OUR JOURNEY TO KENAN

Part 8

Coming home certainly did not slow us down any. Just a week and a half after we came back we had Kenan's Rosebud Dedication Service at church and celebrated his first birthday. That weekend he got to meet his grandparents, aunt and uncles, and cousins for the first time.

About a month later, we went on our first family weekend getaway to Charleston, SC so Rex could run in the annual Cooper River Bridge 10K. We stayed an extra day to take in some sight seeing and go to the aquarium.

Later in April, two very sweet friends, Mandy and Lisa, gave us a baby shower.

Life was starting to return to the new normal. It took some adjusting on our part having another child in the house but Kenan did amazingly well and never once showed any signs of separation anxiety, etc. We'd have a year full of firsts with this new bundle of joy and lots of memories I hope to eventually put on a slide show (if I can figure out how).

Thanks for sticking with me as I've replayed our adoption journey. Here's one final thing, our announcement - Home At Last! Thanks for the idea Emily and thank you http://www.mandysmoon.com/, we just love it!

OUR JOURNEY TO KENAN

Part 7

HOMECOMING!

By day four we were exhausted but so excited to be going home! Rex headed out early with an agency staff member to go back over to the Embassy to pick up the Visa - please be ready... He returned an hour later, Visa in hand. We went downstairs for our last breakfast and then finished craming our suitcases with all the goodies from our shopping spree.

A driver took us to the airport and we proceeded to go through baggage check and a number of security points. There were quite a few people in line so it took a little while but we eventually made it and stopped to get a bite to eat before boarding.

A friend of our's we sing with in choir, Suzanne, works for the airline we were using and we knew that flight's to and from Guatemala were part of her regular schedule. We had told her when our flight home was going to be and she switched days with a coworker so that she could be with us. What a joy to see someone from home waiting for us at the gate. She had checked the seating chart and saw that we were supposed to be in the very last row. Rex had done that on purpose so that we'd be close to the bathroom in case we needed to tend to Kenan. She told us, "That's not going to work for my friends!" and bumped us up to first class! What a surprise! We had an entire row to ourselves and got a meal we had not planned on too.

After we boarded, the captian announces that we were going to have to make a stop in Fort Myers, FL to refuel. The reason behind that was the plane only had a half tank of gas. If we had taken off with a full tank, the plane would have been too heavy and not been able to get enough speed to get us high enough to clear the downtown buildings. Suddenly, refueling didn't sound so bad, even though it would delay our arrival. We stopped and sat there for over an hour. What was taking so long?! Because it was an international flight, no one could get off or on. People were starting to get antsy, Kenan was getting fussy and so were all the other babies that were going home. Come to find out, there had been some engine trouble during flight and it was being looked at. Again, getting in later would be just fine.

We finally landed. Our original arrival time was supposed to have been at 8:00, it was now 10:00. We still had to go through Customs and Immigration. We were told to have a seat in a waiting room and they would call our names when it was our turn. Our family was the third group that got there and more and more kept coming in. We thought that we'd be called in the order we had arrived but we weren't that fortunate. After another hour of waiting, we were the next to last people to be called. We went out to a desk and had a man look over Kenan's passport and Visa and asked us if that was Marco we were holding. We said yes and he said welcome home, and handed us back our papers. That was it! Oh well, what can you do?

It was so late and I had been hoping that we'd have a welcoming committee there to greet us but I just knew that everyone had gone home to put kids to bed for school the next day. I was so surprised to see all our friends that had waited an extra 3 hours that I was overcome with emotion. Friends, if you're reading this, words fail to express how important and special that was to me. Each of you are so dear to us and we love you so much. We just can't thank you enough for making those first moments home so memorable.

After lots of hugs and pictures and prayers of thanksgiving, we made our way to the car for Kenan's first ride in a car seat. We got home about 12:30 and were surprised to find a clean house that had been decorated with banners and signs. Thanks Valarie for making it look so pretty. We love you!

It had been a very long day but we were finally home! Welcome Home Kenan! We Love You!

