Still with 2nd Reviewer

After several hours/days of frustration, we finally got through to PGN and we are still on the 2nd reviewer's desk as of Friday afternoon at about 2:30. Please keep praying that we get out soon. We would love to be out before we leave. That would be wonderful. If we aren't, we aren't. A girl can hope.

Some Funnies

I haven't posted these pictures from our trip to Houston. When we travel out of St. Louis, we usually get to stay in Edwardsville with Ed's cousins, the W.'s. We really look forward to these times because so many of our family gatherings are really big and you don't get much one-on-one time with anyone. These visits are an exception to that. We love getting to see the kids, August, Regan and George and hang out with Cindy and Jeff. They've been sooooo good to us. They feed us, take us/pick us up to/from the airport at CRAZY hours, and generally get our trips off to an excellent start.

We took the kids some U of I shirts with the endangered Chief logo on them. Jeff went to U of I, as did we, and we thought they should have one of these shirts. Manufacturers are no longer allowed to use this logo as of Dec. 31st. The kids loved them. But when we arrived and were about to give them the shirts, George stood up and revealed his pajamas and GALOSHES! They were green and lovely. But it IS unusual to find a child in pjs and galoshes inside the house. When I asked what he was wearing, he matter-of-factly said,"My rain boots." I said, "Why?" That's when August chimed in, "Because he can't find his slippers." Well, silly me. I wasn't aware that if you couldn't find your slippers, you automatically put your galoshes on. I guess I must be old school. I would have put socks on. So I had to get a pic of the kids in their Illini shirts and George in his lovely outfit.

And then there's the adorable, bright, rough-and-tumble JM! He's a riot. Sooo busy and sooo fun. We got such a kick out of him and I think he got a kick out of the extra attention. He was a trooper while we did all of our grown-up errands and stuff.

An Appropriate Lesson

Kristin sent me this devotional today... (from the Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotional)

"God is not surprised when we’re honest about our frustrations and fears. Often God requires us to wait because he’s trying to show us the end of our faith, stretching our faith, not condemning us for the lack of it. In these moments, seek God and not the answer."

To that I say... "Duh, Amanda. Get a clue."

Thank you, Lord, for not walking away from me the way I do when I don't get my way. That level of commitment and faithfulness to my silliness is not of this world and I just can't seem to get it.

Blog Changes and a few laughs...

At the urging of my beloved MK, I updated our process in the sidebar to reflect our last kickout and recent re-submission to PGN. It occurred to me that I was ever so optimistic around about June of last year. July even. I actually wrote next to the first PGN submission "~8 weeks, best case scenario". HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Please join me as I cackle myself into stomach cramps and writhe crazily on the floor. Eight weeks. We are currently at 8 MONTHS!

I used to think that Edward and I were strong. I thought we had weathered quite a lot over the years. Years of deployments, a lot of moves, returning to school, separations from loved ones are just a few. I'm beginning to think that we might just be made of diamonds (Edward informed me in his inarticulate way that this is the strongest substance he can think of.). We might actually survive this. I say that because over the last few days I've been feeling overly optimistic. I haven't felt this way in a VERY, VERY long time. Let's hope it means something...

Happy 11 Months, Monkey!!!

Today our girl is 11 months old. And in just over 2 weeks, she will be with us until the end of time. Woohoo!!! We are so lucky to have this healthy, happy little girl in our lives. She is sassarific and I love it.

Can't wait to see you, tiny monkey!

Second Review

I'm not sure when we entered the 2nd review in PGN, but that's where we are. We're on the 2nd reviewer's desk. Before all of the CA mess, this stage took 5-6 weeks if you didn't get kicked out. No one knows how long we could be here. It has been reported that PGN is working extended hours to get these cases through as expediently as possible.

I'm not sure if I posted this before, but Ella will be going home on March 6th. Her appointment at the Embassy is March 4th and I cannot wait!!! We've been hoping for this for so long. Since her appointment turned out to be the first week of March, Robin will get to take her full maternity leave rather than go back earlier than she planned. Some things do actually work out.

Finally, RJ and Patience got home safely with AJ from Russia. They are surviving a very hectic week. Not only were they gone to Russia for a week, have a new 15 month old in their arms, but they close on a new house tomorrow, so they are staying with RJ's parents. RJ said that AJ has slept in 6 different places since they took custody of him. Fortunately, AJ seems to be adjusting well despite the chaos. We just pray that the closing and move go smoothly. We are so relieved that this little man is finally home!!!

