Hair, Hair Everywhere

The first thing I thought of when we saw Gabi today was that her Aunt Paige was going to be very disappointed in her hair. Paige lives to see this child's hair stand straight up. She thinks it's a crime against nature for it to be messed with. Paige, I assure you that I was not responsible for this major hair mishap. Her foster mother put it in a ponytail sort of on the side of her head. When we gave her a bath tonight, it was clear that some type of product was used. I couldn't believe it. And, her hair is below her shoulders in the back. Also, when Kristin and I looked at it in May, we were sure it would be stick straight. I'm not convinced. All of her hair on the top is wavy. I would love if she ended up with curly hair.

We first thought that she was a chunk. After we got below all of those clothes, we realized that she isn't chunky at all. Her cheeks make her look like she's storing some for the winter. Although she's much bigger than the last visit, she definitely isn't a big baby. She still has that skin that most of us would die for. Her eyes melt our hearts. She's very alert and interested in her environment. She's very fun.

We brought her back after dinner and she started to get fussy. So we stripped her down to her diaper and she kicked and played on the bed for about 45 minutes. She talked and giggled and talked some more. She likes to "take turns" talking and she tells a lot of stories. The speech-language pathologist in me loves this. It's amazing to see the milestones she's hit since our last visit. She's a very easy baby and hasn't really cried at all since we got her this afternoon. An occasional fuss is all we get.

Oh, one more thing-- while we were eating dinner, we put her in the stroller (which she's really too small for) and she hadn't smiled in a while. I started talking to her in Spanish-- calling her "mi princesa" and asking her what she was doing. She started grinning like crazy. She loves being the princess. Pretty funny!

Ed and I are getting so excited for Nana and Papa to get here. They are just gonna love her.

And She Laughs

Right off the bat, this little bug gave us a belly laugh! She just giggled and giggled. We cracked up. We met her foster mother, our attorney and a translator/relative for the foster mother. Fortunately, we just had time to check in, throw our bags down and head downstairs before they were here. We didn't have to wait at all!

Gabriella is so big. She is a chunky little monkey. She's very aware and so intrigued by us. She's taking a catnap right now. But I just had to pass some pictures along. She's waiting for her Nana and Papa to arrive this evening. What a big day for such a little squirt!

Look at that grin! Couldn't you just eat her?

T minus 3 days

We're here again-- at the countdown to see our beautiful girl. I'm in Mt. Vernon hanging out with my best friends, Liza and Danny. Danny is in from California this week and I had to see him. I laugh the hardest with these two. We aren't sure why. Liza was charged with correcting my heinous hair. As usual, she salvaged what she could and made me presentable again.

Anyway, Ed returns from Michigan tomorrow after the final week of his internship. He's enjoyed it but I know he's anxious to get back, do his laundry and pack his bags to see his girl. We'll meet in Champaign and head out on Saturday for Chicago. We'll spend the night in town and head to the airport disturbingly early on Sunday morning.

This has been a good week. I've seen a lot of family, good friends and taken my mind off the fact that we're less than a week away from Gabi. All of the news from our Guatemalan attorney has been less than settling, so I'm anxious to get down there and see for myself.

Tis True

The prior post was correct. Our agency confirmed today that Mariela is no longer working for Julio. We have no details. I'm very concerned for Mariela, her family and this very difficult time. She is an incredible woman who stands for what she believes in. Sometimes that isn't well-received. I should know. I'm rarely well-received when I put my foot down.

In other news, the U.S. Embassy has finally implemented a second DNA test to be completed by the baby only at the end of the process prior to receiving the travel visa. The purpose of this is to eliminate the possibility of switching babies in the middle of the process-- which has happened. Obviously, most policies come about because of some jerk who finds a way to defraud the system. This is no different. It is another expense both financially and timewise that I don't look forward to. But if it puts a dent in the business of baby trafficking, I'm all for it.

We get to see Gabi Sol in 5 days. I will hold onto her for every possible moment. We have a lot of love to squeeze into 8 days. When you don't carry a baby, it's more difficult to build those "mommy muscles." I've been working out to prep for it. So keep growing Gabi-- I'll keep up with you.

Bad News Bears!

It isn't yet confirmed, but we've heard through the grapevine that Mariela is no longer working for our attorney. Why does it matter, you ask? Because Mariela is our saving grace. She is the reason everything gets done in a timely manner. We're not sure what this could mean for our adoptions. It obviously doesn't mean that our adoptions are in jeopardy, but we feel that things will not continue to move as quickly as they have. Kristin and I were actually speechless. We think someone sucked the air out of the room. We are particularly concerned for what this may mean for Reagan's conundrum.

Again, please continue to pray for all of the families who are working with our attorney.

One Week

We are one week away from seeing our angel again. By this time next week, we'll have Gabi Sol in our arms. I cannot wait to see how much she's grown and all the new things she's doing. She'll be a completely different baby during this trip. And she'll get to meet her grandparents on both sides which is so exciting for us.

I've filled her crib with all of the stuff she needs for the trip. It's really ridiculous how much stuff a baby requires. She weighs less than 15 lbs and I have about 50 lbs. of stuff for her-- not really. All she really needs is us to love on her! We cannot wait to kiss her face off!

Sharing Foster Mom

I checked my email today and one of the families who uses our agency is visiting their daughter for the first time in Guatemala. As I was looking at the pictures of their beautiful daughter, Ella, I realized that she is with Gabriella's foster mother. I was so excited to know who Gabi's foster sibling was. It's a really cool connection and I hope we'll stay in touch. I emailed the family and told them what wonderful hands their Ella was in. She was surprised to hear from me but as excited as I was, I think.

In other news, Reagan's case is still a mystery. I am so frustrated for the W.'s and can't believe how long this is taking. They keep getting the run around and are at a standstill. It is unbelievable how helpless you can feel when you're in this situation. Kristin and Josh have been through the ringer with this adoption. Enough is enough! Please pray for their family and for our sweet Reagan.

Gabi Sol is 4 months old today. What a big girl she is! I can't believe we get to see her in a little over a week. We're so excited. But I'm bracing myself for the trip home when we don't have her in our arms and we aren't sure when we'll see her again. That is my biggest challenge at this point. I don't know how Edward feels about it because he's pretty tight-lipped about the whole thing. I'm afraid it will be harder for him than he anticipates. All we can do is get through it. In the meantime, I'm just going to look forward to all the lovin' I get to smother her with while we are with her. We're coming, sweet girl!

Couldn't resist

this one last picture of Griffin. Cracked me up. What a ham! And this self-portrait of Spencer and me.

Water Park

We have this pool in Champaign called the Sholem Aquatic Park. It isn't a water park in the traditional sense but it does have a couple of waterslides and a lazy river, as well as a great baby pool area. The kids absolutely love it. Both times that they've visited it has taken them a while to get used to it, but they always end up loving it. It's so fun to see them get braver and more exploratory as the day goes on.

A few pictures from our adventures.

Family Weekend

We spent the weekend in Effingham with family. Hilary and Steve were in town with the boys, so we celebrated Griffin's second birthday, went swimming and played mini golf. We had beautiful weather and a great time. Spencer was a champion mini golfer and is reading at the 2nd grade level-- he'll be 4 in October. Griffin is a gigglebox and physical genius. He is so coordinated and bright. Edward and I love getting to see these boys. Nana, Hil and the boys are coming up to Champaign tomorrow to go to the water park.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend.