The Story of Our Girls

FINALLY some photos...and she's 8 months old!

2009-05-07T19:07:00.009-06:00

This is for you, Deb & Erica! The only ones who have held out hope that I might someday get my act together!

Don't let Mazzi fool you...she usually doesn't look quite this lovingly at her sister!

Mazzi with her Rufus!

Miley West

Miley after a nice long bath!

First shot of Miley at birth...she's a whopper!

Although it seemed strange...

2008-10-28T10:35:00.002-06:00

Although it seemed strange to do it, I decided it was time to update the title of our blog. Bringing Mazzi Home no longer seemed appropriate since, well, she's here and since we now have another daughter to share the blog with!

As most of you know by now on September 2, 2008 at 1:17pm, Miley West Roberts, entered the world at St. Francis Hospital in Peoria. She was a big one at 9 lbs, 2oz and 20.75 inches. She also has this head of dark hair that is a mystery to us since we were certainly expecting a bald, blonde headed baby!

Thinking about that hospital and labor experience sure makes me wonder about the place Mazzi was born and the experience her birthmother had. Just one of those things that we may never have a chance to know more about and thinking about the stories that Mazzi will never hear puts such a pit in my stomach. Although I know that some people feel we should leave the past in the past, I hope that someday we will be able to "fill-in the blanks" for Mazzi by having an opportunity to talk to her birthmother. It may never be possible but if given the chance I hope that I can be strong enough to take Mazzi back to Guatemala and help her to find the answers she needs.

I must be feeling sentimental today because I also got to thinking about the fact that my feelings for Mazzi and Miley are no different. They are both our daughters - both special, both sweet, both the most important thing in the world to their dad and I. I just can't express enough to anyone out there who is trying to have a child without success...please adopt! You will never regret it and once you see your baby's face you will never look back and never doubt your decision!

I will attempt to post some pics in the next few days because I know many of you are waiting for them. I know our posts are few and far between but we hope you will keep reading and watching our girlS grown!

Again, it's long overdue, I know!!!

2008-05-05T19:46:00.002-06:00

Over the last few months I have gained a whole new respect for many of the mothers I know...the ones who have children and keep their blogspots up-to-date! Ladies, you know who you are, how do you do it?!?!

Well, I just have a quick minute to update you all on Mazzi's progress in the USA. She is doing so wonderfully! She is growing like a weed, almost 24 pounds and 31.5" inches which puts her in the 95% percentile for height! She is walking all over the place...anywhere she wants to go really and lately she's been trying to run, walk backwards and does this little sidestepping thing...it's too cute!

A few of her favorite tricks:

- She shakes her head "no" when told "no" and sometimes "yes" although it's not as much fun.

- She will blink her eyes if you tell her to blick and repeat, repeat if you laugh at her!

- She can show you where her belly is.

- If her dad says, "It's up, it's good, touchdown" she will raise her arms up in the air.

- Screaming just for fun is really hilarious, at least to her.

She really has become quite a little show-off who will mock anything her dad does lately and she is really into giving big kisses when you ask for them! And, she loves to be outside...doing just about anything, bringing her inside is getting harder and harder. All in all, she is a super sweet, funny yet quite demanding (she might be a little spoiled) little girl!

As for Baby #2, all is well with the pregnancy. It's been quite uneventful and easy to this point. I'm about 22-23 weeks along and you can definetely tell it! We had a sonogram a couple of weeks ago but have decided not to find out the sex...Jit thinks it's the last exciting thing that will ever happen to us! I think he's a little dramatic but I'm happy we've decided to wait.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pics...

I know, I know...it's LONG overdue!!

2008-01-26T11:06:00.000-06:00

First things first, I'm sorry! I know this post is SO long overdue and I so appreciate that many of you have checked our blog faithfully for updates. I'll I can say is that keeping up a blog during motherhood is harder than I expected, but I promise to try to do better!

Second, I am going to post many pictures of Mazzi today if time allows. It takes awhile for them to load and she isn't very patient while I'm working. She's napping now so if she stays asleep you might see many new pics!!

Third, for those of you who don't know him - the cute blonde in the previous photos with Mazzi is our nephew, Vance. He is my brother and sister-in-law, Aaron and Heather's son. He is the cutest and sweetest boy. He squeezes Mazzi's cheeks and says, "you're just a little sweetie."

Fourth, Mazzi update - she is doing so well. She had surgery on her extra toes on January 15th and was a super tropper! She never really cried at all, not when the nurses took her away or when she woke up. She's just one tough little cookie! She has never really acted like she's been in pain at all. The surgery went very well. Dr. Elwood removed her sixth toe from one foot because it was very undeveloped and removed the fifth toe from the other foot. He placed a wire in that foot to pull the sixth toe closer. The wire will be removed next week during her follow-up visit. It's just pulled out. Makes me cringe too but I just keep thinking she won't know it's going to happen. Mazzi is doing new things everyday it seems. Her latest trick is "SO BIG." And, she loves to wave - hi and bye. And, she's very smart she knows to only do it when seeing you for the first time or when you are leaving. It's adorable. Oh, and she's crawling non-stop! She gets faster and faster everyday and now will just follow us around the house. And, she pulls herself up to anything and everything. She can also walk behind and push her new riding toy that she got from Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas.

And last but not least, I'm pregnant. Yes, I'm pregnant. I know it came as quite a shock to us as well! I was really struggling with the idea at first to be honest. Just totally overwhelmed with the idea of another baby in the house. And, scared that Mazzi would be forced to grow up way too fast. But we are really coming around now and are getting very excited. I had my first sonogram on Thursday and everything looks really good. We saw the little peanut and could even see it's heartbeating. I'm 7 weeks and 6 days along today, due September 6th. Also, I'm back to work now. I returned this Monday. It was very hard but I'm surviving. And, the best part is I'm only working Monday, Wednesday and Friday which is perfect! Well, that's all for now. I promise to post again soon!

2007-11-29T21:17:00.000-06:00

We're home and it's never felt so good!

2007-11-12T20:19:00.000-06:00

Well, as you probably know by now...we are home sweet home!!! And, trust me, it has never felt better! Mazzi is doing so wonderfully it's just hard to believe. She is having no issues what so ever. She loves her new home and her forever parents. She is a mama's girl already. There is one problem though. She wants to be held constantly! If her and I are sitting on the floor, she would much rather be sitting in my lap than on the floor right next to me. She's my little cuddle bug. She still thinks her dad is the funniest person too, no change there!

She went to the doctor today and it went very well. She got a flu shot and a TB skin test. We have to go back on Wednesday for blood work because the good lab tech was not in today. She is already famous at the doctor's office. They had all been waiting to meet Lola and Brady's cousin, Mazzi. She is going in December for her consult with a plastic surgeon regarding her extra little toes. The doctor seems to think it will be fairly easy to correct, but I'm still very nervous about the whole idea of surgery!!!

Well, I guess I must have scared all of our visitors away with my post from last week. Sorry about that!!! I didn't expect Mazzi to adjust quite so quickly and now we are just dying to show her off and have had very few visitors beyond our immediate family. So, if you have been waiting to give us our space...thank you and PLEASE come see us!!!! Mazzi is just so anxious to meet everyone! You may want to call first in case we are out and about or just stop by! We can't wait!!!

It's ALL over!!!

