I just want you all to check out what incredible friends we have made through this process. Go to our friends' blog at ourjourney2emma.blogspot.com.
Amy put together an awesome slide show of Gabi and Emma from last week. We are so grateful for the H.'s, M.'s, and our longtime friends, the W.'s. These people are keeping me sane. They understand the pain of this process and they make us feel like we're not in this alone.
But they aren't the only people who lift us up. We have better friends and family than I ever would have imagined possible. I didn't even understand the depth of your love and support when Ed was deployed, despite you standing by us at every turn. I know it isn't enough to say "thank you" but I'm not sure what enough would ever be. So, I humbly offer a thank you for your prayers, for your support and for your love. We will always be grateful that we didn't go through these difficult times, nor the joyous ones, without you.
I just spoke to PGN and they told me that not only are we not out, but we have been kicked out again. We were kicked out on the 26th after over 7 weeks in. I am so angry that I can't stand it. This is our 3rd kickout. Gabi will not be home until March. She will be a year old.
Please pray that I don't harm someone. Thanks.
This video was taken on Thanksgiving night after a long day. Gabi is Army crawling and reaching in it. This was the same night that she played by herself for about 2 hours and fell asleep sitting up straight in the walker. Her little legs didn't even reach the floor so Amy put a pillow under her feet so she was stable. Tell me we don't have our hands full with this child's hair. She's so sweet. We miss her already!
We arrived home at about 4 a.m. this morning. We had such a great trip. I think it was much easier leaving this time knowing we would be back so quickly. The added bonus was that when Gabi's foster mother arrived to pick her up, she smiled at her, but did not make a mad scramble for her like she did last time. When I finally handed her off, Gabi turned around and reached for me. It melted my heart! She wasn't reaching for anyone at the beginning of the week-- it just wasn't emerging yet. She's such a happy baby and we had a wonderful last day with her.
Here are a few of the things that emerged while we were in GC this week:
We said goodbye to another set of friends today. Ella's family returned home this afternoon. I have to admit that I teared up telling Ella goodbye. But then they got awesome news from our attorneys!! They are out of Family Court (after being stuck for 6 months) and should be submitted to PGN next week. Your prayers are working. Keep'em coming!
Gabi had a pretty low-key day. Ed worked on homework. Gabi and I hung out by the pool with him and then we all three went for a swim. She had lots of Daddy time late this afternoon and early evening since I wasn't feeling great.
No other news really. Enjoy the pics from the day and the video. She's pretty stinkin' cute...
We made the funniest discovery yet about Gabriella tonight. My sister used to do this ridiculous thing when she was little. She could stand on the knuckles of her toes and jump up and down. It was painful to watch but also pretty amazing. I mean, dancers do that when they're wearing toe shoes. Paige just did it around the house in bare feet. Well Paige, I've found your kindred spirit. When we pull Gabi up to a stand, she curls her toes under and stands on the knuckles. I lost it when I saw that. I mean who does that? Apparently, Paige and Gabi do! She also loves to use her feet and toes like hands like we used to. She picks things up, hangs her toys on her feet, kicks her legs all over the place when she's excited. She is a MONKEY!
Today was pretty low-key for us. We hung out by the pool with Ella and family and were delighted to see that Ella is feeling a bit better. She definitely isn't 100%, but she's smiling again and able to take her bottles.
I do believe we've gone around the bend with the clothes. I think I counted 4 outfits that Gabi wore today. Is that excessive? But it doesn't really count because we took pics of her in her Christmas dress and in our matching shirts. We got to see Ella is her gorgeous Christmas dress too. The girls are so cute together. I wish we could see what they're like day-to-day with each other at Jackelin's. They like to touch each other when they're sitting near the other. So sweet.
Our other friends, the H.'s, are on their way home to Ohio. They had to leave their beloved Emma behind. But they left knowing that Christmas could be their pickup trip. I don't know how to explain that seeing other people nearing the end of this process gives you hope that there is an actual end. There are days that you feel it will never be over and you'll never stop feeling like she belongs to someone else. We're getting there.
Please keep our friends' cases in your prayers. Ella's case has suffered pretty major setbacks that have been heartbreaking and infuriating. Please pray that the rest of her process goes smoothly and that they'll have her home by her first birthday.
