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Natalie is doing great so I am going to stop posting on this blog. Please feel free to follow us on our Family Website/Blog at

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We're Home!

We arrived home late on March 19th! Natalie is doing really well. Our pick up trip went really well. Natalie refused to go with us at her drop off. She was so upset her foster mom and her foster mom's daughter had to take her up to our room and calm her down. They finally got her settled in her pack n play and literally snuck out on their hands and knees so she wouldn't see them. It was terrible. That was about 3 pm on March 14, but after a nap she woke up just fine and by Embassy Day on the 17th it was like she had always been with us. You wait through the whole process to get to Embassy Day, but it's actually a big let down. You don't get to take anything in with batteries or electronics so no pics or anything. Picture a DMV from hell. Lots of lines, windows and blue plastic chairs. Oh well, I was just so glad to be done! We were lucky enough to go through it with 2 other families from my agency and one of those agencies actually flew home with us as well. It made it extra special to share all of it with someone else going through the same thing. Both Natalie and her friend were so great on the plane and through the long immigration (since they landed and immediately became citizens we had to go through an interview process). Thank God we were flying direct and didn't have to catch another flight.

We drove up to the house late and every light was ablazin' - there was a big stork out in the yard and signs all over the inside of the house. Natalie smiled and laughed through the whole thing. And she's been that way ever since! She has slept through the night in her own crib and in her own room and she is napping and eating great. She looks for David and I wherever she is and gets upset if she can't find us after a few minutes, so I think bonding is going well.

The boys love and dote on her. Nick is treating her really well, but he is having a hard time I think not being the baby anymore. Natalie was initially terrified of the dog, but now laughs at her - the poor dog just rolled her eyes when I brought "another" one home. :)

Ok, I know, pictures....

Embassy Day


Flying home with a friend...


Literally landing as a citizen...








Easter


First Formal Pics...

Nora is PINKITY PINK PINK PINK!!

Congrats A & J! Natalie's buddy is PINK! Unfortunately, due to Easter break, we will miss them at pickup, but we are SO HAPPY that they are bringing their baby home in a few weeks! WOO HOO!!

Natalie and Nora:

Travel Plans

We are leaving for Guat on Thursday 3/13 and flying home with baby girl on 3/19! There will be a group of us from our agency at the Westin overlapping each other so we should have a great time and PARTAY! Woo Hoo Hoo!

My great neighbor friends have insisted on giving me a shower tomorrow. They are so sweet! I am registered at Babies R Us and Pottery Barn Kids. Thanks guys!

PINKITY PINK PINK PINK!

FINALLY! Our Embassy appointment in March 17, with Visa pick up on March 18! Our baby will be home on March 19...I can't believe it's finally time! I have to go make reservations....I'll post more soon!

SURPRISE VISIT!

These were taken on February 15. She is enjoying cereal, fruit, veggies, and meat baby food now. COME ON PINK! The wait is killing me today!

My Friends....

E (and baby A) and T (and baby M) both have PINK now! I am soooooo excited for them. T will be leaving in a week for pick up and I'm hoping that E and I will be at pick up together. Thanks for all of your support you guys, I don't know what I would have done with out you this year. We have to have a beach get together soon. A shout out to A and baby N - COME ON PINK!! N's DNA has been done and I hope we hear soon about their PINK.

Today was a horrible day of refreshing and refreshing the FEDEX tracking site to make sure our DNA arrived. Who would have thought I'd be a Truck Stalker? Geez. Our DNA arrived YESTERDAY and at 4:58pm the Embassy refused receipt because it won't take packages after 3:30pm. So today at 9:30am it got back on the truck AND RODE AROUND GUAT CITY FOR 6 HOURS torturing me and my poor refresh finger. It was signed for at 3:35pm - 5 mins late but Thank God somebody was still there to sign or I don't know what.

This process is a marathon, not a sprint. I was warned of this, I was warned it was an emotional roller coaster like no other - but NO ONE told me I'd become a cyber stalker of all sorts of things. :)

DNA @ USE!

WE SHOULD GET OUR PINK SLIP IN THE NEXT 48 HOURS!!! OH GOD, PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME WAIT TILL MONDAY OR TUESDAY CUZ I WILL JUST DIE!! :)

My guess at a date? I'm betting her appointment is the week of 3/17! Hopefully home for Easter and the boys spring break!