Please pray that our case and Jeremiah's case get through PGN quickly.

Gory Details

We just got back to Illinois a little while ago. We're sort of exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. We had such a great time with Kurt, Sandy and JM. Time with old friends is the best medicine. Thanks, Kurt and Sandy, for your hospitality and time.

I think we're going to be very happy in Houston. The people are incredibly nice. There's great food, a lot of family-oriented things to do, beautiful parks, biking/jogging trails, and it's WARM!!! I can't say that we enjoyed leaving 85 degree weather yesterday to come home to 35 degrees here. Lovely. Oh... and there's a winter storm warning.

Here are a few pictures of our new digs...

Upstairs Game Room

Living Room

We Bought a House!!!

It's a done deal... almost. We have a contract for a lovely house on the northwest side of Houston. We just finished the paperwork 5 minutes ago and we are beyond excited. I'm not going to offer any details right now because I'm exhausted.

We've been staying with our old friends, Kurt and Sandy and their adorable son, Julien-Marc. I haven't seen them in 3 years. Ed saw them briefly last May. We spent many years together as the guys were assigned and deployed together for their entire military careers. I have missed them so much and it's so nice to be reunited. It's a major perk to be in Houston with them. As is so often true with good friends, it feels as if no time has passed at all. We have laughed so hard since we arrived!

That's all for now. I'll post pics of the ridiculously funny JM later.

Happy Birthday, Ella!!!

Today is a very special day for Gabi's foster sister, Ella. February 20th is Ella's first birthday. I'm swallowing a lump in my throat because I know it's hard for Robin and Mike to be away from her on this important day in their daughter's life. They will be traveling very soon to bring her home though and I hope that knowledge brings them comfort. We love you, sweet Ella! Happy 1st Birthday, Big Girl! You're in our prayers on this and every day.

You Might Have Noticed...

that I have a new ticker below Gabi's birthday ticker. What does this mean? I don't know how much more certain we could be at this time. As of March 14, we will not give our beautiful Gabriella Lilisol back ever again. As of this date, Ed and I will arrive to GC, receive her from her foster family and not return her. Ed will have to return to the US because of his school obligations. However, we have made the scary and phenomenal decision for me to foster beautiful Gabriella until she is able to come home where she belongs.

On Easter Sunday, we will move into an apartment in Antigua where I will care for Gabi, love on her, and hopefully create an unbreakable bond with her. I will meet other parents doing the same thing-- I already know a couple-- and enjoy the beauty of Gabi's birth country.

Because Ed and I have such an unrelenting chaotic schedule beginning with his graduation, we feel it is imperative for Gabi to be as attached as possible to at least one of us. Otherwise her little life will be full of upheaval with no anchor. That is very unfair to her. This type of chaos is nothing new to Ed and I, but we want her to feel comfortable once she returns home with us. This is especially important since she has so many people just DYING to meet her, love on her and enjoy her silly smile. We will be moving, traveling with Gabi's extended family and meeting lots of friends and family. We pray that this proactive move will help her handle all of these exciting, yet overwhelming events. (Mike-- I know this is probably giving you a panic attack just thinking of our plans. Breathe deeply.)

Polar Plunge

This is pretty shameless, but it's for a very good cause so I'm doing it anyway. Ed is an MBA candidate at U of I and each spring they take part in the local "Polar Plunge." The idea is that each person raises money in order to take part in a freezing dip in a local lake on March 8. The money benefits the Special Olympics in Illinois. This is their annual fundraiser across the state and the second time that Ed has participated. This is a cause close to our hearts. If you'd like to donate to this impressive organization for the benefit of individuals with special needs to be able to participate in sports training and athletic competitions, please go to Ed's page. There are instructions on how to do just that!

House Hunting

On Tuesday we're heading to Edwardsville to spend the night with Ed's cousins so we can leave on an early flight out of St. Louis to Houston. We'll be house hunting over the next week and we can't wait!!! If I could count the times over the last ten years that people have said, "Won't it be nice to just get settled?" the number would be in the hundreds. Ironically, we've never actually been settled. Our married life has consisted of getting over it. By "it" I'm referring to the very "unsettled" state of our lives. We just did the best we could and got on with our lives. As a result, we've thoroughly enjoyed every single place that we've been.