OUR JOURNEY TO KENAN

Part 6

Kenan kept us up most of the night that first night. He had been used to getting up at 2:00, 4:00, and 6:00 for a bottle. We didn't want to change his routine right away but we weren't about to keep that up once we got home - mama needs her sleep! We finally figured out he was cold, us Americans and our air conditioning, and he didn't want to be laid down. Once he was bundled up in a blanket and propped up he at least slept some.

Our day was going to be jam packed. All 3 families that had gotten their kids on that Tuesday had appointments at the US Embassy Wednesday morning to get Visa's. We all piled into vans and they drove us over - no car seats by the way, it made for an interesting ride. You'd think a place like that would look official but it was just an ordinary building only with hundreds of people standing around outside. I wish I had pictures but they don't allow cameras or video equipment anywhere on the premises. There were two lines, one full of Guatemalans and the other full of Americans and children. They would point and make comments, I wish I could have understood what they were saying, maybe...

After waiting outside for about thirty minutes, we went through security, walked through the main area with lots and lots of Guatemalan eyes following our every move, and into a back waiting room over flowing with parents and kids. We sat here for close to an hour and finally our agency's group was called. We all got in another line, imagine that, and waited our turn to see a man who approved our I-600 form and we pledged to be his parents forever and to provide a good home for him. Back to the waiting room we went for another 15 minutes, then into a little room that you could barely get into because when you opened the door the chairs were in the way and it was only wide enough to fit a desk in - we're talkin' closet. Once we all squeezed in, the lady looked at our passports and receipts, then we took an oath saying that everything we had submitted was true, etc. This was the point the bomb dropped.

When these appointments had been set up for us, we based our flight schedule around the days and times all the legal things had to occur. We had been told that Kenan's Visa and the two others would be ready later that afternoon but now they were telling us that Embassy appointments and Visa's are never done on the same day, what we had gotten was a misprint and we'd all have to come back the next afternoon. Major problem, our flight out was at the same time as our new appointment the next day, the other families had flights scheduled before then and all the rooms in the hotel were reserved for a golf tournament the next night. No one had a place to stay if we were made to stay an extra day. Prayer time. I should have asked that lady if I could have borrowed her closet...

Let me tell you, God had it all worked out. He is so amazing! One of the dad's knew someone at the State Dept. and called her to see if she could possibly help us. This lady called the Embassy on our behalf and we all pleaded our case there in the main waiting room in front of all those Guatemalans. They told us to come back later that afternoon, all Visa's should be ready.

After lunch back at the hotel, everyone piled into the vans once again and headed over to an outdoor bazaar. Let's just say we did a little shopping...

We found a 'native' outfit for Kenan, some t-shirts, a hand woven blanket, picture frame, flag, magnet, a story blanket which is basically a hand made needle point wall hanging showing the culture and history of Guatemala, some hand beaded jewelry, and a book about the country.

When we got back, the daddy's returned to the Embassy to pick up the Visa's. Only one person per family was needed for that so I stayed in the room so the kid's could get a nap, OK, me too. (I can now say kids, plural, woohoo!) When Rex came back the look on his face told me something was up. He told me good news and bad news. The good news, two children got their Visa's. The bad news, one didn't. We were the one that didn't. You've got to be kidding me! He was given another appointment first thing the next morning before we went to the airport assuring him it would be ready. Time for more praying.

For dinner that night, we all went out as one big group for an authentic Guatemalan meal to celebrate together. No vans this time, we were within walking distance. Kenan ate well but refused to sit in a high chair. He wanted to be held or moving at all times. Was this a sign of things to come?

Bath time and packing needed to be done before leaving in the morning. It would be another up and down night with our new little man. We were ready to come home!

OUR JOURNEY TO KENAN

Part 5

GOTCHA DAY!

I can hardly believe it's been a year since we got to see and hold Kenan for the first time.

