Merry Christmas!

Here's Elizabeth with her Mommy about to go to her first Christmas Eve service - she was all excited, and so good! After the 5pm service she came back to Grammy and Papi's, ate some dinner, got a bath and had the traditional "Night Before Christmas" read to her by her Papi. While her mommy and aunts loved hearing the story, she was more interested in opening and closing Papi's glasses case! She went to sleep while the rest of the fam enjoyed a yummy dinner. Then it was time to go home and she transferred wonderfully from her bed at Grammy's to the car and then to her own bed.

She awoke early on Christmas morning all giggles and smiles, and came over to Aunt Jenny's house for the traditional opening of the presents. We set up her pack 'n play in the middle of the living room and she was ok hanging out in there for awhile, but then wanted to be part of the action by helping to unwrap the packages. Nana got her the cutest little slippers from L L Bean - they are little pink bunnies, complete with a little tail on the heel! Elizabeth thought they went very well with her Christmas morning outfit! She was excited when Grammy got a red wagon - for gardening but mostly for playing with her granddaughter! :) She was really excited to see her new "shopping cart" - wheeling it around and around... Christmas afternoon she was reported to be pushing it around her 1st floor, throwing little peoples and other items out of the cart, while a patient Auntie Ki went along after her picking them all up - what fun!

She is definitely a toddler now, walking everywhere and getting more confident in her abilities. What a precious little girl she is, and we couldn't be happier to have her part of our family!

Grammy's Photolog

I think Grammy is a photojournalist - she does an amazing job sending out pictures to let us know what kind of day she had with Elizabeth - and her explanations that she puts on the pics are priceless! So rather than try to pick out a few photots, just click on this link to check out yourself.. Enjoy!

Marathoner!

Yesterday when Elizabeth was with Grammy and Papi she had another day of just taking off walking!

She went round and round their kitchen - they lost count after 6 or 8 times!

Each time she came out of the kitchen she'd giggle and grin.. then when she went into the kitchen she'd wave good-bye over her shoulder! aaww! sooo cute!






Then she started dancing to the Christmas music with Papi.. what a great time with her grandparents!

It's so great that my parents have been watching her on Tuesdays and Thursdays - gives them time to bond and she gets individualized attention, and then she still has her days of socialization with the other kids at daycare on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.. I think in January the Grammy Daycare is going to just one day a week - we'll see who misses it more - Grammy or Elizabeth! :)

First Steps!

Well, Elizabeth is starting to walk! In the past few weeks she has delighted herself and her ever-present audience with her standing abilities. It was funny to see her get all excited about being able to stand all by herself - she got so psyched that her hands would be in tight little fists and she'd wave them about in excitement! About a week ago she got tired of just standing and started adding steps to her routine. We are all, of course, thrilled beyond belief.

These pictures were taken last weekend - the Penn State cheerleader outfit is courtesy of one of Chrissie's coworkers who gave it to her at her shower last November - and look how perfectly it fits! She wore it on Wednesday night as she and her neighbors went trick or treating to a few homes on the street - but as it was chilly white tights and a turtleneck were added for warmth.. what a cutie! :)

Her other tricks include responding to the question "How big is Elizabeth?" by throwing her arms up in the air with abandon - which is where this picture came from.. She also answers the question "How old are you?" by holding up her index finger, correctly answering the question with the number one. This makes Aunt Jenny sure she's going to follow in her footsteps and be an accountant because she's already so good with numbers!

Fun in the Park

Auntie Ki took Elizabeth to the park Sunday and they had a wonderful time! Love this picture of Elizabeth in the slide - isn't she adorable?

Chrissie went on her first business trip since bringing Elizabeth home in May, so this is going to be a tough couple days for everyone... hopefully Chrissie is too busy with the work stuff to miss her adorable daughter.. in the meantime the aunts and grandmother are having fun spending time with our little angel. Grammy brought little E to church - she squealed hello when she recognized Aunt Ki singing up on stage! And everyone was so excited to see her again - she's definitely a charmer!

Aunt Days!

This week Grammy went to the beach, so GrammyDayCare was transformed to AuntDayCare - Aunt Jenny watched Elizabeth on Tuesday, and Tia Sarita on Thursday. On Tuesday Aunt Jenny took Elizabeth to Longwood Gardens then to the library - it was a fabulous day! She was full of smiles and had a great day!

Her First Car!

I'm sure you think Elizabeth has everything - well, she didn't before, but she does now! Thanks to one of Chrissie's co-workers whose daughter has outgrown some things, Elizabeth now has a toy kitchen (with a sink!) and a car! Yep - a car... at 14 months the kid has her own set of wheels! She went for her first ride in the car today and she LOVED it (check out the pics in the slideshow)! Giggled and squealed as I ran her up and down the street, and cried when her Mommy made her get out and go shoe shopping... can you believe it, a girl not wanting to go shoe shopping!?!? Aunt Jenny was quick to try to instill a love of shoes, but it was past snacktime, so priorities had to be reorganized... we'll be working on her stamina, but she did get one pair of shoes - adorable little blue mary janes with flowers on the toes.

Elizabeth at the Beach

Mommy, Auntie Ki and little E drove out to Long Island yesterday to visit Papi and the beach! This is E's first time and she loves it! She loves to watch the water and have the wind in her hair! :) All the neighbors are excited to finally meet her!

Happy Birthday!

Today is Elizabeth's 1st birthday!

Here is what the cake looked like BEFORE Elizabeth got her hands (literally) on it.. and to the right you can see her just beginning to really taste it! I think she likes it - especially the icing, just like her Nana and Tia Sarita!

4th of July!

Elizabeth enjoyed her first 4th of July in patriotic style this week, attending her first parade! She was not impressed by the tractors, beauty queens, politicians or even ponies.. but she did enjoy bobbing to the music!

Waving the stars and stripes (left) while wearing her very cute dress with stars on it, Elizabeth gets into the spirit of the holiday. We went to a cookout at Greg's house and to the right you can see she's in her booster seat all ready to enjoy some good stuff fresh off the grill!

Bikini Babe!

Last week Chrissie's coworkers had a baby shower for her and someone gave her this fabulous bikini complete with hat and sunglasses.. and apparently Elizabeth took to it quite well! :)

Elizabeth starts "school" (daycare) next week as Chrissie eases back into work with a week of half-days... thankfully the daycare is close to Chrissie's office, and with the 4th of July holiday on Wednesday it should be a pretty quiet week..

Time Flies!

Wow, the past 3 weeks have flown by! It's been a fabulous time of getting to know Elizabeth and getting settled into life... Elizabeth is now crawling and pulling herself up! :) She has made the rounds of various offices, meeting the coworkers of her mom and aunts, and making everyone fall in love with her!! She's a ham (LOVES the camera) and a joy - she seems to like people, especially when they are enthralled with her! She still loves music and enjoys chewing on stuff, as she adds to her inventory of 8 teeth. Chrissie is transitioning beautifully into a busy mom, making the most of opportunities to sleep or do laundry - in fact this afternoon I believe Elizabeth was dropped off at Grammy and Papi's for play time, and so Chrissie could go grocery shopping.. one of the many blessings of having the whole family close by!

We'll try to update the blog with pictures.. we have some great ones - the first Mother's Day with a 4-generation picture needs to get posted, along with the first time on a swing, etc... so much to do, and now there is no time! :)

Baths and Dinner

Tonight Elizabeth discovered the joys of taking a bath! Grammy took her up for her bath tonite and the aunts went too, and for about 10-15 minutes we were thoroughly entertained as Elizabeth kicked and splashed and scooted herself around in the tub having a grand time.. we all laughed so hard our sides hurt! Check out those huge waves she's generated with her kicking! This is one HAPPY and JOYFUL baby! Grammy marveled at the difference in her - just 2 nights ago on Monday when she gave her a bath in the Guatemalan hotel she didn't even splash - tonite she was so animated and excited... how fabulous!