2007-11-06T13:41:00.000-06:00

Well, I left the computer suddenly yesterday because Adriana walked by the computer room with Ms. Mazzi! Her doctor's appointment went perfectly, but she, of course, was woke by the doctor and NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT!! I think he must have startled her half to death. She cried and cried, but fortunately Adriana stayed and settled her while we worked on some last minute paperwork with Kenneth. We had some major computer issues so it took awhile and then she was rushed to leave. She had brought us another Guatemala bag full of brand-new supplies for Mazzi, some hair scrunchies, a little wallet and her daughter had gotten us a little candle holder type thing. All very nice indeed! We quickly gave her our gifts which she seemed to appreciate and she quickly left. Mazzi was sleeping by then so she didn't really have a good-bye. I hope she is okay, she seemed really very fine. She just kept saying she will have a wonderful life and please send pictures. It was obvious she was in a hurry!

Then, this morning I woke at 5:20am, 10 minutes before the alarm which worked out perfectly because I got up and showered and got ready before Mazzi and her dad woke! We all finished getting ready and then went to the lobby to meet Kenneth at 7:45am. We walked to the embassy and first stopped in a back alley to have Mazzi's picture taken for her Visa. It was interesting to say the least. By the way, wait until you she her passport photo. I know I'm a little bias but it truly is the cutest thing ever!! It should be in a magazine!!!

Then we waited in line outside the embassy to get through the security. It is chilly in Guatemala today so we were actually a little cold. Warmer than those in Illinois though, of course! Security was really pretty easy, similar to the airport and then we headed into the embassy. Talk about babies!!!! Lots of them!!! Right off the bat, we see Shannon and her husband they were sitting in a different area than us though. So, we wait. It's about an hour later and they call several family names - one being Roberts, so we proceed to another line and wait some more. Then it's our turn, we walk into a TINY room with 2 stools and a man behind a piece of glass asks for our passports. We presented them and he indicated that our paperwork looked good and he was approving our I-600. Short and sweet. Then he told us to wait again for our next step.

So, we headed back to the waiting area and sit for about another hour. Finally, they call, "adopting family Roberts to Window 8." This time we head to a little window and a very nice woman asks us to raise our right hand and swear to tell the truth. Then she asks for a few pieces of info - our agency's name, our attorney's name, if this is our 1st adoption, 1st child? Then through the glass she hands Jit a paper to sign. He signs twice. Then she asks if we have met Mazzi before now. We said yes, but in the heat of the moment I couldn't remember the date. So she checked our passport and saw our June 3 stamp and indicated that since we had met her before this trip she would qualify for an IR-3 VISA which means that once our little feet land in the USA, she will be a US citizen. Then she handed us a form and indicated our Visa could be picked up Wednesday at 3:30pm. Then she said, "congratulations, all done!" She then gave us an email address and asked for our honest comments about the process from start to finish. She indicated it would help the US prepare for the Hague implementation. Yes, all these folks at the embassy were American.

That was all - we walked back to the hotel and arrived there by about 10:30am. No big deal at all! So, it's official - she is ours forever!!!!!!! Nobody can take her away now! Kenneth will pick up our Visa tomorrow and he said that the real attorney Walter would like to come by and meet us. We agreed that would be nice so we are planning to see them both tomorrow about 4pm. Then, Kenneth will be back to take us to the airport on Thursday. Kenneth keeps asking if we are wanting to get a little boy now. He says once things are squared away with adoptions here he'll see us again! I hope he is right! By the way, he said that the major change with the Hague will be that all of the child's family will have to sign off rights to the baby before adoption can occur. That will mean that many families will probably keep babies that they can't really take care of well and that this will drag out the process because they will have to gather many signatures before the adoption can occur - not just the birthmother. He is worried about it but says there are many attorneys working to stop this new rule.

Well, that's it for now...guess there is nothing left to say!!! Love you all! Jit, Kik and our daughter - Mazzi Herlinda Roberts. By the way, that is not really her name yet, it's still Herlinda Floricelda Roberts but we'll pretend until we get home and get that fixed!

We are here safe and sound...and more drama occured!

2007-11-05T16:25:00.001-06:00

Well, a couple of wild events from our arrival today. First, we were sitting at the gate getting ready to board our flight from Atlanta to Guatemala City and we think we see a girl that was in my graduating class. We weren't 100% sure it was her and thought why on earth would she be going to Guatemala. Well, after we landed we discovered it was Shannon Cronk. IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT'S A SMALL WORLD THIS STORY WILL MAKE YOU!!!

We spoke to her and guess what?!?! She and her husband are adopting too! Their embassy appointment is also tomorrow morning and they are flying home on the same flight as us! They live in Alabama. Now, you can't tell me that is not a weird story!!!! A class of about 80 students and we are both in Guatemala adopting babies!!!! Their son is 16 months old and this is their first meeting. We are, of course, thrilled for them. They also have two biological children - ages 7 and 5. We will surely see them again tomorrow and on our return flight.

Then, we arrive at the hotel and Kenneth is helping us settle in and his cell phone rings. He tells us that someone from their office is at the Embassy and the police outside will not let them in to pick up our pink slip. He told us that he and Victor (who picked us up at the airport) would head over and see if they could resolve the problem. He said they might be back to pick us up to head over and beg as well. Well, after waiting for a couple hours, Kenneth finally called and said that all was well. They got the slip at 3:30pm and she is at the embassy doctor as we speak. They will drop her off as soon as that is over. Thank heavens!!!!

Well, as you all know the wait is finally over...

2007-11-04T08:53:00.000-06:00

Well, what a weird feeling waking up this morning knowing this is our final day together - just the two of us! Weird, but wonderful, of course! Life is about to change forever!!

We leave for the Bloomington airport bright and early tomorrow - probably about 3:45am to make our 6am flight. Mazzi will arrive to the hotel after her 4pm embassy doctor appointment - just a final clearance allowing her to enter the US. We will fly home through Atlanta. We are both a little nervous about going through customs. We have a million papers we have to take and we just hope it is all in order. We have heard Miami is horribly hard to get through so we're hoping Atlanta is easy! Then we arrive in Bloomington on Thursday night at 8:58pm.

We want to thank all of you SO much for following our journey and for all your support, well wishes and prayers during this process. We know it seems like it's been an eternity but we really only applied one year ago. Amazing how life can change so much in 12 months.

Life is not only changing for us though...it is also changing for Ms. Mazzi! We know that Mazzi has some MAJOR adjustments ahead of her. Everything in her tiny little life is changing - from her physical environment, smells, voices (English speaking ones none the less), the car seat (she has never rode in one), her bed and must significant of all - she is leaving the mother and family she has known for 7 months.

We absolutely cannot wait for all of you to meet her but in order to help her adjust as smoothly as possible and to give her some time to get to know her new mom and dad, we are asking that visitors wait until after the weekend to come and see her. We hope you will all understand our need for Mazzi to spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday in her new home with her Mom and Dad giving her and us this time to settle in. We welcome you ALL the following week and can't wait to see you! Thank you for understanding!!!!

Thanks again for all your love and support, we never could have done it without you!!!

Just a quick note...will write more later.

