Just pull it out, Dad!

Baylor has been dealing with a wiggly tooth for months. It has finally gotten to the point of flopping around some, so we worked at it for a while last night with dental floss and heavy wiggling. Finally he was fed up and just wanted a treasure under his pillow. "Just pull it, Dad!"


A few minutes later, we had a toothless grin! And I would like to add that my son who is enjoying his summer by sleeping in until 9 woke his roommate brother up at 5:45 searching for his treasure.

This time next week...

We will be attempting to put our daughter to bed for the first time in our care. I am excited... nervous... scared... overwhelmed... overjoyed... thankful...and glad this journey is almost over.

It's all about the milk...

Silly I know but I love to notice dates ( not important ones mind you as I cannot keep those straight) but I have always loved milk carton dates. Call me crazy I know, but when I go to the grocery it makes me smile when the date on the milk is say... my birthday, my anniversary, my kids birthday... you get the picture.

When I was pregnant I knew I had made it when the date on the milk carton was my due date or after (it only happened with my first child as my other 2 were 2 weeks early). It is one of those indicators in life of time that will come and go quickly.

Today my milk carton has next Saturday on it... and next Saturday I will be on an airplane to pick up my precious angel... FOREVER!

Casa Azul

Well we have a room. I have gotten mixed reports on how nice it is, but since it is just me and Brent, we are up for the task. It is right on the main block in Antigua and just 1/2 a block from "Central Park" where all the action is on the weekends ( when we will be there) This picture is ( I believe) a picture taken from the roof top veranda on the building. We are told that it is/was a colonial building refurbished to be a small inn. It only has 14 rooms. 8 MORE DAYS

Laughing and Crying

Okay... first I am laughing because this is the craziest but cutest thing I have ever seen...

Then I am crying because this should not be happening until I get there. But look how happy she is about what she is doing.


T minus 10 days... and counting! ( by the way... she is in a 0-3 month dress that I took down on my Feb visit)

International Traveler... WHAT?

Okay... this is for the birds and it is HARD. Little been in TN all my life, Ashley, has no idea what she is doing. We have been trying to call the Casa Santo Domingo for 3 days now and I do not even know if we are calling correctly... with international codes and all. So right now, we are going to Guat... but we may not have a bed to sleep in until Monday... for you literal people... just kidding, we will find something!

PINK

WE GOT PINK!!!!! Our Embassy Date is June 5th at 7:15 AM... we are probably leaving on June 2nd... early in the morning. We were going to leave on the 1st but Baylor probably has something special that night.

PERFECT... THANK YOU JESUS... AN ANSWERED PRAYER!!!!

Here we come baby girl!!!!

Update

We got an update from my agency director yesterday... she expects us to get PINK by mid to end of the week. The appointments are running about 2 weeks out from there. That puts us at Embassy Day being the week of June 4-8th (PLEASE)!

Cast your vote...

I need your help. You see I had Eliza's Embassy Dress all picked out. It was a sweet holiday dress (although all pink) that I bought on clearance back in January. I came home and hung it in the closet. Last week, I felt the need to nest and pack and pulled out all of her clothes that I am taking on the trip and washed them. When I washed the dress the collar pulled from the dress and shredded some of the material. Luckily I still had the recipt and took it back in. I was able to exchange it... but now I am in a quandry and I need you to help me decide.

Do I go with the sweet pink tiered dress with a sweater. ( The pink part has tiny flowers and the white tiny pink polka dots). I have matching shoes.


Or, do I go with the fancy lavender smocked selection with matching bloomers and sweet white pearl booties.


I know that smocked dresses are not the norm in Guatemala and do not want to go too fancy and thus be rude. But I just cannot decide... so you vote.

My friend Michelle and her daughter Sabrina got PINK today! I am so happy for her! The official end to her journey... and it has been a long one. Michelle got OUT of PGN one week before us and her daughter was born in the same town as Eliza. Which means our timelines could be very similar from OUT to pink! IF (and that is a big IF)you could compare any timelines in Guatemalan adoptions, that would mean that we should find out by next Thursday when our Embassy appointment is. Her Embassy Date is June 1st so I am thinking at the latest ours will be the 8th ( but hoping for a little earlier in the week).

