Whew! What a long travel day. I was hoping Sofia would sleep a couple hours on the plane however, that was not the case. She had a few "moments" but, for the most part, she handled it very well. She kicked the ladies seat in front of us for about thirty minutes. I didn't stop her. Paybacks you know. The lady annoyed me by reclining her seat back. Who does that to someone holding a toddler with their dinner tray down? RUDE. It didn't help that we were seated in the middle of the plane, in center seats. I never asked for a different seat because the flight into O'Hare was packed. They were offering enticements for fifteen flyers to give up their seats. I laughed out loud when they asked me. Anyway, the people alongside us were great. They even helped me entertain Sofia. I can not tell you how great it was to see all my boys waiting for us at the bottom of the escalator. Sofia had a smile and seemed comfortable with them right away. You would think being up since 5:45 AM, she would have conked out. No way. She stayed awake in the car and then checked out the entire house and all the gifts and goodies sent by Nonna. She immediately loved our cat. However, she was petrified of our 75 pound Golden Retriever. No worries. By the next morning she was riding on the dog's back. I had been working on getting her not to be fearful of dogs. Apparently, the children in Colombia are taught early on to fear dogs. I guess because there are so many that roam loose.
Sofia went to her first little league game this morning. She got away from me and had to be pulled out of the dugout. I was grateful she didn't make it into the field. I guess I am not as fast as I used to be. My sister Patti laughed and said, "Get used to it, it is called parenting in your forties." Patti brought my beautiful 8 year old niece, Lauren to meet Sofia. They showered her with gifts and kisses. Sofia adored Lauren. All in all, it was a great first day home. Tomorrow, I am going to look for a new camera. Hopefully, I can get a family photo for the blog. Thank you everyone for all your kind emails, comments, and telephone calls while we were in Colombia. Your encouraging words and the comic relief, provided a great source of comfort. We will provide occasional updates on our princesa. Oh what a journey...
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Our Last Night in the Finca
Wow, it is our last night in Colombia. Sorry, I haven't kept everyone updated throughout these last couple of days, it really has been a whirlwind. Tuesday, we drove back to the airport to get our new tickets. We had a tight schedule and the employees at Delta would not sell me my tickets until the supervisor got there an hour later. Also, they were preparing for an emergency aircraft landing. Well 2 hours later I had tickets in hand for Sofia and myself. Then, we ran (literally) to get Sofia's Colombian passport and medical examination. I think she is cutting a tooth because she has been rather crabby. Sofia screamed in the photo booth while the man tried to take her picture for an hour. Finally, they got a photo they were able to use. I love the photo but, she looks just pitiful. Then we entered the passport office where I saw about 350 people seated and they were currently serving #214. Andres, brought us up to the front of the line, made eye contact with an official, and we had her passport in 20 minutes. I got a lot of stares however, no one said a word. I felt a little guilty but it beat a 3 hour wait. That would never happen in the United States, "no cuts!" Then we went to get her medical examination where she screamed bloody murder. The doctor gave her a good report. Wednesday, we went to the embassy "the bunker" to apply for her Visa. It was amazing how many people are trying to come to the United States. We waited about 3 hours. I was able to go back to the embassy today to pick up the Visa. I feel like I am holding a winning lottery ticket. Tomorrow, we will be picked up at 6:00 AM and fly out of Bogota at 9:30 AM. We will land in Atlanta around 3:00 PM, have a 3 hour layover and finally land at O'Hare at 8:00 PM. We can't wait to see all of you . I've been granted a pardon from the Finca!!!!
Monday, May 12, 2008
We are Coming Home
I learned early today that we received sentencia. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Sofia and I did the Happy Dance in our room. She cracked up as I sang, "we're going home, we're going home." Today was soooo hectic. First, we stopped by Delta to try to change our flight to Friday. Unfortunately, their system was down so I will have to try again tomorrow. Then Andres picked us up and we went downtown to sign the papers. We were surprised to be sharing a taxi with Mark and Debi Adelman. Their daughter Alejandra is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. It was so cute, Sofia and Alejandra were holding hands. After signing the papers our attorney took me to get Sofia's new birth certificate. Tomorrow I have a 11 AM appointment to get her passport. It would be awesome if I can also get her medical examination completed. Just hoping for no glitches. We'll keep you all updated. XXOO
Friday, May 9, 2008
Bogota, One Month Later....
Hello,
Well, I have been in Bogota Colombia for one month. Have I mentioned recently that we are SOOOO ready to come home? Although the staff here is awesome, being locked in behind iron gates and razor wire for over 30 days can make a person feel trapped. The Colombian people call their retreat homes "finca's." That is my nickname for Zuetana. I just want to escape from the "Finca." This week has been especially rough. I had the stomach flu on Tuesday. On Thursday night, my mothers intuition kicked in when I heard some familiar warning sounds coming from the crib. I scooped Sofia up and we made it to the bathroom just in the nick. Unfortunately, I did not hear any warning sounds as she laid on my shoulder. Round two went down my back and I was officially "christened" mom. Being that we were both still dragging today, we took a pass on this week's only hotel outing. They went to a local coffee plantation.