2007-11-02T21:27:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to post a quick update to let you all know that the wait is finally over. After a crazy mess and confusion, it is official. We fly out Monday bright and early. Mazzi will come to us about 5pm and we will say our good-byes to Adriana. Then we have our embassy appointment at 8am on Tuesday. We have wait for her Visa on Wednesday and then we fly home on Thursday. Leaving Guatemala at 2pm and arriving in Bloomington at 9pm. Finally the date is set! I will post more later...when I'm not so exhausted!!!

Happy Halloween from Mazzi!

2007-10-30T19:59:00.000-06:00

Trick or Treat...wish I was home for some candy!

The October photos have arrived...notice she doesn't smile nearly as much without her Mom & Dad.

2007-10-23T19:56:00.000-06:00

I have yet another favor to ask of all of you...

2007-10-21T14:28:00.001-06:00

Well, I know many, many of our faithful readers have been praying that Mazzi's adoption would be completed quickly and that we would be able to bring her home very soon. Well, those prayers have been much appreciated by us and we know they have worked as we are getting SO very close to bringing her home.

So, now I have another favor to ask of you. I'm sure you all have either read about or heard me talk about the wonderful lady, Jane, who is fostering her son at the La Casa Grande where we stay when we visit. Jane is an exceptional woman who has been living in the hotel in Guatemala for many months. She has become a sort of mother hen for all the visiting families and takes care of everyone! Her husband fortunately is able to visit them every 3 weeks or so, but as you can imagine, Jane is ready to get home and get back to a normal life in the USA. She is so very anxious for her whole family to meet her little one and ready to be reunited with her husband for good and start their life as a family!

Jane has just experienced her second "kickout" from PGN. Both have been for completely foolish reasons that she has had absolutely no control over. Needless to say, she is frustrated and feeling like her OUT will never come. Well, I'm hoping that you will all consider adding Jane and her family to your prayers. Please pray that her OUT comes very soon and that the remainder of her stay in Guatemala will be safe! She would certainly love to spend Christmas at home instead of in the La Casa Grande!

I know you have all been waiting patiently...finally photos from our trip!

2007-10-17T18:08:00.000-06:00

News today from Katie...

2007-10-17T17:26:00.000-06:00

Well, we got an email today from Katie indicating that we have already received our authorization for DNA testing from the Embassy.

She continued by saying the following: In addition, I wanted to let you know that we should hear about your pink slip much sooner than I had advised you earlier. The 2nd DNA test is the last step and usually takes about 2 weeks to complete. I just wanted to give you both a heads up that we will probably hear about your pink slip in about two weeks. Please remember, this is my estimate again, but you guys should be prepared to travel in about 3 weeks. Of course, I will keep you posted on everything. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Oh my goodness! This is just fabulous news...it's going to happen even sooner than we thought. We won't know the exact date until we get our pink slip and will probably only have about a week to make our arrangements and get there. Therefore, let the packing begin! I'm going to try to get everything ready very soon so that we aren't stressed and rushed to get packed, etc.
I think we will probably be flying out of Bloomington. I'll keep you posted!

Shout it from the rooftops...WE'RE OUT, WE'RE OUT!

2007-10-08T20:15:00.000-06:00

Well, I can't believe I finally get to write this...but today at 5:25pm as I was heading home from Morton, the phone rang...503 area code...I knew it was Katie...could hardly control myself. She started the conversation with asking about our trip and then said, well, I have some more good news for you, "you have PGN approval!" Tears started flowing and I almost wrecked...BEST NEWS OF MY LIFE!!! Then she said, "she is finally legally your daughter." What a feeling!!!

She then explained the process from here on out...still several things to happen...acquiring the birth certificate, translating some documents back to English, the 2nd DNA test...then finally we'll get to bring her home! She estimates 6-8 weeks. Kenneth said 4 weeks when we were there visiting. So, I'm offically saying 4-8 weeks...by Thanksgiving hopefully! Definitely by Christmas...no more worrying about that! We'll be spending Christmas with our new baby girl! Our pick-up trip will be approximately 4-6 days depending on whether we have to stay over a weekend. We are going to do everything in our power to fly into Peoria!

Really, I know this wait has seemed like an eternity, but really it was just November when we submitted our very initial application to Journeys...less than 1 year ago. Not bad really!! Barely longer than a pregnancy!

Then, I got home to check the email to read the official approval. It's all in Spanish, can't read a bit! And, I had to laugh, the email immediately following the approval was the final invoice...they didn't waste anytime getting that out...ha, ha!!!

Well, I need to get settled down for bed or I may never sleep tonight! We thank you all for the prayers over these many months and especially Pastor Keith for praying for us and his daugher who was also visiting her child in Guatemala last week. On Sunday, he said, "God is in control and no government can keep these children from their adoptive parents." He was right! Please continue to pray the next few weeks go smoothly and that all the other families waiting get OUT soon!

She is gone...and we are NOT out of PGN.

2007-10-05T19:21:00.000-06:00

Yes, that's right. She is gone and we did not get any news today. We are both nearly over the edge. I really thought today was the day and ran around telling everyone that. No such luck...I have no idea why we are not out yet.

Mazzi was almost reluctant to go back to Adriana today. She turned away from her and hugged me. It made us feel so good, not sure if she was intentional in her actions but we like to think so. She is a cuddle bug with her mommy. She lets me hold her and cuddles up with me. She likes dad to laugh but me when it's bedtime so that makes me feel better. She laughs so much at him...thinks he's hilarious.

Adriana was so sweet today. Again, wanted us to know she was praying for us. And, brought us another Guatemala diaper bag. She is the best! And, she wanted us to write down the correct spellings of our names and Mazzi's name. She said something about making us something??

Well, we just left the hotel for the first time and walked next door to eat. We are full and emotionally exhausted. We're going to get to bed because Kenneth is picking us up at 5:30am and we don't arrive in Chicago until 10:40pm. Going to be another long day.

Love yas!

Just a few more tidbits from today...

2007-10-04T19:36:00.000-06:00

Well, Mazzi is asleep again, not for the night...I don't think but just a late evening nap. She likes to nap! She was so much fun today. We just had a ball! Played and laughed...and yes, she loves her Dad! She knows already that I'm the one who feeds, wipes her nose, changes her pants and he's the one who gets to have the fun. We, moms, get the raw end of the deal!

Couple tidbits from today.

First, the closet lady was here today! My mom may be the only one that understands that! Yes, I caught her and bought some things. She is a woman who sets up shop her in the hotel on Thursdays and sells traditional Guatemalan hand-made items. I bought a blanket, 6 placemats, a little cosmetic type bag, a beaded bracelet and a shirt for Mazzi when she is older for $65. It was a wonderful deal and I'm so glad I get to bring home something this time. Also, I think I forgot to say that the airport is done now...the remodel is complete and it is much nicer!! Lovely actually! But, all the Guatemalan cute gift shops that we found the first time have been replaced with high-class duty-free shops selling expensive perfume, purses and liquor. Same stuff as every other airport...nothing authentic...I'm so mad...why would they do that!?!?!?

