#2

We found out today that we're sitting on the second reviewer's desk in PGN. This means that we've been signed off by the first reviewer and we're awaiting approval by the 2nd and 3rd reviewers.

This is how PGN works-- to the best of my knowledge. Your file, or dossier, is submitted to PGN. Your file is assigned to a reviewer who is an attorney. This reviewer identifies any problems that you may have with your paperwork. Or s/he may not find any problems and then approve it. This approval is really a recommendation to the next level. If a problem is found in the paperwork, a "previo" is issued. We refer to this as a kickout in English. The director of PGN, also known as the 3rd reviewer, must sign off on all previos before it is released back to our personal attorney. Our attorney then picks it up, corrects the paperwork, and re-submits it to PGN-- where it is returned to the first reviewer and starts all over again.

If the file has no problems, it is signed by the 1st reviewer and proceeds onto the 2nd reviewer's desk. It goes through the same process as above. Finally, it arrives on the 3rd reviewer's desk, or Director's desk for final approval. When Director Barrios approves the case, it is sent back to the first reviewer where an adoption decree is issued. This piece of paper is picked up by our attorney and Gabriella becomes legally ours.

But this doesn't mean that she can come home at this point. The next step is to submit this decree and other paperwork to her birth department civil registry. Guatemalan departments are like counties or states to us. Gabi's paperwork will be submitted to the Escuintla civil registry which will issue a birth certificate with her given name and our last name. In accordance with Latino custom, my maiden name will be on her birth certificate as well. Children in Latin cultures carry the surnames of their mother and father. This paperwork will not include the name that Edward and I have chosen for her daughter. Rather, it will show the name given to her by her birth mother.

Once this step is completed, the new birth certificate and file will be submitted to the U.S. Embassy for an appointment to acquire Gabi's visa for the U.S. and the authorization to complete a 2nd DNA test. The test is administered, sent to the lab in the U.S., while visa paperwork is scrutinized concurrently. Once the DNA test results are completed and received at the U.S. Embassy, a visa appointment is issued. This appointment is issued on a pink piece of paper and is widely known as getting "pink." Visa appointments usually occur 1-2 weeks after pink is issued. Only after this appointment and the pickup of the visa the next day, will Gabriella be allowed to come home. This usually occurs 3-6 weeks after the file is OUT of PGN.

I hope this helps clarify the process a little. It's very messy and cumbersome. But there is supposed to be a definitive end. Let's pray it happens sooner rather than later. In the meantime, please celebrate the travel home of our newest family addition, Reagan McKenna W., next week.