If I could plan it... this is how it would be. Brent and I fly out on Friday the 1st and go straight to Antigua (there are no child pickups past 2 on Friday until 10 AM on Monday). We would spend Saturday and Sunday BY OURSELVES *gasp* probably at Casa Santa Domingo, we would tour Antigua taking the sites, sounds and smells with plenty of pictures to share with Eliza someday. Arrive Monday by 10AM back at the Westin to pick up Eliza FOREVER!!! Tuesday morning ( the 5th) we would have our Embassy Appointment. Wednesday they would bring us our Visa and Thursday we would fly out bright and early. You know... why don't you all just pray for that... I know it is all in God's hands and in his control, but that really would be the best plan for my boys... for my parents and Brent's parents who are helping to take care of them ( and need to be out of town the week after that). I will take it when I can get it, but if you wanted to pray for that specifically with me that would be great. THANK YOU!!! I appreciate all your prayers and support... I cannot wait for you to meet her! LIKE IN 3 WEEKS!!!!!

You could pray...

I have been thinking alot about finally getting my daughter for the final time knowing that I do not have to hand her back AGAIN... EVER. You see I can visualize that room, the room in the hotel where we go to pick up and drop off our daughter. It is a small quiet room, that is auctually a little crowded and uncomfortable. There is no air circulating and the emotions run so high in there. I can feel the emotion of what it is going to feel like knowing that once I go into that room I do not have to go back in to give her back. I am so excited about that thought, just thinking about it now makes me have tears and butterflies. But, that room also brings a little fear. I have not seen my daughter in 3 almost 4 months. Will she remember me? Will she be scared of me? Will she try to dive back into her foster mom's arms? Or reach for her, crying? Will she know my voice (from the tapes I sent)and smile when she sees me? Will the first day be tough as she grieves the loss of the only family she has known? Or has God protected all of our hearts and supernaturally will it just all be as it was supposed to be? I know I cannot worry about it, and I try not to. It will just be and we will just deal with it one day at a time, but I am scared... I think because deep down I just want her to love me as much as I already love her, and I do not want her to second guess for a second about our love for her.

It is getting close!!! Would you please begin praying for us, now. Pray that the adjustment will be easy for her and for us. Pray that we will know how to communicate our love to her in a way that she will understand, and know, and never be afraid. Pray that the moment she meets us she will know we are her Mommy and Daddy forever.

I have been thinking about this for a while now, but really it hit home just this morning as I was reading a post from my agency friend Tera. She just arrived in Guatemala to get her sweet daughter. Emma is having a hard time right now and thus mommy is having a hard time right now (alone, without daddy, in a foreign country). If you would, take a minute and pray for them too.

Missing Person

Some of you may have seen this on the news, but I wanted to share because it tears at my heart. It is amazing how this adoption has opened up the world to me and made it all so much closer. My agency friend Angie, has asked for prayers for this lady. It is one of her best friend's sister. I have been praying for them, but it really hit hard yesterday to see it on Fox News.
Lisa Stebic (findlisastebic.com) is missing and has been since April 30th and it is all under very strange circumstances and very unlike her. Please take a minute and pray for this lady, her 2 young children and her entire family.

Happy Mother's Day

Just wanted to tell all the MOM'S in my life Happy Mother's Day... with a shout out to my MOM... I love you and thank you for ALWAYS being there for me!!!!
I had a good day... nothing spectacular... church, lunch and a nice nap :). Thanks honey! Brent also cooked a good dinner with shrimp and chicken kabobs and baked potatoes. I am so thankful I have a hubby that enjoys cooking.Oh... and I wanted to say thanks to my hubby for surprising me with one of these...

I was surprised and we have enjoyed uploading songs to it. It has brought some flashbacks from our college days and dancing the night away at Frat parties. This really is one great invention!!!!