Well, well, well... we are on Barrios' desk!!! Woohoo!!! Woohoo!!! We are waiting for final approval. This step usually takes one week or less. Please pray that we hear early next week, as we are anxious to be finished with this part of the process. The sooner we get finished, the sooner we get our Embassy appointment and get to bring our princesa home!!!
Hope your Friday was as wonderful as ours!
Ed woke up feeling much better than yesterday, though not 100%. We talked to my family at Gran Gran's. Mom had already gone out to Beanie's to read the blog since Gran doesn't have internet access. I even got to talk to my cousin, Jennifer, who I haven't seen or talked to in years. That was a nice surprise. I missed being there with everyone, but I wouldn't pass this up for anything.
Late in the morning we went to the G.C. Zoo with Emma's family. Big brother, Jay, and I decided that we have much in common. Ed and I were impressed with the zoo and decided it far exceeded our expectations. We headed back to the hotel to go for a swim. It was warmer today than it has been the rest of the week and we enjoyed the sunshine. Gabi, once again, got a kick out of her swim and actually got in the big pool this time. She was lounging in her float like a lady of leisure.
We later met the H.'s in the lobby to take Christmas pictures which turned out better than we thought they might. We laughed at the difficulty of getting three kids to look at the camera at the same time. The boys were real troopers and Emma did great. When our turn came, Gabi did pretty well despite having a fairly cranky couple of hours. She redeemed herself in a big way after dinner when she played for about 2 hours in the H.'s suite while Amy and I chatted, Emma slept and the men went down for a PGN celebratory cigar. She entertained herself forever and then fell asleep sitting up in a walker. So funny.
Ella turned out to truly be sick, rather than just teething. We barely got to see her today because she had a 102 fever. The doctor came and declared she has a throat infection. We hope she'll be on the mend tomorrow after getting some rest and letting the antibiotics, fluids and fever reducer do their work.
Here are a few pics from the day. Hope you and yours had a wonderful day!
Can I get a little woo-woo?!? Emma H. is out of PGN. I had the pleasure of calling and checking on her case and was informed that her case was approved yesterday. What a wonderful moment to be a part of. We've been so fortunate to have met these two amazing families. We feel very blessed to be spending this week with them. It just goes to show you how God blesses us so fully in the midst of difficult trials.
We spent the afternoon today with Ella's family-- Mike, Robin and Ella. We headed over to the handimarket. They have beautiful things and I bought a Mayan sling to carry Gabi in. I hope this helps her attachment when she comes home. Poor little Ella did not feel great today, but she is precious even when she's under the weather. Not a peep out of her on our excursion and she definitely had a fever. What a doll!
Gabi has been very busy today. She ate like a horse and took one more step toward crawling. She played forever this afternoon on her belly and got up on her hands and knees and rocked back and forth. She's so proud of herself too. She'll look up and grin from ear to ear. She chatters the whole time she's rocking. Absolutely adorable. She may be tiny, but she is a mighty little thing. She also charmed everyone at the market. She literally grinned all over herself and anyone who'd give her a glance. She's such a delightful baby-- I don't know how we got so lucky.
Gabriella ended the night on a high note with her beloved bath and her Illini pjs. Keri and Chris gave these to her last spring and I've been dying to get them on her. I think I heard her babble "I-L-L!" What kind of mother would I be if I didn't respond with a hearty "I-N-I!"
Ed is feeling a bit better and is looking forward to a good night's sleep. We received wonderful news that an offer has been extended from Deloitte! He won't receive the details of the offer until next week, but if it's competitive then we may be in Chicago next summer. This would be an answer to prayer for us. We actually received this news after the H.'s returned from a day trip and gave us a cross that the boys picked out. Jay and Drew said that God answered their prayers for Emma's OUT when they put their cross in the window last night. So they picked a special one out for us so that God would bless Gabi's case the same way! How awesome are those boys! We'd love for Ed to have a job he loves in a city that is a reasonable distance from our families. And I would love to be able to work in the Chicagoland area. Kim-- stop doing cartwheels. It isn't official yet. Please pray that we know without a doubt where we should be.