For months whenever our family has gathered around the dinner table and said grace a blessing was offered for Elizabeth... what a joy when grace was said tonite that Elizabeth was here with us, sitting in her highchair at the table!

To quiet the rumors that I've been making this up, here's a picture of Elizabeth with Aunt Jenny - to prove to my friends and coworkers that yes, I really do have a niece! :)

Isn't she wonderful!

HOME!!!!

Yeah! Elizabeth is finally HOME!

An excited Papi, Aunt Ki, Rachel (right) and Aunt Jenny (behind the camera) met up at the airport complete with ballons and gifts... there was confusion over which terminal they were arriving into so the welcoming committee almost didn't make it to greet the travelers, but the Lord was gracious and we made it! How exciting to see Chrissie walking down the ramp holding Elizabeth!

In the confusion we ended up meeting up with a woman who was waiting to receive her 10-month baby girl from Guatemala! We were able to capture video of a new mom holding her baby for the first time!

Papi finally got to hold his first grandchild.. Elizabeth thinks he's fabulous - check out the thumbs up! :)

   I prayed for this child,
  and the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him.
               - 1 Sam 1:27

It's late, we're all tired, but soooo thankful for this part of the journey to be over, and for "real" life to get started.. what a blessing! We couldn't be happier! :)

Cuteness Alert!

Oh my goodness, she is SUCH an adorable baby! We just can't stop oohing and aaaahing over the pictures... just wait until she arrives in the US tomorrow!!!

Sarah took this picture this weekend - isn't she a doll?!!? what a cutie! Grammy tells me that once Tia Sarita got the camera out, Elizabeth was "smiling all over the place" - looks like we have another HAM! :)

We aunts "stuck" at home are battling jealousy over the grandmother and other aunt who are spending this week in Guatemala with Elizabeth.. we need to get her in the US so the "Favorite Aunt" competition can officially begin.. although Tia Sarita needs to bow out a bit and give us some room! :)

Grammy and Tia Sarita in Guatemala

Grammy and Tia Sarita arrived in Guatemala yesterday - Chrissie was able to watch their plane land from the hotel. Chrissie and Elizabeth were waiting in the lobby when they arrived... very exciting!

Here you can see Elizabeth meeting Sarah, who was "working it" to get that first smile.. and she was rewarded! :) and in typical family fashion, the whole thing was picked up on video! This is going to be such a photographed baby!


The afternoon was spent sitting by the pool - Elizabeth was content to sit in her Grammy's lap for about a half hour - such a good baby! :)

For dinner they all went to the Sports Bar - noisy enough that if Elizabeth got fussy that it wouldn't bother anyone.. funny thing that Grammy brought up was that Chrissie's first outing as a baby was to a winery, so like mother like daughter! :)

So it looks like Elizabeth has started to embrace her new crazy family.. wait til she gets home and sees the rest of us!

Video!

Ok, here is a video from Guatemala. I had to edit it down a lot to fit on You Tube. We are having fun! If I can edit the 2nd one I will get that uploaded as well. This video was shot on Thursday morning about 15 minutes after Elizabeth woke up. She is in her PJ's and still a little sleepy.

Kisses from Elizabeth

Looks like Elizabeth is waming up!

Chrissie took this picture on Wednesday - she's sitting on the floor (that's her pink shoe on the left) and Elizabeth is sitting in front of her giving her kisses!

Isn't she ADORABLE!?!?!?

Sigh.. I can't wait to hold her.. I just LOVE her!

Update from Guatemala

Hola! Elizabeth and I are getting to know each other, and we think this is going to be great fun! The first day she was not too sure, and each day it is better! Today she found her voice and was signing and babbling. She loves books and toys and music and loves to be out. When we come back to the room she gets fussy! Here's a pic of Elizabeth saying Hola to everyone back home!

Wednesday in Guatemala

Just got off the phone with Chrissie - things are going well - she thinks Elizabeth is starting to like her! :) There was a game of peek-a-boo yesterday and Elizabeth cracked a smile, so things are looking up!