Second, a woman very pleasantly introduced herself to us today. She is from Florida, had just arrived and was waiting for 6 month old baby to arrive. She said she had been in PGN for 8 weeks. We said about 12 (yes, that's how long it has been). Then her attorney arrived and I hear her almost screaming. I knew what that meant. I went to the hall to find her and sure enough she's crying and screams, "I'm out of PGN as of today!" I hugged her and congratulated her but I really just wanted to scream. I am so jealous and almost was angry with her. I could have just cried myself. This process is unfair and unpredictible. Just makes me angry but I'm really trying to take back those thoughts...I was very unpleasant for a moment! Then all evening at supper (she was eating a couple tables away) she was telling others of her good fortune today. I almost couldn't keep my food down!

Well, that's all for now...going to get ready for bed. It' s nearly 8 in Guatemala and parents need their rest! Love yas!

PS...if we don't have any news from PGN tomorrow you may hear us crying all the way in Illinois!!!

In Guatemala with Mazzi at last...

2007-10-04T12:18:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone! Yes, we have safely arrived in Guatemala and Mazzi is here! I know I should have posted yesterday, but things are different with a 6 month old than a 3 month old like last visit. It's busy keeping her fed, bathed, entertained and soundly sleeping!

Day 1 as some of you may already know was ROUGH! Mazzi was woke from a nap when she arrived and was not a happy camper! The first night involved a few giggles followed by roughly 3 hours of screaming! We still aren't sure what was wrong but more than likely we just allowed her to get too tired. I think we were too ready to play and she was too ready to sleep. We were worried that she just didn't like us and that we were going to have 3 days of nonstop crying, but much to our pleasant surprise she woke up on Day 2 as the same old Mazzi I remember from the last visit. She giggles, smiles and mocks a noise her dad taught her. She is much more like a regular baby now though...she does get crabby and crying does happen occasionally. I know it's hard to believe! Really though, we have learned to get her to sleep (which is what she is doing right now) and she is a much happier little thing! Day 3 is also off to a great start...she is doing well today and having lots of fun!

Now for the good stuff- she is as cute as ever! Her dad keeps saying isn't she the cutest...she's going to be a diva, I know it! We understand the pingtails entirely now because without them her hair is SO wild!!! It's all over the place and even adult hair products won't tame it. We are trying though...lots of combing going on. She is VERY long...will not fit in the 6-9 month sleepers that we brought, too short on her. One fits so we have been rinsing it out and hanging it outside to dry. She is eating a little now, one jar of food. Of course, I unpacked the food because they said she wasn't eating and we had NO room for it and now I wish we had it. Fortunately the woman who is fostering her baby here is SO nice. Other families leave her things when they go home so she has a room FULL of food, etc. We have taken some from her and borrowed her scissors. Are you worried as to why? Yes, we are going to cut her hair. It is SO long in the back and has rats that will not come out so we are going to give her a trim. Crazy we know!

As far as the process is concerned, we know really nothing more than before. Kenneth keeps saying anyday now, but he hasn't a clue really, no one does! He did say at least she'll be home for Christmas like it was a fact so that is good. A 5 month old was here and going home today so that is both discouraging and encouraging at the same time...is that possible? Kenneth called today to check on us and when the phone rang I nearly jumped out of my skin thinking it was "the call." No such luck...he shouldn't have done that to us. We still hope today or tomorrow we'll hear something but who knows? Fortunately we are hearing it's just about 3-5 weeks until pick up after the call. We were thinking 6-8 weeks so that is better. To think we could be coming back in less than a month!!!

As far as the adoption scare, no one here is worried at all. This is just something that happens every few years to scare us Americans. Everyone seems to think all will be well, but again who knows for sure? We are much less worried and please take the stories on the news with a grain of salt. The poverty here is tremendous and the wonderful people here see adoption as a blessing and necessity for their children - not a money making scheme like they make it sound on the news. And, I especially love the way they make it sound like adoption is SO simple here. Apparently, the media is not aware of the homestudy, 3 sets of fingerprints, letters of reference, 2 DNA tests for baby, physical exams and miles of other paperwork we have endured not to mention the 6+ months of waiting! Simple...are they crazy?!?!?!? I can't believe one of them hasn't been shot by an adoptive parent who has waited more than a year as many have!

Well, I need to get back and make sure she is still asleep...this has taken forever to write as the keyboards here are different from ours and I have struggled to find the keys!!

Love you all! See you on Sunday with photos and VIDEO!!!

Visit Trip #3

2007-09-19T19:13:00.000-06:00

Well, we just couldn't stand it any longer and have purchased tickets for Visit Trip #3 to Guatemala! This time it's Jit and I. We leave from Chicago at 6am on Tuesday, October 2. We are flying Spirit Air for the first time and change planes in Fort Lauderdale and are scheduled to arrive in Guatemala at 3:26pm. Kenneth will be waiting for us at the airport as usual and Adriana is meeting us at the hotel with Mazzi at 5pm!!! We are staying at the La Casa Grande once again. Mazzi will stay Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night, and will leave sometime Friday evening. We fly back to the states on Saturday morning at 7:45am, again through Ft. Lauderdale and arrive back in Chicago at 10:40pm. It's going to be a VERY long day. We are staying the night again in Chicago and will drive home Sunday. We are very excited to say the least...the days of this week have just crawled. We asked Kenneth what the fostermother would like us to bring her this time and she responded "a hair straightener!" Cracks me up! She's so easy to please! Needless to say, we'll be taking a high-end hair straightener and some other things as well! Ideas anyone?!?!

New Photos from Guatemala

2007-08-24T19:42:00.000-06:00

The August photos from Guatemala have arrived...hope you enjoy!

2nd DNA Test

2007-08-07T16:48:00.000-06:00

As some of you may have read, the US is now requiring a 2nd DNA test before babies can come to the US from Guatemala. They claim this step is necessary to verify that the same baby is coming home to the US that was DNA tested months before at the start of the adoption process. At first, we freaked...thinking that Mazzi and her birthmother would have to meet again for testing, that it would take weeks as it did the first time and that it would cost nearly $500 like it did the first time. This is not the case, however, only Mazzi will be tested this time (the results compared to the first test her birthmother took), it should only take about 1 week for the results and it should cost just under $200. Not nearly as bad as we thought initially! Still seems silly and unnecessary as we know who our baby is, but I guess you can't fight the government.

Our case remains in the dreaded PGN process...the most unpredictable step of the way! We actually entered this step on 7/17/07, slightly later than we thought. This step is taking most families about 8 weeks - some less and unfortunately many much longer. Once we are through this step we can pretty much anticipate 1.5 to 2 more months until our Embassy appointment and final trip home. Yes, the process is taking forever...and it seems that all the new rules/regulations that the US is implementing is only slowing things down. We are starting to realize that those families who have flown through the process and brought 4-6 month old babies home are definetely the lucky ones and not the norm! All we can do now is pray that we continue to move along smoothly and as quickly as possible.

On a brighter note, a few weeks ago, my sister, Lindsay, hosted a lovely baby shower for Mazzi and I. Thank you to all who attended! Mazzi's room is decorated and pretty much ready for her arrival home. We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful family & friends!

Monthly Update from Guatemala

2007-08-01T19:35:00.000-06:00

Well, we received our July update from Guatemala...another month gone by and still no appointment date to bring her home. At her July 24th doctor's appointment, Mazzi weighed 16.3lbs. Yes, she is a chunk!! She is rolling over now and sitting up with support. The medical report also indicated that she is waking twice at night. She was only waking once when we were there so I'm not sure what that is all about! Hope she's not changing her ways! Hope you enjoy the July photos...Jit thinks she looks sad and ready to come home...I agree!

