. Finding other Guatemalan babies who are bigger than Blake at a younger age (this is funny because every Guatemalan person tells me how big Blake is for his age and for a Guatemalan baby). I beg to differ when I picked up this 24 lb. 8 MONTH OLD BOY, Jose (see pictures)!

11. Buying a loaf of fresh warm banana bread literally once a week. I think it's gone in about 3 days though as I eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner it's that good.

12. Finding a Glade candle in the Target-like store in Guatemala City (this is a rarity).

13. Bargaining with street vendors. Although afterwards I feel guilty that I didn't just give them everything in my purse (I would if I could). They so badly want a sale.

14. The continuous random fireworks every other night.

15. Listening to Blake babble for a half hour while I try to wake up in the morning.

16. Watching Blake light up when a Guatemalan woman picks him up.

17. Listening to Blake laugh when I tickle him every night on the bed (he suddenly gets a burst of energy right before bed).

18. Waking up to his little hand touching mine through the netting on his Pack and Play.

19. Doing more loads of laundry than I've ever done in one week (yes, I do like doing laundry for some odd reason).

20. My roommates. They are outstanding this trip and I am so lucky to have them in my lives. They are wonderful people and make the days go by so much faster.

21. Taking our babies to McDonald's for breakfast in the morning in their pajamas and watching them play by the fountain.