Waiting on DNA authorization and planning a visit?

Well, no news on whether attorney in Guatemala has received authorization to have the DNA tests performed. This authorization is given through the US Embassy. They review the initial file to make sure everything is in order and then give the authorization for the DNA test. I have heard that there are long lines at the Embassy to receive this authorization so I hope my lawyer is an early riser.

Received word today from my Social Worker that my Power of Attorney has been certified by Secretary of State of Missouri and has been sent to the Guatemalan consulate. After it it authenticated by the Consulate it is sent to the lawyer in Guatemala so that he can proceed with the case through the Family Court and PGN (procurderia general nacional).

After talking to my Social Worker (SW) last week she said that I live in one of the counties in Missouri that requires readoption in Missouri Court after my baby comes home if I have not been down to Guatemala to visit her prior to the adoption being final. With that said, she said it would be less exensive for me to go down for a visit trip prior to finalization than to pay lawyer fees for the readoption after coming home. So, I may take a trip during Thanksgiving to go visit little Evelyn (aka Evvy, Evvie, Evie, Evita). We will see how things play out. Social worker said having her home by Christmas would be very optimistic but I am still holding out hope for that to happen. There is just no way to predict. I saw someone post on a forum that had completed the whole process in about 3 months so I know it can happen.

I did go ahead and make hotel reservations tonight since the hotels will probably be full around Thanksgiving (they were already showing sold out on Travelocity but I went directly to the hotel's website and was able to reserve a room).

My friend Peggy will probably go with me on the visit trip and then Mom & Dad (if he still wants to) will go with me for the final pickup trip. Of course this is all still up in the air until everything gets finalized and we see where everyone is living and if they can get away. Mom & Dad finish up there mission in January and will be moving back to Texas so we will just have to see how the timing works out.

Well, not much else new happening. I am working on a care package to send down when the director of our agency goes down in the next few weeks. I got ambitious and decided to make a little lightweight quilt (just simple pinwheels inspired by my niece Abby's first quilt) out of some fabric that I have had for years. I have it all cut out and many of the squares partially sewed. I also want to make something for the foster mother who is caring for her. Maybe I will make a pillow or wallhanging with a picture of Evelyn on it.

Hopefully will have more news coming soon.
Susan

News from Guatemala

I signed my Power of Attorney (POA) and a few more documents last night at the adoption agency. I was told that my dossier has already been sent to Guatemala.

Well this morning at work, I received a rather startling phone call. There was no caller ID so I almost didn't answer it but decided to do the professional thing and answer the phone. Good thing I did. The male caller asked if this was Susan "middle name" "last name"? I said rather skeptically that yes this was her. He said he was calling from Guatemala. He had my paperwork and needed my email address so that he could submit my paperwork to the US Embassy to request DNA authorization.

What followed was actually quite comical. I told him that I had an email address and started to spell it out. He stopped me and asked if I could fax it to him so he would have it in writing (I guess to avoid mispelling). I asked if he could just give me his email address and I would send it to him. He said yes and ask me to speak to his assistant. She then came on the line and I ask her if she could give me her email address. She asked if I had a fax# that she could fax it to me. I gave her my fax# which comes directly to my computer and within a minute I had it in my inbox. I emailed her back my home and work email address. I just thought it was pretty comical to call to request me to fax my email address to them. I do understand the reason though because spelling between English and Spanish can be confusing (a vs e; e vs i, etc). They just wanted to make sure there were no spelling errors which I appreciate.

He apologized for calling me at work but the director of the agency that he normally communicates with is on vacation for 2 weeks and he wanted to get things moving.

The email address is used by the US Embassy to send notice that the case is "pre-approved" to proceed after the DNA results are received.

Now we just have to hope he gets up bright and early to stand in line to get the DNA Auth appointment (it is rumored that the embassy only issues 25-40/day and that attorneys start lining up at 4am in order to get the appointments). At least the good attorneys get up early. There are some that I have heard of that just go every day and stand in line without getting the authorization. I hope mine is one of the good ones.

I am taking this phone call as a good sign that my attorney is proactive and moving forward on my case.