2007-07-08T16:37:00.000-06:00

We have pre-approval (aka PA)!!! E-mail notification came Saturday at 1pm. This is very exciting news because the attorney will be taking this notification to PGN which is the FINAL step!!! Word from Katie at Journeys is that most cases take 2-4 months to get through PGN but she claims that most are closer to 2 months right now. The chat room that I participate in has rumors that someone got out of PGN in three days (I think it's an urban legend but it still brings me joy!). The chat room also says many have gotten through recently in 1 month so I'm extremely hopeful that we might get through before Mazzi is 5 months old. Our attorney in Guatemala told us during our first visit trip that 5 months is their record...they promised to try to beat that record...and it could still happen! Anyway, we can't get too excited because although it's the last step it can also be the most stressful because there is really no telling when it will happen and they may "kick us out" if any of our documents aren't to their liking which also occurs quite often. This could really slow things down and many sit in this step for months with NO word as to why. But, all that being said, it still is very possible that by August or September we could be BRINGING MAZZI HOME! Please continue to pray that things move quickly and that we don't hit any bumps in the road.

Nothing to Report...

2007-07-05T17:57:00.001-06:00

No word from Guatemala this week...still waiting for Pre-Approval. We thought it might arrive this week but no word so far. The typical wait time is 60 days and we are at Day 51. Nobody ever knows for sure...but we're still hoping to be earlier than normal! Since I have nothing to report I thought I would post some more pictures - from our trip and from our June update from the attorney.

Guatemalan Orphanage

2007-07-01T20:29:00.001-06:00

This Guatemalan orphanage was recently featured in a story about Bloomington/Normal adoptive families on WHOI. I thought it was really interesting to see: www.eaglesnestint.org - in case you are interested, but be prepared you'll want to bring one home...I already want to bring another home!

After a really long Monday...we are home.

2007-06-26T18:27:00.000-06:00

Well, Monday was interesting to say the least. We woke at 3:30am after an emotional evening of Mazzi going bye-bye. It was really hard for us to say good-bye but we knew we had to...and we know she is being so well cared for by Adriana. She is so well adjusted, happy and sweet!

So we arrived at the airport about 4:45am to find out immediately that our flight had been delayed by 2 hours (reason: the crew hadn't arrived - we assume they were on another flight that was running late). So we are hoping that we can find some coffee, breakfast and maybe even a few souvenirs in the airport. Well, we found NONE of these things. The airport is under renovation and everything is GONE. No shops, no coffee, nothing...all the phones were disconnected as well which was bad because we wanted to call Lindsay to warn her we were going to be VERY late. We even went to the bathroom and NO toiletseats...NO KIDDING...just toilets, no seats! It was hystretrical! A little different than the USA, that's for sure!

Then finally it's time to take off after a LONG wait in the airport and they tell us that some mechanical problem had been resolved but had to be documented so it would be a few more minutes before we could take off. And our seats weren't together...bummer!

Then, we land in Miami and, of course, had to be booked on a later flight because we had missed our original connecting flight to O'hare. So instead of leaving at 1:10 for Chicago we didn't leave until 4:15pm...or so we thought we were leaving. We got on the plane SO ready to take off when they announce there is another mechanical problem and it was going to be another 25 minutes before we could leave. So there we sit once again...

Finally we touch down in Chicago SO ready to get off the stupid airplane. Lindsay was there to pick us up (thank you, Lindsay!) We got our bags and finally got headed home at about 8pm...we had to stop and grab a bite because we were starved and finally made it home at nearly midnight. So up at 3:30am to bed after 12pm...it was a LONG day to say the least!

But we are home all in one piece and have MANY pictures to show for it...which I plan to post now...hope you enjoy...I know that's what you've all been waiting for! Thanks for being interested!!

Yes, she's sleeping again...

2007-06-24T13:16:00.000-06:00

She is the best little sleeper! Now she's sound asleep yet again. It's Sunday, last day of our trip. She'll be picked up in 5 hours. Let's not talk about that! Another great night last night...up once at 1am to eat and right back to sleep. She is a REALLY slow eater...it's takes her every bit of 1 hour to eat her bottle - about 6-7 ounces. The plus side...she doesn't puke! She's an extremely happy baby - even giggles in her SLEEP! She never cries...really never! Usually sucks her hands when hungry. She is a kicker too...constantly!

Still meeting many families...MANY! All very nice. The one we met today waited for 3 hours for their baby yesterday. She was supposed to arrive at 4pm...didn't show up until 7pm and the fostermom just dropped her off. \We can't imagine if that would have happened to us...we'd have been over the edge! They didn't even know what she's been eating - and they think it's whole milk...no formula. We love Adriana more and more every day. It's obvious that Mazzi is EXTRA well taken care of...she's the happiest little thing! We are also happy for Kenneth...many families don't have anyone to help them translate, etc...that would be awful! Not sure how we got so lucky!

Well...that's all for now...she's waking up! See you Monday!! Love you all! Cheryl and Kik

She's sleeping...again!

2007-06-23T11:24:00.000-06:00

Well, hate to tell Aunt Lindsay this but Mazzi is the best little sleeper on the planet! She woke up once last night at 2am...just kicked in her playpen, no cries. I fed her a bottle and she fell back to sleep in her bouncy seat. She adores that thing!!! She woke again about 6:30, then napped once and is now asleep yet again. She's the best baby...cries wah, wah when she's hungry and never any other time. She just smiles, talks and laughs.

And, she's SO pretty! She had a bath this morning which she didn't love but didn't cry either. She's had a million outfit changes and looks adorable in everything. Her hair is totally wild, sticks up everywhere...requires a bow to tame it for sure!

We're having a great time, the weather is PERFECT...about 75 and sunny. We're just chilling here and have met many other families here visiting their babies so we're learning quite a bit. One women is living here - fostering her child at the hotel. Her husband comes every few weeks. She's so lucky to have that opportunity but we're worried she might get lonely in the hotel. Another family had their embassy appointment yesterday, said they process about 30 adoptions per hour - we are shocked at the #!!!! We're also jealous b/c Tuesday they get to bring their baby home forever. Also, just heard from a family that we should visit http://www.mayanfamilies.org/. I guess it's really informative about the lives of the people here and you can donate money to help the children go to school. I haven't looked at it yet so sorry if it's terribly sad!

We haven't been able to shop at all which is killing us but we hope we might be able to find some things in the airport if the shops are open at 5am! We can't stand the idea of coming home empty handed. Well, better get back to the room...she might be awake by now! Love you all!

We're here...and she's here!!!!

2007-06-22T13:31:00.000-06:00

Yippie!!! Miss Mazzi arrived at 9:45am this morning...15 minutes early!! Adriana came bearing lots of stuff for her and a Guatemala bag for me...she is the sweetest!!! She also brought a fully used disposable camera that we can't wait to develop.

Mazzi has been a perfect angel for the last 4 hours. She NEVER cries! She is smiling and even giggling! It's too cute! She is even more beautiful than before and solid as a rock. She is wearing a 6-9 month outfit as we speak. I'm a little nervous the other outfits we brought may be too small. Miss Lola might really make out...she's 2 months older but much less chunky!