This is the truly the first time I've been able to think of us as actually getting "settled." We can UNPACK and hang things on the walls and paint and invest in our home. Over the years, we have lived in:

• Tuscaloosa, AL/Enterprise, AL
  
• Anjung-ri, S. Korea
• Savannah, GA
• Mt. Vernon, IL/Sarajevo, Bosnia
• Enterprise, AL
• Kirchheim, Germany/Balad, Iraq
  
• Urbana, IL/Kandahar, Afghanistan

Now that we are going to have jobs that don't immediately require moving, and we won't be back in school, we're ecstatic about bringing Gabi home to settle in with us. We hope she likes Houston!

Meanwhile, my friends RJ and Patience are in Russia!!! They go to court tomorrow to finalize the Russian portion of their adoption before taking custody of their sweet AJ. Once that part is finalized, they can move onto Moscow to get his visa and head home. It's such an exciting time for them!! I just hope we get to meet him sooner rather than later. We love you, AJ! Stay safe on your journey, W.'s. We're praying for you every day.

Answered Prayer-- X-post

Please go read the post from today from Mike and Robin's blog about Mike's paternity leave. This is awesome.

And while you're witnessing the power of prayer, please keep Jeremiah's family in your prayers. They are with our agency, but have not yet been re-submitted to PGN. They have been out of PGN since mid-December.

GREAT NEWS!

We are back in PGN!!!! For real this time. I heard from our agency that we've been re-submitted. There is finally, finally, finally movement with our case. We can finally sleep soundly knowing that we are on the move.

Please pray that this step is speedy! We're so tired. I bet Gabi is too! And please pray that Ella's parents get their pink slip soon (issuance of visa appointment).

The other sweet thing that happened today was that we got the prints from the disposable cameras we left with Gabi's foster family. I can't tell you how excited we were to see that Jackelin made a huge effort to get pictures of Gabi and Ella together. It warms my heart to have them caught on camera together in their first home. Sometimes they're holding each other. Sometimes one is grinning and the other crying. Sometimes they're just together. They are such sweet sisters. I am grateful for Gabi that she has been with Ella all along.

Sweet Valentine!

Happy Valentine's Day, Gabriella! We LOVE you so much that we can hardly stand to be away from you. But today is your first Valentine's Day. And after this one, we will never be separated from you again! Gabriella Lilisol, we adore you and can't wait to hold you in our arms again.

And Ella, your mommy and daddy will be there to take you home very soon. The Embassy got your DNA today. It's just a matter of days before your visa appointment is issued. We love you so much too! Happy Valentine's Day to our sweet sisters.

New Pictures... Oddly.. no medical

We received updated pictures of Gabriella today, but no medical report. It was very strange. Our agency is checking into it because when we left Gabi had a bad chest cough. We're hoping to hear a report on that. Anyway, she is one beautiful little girl. She looks healthy and happy though.

In other news, Edward and I are planning our next trip to Guatemala. We will go over Edward's spring break and I will stay longer. We are currently exploring options for me to foster Gabriella after this time. I'd like to be able to stay down there with her until this nightmare is over. Perhaps I am "overly optimistic" but I DO feel like we're getting close to this being over.

Finally, we had hoped to be submitted to PGN today, but we were not. We will be submitted tomorrow... to be continued.

I'm Over It

I've settled down considerably. Really, I have. This adoption is a series of maddening disappointments and incredible highs and everything in between. I am becoming a professional at talking myself down. Some may call that crazy. I call it... necessary.

In other news, my RJ and his wife, Patience, are heading to Russia TOMORROW to bring home their little boy, AJ. R.J. and I grew up together and he has been more like a brother to me than anything else. He and Patience started this process last year and we're so excited that A.J. will be home on the 23rd of February. What an incredible moment for them! Can you imagine flying to Russia on Valentine's Day to get your 15-month-old son?

Please pray for their safety and smooth transition with this adorable little boy.