Next Steps

I have received a lot of questions about when little Evelyn can come home. There are many steps that must now occur down in Guatemala to get the adoption finalized. I am listing the steps so you can see all that must happen before she comes home. As you will see as you read, there are a lot of steps and a lot of people (including lots of beauracrats (sp?). I feel very good about my agency and the attorneys that they utilize in Guatemala so hopefully she will be home at the shorter end of the spectrum instead of the longer side.

1) I go in on Monday to sign my Power of Attorney which will be sent along with all of my "dossier" paperwork to the attorney in Guatemala.

2)Dossier is translated into Spanish for the courts in Guatemala.

3) Dossier is presented to the Ministry of External Relations who registers the case and certifies all the documents. (steps 2&3 usually take 2-3 weeks)

4) DNA Authorization--Attorney in Guatemala submits a request for DNA test to the US Embassy in Guatemala; Embassy issues the approval to move forward with the DNA test (this takes 1-2 weeks)

5) DNA test performed--birth mother and child will have DNA taken (cheek swab usually); specimen is overnighted to LabCorp in US. (this takes about a week)

6) Preapproval by US Embassy to proceed with adoption--DNA test is processed; results sent; results certified and notarized; results sent to the US Embassy in Guatemala who then opens a review of the adoption file to ensure that all US requirements have been met (this takes about 4 weeks).

7) Family Court (Guatemalan court)--Case is presented to the family court; social worker assigned to the case; social worker interviews the mother and foster mother (to see the child); social worker prepares a report for the court; family court judge approves the case to continue (this takes 5-6 weeks).

8) Procurderia Court (PGN)--case is presented to PGN where a PGN attorney is assigned (this is different than my agency's attorney); case is reviewed carefully to make sure all information and documents required are in the file. If the PGN attorney feels additional information/documentation is needed, the case is "kicked out" of the court and given back to the adoption attorney to secure the needed items. After the information is corrected, it is resubmitted to PGN (this process can happen in as little as 4 weeks or as long as ??? months).

**Note on PGN--A new director was named about 3 months ago and he is carefully reviewing each case. He has slowed the process down considerably. As of last week, my agency has hired an additional attorney to handle all of our cases as they go through PGN to try to expedite the process a little better. Currently, the PGN is where dealys seem to be occuring. No information is available while a case is in PGN unless the case is "kicked out" for additional information.

9) Birth Mother Signing--after the case exits PGN, the birth mother will come in and signoff on the final paperwork (this usually takes about 1 week).

10) Birh certificate reissued--The adoption attorney applies to the Civil Registry wher the child was born to issue a new birth certificate. The name will remain the same with the addition of my last name (Maria Fernanda Carter). This takes 1-3 weeks depending on where the baby was born (longer if born in Guate City)

11) Passport issued--a Guatemalan passport will be issued with the new last name of the child (this takes 2-4 days usually).

12) Final Embassy Review--The entire case is presented to the US Embassy who performs a final review to confirm that all documentation is in order. If they are all in order, a Pink Slip is issued (this takes about 48 hours, not counting holidays or Fridays).

13) Final Medical Exam--The child will go to the INS doctor to get a final review of the medical records and to be sure that all vaccinations are current. This exam is required to get the Visa to travel to the US (this takes 2-3 days).

14) Embassy appointment is set--the embassy sets an appointment for the family to go tot he Embassy to do the final paperwork for the travel visa. This appointment is usually set for about 6 business days after the pink slip is issued.

15) Make travel reservations to go pickup baby Evelyn!!!

16) Arrive in Guatemala City, travel to the hotel, receive Evelyn.

17) Embassy appointment interview (6:30 am) to turn in the paperwork required for the Visa. (2-3 hours)

18) Following day--pickup the Visa!

19) Home to Kansas City!

Welcome Evelyn May

Maria Fernanda to be named Evelyn May
Born on June 6, 2006 1230
Weight 4# 12 oz
Born in Guatemala City?
Mother from Puerto Barrios, Izabal, Guatemala
















I received the call from the agency yesterday morning and was very surprised that they had my little girl so soon. I was told that it would be at least a week. I was sent the above picture along with her birth certificate and lab results showing a negative HIV and Hepatitis B.