Here's a picture of Elizabeth playing in their hotel room - like Chrissie says, everything goes in her mouth! Apparently Elizabeth loves being out with people - likes to watch them, so they are spending lots of time at the pool and the hotel has a room they have converted into a playroom for the kids - so they spend a good deal of time there... Elizabeth likes to be right near Chrissie when she's in there, so that's fabulous news! :) She also really loves music, any toy with music makes her bob and sway a bit - wow, a baby with some rhythm - how fun!

I asked Chrissie if she feels like a Mom, and she said yes.. she also said she's sleeping well, but that she's tired! She said her arms are tired, and her legs are tired.. guess that goes with the territory!

She's looking forward to Grammy and Tia Sarita's arrival tomorrow... she wisely decided to lay down a bit when we got off the phone, since Elizabeth was still sleeping.. smart mom!

Elizabeth in new shoes

Chrissie is SUCH a good Mommy - she sent us some pictures of Elizabeth! She's about 9.5 months old now, and looking tall (and of course beautiful!)

This is probably within a half hour of Chrissie receiving Elizabeth from the foster mother - for good! Looks like she got a haircut and check out her fancy shiny black shoes! :) But watch out, she's got the eyebrow creased - that's a warning sign for touble ahead! Apparently crying (was way past nap time) was next on the agenda... but once Chrissie realized the crib was on wheels and pushed it back and forth, Elizabeth fell into a peaceful sleep within moments!

I'm sure there will be much more to follow - stay tuned! :)

Elizabeth is with her Mommy!

Yeah! I just got off the phone with a very happy Mommy - Chrissie arrived in Guatemala City a few hours ago and now has Elizabeth all to herself! She has checked into her hotel and is waiting for them to deliver the crib... Elizabeth is wearing the cute outfit in the latest picture (one that Chrissie sent down) and of course is ADORABLE! :) Chrissie showed Elizabeth all sorts of toys and the one she is interested in is Chrissie's book! how fun. We didn't talk long because after a few minutes Elizabeth started to get fussy - it's past her nap time and she's tired - so Chrissie had to get a bottle ready for her... but at least we know Chrissie made it safely to Guatemala and that she's connecting with her daughter - starting a lifetime journey together.... how precious!

Busy Preparations

It has been a busy 2 weeks getting ready for Elizabeth's homecoming. While her room has been ready for some time, there always seems to be more that is needed! Tonight I am working on several forms needed for the Embassy and gathering the necessary documentation. In between, I squeeze additional items into my overflowing suitcase, or jot a note down for someone at work... all these details! But I am enjoying this time of preparation and anticipation.
Grammy and Tia Sarita (aka Aunt Sarah) are eagerly awaiting their first meeting. Sarah has had a rough couple of weeks tending to the stunned and broken hearts in Virgina Tech, so this will be a welcome change for her. And Grammy is still walking on cloud 9!

Coming Home!

Hallelujah! The day of Elizabeth's homecoming has been scheduled! The Embassy appointment is Friday May 4. We are allowed to leave Guatemala on Tuesday May 8. I am very excited as is the rest of the family. I will travel down a few days early and them Grammy and Aunt Sarah will join us for the Embassy appointment and the flights home. Elizabeth will officially become a US citizen when we land from our connecting flight May 8!

As you can imagine, this is a HUGE answer to prayer and I want to thank you all for your continued support. I heard from the agency last night that I was very "lucky" because the other appointment they got yesterday was for May 14. I also think that Congressman Castle's office had something to do with it as well and I am going to give them a call this afternoon.

YAHOO, Elizabeth is coming home!!

Into the Embassy

More progress... My case entered the US Embassy in Guatemala on April 11. They review the case file and then schedule the visa interview. I should hear by the 19th when my interview will be. Once the visa interview is complete, Elizabeth comes home for good!