She is in the bouncy seat we brought her taking a little nap right now. She acted hungry earlier so we tried giving her a bottle but she took a couple ounces and then acted uninterested. We tried again and still just a couple ounces. I'm not sure how she got so big with those eating habits.

Anyway, better run...just wanted to say a quick hello and tell you all that she is the most perfect baby and we're so surprised at her smiles, laughs and chatter! Love you all!!!

New measurements from Guatemala

2007-05-31T18:41:00.000-06:00

The latest measurements came today from Guatemala...yes, she's a chunky one! At her last visit to the doctor on May 22 she weighed 12 lb and 11 oz and measured 23.2 inches long. She's getting BIG!!!!

Visit Trip #2

2007-05-30T20:25:00.000-06:00

Mom and I booked our flight today! We are headed in late June to visit baby Mazzi! I just couldn't stand the wait any longer, Mom had her passport and was willing and we found a dirt cheap flight today so we bought our tickets.

Here's our plan:
We are leaving at 1:10pm on Thursday, June 21 from Chicago (Flight #2050), flying through Miami Airport (Flight #2125), arriving in Guatemala City at 6:50pm.

Then leaving at 6:50am Monday, June 25 from Guatemala City (Flight #928), flying through Miami again (Flight #1565), arriving in Chicago at 3:20pm.

It's another quick trip but this time we'll get to see Mazzi the entire time, she will arrive Friday morning and stay until Sunday evening. That means we won't be leaving the hotel for 3 days straight...we're hoping for nice weather so we can sit in the gazebo area and just enjoy the time with her! Yes, Jit is jealous but he's happy for us and hopes the visit will improve my mood :-)

We'll bring home a million new photos and many stories I'm sure. 21 days and counting...

Wish we had something to report

2007-05-29T20:25:00.000-06:00

We know it's been awhile since a post, but that's because nothing is happening! We know our case file is somewhere in Guatemala supposedly at the US Embassy. It's probably sitting in a pile amongst MANY others. The next thing we are waiting on is pre-approval from the Embassy (which is allegedly taking 8-9 weeks). Then our case will finally make it's way to PGN which is the final step. That could take weeks or months and they could require additional documents from us. We're just going with the flow and patiently waiting. In the meantime, we need to read a required book, write a will and a few other things...work, work, work and no baby yet!

Finally...A DNA Match!!

2007-05-21T20:49:00.001-06:00

The green and white envelope arrived today from North Carolina!

Probability of Maternity: 99.99%

We also received an adorable photo of Mazzi and Olga. Mazzi is huge wearing a little white dress, she's as cute as ever! It's a Polaroid, if I had a scanner I would scan it in but no such luck!

I will post again after I speak to Journeys tomorrow about what's next. We know our case was submitted to the US Embassy in Guatemala City on 5/3/07 but I don't think they will even look at it until the DNA results arrive there. Journeys will be getting the document we received today certified and authenticated and then be sending it to the Embassy. Isn't this paperwork great fun?!?

Cousins, Lola and Brady, gave Mazzi a cute book today with photos of our family. We also went to see their new house just 3 miles from ours...Lola and Brady request your prayers for the sale of their Morton house quick! They are dying to live near Baby Mazzi :-)

DNA Testing & Medical Update

2007-05-08T20:49:00.000-06:00

We heard today from David that Olga and Mazzi's DNA specimens have arrived in North Carolina. This is good news! Now it should be just a few days until we have the results. David indicated they have never received a negative result so we are fairly confident in this step of the process. He also thought we might get a picture of Olga holding Mazzi from the DNA test. We hope so!

Then our case can be submitted to the US Consulate for pre-approval. This process is currently taking 1-2 months. Then shortly after that we should enter PGN which is the last but typically most lengthy step. This could take only a few weeks (this is rare) or could take many months. We're hopeful it will only be a couple months at most.

We also received a very simple report today indicating that Mazzi visited a pediatrician on April 23rd so she was 1 month, 1 week at this appointment. She weighed 10.6lbs and was 21.9 inches long. She is taking 8-9 bottles per day of Similac Advance. And is reportedly holding her head up "for a while." The doctor indicated she has had no problems. That was pretty much all it said! It's never enough but we'll take what we can get. Oh and it also stated she wasn't sleeping through the night...we're missing that, shucks! We have to look at something on the bright side :)

We are sick!

2007-05-03T18:51:00.000-06:00

I just read an e-mail from David, the owner of Journeys of the Heart, telling the Guatemalan families that our beloved Hillary has resigned. He indicated that the stress of the job has simply gotten to her and that she has decided to leave her position. He reassured us that he along with a couple of other experienced employees will be taking over our cases until they are able to find an appropriate replacement. David is extremely knowledgeable, thoughtful and passionate so we know we are still in good hands. I'm planning to call Hillary tomorrow in hopes to wish her well before she leaves. Please be prayerful that this does not cause unexpected delays!

DNA Testing Scheduled!

2007-04-26T17:36:00.000-06:00

Word came today that Friday, May 4 is Olga and Mazzi's DNA test date. Olga will also be meeting with a social worker that day to discuss her decision and complete paperwork for the Guatemalan government. Please pray that we receive a positive match and pray for peace for Olga as it will be an extremely difficult day for her!

Hillary indicated today that pre-approval from the Embassy (which is our next step) has been taking 9+ weeks recently. It's been just 4-5 weeks in the past. Hillary is hopeful that things will speed up as we enter this process but it's just hard to tell. After pre-approval is PGN which gives final approval. It's still just a waiting game with no telling how quickly things will proceed.

No new pictures to post this week, it's disappointing, I know. Hillary is requesting a medical update from the attorney because I have an appointment to meet with a peditrician on Monday and would like any new information they might have. Not sure if we will receive anything before then.

Thanks again for your support and prayers! We love you all!

We have DNA Authorization

2007-04-18T20:41:00.000-06:00

We found out today that Mazzi's birthmother has authorization to have DNA testing! This is a good thing...just three weeks after the referral, another quick timeframe! This means she will probably have an appointment for testing in the next week or two, then we will know for sure she is the birthmother and she will speak to a social worker about her decision.

Please be prayerful that we get a positive match and that she remains strong in her decision to give sweet Mazzi to us!

Thank you all for your kind comments...it means a lot to us! Love you!

New Pictures & A Shout for Journeys

2007-04-12T19:06:00.000-06:00

Well, today we received new pics of Mazzi. Wow! What a surprise! We never dreamed we would get more already. We are SO impressed with Journeys of the Heart. I have only mentioned her name, Mazzi, to them one time and when they sent the pictures today they referred to her as Mazzi. I just can't say enough about how wonderful they have been. If you are interested in international or domestic adoption, I would HIGHLY recommend them!

Be sure to check out the pictures...she is HUGE! I think she has gained pounds since we saw her last week. It's so adorable and great to see, but also breaks our hearts! She is wearing the Gap dress we sent with her, but has a long sleeve t-shirt under it. Cracks me up! It's a beautiful 80+ degrees there and she's all covered up. The Guatemalan people are known for keeping their babies WARM! She is also holding the bear that Aunt Lindsay bought her. When you squeeze it's belly, our voices speak to her.

Back home & hating it!