I know I've said this a million times, but we cannot get over how thrilled we are to be here with our girl! We know this Thanksgiving is one to change our lives forever. We look forward to so many years of spending the holidays with our Gabriella (and her siblings...lol). Please enjoy your holiday weekend and remember to give thanks for all the blessings in your life. We are thanking God for all of you.
I know it seems excessive that I keep posting all of these pictures and videos. It just seems like she's doing so much that I want to capture it all. And this is my log of all things Gabi during this crazy process. So please enjoy one more video (I'm sure there will be more this week.) of Gabriella eating today.
If you click here, you can see Gabi scooting around on the bed as she learns to crawl.
We had an interesting evening. Gabi didn't feel well because of her teeth and didn't get a good afternoon nap. So we went to dinner and she decided that she did not like the waitress. She was taking a bottle from Ed and every time the waitress approached, she stopped eating and started crying. It happened about 4 times in 7 minutes. Very odd.
Over dinner, Gabi played with Ella (who turned 9 months old today!),took a nap and we then proceeded to try one of the most ridiculous things you can do with 3 infants. We took Emma, Ella, and Gabi down to the lobby in their matching pajamas and took pictures. You should have seen us. There were about 4 cameras going constantly with all of us calling their names, shaking things, and generally looking like idiots. The girls were great, but we caused quite a scene. Other parents were gawking at us. Pretty funny. I'll include a couple of the best ones. You really need to see the 2 dozen or so of the progression to appreciate how funny, not to mention ambitious, this undertaking was.
The conference started today and we were there bright and early. I listened to a couple of good speakers and checked out several poster sessions. Amie presented her research in a poster presentation and it was very well-received. She had a lot of interest and that always boosts your confidence to know that someone is actually intrigued by your research. So we're happy for her.
I arrived in Boston at noon today with my two friends, Anna and Mary-Kelsey. It was a very uneventful flight despite being told that chances of our luggage making the connection weren't good. No problems. We checked into our hotel, which is very nice and made ourselves at home. We spent the afternoon walking down to Public Garden, Boston Commons and Fanueil Hall. We then strolled back down Newbury Street and enjoyed this extraordinary fall day. We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather.
We had dinner with Amie K. at Legal Seafood and stuffed ourselves to an all-time high. Well, I shouldn't say "we", because my two roommates are sickies. They did not overdo it. In fact, MK had rice and broccoli which is an abomination when you're at Legal Seafood. But it was fun to get together with Amie and we'll spend the next couple of days with her. We planned our day out for tomorrow. Now we're headed to bed because there is no other option but to sleep off my food coma...
I have some pics to post, but I'm exhausted and not ready to download. I'll hook it up tomorrow. Only 4 1/2 days until I see my girl!!!
My mom came up to visit for a couple of days and she delivered the cutest booties I have ever seen. Paige's friend, Lorna, is an unbelievable knitter and she made these adorable pairs of booties for Gabi Sol. They're probably still a little big, but I'm taking them on this trip anyway because I love them so much. Thank you so much, Lorna!!!
We're still on #2's desk per my call to PGN and our agency's report. We are glad to know that we haven't been kicked out yet.
Ed and I finished packing for Gabi Sol. Well, almost. I know it becomes a joke how much stuff these little people require, but you should see it. We have at least 10 times her weight in stuff. A lot of the stuff that we take can be purchased once we're down there. However, because neither of us wants to be away from her in the first 48 hours and it has become more dangerous to walk around with babies who are not legally adopted yet, we opt to take it all with us.
To make things even more complicated, Gabi is on baby food now. Our last trips only required that we take formula. Now we have to consider bowls, spoons, food and all that jazz. We also have a swing of about 25 degrees this time of year. It can be anything from 65 to 90 degrees. Sister-aunts, before you start mocking us for how many outfits that princess is wearing, you must consider that at one point in the day she might need pants and long sleeves, while another requires just a onesie. And is there anything more fun than seeing your beautiful girl in all of those sweet outfits that everyone has given us.