Progress

Good news, we have progress towards Elizabeth's homecoming. The adoption decree is complete, and her birth certificate has been updated with my last name. Apparently it was quite a trip to get the updated birth certificate as it needed to be hand collected from the remote mountainous town where she was born. Instead of being a 1-2 day thing it ended up being more like 5. So, I am happy that is complete!
Next step is for the attorneys to collect all the appropriate documents and submit to the US Embassy for their final approval and visa appointment. We expect to hear when the visa appointment will be the week of April 16. Unfortunately with the delays at the Embassy the appointment will be a few weeks from that date. It used to be a 7-14 day turnaround, so this delay is frustrating. After all, Elizabeth is now mine! I just am not able to bring her back into the US until that visa interview.
Thanks for your continued support, prayer, and interest! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Delays at US Embassy

Say it ain't so... there is a back up at the US Embassy in Guatemala. I have heard from the agency that because of the recent fraud cases, and the upcoming Easter break, the US Embassy has a back up in approving cases and scheduling the visa interviews. What a bummer! I don't have too many details at this point, other then it may be a few more weeks. I can't believe it! I have waited all this time for the Guatemalan side to approve, and now the US Embassy is slow.

March Pics!

What a week, PGN approval and new pictures from the pediatrician! His report says she has 6 teeth, sits by herself, and healthy. She is 19 pounds and 28 inches long.

By the way, this is the outfit I sent down recently! I can't wait to see her soon!!

APPROVED!!!!

Praise God!! The PGN approved my case today!! I got word less than an hour ago that the PGN approved my case! My agency told me there were two other cases that were not approved, so thank goodness mine was approved!

I do not have the details worked out yet, but I will probably travel down to pick up Elizabeth after Easter. It takes a few weeks to finalize all the documents, the adoption decree, her passport, etc.

Yahoo!!! More details later!!!

State Department News

Many of you have probably seen the recent news that the US State Department is no longer recommending Americans adopt from Guatemala. They cite many issues with corruption in the process. Below is a link to an article that explains the US State Department's point of view.

I do not know what this means for my case and others in process, other then the bit of information in the article about things taking longer. Thankfully, the State Department has not put a ban on cases in progress. I am in the final stages, I just have the one big hurdle to get the approval from Guatemala. Once that happens, Elizabeth is mine in the eyes of Guatemala. I hope to hear this week that the approval on my case has been signed.

Please continue to pray for my case and for others in Guatemala. It is a sad situation with no easy answers.

Article link: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ADOPTIONS_GUATEMALA?SITE=KHOU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

The Big Question

And the answer is...I am still waiting to hear if the PGN approves my case. It looks like most approvals are taking 7 weeks. My case re-entered on February 2, so 7 weeks from that date is March 23. That is the new target date to hear from the PGN.

If the approval comes on or close the the 23rd, I'll probably head down to Guatemala after Easter.
So exciting!!

still waiting...

Yes, I am still waiting to hear if my case is approved by the PGN in Guatemala. It has been a long and tough wait and it looks like it will be another couple of weeks. I spoke with the agency today and she said she will keep me posted when the cases that went in just before mine come out so I will have a better idea on timing.

Sigh...

Another Video

Here is another video from my visit in November to see Elizabeth in Guatemala. Aunt Carrie is the videographer. Elizabeth is being a good sport and being patient while Mommy and Aunt Carrie have fun with those big cheeks!

February Pics!

The pediatrician sent new pictures and an update from Elizabeth's visit to his office on February 23rd. Here is his report: Estrella came today to my office, she is 7 months old, weights 18.4 pounds, length 71.5 cms, head circumference 42 cms. She has 4 teeth visible, drinks 8 ounces of formula and 3 solid meals during the day, sits down without help, babbles a lot, goes to bed at 9pm, she received a booster vaccine.

By the way, she is not in the outfit I sent down. My guess is the foster mom has not received it yet (boo!).

It has now been 3 weeks since in PGN and no word, but that is typical. The good thing is now we are in the time period where we should hear from PGN soon! Pray for an approval!!

