Crib won!!!

Okay, so I had said that I'd get some pix up this last weekend from the nursery. As you can see, that has not happened. Dad brought the crib over Friday afternoon while I was running errands. Saturday we went to watch Sue run the Lumberjack days 10 mile. Then off to breakfast and an afternoon in the pool. This was Eric's bad (chemo) weekend and mom and dad had the kids over for the day as they were leaving Sunday for Big Sky (work trip that they extended to make fun). So, then Eric and Karen came for dinner and I of course stayed. Needless to say the crib didn't get done. On Sunday afternoon dad came over and we attempted to put it together. You see, my folks have 2 cribs in their basement. One is theirs and one is my friend Carrie's that Eric and Karen borrowed and now I am borrowing. And Ken happened to bring parts to both to my house. Of course we didn't figure this out for about 3 hours!!! Yes, you could say, "the crib won"!!!

Well, today, he brought over the correct parts and I'll be damned. It went together in less than an hour!!!! :-) I have since been working on making the bed, hanging some small shelves and putting away things I didn't bother to as I just didn't want to deal with the notion of her not coming home. I PROMISE it will be done by this weekend and I will take some pictures to post. I have to say with the paint job Emma and I did along with the fabulous bedding from my friend Juli it's the cutest dang nursery ever.... Okay, I'm not too humble am I.

I should also be posting again tomorrow or Thursday as her BC and passport should be at the USE and then the 2nd DNA will be taken. WoooHooo.

thanks again for all the love and support.
sara

OUT - Approved!!!!!

Today has got to be one of the best days I've had in a LONG time. Many of you received a quick email to let you know that I am out of PGN but as promised, I will go into more detail as to what this really means and what's next.

Let me first back up and tell you about how this all came to be. Yesterday I had my really nervous stomach and didn't know what to expect. My friend Angie had her Embassy appointment in the morning so I thought maybe it was because of that. Who knows. Then today, I was anxious all day. I really wanted to hear some news. There were hardly any OUT-approveds on the forums I monitor. This was really bothering me. My neighbor and friend Darlene shot me an email this morning and said she knew I'd hear something today. I didn't think anything of it. By this afternoon, I was really anxious. I was wishing I could talk to someone - this is usually when in the past I'd call Angie. So, I tried to get some other work things taken care of. I began to look at the calendar and thought that if I don't get Out soon, I won't make it to Charlotte's first birthday. So, I decided to shoot my caseworker an email to this effect. I mentioned to her that if I wasn't out in the next 5 minutes (with smiley face) I probably wouldn't make it by her birthday and that I'd like to send her a gift. I asked if it was possible etc. Then I called one of our home offices to take care of some client customer service. After finally getting to a real person, my cell phone starts to ring. My cell rarely rings during the work day. I decided to see who was calling. It was my caseworker. I put the home office lady on hold!!!

My caseworker and I chit chatted about her drive home and the chance meeting. Then she said, "Are you sitting down?" I got nervous. She said, "you're out." I was waiting for her to say "with Previo" but she didn't!!! She said, "Sara, you are OUT-approved!!" I started to shake and my eyes filled up. She is now legally mine. If need be the US Government could step in and help me. I mentioned to my caseworker that I had just sent her an email about a birthday gift and she said yes I got it as I got your out. We laughed. I now had to tell my mom - she had to be first!!!

What's Next??
Well, the birth mother already signed off today (AGAIN) and my attorney has my file. It will now go to the Civil Registry of Mixco where her new birth certificate will be issued. She will be Leticia Wenzel, probably by Friday. After that is done, my file goes to the US Embassy (USE) for the 2nd DNA test - commonly referred to as "Orange". They will schedule this and send the sample to the same lab that did her first one in December. After the lab does the test, it goes back to the USE. Once the USE receives the results (if it's a match, which it will be) I will be issued a "PINK" slip. Now days it's actually an email but it once was printed on pink paper. The PINK slip is my scheduled appointment at the USE in Guatemala City. My estimation is that at the earliest I'll be going for a pick up trip the week of August 11 but more realistically the week of her birthday August 18!!!

I am soooo close now. I guess I better put the crib up this weekend. My 3 weeks will fly by and then life as I currently know it will come to a screeching halt. I can't wait....

Thanks again for all your love, support and prayers.

Sara and Charlotte
(I will post some pix this weekend of the nursery)

Another week and nothing new

Well, Charlotte turned 11 months yesterday. I had it in my heart that I would hear something, but it didn't happen. But maybe I did. Driving to my parents after work a "Moving Sale" sign caught my eye. The sign mentioned all kinds of furniture and for some reason, I felt I needed to check it out. I did. I had to smile as I pulled up to the house. Sitting in the driveway was a large truck with out of state plates. I just had a feeling I knew whose house I was at. You see my case worker/facilitator has been living out of state for most of the last year but had kept her house here as well. She had come to town this last week as she has decided it's time to sell this house and stay where she is at. Sure enough it was her house. I recognized her voice immediately. She and I had never met face to face. We've emailed, talked on the phone and sent text messages. It was an absolute delight to meet her. She is one heck of woman and I know she is doing all she can for my case. She's a real spit fire and I'm glad to have her working for me.

I also want to mention that my friend Angie who got her OUT-approved on 6/20/08 is leaving tomorrow morning 7/20/08 on her pick up trip. I am thrilled for her but a little sad as I had hoped I'd be going when she did or at least over lap her. But alas, that is nowhere near the case. Once I finally get my OUT-approved, it will be somewhere from 3-6 weeks before I travel. Making it before Charlotte's first birthday is going to be nip and tuck but it can happen. I have faith and I have ALL of you praying for us. :-)

As you can tell, yesterday and today were better days. I thank you all for your love and support. I know Charlotte will be home soon.

sara

The black hole of PGN

Today was my mom's birthday. I had thought that after getting through the birth mother interview on 5/20 I'd be out of PGN and possibley even enroute to GT. I had thought we may even celebrate mom's birthday there. Well, that too has now come and gone. Charlotte turns one in August(8/18) and now I am hanging on by a thread that she'll be home for her first birthday. It could happen. But will it??? I am sooo tired of the waiting game that PGN has me in. What more do they want from me?? What other stupid thing could they need to review??? I have missed soooo much of her first year. She should have been home by 8 months of age (10 at the oldest). I know that in the grand scheme of international adoption, this is still fairly timely, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. It is also very difficult to see on the chat forums that in the past 3 weeks, 50+ cases have been released from PGN. Why not me???

I'm sorry to be so negative, but I am sad. I really thought she'd be home by now. Not hearing anything is just so hard. Maybe, just maybe I will get to post some good news soon. Please keep us in your prayers.

sara

Waiting.....

I know that many of you check here to see if there's any new news. So, I thought it best to update you. I have NO news. My patience is running thin. Every nerve, emotion and fiber of my being is raw. I am hyper sensative to everything. Therefore, I must apologize to anyone I have upset lately. I am doing my best to hang on but it gets harder each day that I hear nothing. I sooooo want PGN to release my file. I really thought I would have gotten out last week and when that didn't happen I started to tell myself this was my week. Here it is Wednesday afternoon and nothing yet. The song, "Please release me" has been in my head all day. I find that rather humorous as I only know the chorus.

Well, I really do hope my next post will be something good. but until then Happy 4th to you. Have fun and be safe.