OH... and I cannot forget the self made heart from my oldest son... I will forever treasure my "Happy Muthrs Day" card.

Update

I got an update from my agency director today. Our birthmother has signed off on the adoption for the final time and our adoption decree was registered with the archives. We are now waiting on the new birth certificate from the town where she was born. Luckily that is Mazetenago... one of the fastest cities for turn around time on getting that done.

A few more steps to go!! This is so UNREAL and sometimes I really cannot even believe it. It is like this dream we have been having for over a year now and we have woken up and it is still true... OH THANK YOU JESUS... WE PRAISE YOU!!!!

PS... Brent is really sad that so many of you quit commenting... send him some love ;)

I'd like to thank...

I am probably getting myself into trouble here, because I know I will not be able to photograph all the gifts that our little Eliza might get, but several people have given me some gifts and they are so cute and make me so happy I wanted to share.

This is from Eliza's Aunt Tracey and Uncle Keith... they have been waiting and waiting for us to get out of PGN to be able to spluge on something girly! The shirt says "I want my Daddy" IN SPANISH! PERFECT!!!


Nommie has been saving these too. Her own mini backpack... TOO CUTE!


Our good friends Bobby and Sonja (and fellow BOY mom) sent this to us. I LOVE IT! Look at the matching sandals.


A treat from my SBP... it was unexpected and appreciated. I love getting packages in the mail. FUN!


And finally... FROM ME!!!! Just an excuse to display these dresses I have been eyeing and waiting to buy. So... I did, yesterday. A lavendar smocked dress (she looks AWESOME in lavendar) and this sweet, white with pink trim coming home outfit with a matching blanket. I cannot wait to be sitting on an airplane with her in that dress!! TEARS WILL BE ROLLING!

Thought from Beth Moore

You can find the entire entry here... but I wanted to share this for those of us in a journey of one kind or another.

The beauty of finding yourself at a milestone of any meaningful kind in life is not that the journey there was so pretty. Or so successful. In many ways, the mysterious beauty of the whole thing is that the "getting there" was so awkward, wobbly, inconsistent, and even down-right messy that most of the time, you thought you'd never make it. What makes life on this frightful sod so exquisite is God's merciful propensity to perform divine tasks amid deeply flawed people. To paint intricate colors on a torn-up canvass. We can recognize a miracle when we see one because we know that, for God to use us, redeem us, or complete one stinkin' thing of value in us, it would have taken nothing less. That's what He calls getting the glory.

BE MINE...

I really do not have to wonder that anymore... and I am so glad. I wonder if her foster mom put that on her to make me smile. (look how big it still is 3 months later). Eliza went to see Dr. M yesterday and this is what he had to say... isn't it sweet!

Hi!

This afternoon I had the opportunity to see little Fabiola Magdalena, she is now 8 months old and the caregiver tells me that this little one has been doing fine in the time since she was seen for the last time one month ago, she continues to show a steady growth and her development also appears to be progressing well, she is very alert and shows interest in all that goes on around her, appears to understand some simple word and turns to things that are named, she also imitates some of the movements she sees (rising eyebrows for example), is able to keep the sitting position and will try to pull herself to the standing position, I am told that she also puts herself in the crawling position. I am told that she takes her diet very well and is also receiving the ordered vitamin supplement. Upon evaluation today I
found this little one in good health with no obvious physical or neurological abnormalities, her weight is 14 lbs 12 oz, length of 62.6 cms and head circumference of 41.7 cms. Please find her pictures attached.

Best Regards

Field Trip

I went with Bay today on his field trip to the zoo. Fun, but HOT! We had fun. It was our first time to see the giraffes since they opened the exhibit.

Surprise!

It is surprise visit time! Our head foster mom stoped by little Eliza's to visit with her foster family. She seems to be doing well. She is now eating vegetables, rice cereal and BANANAS (Poor baby... I would have given that to her first). It says she still wakes every 3 hours to eat during the night... WHEW! And the little rattle, I sent it. I know it is not much, but it just makes me feel SO connected to her. Like I am almost able to touch her through that toy.

