3 Weeks Down!

Sorry it’s been a while since we’ve posted an update. This has been a rather hectic week. Also, our internet service in the apartment has been lousy lately.

I thought I was at peace with being here, but I feel like a huge burden has been lifted to be out of PGN. It is so nice to know the end is in sight. AnnaMaria seems to sense a change also. She has been especially happy this week. Here are some quick facts:

-She recognizes her name; looks for Claire or Momma when she hears our names.
-Waves, but doesn’t really know what it means or when to do it.
-Says, Mama, Dada, Bubba, but doesn’t know what they mean yet
-She’s huge…people kept commenting on how tall she is, so I checked the US growth chart. She’s about 50% weight and 95% height for her age by US standards. Who knows how tall she’ll become, but it looks like she’ll be tall by Guatemalan standards.
-She still gets up once during the night or early morning (5ish), but goes right back to sleep. She is a noisy sleeper! She will play for at least 30 minutes in her crib before fussing to get out in the morning.
-She greets me each morning with the most precious smile. I think she finally trusts that I will indeed be there every morning!
-She’s doing a little better with baby food. Fruits and cereal are good. The baby food veggies here are very limited; carrots are about all you can get. Carrots seem to make her puke!
-She is doing much better with motor skills. She plays with toys for a long time and can roll or squirm to get to what she wants. She cannot sit alone yet, but stays upright in the Boppy for a long time. We enjoy watching her wobble. She eventually has a soft crash and doesn’t get mad about that.
-She likes to watch TV and people. She is very nosey when we go out to eat. She likes to stare at everyone.
-She has the tiniest bit of a bottom tooth through the gum.
-She claps her hands for Claire.

Claire continues to do well with her Spanish lessons. She has been surprisingly dedicated to doing her homework. She also plays with Faby and Jonathan most afternoons. She taught them to play Crazy Eights, which they now call Ocho Loco.

We celebrated our OUT with lunch at Pollo Campero (the KFC of Guatemala). Mirza, Claire’s teacher joined us and it was a nice outing. The food was very good and the service beats any fast food place in the US. They even take your order at the table, bring the food to you and take your payment at the table.

We had a play date earlier this week with a family from Germany. Everyone we’ve met here has been so nice.

Yesterday, we had lunch with Shelley and family. They just arrived to foster as well. Shelley and I went to high school together and haven’t seen each other in 10 years. It’s just another crazy adoption coincidence!

We have a video conference each evening with Jeff, Lily & Ollie. We joke about “Flat Daddy”. AnnaMaria might not recognize everyone when they arrive next week in 3D! It’s going to be great to see the three of them!

So where do we go from here….If we are extremely fortunate, we can go home in mid-July, but it will more likely be late July. We have to take AnnaMaria to Guatemala City for a final visit to her pediatrician. The visit will serve as her eight month check up (adoptive babies go to the doctor every month). Also, the regular pediatrician must complete a form for the finalization of the adoption. The birth mother will need to sign off one final time, then a Guatemalan birth certificate will be issued with AnnaMaria’s birth name (Maria Rosario) and our last name. At some point, photos will be taken for her Guatemalan passport and she will visit the Embassy appointed doctor for a check up. Finally we will have an appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City. The Embassy appointment is referred to as “PINK” as it comes on a pink sheet of paper. So now we are praying for a speedy PINK.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!