I was grinning from ear to ear as I looked at her picture. I knew she was to be my little girl. I immediately called my mom (her grandma) and got her email address at work so that she could see her new granddaughter while we were talking on the phone. She was just as excited as I was as we looked at her picture and found a website with a map and pictures of Puerto Barrios, Izabel. It is a beautiful coastal town but like most of Guatemala, very poor.

I don't know much about her birth mother right now other than she was 25 years old. There is nothing known about the father. After the adoption is finalized I will receive a copy of the Guatemalan social workers interview and report along with a picture of the mother. My heart breaks for her because I know it must have been a very sad day for her to have to give up her precious little girl so that she could offer her a better life and opportunities.

I had many names in mind but always came back to Evelyn May. When I saw her picture, it just sounded like the right name for her. Evelyn was my dad's mother's name and May is my mother's middle name. I wanted to honor both of my parents for all of the love and support they have given me throughout my life and in supporting all my life choices. I also just love the sound of the name. It is a classic name.

Yesterday Evelyn May turned one month old and she went for her first checkup. She will see an American Embassy approved doctor every month. I believe there are only 4 doctors that are approved through the American Embassy in Guatemala.

At one month of age, Evelyn's foster mom says she takes her bottle very well.
She went to the doctor and she now weighs 6# 1 oz and is 20" long (50 cm). She is still very small but that is pretty normal for Guatemalan babies. I received the faxed copy of her medical report this morning and everything is normal and the doctor had no concerns.

I must say that I have the most beautiful baby in the whole world :) I am still in awe that she will be mine. I have so many feelings running through my mind and need to put them down but I am just too emotionally drained right now. I had a sleepless night last night just thinking about my little angel girl and how I wished I could hold her in my arms right now.

The process is somewhat slow as it moves through the legal system in Guatemala but I know that in the grand scheme of life, it will be short and so worth it. She is being very well cared for until she can come home to me.

I have been overwhelmed by the love and good wishes from all of my friends and family that are so supportive of me fulfilling this lifelong dream of being a mother. I couldn't do this without all of them.

I really am exhausted so I am going to sign off for now. I will try to post some more of my feelings this weekend.

Susan (mommy to Evelyn May)

YIPPEE!!!

Well, right after I had decided that I wasn't going to worry about the Immigration approval and that I was going to wait until my application had been in for a full 8 weeks before calling again....Mr Immigration man signed my I-171-H this week. I guess it is true that a watched mailbox doesn't deliver :) I received the approval today and it was signed on Monday 6/26/06. I was so excited when I opened it and read that they had approved me. Of course this all happens on a Friday afternoon when the adoption agency is closed and no one else seems to be at home to tell. So I am putting it all on my blog who is always here to listen to me. I did scan and email the form to the adoption agency since that was the last piece of paper they were waiting for before sending my dossier to Guatemala.

So, what is next? My dossier (all the documents that have been certified and authenticated) will be sent to the lawyer in Guatemala. They will review the file and then when a little girl is available, they will email pictures and whatever family and medical history is available. I will then have a couple of days to decide whether or not to accept the referral. I then sign documents to accept the referral and sign a power of attorney authorizing the attorney in Guatemala to act on my behalf.

I am attaching a beautiful embroidery that I got back last night from the frame shop. I purchased this piece on a trip to Guatemala in 1990 with my parents, sister and youngest brother. It was purchased in a town called Solala which is located on the banks of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. It is a beautiful town and a beautiful piece of artwork made with silk floss. I have had it in my trunk of Guatemalan treasures for the last 16 years and thought it was time to get it framed. It will go up in the babies room. It matches the room perfectly.

I am sooo happy!! I know that there will probably be other hurdles to overcome but at least I have one behind me now. I should be really good at waiting by the end of this process.

Simple Pleasures

• Well, I started this post earlier this week and thought I had saved it but there was an error.
  
  I have just really reflecting on happiness and how the more simple I keep my life, the happier I am.
  