Happy 8 month old birthday angel!!!! Mommy and Daddy are coming soon!

I just have to say... with a huge smile on my face... DO YOU KNOW HOW DIFFERENT THE WORLD LOOKS TODAY????? Thank you all for your love and support. I could not have done it without you!

Proverbs 13:12
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."

Details

To give you the fine details...

I e-mailed my agency director at 12:23 (went and checked the time I sent it) and just asked that she let me know if PGN did not release any files today... so that I could have my moment of frustration and get past it and not let it ruin my weekend. She e-mailed back at 12:34 telling me sure she would let me know but basically not to get my hopes up because other agencies were not seeing files out with dates as late as mine, and that the previous ones that had gotten out from my agency were lucky.

So, I tucked my tail and decided to find something constructive to do to focus my energy on (painting the columns in the kitchen). As I was putting on the painters tape, the phone rings. I was not expecting a phone call at all much less at 2:26 when it rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw the name from one of my agencies case managers. It still did not ring a bell... I thought perhaps she was calling to give me a pep talk. I said hello... but with hesitation... a few other words were exchanged but I think I blacked out because I really do not remember... perhaps a how are you?... something... I only know that I heard what had to be the most beautiful words I have heard in a LONG time. "YOU'RE OUT". I do not think I said anything... I just started crying and walking in a circle and saying "THANK YOU". I know she told me that I would be hearing more from my agency on what was coming and what to do and that she was so happy for me... but I really did not catch it all because I was crying and PRAISING JESUS!!!!
I immediately called Brent and sang him my Vegie Tales song that has been in my head for a while when thinking about this phone call... "I wanna sing, sing, sing, I wanna shOUT, shOUT, shOUT... I wanna sing, I wanna shOUT and praise the Lord." I was afraid he would not get it ( even though we talked about it) but he immediately started laughing and yelled "We're OUT" to the office. I do not remember any more of that conversation either... I was on cloud nine.

Anyway... the rest is documented history... I updated my blog, sent an e-mail to friends and family, and after an evening of celebrating... this post.

We have a ways to go (see previous post) and it will be AT LEAST a month before we are traveling. But you can keep praying because if it does not hurry, we are in a HEAP of trouble. My mom and dad will be in Florida spending time with my nephew for his FIRST birthday (and his mommy and daddy are going to youth camp for a week) AND Brent's parents will be in Canada. God is gonna work it out I know, she is coming home!!!! The rest will work itself out!

PS- Quite a different spirit from last night huh? Tonight I switched from Oreo's to a celebratory serving of Banana Pudding!

My boys have something to say...

ELIZA IS...

More details to follow when I have brain cells!!!! That would be Baylor, Silas, and Callan sporting their Guatemlan Soccer Uniforms earlier this week. I was a little forward in having them hold the OUT sign... but it is the first time they have all had them on and thought I would take advantage of the opportunity!

Tired!

I ask in advance for you to forgive me for any information in the following post... I will be all right in the morning.

But tonight, I am tired. I am worn out... I am at my witt's end. I knew this would be hard, I knew it would be long... but honestly I had no idea. I have kept a smile on my face for months, I have kept the joy in my heart that I have a daughter... she may not be with me, yet... but I have a daughter. Tonight I am just sad... and tired. Tired of waiting another day, tired of keeping my head up, tired of being tired. It has gotten to be more than I can take... maybe that is a good thing... maybe now I will let it go. But tonight... I am going to bed with a bag of Oreo's and I may just eat the whole thing.

Eliza, I love you!

Nope, Nada, Zip, Zilch... NOTHING

No news! I even e-mailed my agency director a quick note to say... "NOTHING TODAY? Just curious" She e-mailed back " you know I would not hold out on you... not a single file out today." Again... here is hoping for tomorrow!

May Day

Did you know that it was May Day??? I did not either, until my agency told me. Well, May Day it is... and that means that today is a holiday in Guatemala. Imagine that! So there will be no news today... until tomorrow... Happy May Day!

Praise You In This Storm