Where we are at in the process.

Now to get you up to speed on where we are at in all this. Well, here is what our official timeline looks like:

11-13-06 Saw our little boy for the first time
11-14-06 Started updating our homestudy
11-15-06 Got approved to adopt Jose and sent in our I600a
11-30-06 Saw our little girl for the first time
12-1-06 Got approved to adopt Ana Maria
12-5-06 Fingerprints done and dossier complete!
12-13-06 I 171H Approval!!!
1-17-07 Jose's DNA authorized and charged
1-22-07 (the week of) Jose's DNA taken
2-2-07 Ana has DNA authorization

We are waiting now for Ana's DNA to actually be done, which honestly worries me a bit. She will be seeing her birthmom and getting her picture taken with her. I just try not to think about it too much. We will get a letter in the mail for both kids with the DNA results and the picture of the baby and the birthmom.

Our agency is in Guatemala as I type. They are visiting the babies and getting updated pictures and videos. We were able to send a gallon bag for each child filled with goodies for them. We also sent a gift for Jose's foster mother and Ana's caregivers. FYI, Ana is in a hogar, not foster care like Jose. A hogar is like a small orphanage. I have heard VERY good things about her hogar and I am confident she is getting great care.

I plan on taking a visit trip March 13th to the 16th to see both kids. Chrissy (my sister) is going to be coming with me and we our bringing Maddie (our youngest). This trip to Guatemala is going to piggy back on our family vacation with Ryan's family. So, I will fly half the way home with Ryan and the family and then Maddie and I will meet Chrissy in Houston and fly the rest of the way to Guatemala together. I am sooooo excited to meet the kids, but I am a little nervous about orchestrating everything. Jose will be with us in the hotel the whole time, which is great. Ana may or may not stay with us, depending on how she seems to handle leaving the hogar. I don't want to totally stress her out.

Well, that's about it for now!

Julie