Solamente una mas noche antes de nosotros viajar a Los Estados Unidos!

Or...only one more night till we travel to the United States!

So much has happened since Saturday. Shannon arrived around 4pm, tired but so happy to see us, which we reciprocated. Owen was amazed by him, and kept an eye on me most of the time when Shannon played with him. He´s getting more and more used to Shannon, though, and they play all the time! Shannon has to prop that bum ankle up often, so Owen sits on his chest or they play on the bed together.

Sunday, we didn´t do much...there was an amazing rainstorm and it was very soothing. We did a little shopping, and mostly lazed around playing with our son! Hold on, I want to write that again: OUR SON.

Monday was our Embassy appt.! It was a little nerve-wracking, getting there. We left our house in Antigua at 6am. I told the driver we wanted to go to the airport to pick up Shannon´s late baggage...but I said the Spanish word for ¨before¨ instead of äfter.¨ So we were about 10 min. late for our 8am appt. at the Embassy.

Fortunately, I hyperventilated for nothing, because we were number 23, meaning 22 other families were ahead of us for THEIR 8am appts. There were babies everywhere!! There was only 1 window open for the Embassy appts, while usually there are 3, so we were there till 11:30. But it was went fine, and the interview itself was very simple and pleasant.

We came back, ate ice cream with Sharon (see link to her blog!) and her daughters Bella (14 mo) and Irene (15 yrs). They have all been just wonderful to us. Owen and I shared the upstairs and a bathroom with them all month while we were in Antigua, and we had a blast. We sunbathed, let the babies play in the baby pool, and laughed a lot. Irene spent lots of time making signs reminding me to unlock their bathroom door, because I had a tendency to waltz out through my bathroom door without unlocking their side. I mean, I did this a LOT, like 10 times.

I did it again right before we left today. Didja notice, Sharon? Didja laugh?

Today we left for Guatemala City at noon. It was a really sad goodbye...I´ve only been here a month, but we´d settled into a routine and felt totally comfortable.

That said, I can hardly believe we´ll be in the USA tomorrow! And, Owen will be a US citizen as soon as we land in Houston! Holy cripes!

Shannon went and got Owen´s visa today, too, while Owen and I napped at the Radisson. He was a bit fussy this evening, although hmmmmm, I suppose it could be the incredible amount of stuff we´ve done in the last 4 days!!

We´ll arrive in STL Wed. afternoon (call Ida or Ardie for times, or email me!). Wow.

There is so much to be grateful for in the world, so much beauty. Owen has become the most beautiful thing on Earth for us, and we are so grateful to God for allowing us to become his parents. We are also so grateful for all the support we´ve gotten through this process. It´s been a long haul, but the sadness and struggle of the wait and paperwork is already fading as we prepare to voyage home where we belong.

We love you!

Shannon will be here any minute!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! I am so excited!!!!!

Drum roll please...

WE WILL BE HOME WEDNESDAY!!!!! August 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our flight arrives at 2:40pm!


Our Embassy date is Monday (yes, THIS Monday!!) at 8am. And guess who's arriving in Guatemala on Sat., tomorrow? SHANNON!!! We will all be going home together!

Holy cow, I'm getting all emotional just writing this email!

Owen had his Embassy doc appt today, and I went in to get our pink slip changed from 6 August to 30 July, and he got his Visa pics taken.

I must say this: God is good. Beyond good. He is, quite simply, amazing. This boy next to me, with crema de pollo baby food all over his mouth, is going to come home with Shannon and me...in just a few days. Finally, we know God's plan for us, and it is to be Owen's parents---for real, for true, and forever.

Update! Sorry it took so long!

WELL! It's been an interesting week, to say the least. We got pink today--but it has a date on it that we are 99% sure is going to fixed to be an earlier date tomorrow!

Wow, that was confusing, I suppose. Let me try again:

We got an email Tues. that gave us a date in August for our Embassy appt. We got an email Wed. that gave us a new, ealier date (earlier by a whole week!). But there was something confusing in the email which I won't go into here (trust me, it's long and tedious). BUT, tomorrow, Owen and I travel again to Guate. City for his Visa pictures, and to the doctor appt. required by the Embassy, AND also the Embassy to get our new appointment/pink slip!

Got all that? If you're confused, just go to bed. I'll tell y'all our Embassy and return-home dates tomorrow afternoon, when we are 100% sure. ;)

US Embassy

Well, today our facilitator went to the US Embassy to check on 'pink,' which is the color of the slip that tells you when your appt. w/them is. Unfortunately, they found out that the Embassy backed up on pink slips 3-4 days. :( They DID tell our people to check back every day, so you never know, if coud come tomorrow. Or, it could take 4 days more, which would put us into Monday, because they don't issue pink on Fridays.

So Owen and I could be longer than we thought by a week or two. This upsets me.

But, on the bright side: Owen is wonderful, and Owen is our son. God has blessed us incredibly by allowing him to be a part of our lives, and so I imagine Owen will come home in due time, according to God's plan.

Keep us in your prayers! We love you!

Wiling away the days in Antigua...

We're waiting for pink! It won't arrive till Monday, at the earliest. So, in the meantime...
Owen's beautiful face. This picture makes my heart swell every time I look at it.
Owen in the baby pool on our upstairs patio.
Bella in the baby pool!
Owen laughing, wearing the adorable outfit his great-gradma in chicago bought him.