That brings me to another point. Not only have we been incredibly blessed by so many of you bringing Gabi Sol beautiful clothes, blankets and toys, but a few of our friends/family have given us hand-me-downs to beat the band. Nicole Z. gave us 2 huge Rubbermaid bins of beautiful clothes from her girls. This has literally saved me from spending piles of money on outfits and pjs that she could only wear once. Michelle T. has given me some adorable Emma outfits/shoes that we'll be taking on this trip and Gabi will grow into over the next 6 months or so. So cute! Our cousins Cindy and Audra have passed so many pieces of equipment, I can't keep up with it. A stroller, multiple car seats, feeding utensils, blankets (which Cindy couldn't bear to throw away) that have been a staple for us in Guatemala are just a few of the things Cindy passed along. Audra recently gave us a HUGE octagonal playpen for Gabi. It's awesome! Finally, Gabi's Aunt Hilary sent us a pile of great necessities-- mattress covers, sheet protectors, and a handprint kit (among many, many other wonderful things). We're so grateful for your willingness to share with us! Gabi really appreciates it too!
Final comment-- we are so looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with our daughter, Gabi's foster sister, Ella, and family and our Ohio friends, the H.'s, and their Emma. You'd be amazed at how much families bond and stay in touch through these relationships. Kristin, Ryker and Reagan are visiting friends they made when Kristin was fostering Ryker in Guatemala almost 3 years ago. They've stayed in touch and they're celebrating Brooklyn's 3rd birthday. This is more typical than you can imagine. The type of support you experience from people who are going through this process is unparalleled. And it's one of the most emotional experiences a family can have. So we're excited to hang out by the Marriott pool with these friends and their beautiful children.
The word in the Guatemalan newspapers is that their Congress is discussing the possibility of moving the Hague compliance date back to April 1, 2008 to coincide with the U.S. date for our ratification of the Hague. Basically, this means that the looming January 1 date that we in-process adoptive families have been worried about may be extended until April 1. This would alleviate much of the stress that is tied to this date.
You can read more at guatadopt.com
Have a good night. Audra, did I make up for the lack of posts since Sunday? If you only knew how much I love hearing from our loyal blog-followers. For once, I'm not being sarcastic.
My friend, Kyra, gave me a bag full of very fun items. Among them were a wishing bracelet and a onesie for Gabi Sol. You make a wish when you're wearing the bracelet and then take it off and your wish comes true. Betcha can't guess what I wished for.
No real adoption news. We're still on #2's desk as of yesterday morning. Keep praying.
Edward was offered a job and is trying to decide what he wants to do. I am not going to tell where it is or who it is with because I know how that goes. He has another set of interviews tomorrow and Friday. He is very interested in this company as well. He hopes to have the opportunity to choose between these two companies. But there are no guarantees that the other company will be a good fit. The current offer is a good one and would be a very rewarding and challenging experience for him. We'll keep you posted on the outcome. We hope to have some direction by Christmas. It would be a huge relief to have a plan for SOMETHING by Christmas. Just thinking about having that weight off of our shoulders is spine-tingling for me. Please pray that we end up exactly where God wants us to be.
It's important to realize that my family is nuts-- I mean certifiable. We have a lot of odd characteristics. But one of my favorites that has recently resurfaced is that my sister is deathly afraid of anything octopus or squid-like. I don't blame her. Frankly, who isn't terrified of something with 8 squishy legs? But I had forgotten about this particular quirk. And who cares? She lives in landlocked Illinois. But she and Barry happen to be on a scuba trip in St. Marten. And she is petrified that she will be eaten by an octopus. She's been gone for about 5 days and so far, so good. But right before she left, she watched a special on TV about squid and she freaked out. Now I ask you--what sane person would watch a show like that right before going on a scuba trip? All I can say is that I'm glad Gabi doesn't share my family's genes.
That is correct, friends. I have been employed by a local hospital on a PRN basis. I'm so excited I can't stand it. I already had employment lined up in a private practice, but this was the other perfect piece to the puzzle. So I'm starting my career in speech-language pathology exactly the way I wanted to. I'll be working in Early Intervention and with medical cases. Woohoo!!!
In other news, Kelly K. turned 30. Emma H. got her first TWO teeth today. And I started packing for our visit trip. Something about doing Gabi's laundry, assembling diapers and wipes, and picking out some favorite toys makes me feel sooo much closer to her. It's less than two weeks before I have to have her packed anyway. I thought I'd get a head start. Ed and I shopped for her first supply of baby food last night too. She was just on formula the last time we saw her. She's so big now that she's eating baby food. I can't wait to see if she's picky or a good eater. I can't wait to see everything about her!
