8 Days to our Visit Trip

I’m back; sorry there’s been no new info. But…there’s been NO NEW INFO!

Actually, I tried to post a few days ago, but couldn’t quite recall my username and password. I think I’ve maxed out on multi-tasking.

As for non-baby news…the new house is going quite well. We hope the siding will be started soon. When that’s complete, the exterior will look mostly finished. Within the next couple of weeks insulation and drywall should start. We’re all ready to move! Each of us is a bit sad at leaving this house and all the memories behind, but we’re past that and ready to plunge ahead!

We would welcome your ideas for a farm name. We considered something French, since our post-Katrina New Orleans work helped us afford the farm; or something related to a fox (first animal seen) or creek or railway, since those are features of the farm.

Now for the baby stuff…we are all five traveling to Guatemala on 2/16. We will be staying in Guatemala City as directed by our adoption agency. We had hoped to stay in Antigua, but that is a bit more complicated and actually difficult to find accommodations for a brood of 6! AnnaMaria will need to stay in the hotel, as sometimes adoptive families are questioned by the police if their paperwork is not complete. Jeff and I will take turns touring about with the other children. There are two young women who are bi-lingual and associated with our adoption agency who will take us around for a very reasonable rate.

So…how do you take care of a 4 month old baby you’ve never met for a week in a hotel? Seriously, if you have the answer please share! I went shopping this evening for supplies (diapers, wipes, bouncy seat, CD player, CD’s, grooming items, bottles, pacifiers…) $200 later, I feel a bit more prepared. We do have two hotel rooms, so we can spread out a bit, as needed. The hotel has a heated pool and two restaurants, so hopefully we won’t feel too contained. We should have free internet, so I hope to post while we’re out of the country.

We’re researching what to do in Guatemala. Surprisingly, the dress code is “business casual”; apparently shorts are really not appropriate. Also, it is suggested that we keep socks and shoes on the baby as bare feet is seen as disrespectful and a sign of poverty.

We expect the temperature to be highs around 78; lows around 55. The shopping is reportedly really good, with lots of handmade things at good prices.

We appreciate your prayers for safe travel and a wonderful introduction to our baby girl!

Everyone asks when AnnaMaria will become a Kentuckian. We just don’t know. We expect to have her home sometime between April and August. I turn 40 at the end of August, so she just has to be home before that! I dread being accused of grandmother status!

Thank you so much for your interest and support. I know when AnnaMaria does come home it will not be just to our family, but literally to hundreds of friends and family who love her even before they meet her. We are all so very blessed!