2007-04-10T18:25:00.000-06:00

Well, as much as we love the great US of A...it stinks to be home without Mazzi! Our visit was perfect and now we just have to wait. It will probably be several weeks before we hear of any progress at all. We're still hoping for 5 months but I'm reading more and more about delays that are causing families to wait 9-12 months. This is just horrible!

The DNA testing is the next step and we hope it will happen quickly. Then we could return to Guatemala and spend as much time as we wish with her. Depending on how quickly or slowly the process is going I may go back for another longer visit.

Hope you enjoy the pictures! Thanks again for your love, support and prayers!!

Day 2 in Guatemala

2007-04-09T20:12:00.000-06:00

This just topped things off! Kenneth and Victor, our attorney's assistants, took us to Antigua, Guatemala on April 5th. It is the most beautiful setting, down in a valley surrounded by gorgeous hills and volcanoes. It was another wild (or should we say wilder) car ride through the mountains but it was worth every white knuckle minute!!

First the bad, the poverty is heartbreaking to say the least. Many, many homes along the hillsides with barely a roof, dirt floors, children sitting outside, sickly dogs searching for food. It's the most unbelievable, heartbreaking sight. We both had a hard time imagining the lives of the children there and to think our Mazzi could have been one of them. We almost couldn't stand to look.

Then into Antigua where there are markets, shops and people EVERYWHERE! Beautiful OLD buildings, but the most incredible thing was the first church we visited. It is a huge, beautiful Catholic church full of people, candlesburning, incredible! And as we walked through, Kenneth nonchalantly told us that our foster mother brings Mazzi there for church services. Wow, that was the most incredible moment yet. To think that we could turn around and see her again and to know that she will be spending Easter there. It's so heartwarming! Well, we didn't see her but just the idea was incredible.

Then on the way back we stopped at many neat places in the hills with beautiful views. One stop was overlooking Guatemala City - Kenneth leaned over and said to me, "your Mazzi is down there somewhere." It was a totally perfect trip and we managed to buy some things for her (I'm sure you're not surprised). We are already regretting not buying more.

Then back at our lovely Casa Grande - we have high speed Internet but no copy machine (it's strange, I tell you). We needed to make copies of our Guatemala passport stamp to prove to the Guatemalan government that we were here and NO place is open because of the Easter Holiday - almost every store is closed the entire week. We (USA) could take some lessons from them!!!!! We finally just walked about 5 blocks to the only open drugstore to get our copies. Our hotel had to call around and ask several places if they were open and if they had a copier. It's different here,that's for sure. Yesterday we tried the hotel next door, no copier there either.

By the way, Victor doesn't speak English and Jit has become best buddies with him...he can befriend anyone I tell you!

We met her!

2007-04-09T20:07:00.000-06:00

On April 4th at 11am, Mazzi arrived with her fostermother, Adriana. She is BEAUTIFUL and PERFECT in every way! She is so precious and barely made a peep. She was awake for nearly the entire 2 hours that we spent with her. She is such a perfect gem. Her foster mother is absolutely delightful and we feel so comfortable with her. She was sincerely happy for us and promises to pray for her quick arrival to us! She gave us hugs and kisses before she left. Then got in a car with Mazzi and NO carseat. I can't even think about that. Things are just different there. In fact, Jit saw a motorcycle with a man driving and three kids on board with him...frightening, I know! Adriana is wonderful though and we know she won't put Mazzi in harm's way. Well, we cried like crazy when she left but we knew we would have to face this so we're just praying it's a short wait now! We are going to Antigua on Thursday to do some sightseeing and shopping, then home on Friday to develop photos!!!

It's official Mazzi Herlinda Roberts has entered the world!

2007-03-31T15:19:00.000-06:00

Well, I know most of you know this already, but here goes the official blog...

On March 19, 2007 at 11:00am, Herlinda Floricelda (aka Mazzi Herlinda) entered the world in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala! She was born to Olga, the bravest, most generous woman in the world - to her we will be forever grateful! Olga is a 26 year old unmarried woman with no other children. Herlinda's birthfather is 27 year old, Francisco - to whom we will also be forever grateful!

The only measurements that we have obtained indicate that on March 23, 2007, Mazzi weighed 7.1lbs and measured 51cm (20 inches) long. The pediatrician who examined her on the 23rd concluded that she has adequate weight and height for her age, takes formula (Similac Advance - funny, huh?!?) without a problem, does not show any visible marks. Her neurological response was normal and her organic systems were found normal. She is a healthy baby girl, found normal for her age!

Mazzi is currently living with a foster family consisting of a mother (42), father (46), son (24) and daughter (19).

We are flying out on Tuesday at 12:55pm heading to Guatemala City. We will arrive there about 7:30pm. We will be staying in an adoption friendly hotel there. We hope to meet Mazzi early on Wednesday...better be early or my heart might beat right out of my chest! We will get to spend a few hours with her and have the ability (with a translator) to ask the foster mother any questions we wish. This will probably be our one and only visit with her but we will take LOTS of pictures and video...all of which we will share immediately!! Then on Thursday we plan to do some sight seeing and learning about Guatemalan culture. Then we head back to the US on Friday - it will probably be the hardest thing we've ever had to do but we have no choice!

From here it's anyone's guess how long we'll have to wait to bring her home. Our agency says best case - 5 months, worst case - up to 1 year. This is where we totally lose control of the process and have no choice but to go with the flow and try to remain sane. There is just no telling how quickly things will or won't progress. I know this seems strange that we have to wait so long and it is extremely unfortunate but it's just the way it works so we just must be patient. Our agency says we are working with their most favorite attorney in Guatemala and that things should progress smoothly but there's no telling what the government might do to slow things down.

We are SO excited about our trip and promise to report as soon as we return (maybe while we're there if we have Internet access). Please be prayerful for our safe travels and thanks for reading! Love, Jit & Kik

We are officially approved!!!

2007-03-21T21:35:00.000-06:00

Oh my gosh...I almost fell out of my chair. So, our adoption coordinator has been telling us that in Illinois, Immigration Services has been taking 10-12 weeks to send out approval letters (I-171H). She told me I could e-mail them and ask them how progress was coming. So I did that last night even though we are only at about week 5. I figured what the heck, it's worth a shot. So imagine my surprise today when I open my e-mail and see a response from them reading - Your I600A has been approved effective today, 3/21/07. You will receive an I-171H very soon.

Of course, after I calmed down, I called Hillary from Journeys to tell her the news. She was shocked to say the least - she said that was the fastest approval from IL she had ever seen! Not sure what to think of all this good luck we are having...I sure hope it continues!!! Anyway, she proceeded to tell me that she would immediately call her favorite attorneys and tell them that she has a family ready for a little girl. Now, we just have to pray the actual letter comes quickly then we take a trip to Chicago to have it and all our other dossier documents authenticated.

Our hope is obviously that a girl will be available ASAP!!! So we could know who are daughter is very soon...and start getting pictures, updates, etc. We are hoping to find a cheap flight to Guatemala soon after we receive the referral so we can fly down and visit her. This will allow us to sign a Power of Attorney form which would likely speed up her getting to come home by about 6 weeks. There is still no way of knowing how long it will be before Guatemala will give us the go ahead to pick her up - could be 4 months, could be 12 or more. Depends basically on their mood...and we have literally no control over that. I will post again when we have that precious piece of paper in hand! Thanks for reading and continuing to pray for our progress!!