I spoke with Lucia today and got more disappointing news. Apparently, courtroom 13 has a new judge. She stated they do not know how fast he operates. It is my understanding that you need three signatures for sentencia. Initially, it goes to the judge who has ten days to sign, then to the defender of minors who has five days to sign, then back to the original judge who is given an additional ten days to provide his final signature. Lucia stated we got the first two signatures rather quickly. She stated the paperwork has already been in his office for five days. So, if he chooses, he may sign Monday or he can wait until Friday, May 16th. Being that it has been sitting there already for a week, I would be surprised if he signed off before the full ten days. Provided there are no other glitches obtaining my documents, this would get us home around May 22nd. However, the ladies here say this is a guideline and many judges wait longer than the ten days. I am really disappointed in our long wait time because I have to be back to work on June 2nd. This gives us such a small window to get Sofia's medical examinations completed. Also, we wanted to gradually introduce her to her new day care provider. Now it seems she will be thrown into more changes. I will certainly update everyone if I get any positive news.
Some of the women here talked about going out to a lunch buffet for Mother's Day, then off to do some shopping. That will be just what the doctor ordered. This day will be bittersweet. It will be my first Mother's Day with Sofia. However, I am disappointed that I will not be spending the day with all three of my children. Boys, I want a makeup day when I get home.
Ciao for now.
Well, I have been in Bogota Colombia for one month. Have I mentioned recently that we are SOOOO ready to come home? Although the staff here is awesome, being locked in behind iron gates and razor wire for over 30 days can make a person feel trapped. The Colombian people call their retreat homes "finca's." That is my nickname for Zuetana. I just want to escape from the "Finca." This week has been especially rough. I had the stomach flu on Tuesday. On Thursday night, my mothers intuition kicked in when I heard some familiar warning sounds coming from the crib. I scooped Sofia up and we made it to the bathroom just in the nick. Unfortunately, I did not hear any warning sounds as she laid on my shoulder. Round two went down my back and I was officially "christened" mom. Being that we were both still dragging today, we took a pass on this week's only hotel outing. They went to a local coffee plantation.
I spoke with Lucia today and got more disappointing news. Apparently, courtroom 13 has a new judge. She stated they do not know how fast he operates. It is my understanding that you need three signatures for sentencia. Initially, it goes to the judge who has ten days to sign, then to the defender of minors who has five days to sign, then back to the original judge who is given an additional ten days to provide his final signature. Lucia stated we got the first two signatures rather quickly. She stated the paperwork has already been in his office for five days. So, if he chooses, he may sign Monday or he can wait until Friday, May 16th. Being that it has been sitting there already for a week, I would be surprised if he signed off before the full ten days. Provided there are no other glitches obtaining my documents, this would get us home around May 22nd. However, the ladies here say this is a guideline and many judges wait longer than the ten days. I am really disappointed in our long wait time because I have to be back to work on June 2nd. This gives us such a small window to get Sofia's medical examinations completed. Also, we wanted to gradually introduce her to her new day care provider. Now it seems she will be thrown into more changes. I will certainly update everyone if I get any positive news.
Some of the women here talked about going out to a lunch buffet for Mother's Day, then off to do some shopping. That will be just what the doctor ordered. This day will be bittersweet. It will be my first Mother's Day with Sofia. However, I am disappointed that I will not be spending the day with all three of my children. Boys, I want a makeup day when I get home.
Ciao for now.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Still Playing the Waiting Game
Hello, Hello!
Here are the happenings for the week. Last Thursday, Sofia's pal, Jeimy, left Zuetana with her new family. They will be living in California. I didn't realize just how close the girls became over the past three weeks. Sofia reached out and clung to Jeimy when we said our goodbyes. I had to peel her off crying and screaming. Both girls were crying. Actually, there really was not a dry eye in the room. Sofia really must be so confused with all the people in her life coming and going. She was not herself all that day. I really believe she understood she would not see Jeimy again.
Saturday, Sofia and I went on yet another outing. We drove with some other families to Mina De Sal, an inactive salt mine in Nemocon, which is about an hour from Bogota. I knew in advance that it would be a long day and not very entertaining for an active toddler. I look at it as eight hours out of the hotel so, off we went. I must say, Sofia was a trooper throughout the day. I knew Colombia exported coffee and roses however, I had no idea salt is their primary export. The country side is absolutely beautiful. Before we headed out for our second stop, the "Catedral de Sal" or Salt Cathedral, (a major tourist attraction) in Zipaquira, we stopped at a small village bakery to get the children a snack. They served warm breads and the best cookies I have ever had. As our group was eating, two young boys about 6 and 11 came in asking everyone for money. Our guide, Diego, discouraged us from giving them money or buying them food. He explained there are many homeless children in this area and that giving them money encourages more begging. The 6 year old then discovered leftovers at a table that hadn't been cleared. He called for the older boy to come and eat. When he did not come, the little guy scarfed everything down. The sad thing was that I saw about eight other homeless children on the way back to the van. Diego said there are too many children for ICBF to place. Even in Bogota, a major city, I saw a child as young as 3 unsupervised in the street. I can not describe how heart breaking it is to witness this first hand.