Sent Gifts To Guat

I am so happy to be able to send gifts down to Elizabeth and her foster family and know that they get them! Monday I bought an outfit, toy, disposable camera, and jelly beans (for the foster family - apparently they like them) dropped it all off at the adoption agency office and then someone will be hand delivering to my foster family in Guatemala. The foster mother was wonderful about taking pictures with the other cameras I sent to her. It was great to see Elizabeth in her foster home environment being loved and cared for by the foster family! I can't wait to see these pictures!

Elizabeth typically goes to see the pediatrician at the end of each month. The doctor sends me 2 pictures from each visit. I hope to see Elizabeth in the outfit I sent down in the next set of pics!

No news yet on the progress at the PGN - but that is typical as my case has only been in a little over 1 week.

Back in PGN!

Good news, my case re-entered the PGN (Guatemala Attorney General's office) on Friday, February 2!! The standard process is that we wait to hear and the wait could be 3-6 weeks. We want the outcome to be approved, so keep praying! This is the final hurdle, once the PGN approves the adoption, it is official.

Process Update

Finally, some news on the birth certificate error that got my case kicked out! Since the error was noted 12/19/06, my attorney in Guatemala hired a couple of people to fix the error with the town's registrar only to come back each time with the error not appropriately fixed. So, finally, my attorney sends someone from her office to go the the town's registrar and fix the error. I got word Thursday evening that it has been fixed, and they have a lot of documentation to back it up! This is great news!
The next step is to get my case back into PGN (the attorney general's office). I am hoping it goes into today, if everything looks good. It takes about 4-5 weeks to hear anything from the PGN. When my case is re-submitted it goes in a stack and in order with all the other cases (it does not go to the top of the list because it is a re-submission). A couple of things can happen at this point - the person assigned to review could see that the error is fixed and send off as approved for the attorney general to sign, or the reviewer could again look at all the documents. If that is the case, please pray they don't find any more errors!

By the way, we have had over 400 hits to this website since the end of October. Thanks for visiting and following the story of bringing Elizabeth home!

Sleeping Beauty...

Look at these latest pictures of our precious Elizabeth! The foster mother takes her to the doctor once a month and the peditrician takes pictures and e-mails them to Chrissie's adoption agency.

This one is the little princess crashed out at the doctor's office (this must be before the shot!).. it's so funny the way she falls asleep with her arms out to her sides, like she doesn't have a care in the world!

It says "Estrella" on her dress because that is the name on her birth certificate.. it means "star", and of course she's a star to us, but we'll be calling her Elizabeth (or Princess Elizabeth!!) :)

Along with the pictures Chrissie got this e-mail from the pediatrician:

[Elizabeth] came today to my office, she is 6 months old, weighs 18 pounds, length 70 cms, head circumference 41.5 cms. She is receiving 6 ounces of Similac 6 times during the day and 2 solid foods, but now she starts with Step 2 of Gerber Products which includes mixed cereals, chicken and more vegetables. Foster informed that she sits down with help, rolls over her body, grabs objects, goes to bed at 9 and awakes at 2 am asking for milk. She received third dose of B hepatitis. Looks healthy.

Isn't she beautiful!?!?!

Chrissie hopes to get confirmation that the case has been resubmitted to PGN this week, so that we can start adjusting our expectations on her arrival in March.. of course we want her here with us already, but we're focusing now on March.. the good thing is that Grammy & Papi will move into their new home less than 10 miles from Chrissie's by then, so they'll be nice and close! :)

PGN Update - Still Fixing

PGN approval is the major final hurdle in the adoption process, and for my case, seems to be the most challenging. The errors were discovered December 19, and the last error is still not fixed. This means that my case has not re-entered PGN for the Guatemalan attorney general's review. It seems my attorneys need to hire a second person to fix the error they discovered on the birth mother's birth certificate. The attorney they hired to fix by 1/12/07 was unable to do so.

This is frustrating. I hope they are able to fix this week, so I can re-enter PGN next week. Once I receive the approval from PGN, it takes 3 weeks to finalize the paperwork and I can bring Elizabeth home for good.