DNA on the Way!

DNA left North Carolina today and is on the way back to Guatemala! I would love to get our PINK slip this Friday, but realistically its probably going to be early next week. I can't wait! The Painter is coming over tomorrow to pick out paint and hopefully he'll be able to squeeze in her room this week. The panic is starting to settle in...

Today Natalie's insurance card arrived in the mail! How surreal! (I took the pic on the computer, thus its inverse).

February Social Visit Pics!

These were taken on February 18. See you soon baby girl!

HAPPY 7 MOS NATALIE!

Today baby girl turned 7 months! Our DNA was received by LabCorp on 2/18 and started its process. Hopefully we'll hear soon that it's on the way back to Guatemala!

2ND DNA is DONE!

We received an update from our agency today that Natalie went in for her 2nd DNA test on Friday the 15th like we guessed. We should be getting PINK around Leap Day! We are so excited, and overwhelmed with unpreparedness (how can that be after this long of a journey?). Still thinking about traveling arrangements since our appointment will be around the Easter holidays. Ugh - I'm a planner and I can't plan yet! Can't dwell though, her room isn't even remotely done, and friends are giving me a shower on the 6th. Lots to do! Here are pics of her first DNA on 8/17, then second DNA on 2/15. She's gotten so big!

08-17-07


02-15-08

ORANGE BABY!!

Natalie is ORANGE! Our credit card was charged yesterday for the 2nd DNA test (which should happen today)! Babies seem to be coming home about 4 weeks from DNA day! WOO HOO!!

More Trip Pics!

Here are some more trip pics - Natalie and Nora had a GREAT time playing with each other!



Happy Valentine's Day!


Happy St. Patrick's Day!




Happy Easter!




Such the Princess!




Amigas!

We got her BIRTH CERTIFICATE!

It's a miracle!  We were told her birth certificate would take anywhere from a month to 4 months. It took about 10 days!!  I flew home from Guat tonight (I'll post more pics tomorrow) totally and completely bummed.  I got through giving her back because I knew it was the last time I would ever have to do it, but the thought it could take until this summer was just a bummer.  You can't imagine my surprise when I got home and checked email and there it was...her birth certificate with our last name on her birth name and naming us as her parents.

She'll now go for her Guatemalan passport.

I can't tell you the relief I feel.....

Pics tomorrow, I promise!

Westin Day 2

Natalie slept for 12 hours and woke up the baby I remembered albeit with a little more ummm should we say "personality"?? She seems to be feeling better and resigned to the fact that I'm taking care of her for now... poor thing, so confusing. Come on you stupid birth certificate! Natalie and Nora have played alot today and hung out with a bunch of - mostly - boys! I'll post a few pics I have so far from today...

Good Morning Happy Baby!


Amigas...












Click Here for Movie Clip!

Westin Day 1

I flew in on Thursday night and got settled (my friend Amy flew in late) and we both decided to get adjoining rooms to help each other out.  On Friday I picked Natalie up at 10am and all was fine.  She is getting 2 teeth in and it soon became clear she was miserable, she wanted comforted and the person to comfort her WAS NOT ME.  Where was my happy laid back baby from all the previous visits?  It was a terrible day and I felt so awful for her...I told David (only half-jokingly) to get his butt on a plane down here.  She pretty much screamed and cried all day with her poor hand shoved in her mouth pushing down on her gums.  I gave her some Orajel and some ibuprofen and she fell asleep at 8:15pm.  Here are pics of Natalie and darling Nora on Day 1.   Natalie is getting BIG.  It's time for her to come home.  Let's just say her legs are big (think tree trunks).  Her legs no longer fit in the Bumbo, so I'm brining it home.  Amy had some Graduate Banana Puffs and this is her first real table food - and thank God she had them because it was one of the few distractions she could stand through her pain...

In the walker I brought her...




Amigas...






Just Perfect That's All...


Tree Trunks...


First Table Food...




Aunt Elaine's Longhorn Lovie...


Legs don't fit in the Bumbo...


Fightin' over the bag of diapers!