Rumors, Rumors, Rumors

2007-03-16T17:14:00.000-06:00

Recently many rumors have been flying that Guatemala was not cooperating with recent legislation (Hague Convention) that regulates adoptions and that adoptions may close if they don't "get on board." It was pretty nerve wrecking but this release came today from the Joint Council on Adoption. Our agency says it's VERY encouraging. I think all will be well for now. As with anything, there are no guarantees in life but I do feel better with this new information!!!

Guatemala To Keep Adoptions Open Through Reform
March 16, 2007- Alexandria, Virginia – Legislation intended to reform the current international adoption system will be introduced in Guatemala early next week. The legislation puts into place much needed oversight and is in line with the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, an international convention signed or ratified by over 60 countries. “This legislation gives children the legal protections they need and also the continued opportunity to find love and safety through adoption” said Thomas DiFilipo, President of the Joint Council on International Children’s Services (Joint Council).

International adoption in Guatemala has been criticized by numerous groups for unethical practices and a lack of governmental oversight. Such criticism has called into question whether intercountry adoption will continue in Guatemala. “Legislative reform is the key to continuing intercountry adoption in Guatemala” said DiFilipo. DiFilipo’s statement seems to echo that of many members of the Guatemalan Congress who met in early December and throughout the winter to address a range of issues related to international adoption and are now prepared to present their recommendations to Congress.

The Hague Convention on International Adoption will be ratified by the United States later this year. Since more Guatemalan orphans find loving families in the United States than in any other country, passage of this legislation in Guatemala appears vital to the protection of children’s right. The United States Department of State has clearly stated that adoptions with Guatemala will not be permissible under law unless such legislation is passed. According to DiFilipo “It is clear the Guatemalan Congress intends on passing the respective legislation this Spring. The best interest of each child is at the center of their efforts.”

We're next!

2007-03-05T19:23:00.000-06:00

On Friday, I spoke to our adoption coordinator and she had big news. We are next in line for a baby girl. She has no other families further along in the paperwork process than us! Unfortunately though, we are still not approved by Immigration Services, therefore, we could not yet accept a referral if a baby were born now. We are two weeks into the Immigration Services process and it is taking an estimated 10-12 weeks right now. So we are about 8-10 weeks from final approval. Then we could accept a referral and start receiving photos!!

Then the real wait begins...some families I have been reading about are traveling as quickly as 4 months while some are as long as 12 months after referral. It's hard to tell! Anyway, in about a month I will be sending an e-mail to Immigration Services to see if they are any closer to approving us...hopefully they will move along QUICKLY!!! Thanks for reading!

Wait, wait, wait...

2007-03-01T20:00:00.000-06:00

Well, I know an entry is way overdue, but unfortunately I don't have much to report right now. Our homestudy was sent to Immigration Services about a week ago and we can't proceed any further until we have their approval letter. We're hearing it's about a 12 week wait. So hopefully in 11 weeks or less we will officially be paperwork ready. Then we could accept a referral. I haven't spoke to our adoption coordinator in a couple of weeks; she's been in Guatemala. I will probably call her in the next few days and see how her trip was and whether she still has families waiting for baby girls. We did get a crib last week and it's all put together. I am going to attempt to take pictures of it and add them to the site soon. That's all for now. Thanks for all your love & support!

Home Study Complete and Ready for Submission to CIS

2007-02-06T21:14:00.000-06:00

My post yesterday mentioned that our home study should be submitted to CIS within the next few weeks. I just got a call from our social worker and she has it done and approved by the Oregon Journeys office. She just wanted me to look it over and correct errors. There were just a couple of minor changes needed and now it should be sent to CIS in the next couple of days! Once we have CIS approval (anticipated 1-3 months) we will be "paperwork" ready and just waiting for a baby girl for us! Could be immediately or several weeks. Just have to wait and see. I'll be posting photos the moment I have them, of course! Then the long wait begins...

Recent Timeline Information

2007-02-05T18:28:00.000-06:00

The following is a timeline that we recently received from our agency. Our homestudy has not yet been submitted to CIS but we anticipate that happening within the next few weeks. You can get an idea of how long it will be before we get to bring her home after that occurs. Since we are waiting for a girl, the referral wait will probably not be 0 days but more like several weeks.

TIME ESTIMATES
Homestudy submitted to CIS to CIS approval (depends on state) 1-3 months
CIS approval (I-171H) to referral (depends on gender of baby): 0 days-several weeks
Referral to DNA authorization: 3 weeks-3 months
DNA-authorization to Embassy approval “consentamiento”: average 6 to 7 weeks
Consentamiento- PGN case submission: 1 week-3 weeks
PGN case submission- PGN approval (if there is no previo):7-11 weeks
Baby comes home!

Thanks for visiting!

What a weekend!

2007-01-31T20:50:00.000-06:00

Well, we spent the entire weekend in Schaumburg learning all about parenting adopted children. It was slightly overwhelming to say the very least, but after a slight breakdown (by me!) we are feeling better and we know we want to continue on toward bringing Mazzi home!

We learned SO many things and have lots of great reading material if anyone is interested! Now, we are just continuing on with our paperwork. We have most everything pretty well completed and are waiting for our letter from Immigration Services indicating that we are approved. We are hoping this will come in the next couple of months. Our homestudy is still not fully complete and in our hands yet so not much can happen until then. We need to follow-up with our social worker and see how things are progressing.

It's slow but progress is occuring! Thanks for reading! Kik

What happens after the referral...

2007-01-21T18:48:00.000-06:00

Well, after I read our first and only entry, I realized you may be thinking that as soon as we get our referral we will be able to bring Mazzi home. This is NOT the case! The referral is the very first step in the long process. Once we have accepted the referral, we have to wait for many other events to occur before we can travel to get her. First, is DNA matching - to ensure the birthmother is really the birthmother. Then, many more hoops to jump through before we have final, final approval. This can take anywhere from 4 months (in an absolutely perfect world!) to one year (you'll be seeing us go crazy if that's the case!!). During this time, Mazzi will be living with a foster family. We will receive monthly updates (including photos) that will track her development, weight, length, etc. I will be sure to post these updates when we receive them.

Well, I have no idea what I'm doing...but it's worth a try!

2007-01-21T14:51:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone! I recently found another family's website that they used to keep their family and friends informed during their long adoption process and I decided I wanted to give it a try! This might be an easy way to keep you up-to-date on what's going on during this complicated process.

So, at this point, we are in the "paperwork" stage. We have completed our home study visits and are waiting for our report to be completed by our social worker, Allyson. We have many little pieces of information to collect in the meantime. We have been fingerprinted by USCIS (Immigration Services) in St. Louis and are waiting for their approval letter. We are also going to be requesting our Illinois State Police Clearance letter as soon as Jit gets his fingerprinting at the police station done. Once we have USCIS and ISP approval, we can take our paperwork to the Secretary of State for their certification. It then goes to the Guatemalan Consulate who also "certifies" the documents. These certifications really mean nothing - these agencies are simply saying that they believe the documents to be genuine and not fakes so to speak. Once these certifications are complete, our dossier is ready for submission to the powers that be in Guatemala. At that point, we would be ready for a referral of a baby girl as soon as one comes along!! We are being told this referral could come almost immediately or we could have to wait 1-2 months.