Miserably Optimistic

So one of my fatal flaws is that I am painfully optimistic. I have been described as naive, although I don't think it's so much that as it is that I want to believe that people have inherently good intentions and want to do the right thing. I know this is overly optimistic. It's just too sad to confront all of the wrong in the world and believe that so much of the world is based upon malintent and self-serving attitudes. Could someone in this process please throw me a BONE? I'd love to get back to being positive. My sarcasm is extremely thinly veiled at this point. I'm just going to be mean soon (I mean now).

The joy of CA registration was short-lived. We are very, very grateful to have been registered. Our case was not delivered to PGN today as we were led to believe it would be. Instead, our attorney is taking this opportunity to go over our cases with a "magnifying glass" to make sure there is no reason for further previos. Although I believe this is a wise move, doesn't it seem like this is something that could have been done WEEKS AGOOOOOOO??!?!?!?!? Our file has been sitting for 2.5 months (or 78 days, to be exact) in their office. It didn't appear necessary to do this at any point during those 78 days. Even after I've asked our attorney face-to-face to do this on two separate occasions.

I swear-- I'm likely to kill someone. My blood pressure is painfully high right now. The beauty of this is the following-- not only are about 2500 cases being re-submitted to PGN this week, we now have the lovely honor of being behind most of those! I wish I had more flowers and chocolates to share with all of you. But I am only one little angel... and I'm frighteningly close to becoming an ANGEL of DEATH!

I've Been Tagged

I completely forgot that I'd been tagged while in Guatemala. You're supposed to follow the rules and tag someone else. The rules are below:

~ link the person who sent this and leave a comment on their blog so their readers can visit yours.
~Post the rules on your blog
~Share 7 strange/weird facts about yourself
~Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and link their blog
~Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

So here goes...
I was tagged by Susie and you should visit her blog to follow her journey.

7 Strange/Weird Things about me:

1. I hate for anything to touch my nose before noon-- makes me claustrophobic.
2. I love to swim anywhere, but must be within touchable distance of someone when in the ocean (not on the beach, but when snorkeling and such)
3. When I was little, my ambition was to grow up to be a .... are you ready for this? .... a BOY!! (Like that's a job or something?!)
   
4. I can sleep anywhere, anytime regardless of noise level or visual distraction. It's truly a gift. My parents thought I was narcoleptic when I was little.
   
5. I don't get things right the first time, hardly ever. Hence going back to school at 29 and many, many decisions biting me in the butt.
6. My favorite movie snack is popcorn with Milk Duds and Dr. Pepper. You cannot have one without the other-- it nullifies that magnificence of the total snack experience.
   
7. I come from a long, long line of strong women. Bossy, but strong. I can already see that Gabi will fit in just fine!

I am tagging:
strawnequine.blogspot.com
ourjourneywithella.blogspot.com
jodianddave.blogspot.com
ourjourney2emma.blogspot.com
astaringuatemala.blogspot.com
thestitchincorral.blogspot.com
rjandpatience.blogspot.com

Go to their blogs to see their answers! Hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into my incredibly fascinating life.

PGN-- Here We Come!!!

I spoke to Hector tonight and he gave us the most amazing news.

WE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH CENTRAL AUTHORITY!

OUR CASE WILL BE RE-SUBMITTED TO PGN TOMORROW!!!

I cannot imagine better news after 2.5 months of waiting to get back in... it is finally here!!! You cannot believe how big the cloud was that was just released from our home and our hearts. We feel like we're going to move forward again this week. Thank you for all of your prayers and wonderful support.

We're so excited. Gabriella, you will come home... Mommy and Daddy promise!!

Gabi's Giggles... Those Funny Animal Heads

Gabi's Milestones and Accomplishments

A couple of things that we discovered Gabi was capable of before we left include:

• drinking from a cup without losing a single drop
• cruising around objects
• pulling herself up to stand
• standing up and balancing against a surface while she played
  
• saying "Dada, Gaga, Mama" and other mono-syllabic sounds
• improved pincer grasp
• standing from a seated position without assistance from her hands
• jumping in from the side of the pool (by herself and into Mommy's arms)
  
• recognizing Mommy and reacting to presence and absence
• imitating almost anything
  
• seeking approval and/or attention
  

Some Last Minute Pics

House of 'Paign

I wasn't able to post yesterday because our modem is supposedly broken. However, I opted to steal my neighbor's internet in the interest of an update. Bear with me because I don't have a great signal and the pictures may not upload easily.