Owen has tooths!

The other shots are us to and from Guatemala City on Monday for our passports! On the return trip, Owen hadn't eaten lunch, so I fed him from behind in his Snugli, and he made it halfway through the jar and zonked out!

Big day for Mr Owen!!!

Well!!! Today, we left the house at 12:30 and went to the passport office in Guatemala City (in between leaving and arriving our van's brakes overheated and we had to wait then switch vans, but that's ok). We got his passport pics--he was SO CUTE, sitting on the chair grinning at the camera guy. He was such a trooper--we missed lunch because of transit time, and he just had Cheerios to snack on, and it was hot, and he was just all smiles. We ate a LATE lunch at 4!

Anyway, we also got his new birth certificate today, with HIS NEW DADDY AND MOMMY'S names on it!!! AND, the adoption decree! He is legally OUR SON!!!!

We will be submitted for our Embassy appt tomorrow morning, and should be informed of when that appt is next Mon. We hope to get it scheduled ASAP!! We 'll keep you posted. Pics soon!

Photos below

Forgot to narrate those! Here are the explanations, in no particular order!

The new photos include:

Owen's awesome mohawk--totally natural! It is the best hair ever. Keenan, THIS is what a modified mohawk looks like!

Owen reaching for the cell phone. It's his very, very, very favorite toy, and he's working on ojbect permanence, which means he is aware, for a second or 2, that even though he can't see it, the phone is still there when I hide it.

My new adoption ring! It's made of silver and 2 jadestones I chose myself, and I told the jeweler what I wanted, and 2 days later, I got this perfect ring! The lavender one represents Shannon and I, the deep green jade represents Owen (of course!).

And, Owen's beautiful hands and feet.

Owen in the bathtub, always a classic!

Our passport appt is Monday!

It looks like we'll get our new BC Monday morning, and we're to meet our facilitator at the immigration office at 2pm, to get Owen's passport! Woohoo!! This means we can be submitted for pink TUESDAY!! YAY!!!!

THE MOHRS ARE HOME in St Louis!!

After 7 months in PGN, and Katie living here in Guatemala with Eliot for 8+ months, THEY ARE HOME in St Louis!! I highly encourage all of you to check out her blog (it's in the links to the right), esp if you are in need of a good, uplifting, joyous read! We can't wait to hang out w/the Mohrs!

Our house, and Owen making blebba-blebba noises :)

Finally, pictures!!

Here ya go. :)

Thoughts on motherhood:

I was eating out w/some other foster moms (and a foster dad) tonight, and when I was done eating I went over to a couch and played w/Owen. He stood on my belly, swung him up and down, sang to him, and so on...after I returned to the table, the other couple, who just arrived yest. and picked up their 10-day-old baby girl (!!) today,said,"You have such fun with him!" It is so true. All stages of babyhood are neat, and wonderful, but so far, this is my favorite. Sharon, who is here w/her 14-mo old Bella, says it just keeps getting better!

Then later, as he fell asleep smiling at me from behind his bottle, I felt weak...just almost doubled over from the intensity of my love for this little person.

By the way, Friday, 6 July, the official adoption decree was issued. Owen is legally our son.

Sleep on that. :)

Correction

Our new birth certificate will be ready NEXT Monday, the 16th, not this one, so we won't be submitted for our pink till next Tues. So this week, as i said before, is totally low stress.

Hi all!

Well, things are rolling along...! Owen and I are lazing around Antigua, low stress! We met some friends for coffee this AM, took a nap about 11, played, now playing some more. Meaning, he's pulling my hair from behind me on the couch and laughing hysterically when I turn and growl at him. He is just a joy, so sweet and good-natured.

Oops, more later, I smell a foul diaper!

HI!

We have been enjoying our time here now that we're out, seeing friends, making friends, walking all over Antigua! Owen is amazing. We sat in the back of a big Catholic church today during a beautiful wedding, and when they played Canon in D, I cried and sang it to Owen (it was Shannon and my wedding music), and he leaned back into me and gazed at me. I thanked God over and over for him...and it'll never be enough thanks, ever. God has blessed us with this beautiful child, and we are forever indebted.

Shannon is doing fine in Ecuador, although he is coming home 2 days early. He's just worn out!

Our facilitator told our agent (who told us today) that she's getting our new birth certificate MONDAY!!! This is superfast!!! Yeee ha!!!

WE ARE OUT OF PGN!!!!!!

WE ARE OUT! WE ARE OUT!!! We found out today!!!!! Praise God, thank you so much for all of your prayers!!!!! Owen is our son!!!

The next steps:

1. Adoption decree--takes about a day
2. New birth certificate--where it's coming from, it takes about 5 working days. (much too long...)
3. Submit for pink--meaning to submit your case to the US Embassy to request an appt. to make it final! Usually submission to finding out when pink is takes about 3 days. The appt is usually a couple wks later.
4. PINK appt!!! Finish up and go home!!

Keep us in your prayers...we are almost there!!!!!

Almost there!!!

I am in Miami Internat'l Airport! In just about an hour I'll board the plane that will take me to Owen...forever! Shannon and I were just t alking (he's in Cincinnati, waiting for fly to Miami then Ecuador) about how crazy it is that the next time I am at home, Owen will be w/us!!!

More later...Love you all!