What an emotion filled day! We woke up that morning and went downstairs to eat breakfast in the hotel's restaurant. Afterwards we sat around our hotel room waiting for the phone to ring telling us he had arrived. Those were the longest 3 hours of the whole process. We tried to find things to do to keep us from going stir crazy but there's only so much Spanish TV we could watch. Madeline had brought her week's worth of school work with her so we attempted to get some of that out of the way. 11:00 comes and goes, no phone call. Kenan had been in foster care since he was three days old and in the meeting the day before they told us it was very common for the foster moms to be late because they had to take public transportation and in Latin America they don't follow schedules like we do here.

Noon comes and the phone finally rings! They told us to come on down to the hospitality suite, he was there! Here is a clip of those first moments. As you'll see, we aren't seasoned video takers so things are shaky, the lighting is dark in places and when we saved it on here it didn't do it in high resolution. So even though it's not the greatest, you'll still have a good idea of the very first time we saw him in person.

I had imagined that moment for a long time but it ended up being nothing like I thought it would be. Out of respect and sensitivity for his foster mom, I didn't snatch him right up, especially when she picked him up seconds after we walked in. I knew that these were her last minutes with him and that she wouldn't get another child because of the new laws.

Forever Family

We spent a long time talking with her through an interpreter finding out all about his routines and personality. After she left we went back to our room and had a little bonding time.

Later that afternoon we went back to cocktail hour to show him off and meet all the other babies that had been 'delivered' to their families that day. Tomorrow would be very busy and that night would be very long...he just didn't want to go to sleep, but it was soooo worth it!

OUR JOURNEY TO KENAN

Part 4

We woke up a year ago today around 6am to get ready and pack the last few items before heading to the airport. Our precious friends, Jimmy and Valarie volunteered to drive us so that we wouldn't have to pay to park our car there all week. Thanks guys, it was a tremendous help.

We arrived 2 hours early since you never know how long it'll take to go through check in and security for international flights. There weren't a whole lot of people that morning so we got through rather quickly. Since we had so much extra time we walked around, got some breakfast and made a few last minute phone calls to family.

Many of you know what a nervous flyer I am. Even though I've done it dozens of times, it never gets any easier, that is until this trip. So many of you prayed for my peace and safety and I just want you to know that I felt those prayers. I had such a calm spirit during take off and kept repeating the verse God gave me, "The Lord will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalms 121:7-8 I was actually able to sleep. Four hours later we saw this-Guatemala City.

On the flight and at their airport it was obvious which families were there to pick up kids. We saw many moms and dads with a diaper bag and empty stroller. We would look at each other and smile with that understanding communication without words.

After going through customs we found our driver that was sent from our agency to take us to the hotel. Once we checked in and went up to our room we needed to rest for a while. A little bit later we made our way down to the hospitality suite for a cocktail hour - just a fancy way of saying snack and visitation time. We meet other families who had been there a few days and were leaving in the morning, some that had just gotten their babies that day, and others who arrived with us. We had a brief meeting with the staff to find out how tomorrow was going to play out and then had a McDonald's dinner in our room.

We unpacked a few things, got ready for bed and watched a little TV in Spanish. This would be our last night as a family of three, and our last night of uninterrupted sleep for a while. Only 12 more hours...but who could sleep!

OUR JOURNEY TO KENAN

Part 3

Now that we had accepted our referral, all the documents we had collected made their way to Guatemala to be translated into Spanish. In June, Marco had to have a DNA test done which meant being reunited with his birth mom. They collect the samples at the same time in order to take their picture together and to prove it was from the correct people. This made me nervous...I didn't want her to see him and change her mind. Everything went fine and we have a copy of that picture. This and the one taken at the hospital of her holding him when he was three days old are the only photos we have of his birth mom. She is so beautiful and you can see the love for him in her eyes knowing that what's she's doing is to provide for him a better life. Oh I could cry!