We had a difficult trip back. I was still sick and we arrived to temps in the teens. Ridiculous. But Edward was great to meet us and help us with our baggage. I had a video of his daughter giggling, pulling up and playing to greet him. My mom headed home yesterday afternoon and I'm still sick. Not so fun. But I hope there is an end in sight.

Gabriella was such a dream last week. That last night, Mom got her up when she woke up for a bottle at 4. Bless her heart, she was so confused. She didn't settle down until I took her and loved on her for a little while. That girl likes her Mommy. She was glad to see her foster mother on Saturday and that always makes it easier. I think I was at least as sad to see Ella go back to our foster family. After all, she's headed home in 3-4 weeks and I won't see her for a while. And I just love her.

It was no fun saying goodbye to Robin and Mike either. Fortunately, after taking so long with our attorney, we were running late and it was a quick goodbye. They are such a blessing to us. We had a great week with them...

Too Sick to Blog

I'm too sick to blog. We'll be lucky if we get out of here on time. I'm supposed to meet my attorney in an hour and a half, deliver Gabriella and get on the shuttle. I'm not looking forward to traveling today as I feel like I'm the night of the living dead right now.

Anyway, I promise to post when I get home. And Jenny, I got pictures of your baby toes. No worries and they are one of the sweetest things on a baby.

Gloomy Thursday

Today was an overcast and rainy day in Guate. We, of course, sat by the pool for a bit, but finally headed back up to the room for a nap in the mid-afternoon. Gabi was a lot of fun today. It's becoming clear that she's like this most of the time. She occasionally fusses, but recovers quickly. She fell back today and bumped her head. It scared her more than anything, but she only cried for about 20 seconds. I love that.

She also drank from a cup very well today. She repeatedly said, "mama." And she generally made me happy. Gabi is pulling up and standing forever while she holds onto a table. She isn't cruising, but she's definitely thinking about it.

GG continues to dote on her. Even when Gabi peed on her when she changed her diaper, she laughed and told her she could do whatever she wanted. Ridiculous!?! She thinks everything Gabi does is perfect. I guess that's what grandparents do.

You should check out Ella's blog to see her walking. Ella must have done a mile and a half in the Marriott. She'll be walking on her own in no time.

Wonderful Wednesday

The biggest news from today is that our attorney, Walter, showed up unexpectedly to pick the M's up for Ella's DNA test. We thought it would happen on Friday, but instead that box is checked. One more step down for them!

Walter also reported to me that the CA needs TIME!! "Only time" he said to me. I asked him if he meant days or weeks. Weeks!! The truth is... he doesn't know. I think he's trying to soften the blow when it takes a while. The actual count today is 10 days that we've been waiting. The initial announcement was that it would take 8 days. Now it's weeks. We'll see.

Edward and I are so frustrated because we know that we're so close to being finished and we can't even get back into the office that approves us. We have essentially wasted 2.5 months on this last previo. Two and a half months of Gabriella's life are gone. All because our file was not a priority because our agency insisted on taking new cases up until the end of the year. We missed the deadline for re-submittal because they were too busy with those cases to manage ours and we're now at the mercy of this ridiculous system once again.

In the meantime, we're having a wonderful time with this beautiful girl. She makes us laugh so much and we're grateful for every single second with her.

Sara and Jimmi left today too. We were sorry to see them go. We had a really good time getting to know them and watching them with their sweet niece. I know they treasured their time here and the opportunity to see Ella's birth country.

Just Another Tuesday

The M.'s got Ella's new passport. Thank goodness! We hung out by the pool all day... ALL DAY! It was lovely. It was overcast so we didn't swim, but Gabi played herself into a stupor.

I had a victory Mom moment today. I left Gabi with Mom and the M's while I went to the restroom. When I walked out of Gabi's sight, she started crying. She was looking for me and missed me. When I came back, you would have thought I was the Queen of Sheba. She went nuts. Of course, she goes nuts if you do almost anything. But still. I love that she was missing me.

She was the happiest I have ever seen her today. That is saying so much. This is an extraordinarily content child. I can only hope this wonderful personality continues. It is hard to resist her smile that lights up the room. She's a flirt and a sweetheart all at the same time.

I hope you enjoy her pigtails. She was the cutest little Valentine in her adorable heart outfit from Robin. She and Ella matched. What sweet girls we have.