I also don't understand why the people here allow these children to remain homeless. The weather here has been about 65 degrees. That is relatively warm by midwest standards. Yet many people here wear winter coats. I have been told three times how my baby is cold and needs a heavier coat. Just yesterday a woman stopped me while I was pushing Sofia in the stroller at the flea market. It was raining lightly and Sofia was under a canopy. I got scolded yet again because her pants and shoes were getting wet. How can these same people who appear to be so concerned for the children simply ignore those abandoned on the street? It is crazy.
Regarding the status of our adoption. We have not been as fortunate as the Hollis family. I recently learned from our coordintor that our judge now has an additional ten days to provide his final signature on Sofia's adoption. There were two holidays here, last Thursday and today, Cinco De Mayo. This has really set us back. Once he signs, I still have to obtain her new birth certificate, then get her passport, medical examination, and Visa. I will now realize our worst case scenario. We will not be able to fly home on May 12th as originally planned. I will also miss my son´s 16th birthday. This will be such a difficult day for me. Fortunately, Joe is very understanding. He promised we could celebrate when we get home. We have such great kids!! Still, I am praying for a miracle.
We are staying inside with all this rain. At times, I think we should build an ark. This down time has helped the bonding process. Sofia can be a handful and gets into everything. I have warned the boys to move anything they care about out of her reach. When I correct her I say, "no, no, no" while pointing my finger at her. She looks at me, chuckles, and returns the same finger gesture. Very telling what lies ahead for us huh? Well we miss you all tons. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. XXOO
Here are the happenings for the week. Last Thursday, Sofia's pal, Jeimy, left Zuetana with her new family. They will be living in California. I didn't realize just how close the girls became over the past three weeks. Sofia reached out and clung to Jeimy when we said our goodbyes. I had to peel her off crying and screaming. Both girls were crying. Actually, there really was not a dry eye in the room. Sofia really must be so confused with all the people in her life coming and going. She was not herself all that day. I really believe she understood she would not see Jeimy again.
Saturday, Sofia and I went on yet another outing. We drove with some other families to Mina De Sal, an inactive salt mine in Nemocon, which is about an hour from Bogota. I knew in advance that it would be a long day and not very entertaining for an active toddler. I look at it as eight hours out of the hotel so, off we went. I must say, Sofia was a trooper throughout the day. I knew Colombia exported coffee and roses however, I had no idea salt is their primary export. The country side is absolutely beautiful. Before we headed out for our second stop, the "Catedral de Sal" or Salt Cathedral, (a major tourist attraction) in Zipaquira, we stopped at a small village bakery to get the children a snack. They served warm breads and the best cookies I have ever had. As our group was eating, two young boys about 6 and 11 came in asking everyone for money. Our guide, Diego, discouraged us from giving them money or buying them food. He explained there are many homeless children in this area and that giving them money encourages more begging. The 6 year old then discovered leftovers at a table that hadn't been cleared. He called for the older boy to come and eat. When he did not come, the little guy scarfed everything down. The sad thing was that I saw about eight other homeless children on the way back to the van. Diego said there are too many children for ICBF to place. Even in Bogota, a major city, I saw a child as young as 3 unsupervised in the street. I can not describe how heart breaking it is to witness this first hand.
I also don't understand why the people here allow these children to remain homeless. The weather here has been about 65 degrees. That is relatively warm by midwest standards. Yet many people here wear winter coats. I have been told three times how my baby is cold and needs a heavier coat. Just yesterday a woman stopped me while I was pushing Sofia in the stroller at the flea market. It was raining lightly and Sofia was under a canopy. I got scolded yet again because her pants and shoes were getting wet. How can these same people who appear to be so concerned for the children simply ignore those abandoned on the street? It is crazy.
Regarding the status of our adoption. We have not been as fortunate as the Hollis family. I recently learned from our coordintor that our judge now has an additional ten days to provide his final signature on Sofia's adoption. There were two holidays here, last Thursday and today, Cinco De Mayo. This has really set us back. Once he signs, I still have to obtain her new birth certificate, then get her passport, medical examination, and Visa. I will now realize our worst case scenario. We will not be able to fly home on May 12th as originally planned. I will also miss my son´s 16th birthday. This will be such a difficult day for me. Fortunately, Joe is very understanding. He promised we could celebrate when we get home. We have such great kids!! Still, I am praying for a miracle.
We are staying inside with all this rain. At times, I think we should build an ark. This down time has helped the bonding process. Sofia can be a handful and gets into everything. I have warned the boys to move anything they care about out of her reach. When I correct her I say, "no, no, no" while pointing my finger at her. She looks at me, chuckles, and returns the same finger gesture. Very telling what lies ahead for us huh? Well we miss you all tons. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. XXOO
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