In August, his birth mom had to go to family court to sign papers stating that she was doing this of her own free will and that no one was forcing or paying her to give up her son. Once that was completed, these had to be translated. October is now here and we get a phone call telling us that our file had finally made it to PGN. That stands for some Spanish words I don't know, but basically this was the last stage of the process and the most difficult one. Many families have their files thrown out due to errors the lawyers find because they are so picky. We were told not to be surprised if this happens to us too. We received another phone call in early November notifying us that our file had been kicked out because of a typo on the family court papers but that they had fixed it and it had been resubmitted.

Also during this time a government process was occurring that is in essence designed to help adoptive families and children in many countries around the world called the Hague Treaty. It was very possible that our process would come to a stop until an agreement had been reached which meant not being able to finalize for many more months. We went into major prayer mode and contacted every representative we could think of to inform them about the Guatemalan 5000 Initiative. I don't know all the legal things that happened but our prayers worked and we were told that all the families that had received referrals before September could finalize under the law as it existed then and didn't have to meet the new requirements. OK, things were looking up.

The phone rang yet again so our rep could tell us we had been kicked out of PGN for a second time. Each time this happens it adds 4-6 weeks to your wait. By now it was early January and this had happened late November - we never understood why it took that long for them to notify us. Come to find out, the mayor of the town the birth mother was from didn't sign the initial papers from when she gave up her rights at the hospital. This problem was corrected and our file resubmitted. At least they never found anything wrong with the papers we turned in.

God had his hand on this whole thing from the very beginning but what we were told next just confirms for me that this was meant to be. Our rep said we were very lucky to have been kicked out when we were because just a couple weeks after that, a new rule was passed that said any files thrown out of PGN would have to go before a committee for review before they could be resubmitted. The committee wasn't even going to be appointed until the end of January. She told us of a family that missed the cutoff date and they were now at a standstill.

We had yet another phone call three days later. I thought to myself, "If we've been kicked out again..." I was starting to get angry. This call was totally different - she said that we had made it through PGN and should get an email with our court date to finalize in a few days! Sure enough, that email came and we only had 6 more weeks of waiting. Crunch time! Gotta get everything ready!

A year ago tonight we went to bed aware that in the morning we'd be getting on a plane to go get our baby. Here are some pictures we received every month or so while we waited.

OUR JOURNEY TO KENAN

Part 2

Once we had picked our agency and sent in our application, it didn't take long to receive our acceptance letter along with a ginormous folder that had all the information about adopting a child from Guatemala - and so began the arduous paper chase.

We made appointments with doctors to update every one's health information, verified employment, got friends to write letters of recommendation, had background checks and fingerprints taken, took on-line classes that were required and had a social worker come and do interviews with us at home...just to name a few. Each document that was submitted had a specific way it was to be written and each one had to be notarized. I remember having to redo the ones from our doctor about 3 times before it was done right.

After collecting all those papers, we then had to send them in to the state for certification. A few weeks later we got them back and were able to mail everything in to the agency, finally, done, or so we thought... At this point it was late March/early April and during those weeks the wording on the medical form had changed combining two sentences into one. You guessed it, we had to do it over.

We got that done as quickly as possible and during that time, since our agency knew everything had been turned in and they were only waiting on that last document to arrive...we got a phone call! I'll never forget it. It was a Wednesday night and Madeline and I were walking up the ramp that connected our church's fellowship hall with our children's building on our way to children's choir. Our rep was calling to tell us that one of the lawyers they used had just gotten a bunch of boys files in their office and she wanted to know if we'd be interested in receiving a referral for one of them. That was the first moment I knew I'd be a mommy again.

She started telling me all about Marco Tulio Garcia Hernandez born three weeks ago on March 11, 2007 but I was in such shock and tears I could hardly pay attention. Of course I told her we'd love to receive the referral and the next afternoon a package arrived with pictures, background information and a DVD of our little boy.

We were given 72 hours to look everything over and make a decision. I took the DVD to our pediatrician Friday to get his medical opinion, we called our parents to see if they could help us with the financial side of things since this referral happened much sooner than expected and by Monday, we sent in our acceptance letter.

It was official and now all we could do was sit back and wait for the legal process to slowly unfold.