  Here are a few simple pleasures that I have:
  Listening to the rain
• Watching the clouds float by
• Watching the kitties play together, cuddle up together
  
• Cuddling with my kitten.
  
• Walking through my neighborhood talking with my neighbors.
  
• Listening to the birds
  
• Watching the squirrels & rabbits
  
• Unloading the dishwasher! I really appreciate this after not having a dishwasher for 5 years. My life is calmer now that I don't have to look at a messy kitchen anymore.
  
• Looking at picture books
  
• Talking to my mom
  
• Talking to friends
• Quilting
  
• Taking pictures
  
• Chasing Erica around the waterpark or just watching her explore the world
  
  There truly is so much more to life than work. I used to be so focused on work and now, well not so much. This is not to say that I don't work very hard and do a very good job, I just don't do it for as many hours. I honestly thinks this helps me work better when I am at work. I have learned to set limits on how much I work.
  
  I spent a lot of time this weekend reading some Guatemala adoption forums on the internet (adoption.com has a lot of different communities). I feel sorry for many of these families that have been waiting for their adoptions to be finalized for so long. They are so frustrated and with good cause but you can tell that they spend many hours a day on these forumns. They all seem to just feed off of each other's frustrations. I got depressed reading a lot of them. But I was able to find a lot of good posts and good information about people's positive experiences.
  
  Still waiting on my USCIS paperwork to be approved. They are running about 8 weeks right now. Mine has been in for 5 weeks so I will just continue to be patient. I really just feel calm about everything and things will happen when the time is right. It does no good to stress.
  
  I am grateful for all of my supportive friends and family who ask me about the adoption and are happy for me.
  
  Susan

Life goes on...

Well, still no letter in the mail from USCIS (Immigration). I did getg bold last week after waiting a month and no word. I found a local phone number for the USCIS office her in Kansas City. I finally figured out how to work around the phone system to actually speak to a real person. I ended up talking to the actual person who has my case file on his desk. He said that he has everything in the file and that it would be processed. When I ask for an indication of a time frame, his answer was "give or take 90 days." I think that is just a standard non-commital answer instead of saying, "I'll get to it when I get to it." The average time for approval has been 2-6 weeks in the past. My adoption coordinator said it has been running more like 8 weeks for families recently. So, I will give it another couple of weeks before trying to call again. At least I know the name of the person handling my file and can use the dial by name directory on the automated phone system.

I walked in the American Heart Association annual heartwalk 2 Saturday's ago. I was proud of myself. It was only a 2.5 mile walk but actually ended up walking about 6.5 miles through the course of the day between walking around the park before & after; walking to and from parking area and then walking around Independence town square for another event for Breast Cancer Research fund raiser. I have been trying to walk around the neighborhood every night with my neighbors. My neighbor had a major bypass last year and has walked every day since being released from the hospital. He has lost over 100 pounds by walking and eating right. I usually walk 1-2 laps around the neighborhood which is 1.2 miles per lap. I sure sleep better at night when I exercise. I am trying to get back to consistent vigorous exercise and eating better. I want to be a healthy mom so I can set a good example for my daughter and have a long, active life together.

I took a Guatemalan embroidered wall hanging to be framed this past weekend. I think it is going to be beautiful in the nursery and will be a nice reminder of where she came from. Hopefully she will treasure it for her lifetime. It is really pretty in soft pastel colors. I still have some work to do in the nursery (scrubbing floors, repainting one wall and some other general organization/cleaning out the closet.

I feel like I am stuck in limbo right now....Just waiting on USCIS beauracrat to approve me so that I can meet my daughter (at least through pictures and maybe a video). Then it will be a different sort of waiting as things move through the Guatemalan beauracracy which is probably much worse than the US side. So far, there is still no new updates on the Guatemalan PGN court moving any faster. If things continue to be delayed, it is possible that this process could stretch through the new year. I think that if it does stretch past Christmas, that I may plan a trip to Guatemala for Christmas so I can spend time with my girl. Just have to wait and play things by ear.

Mom & Dad are about 10 months into their Church service mission at the Family History World Wide Support Center in SLC, UT. They will finish in January and move back to TX. Dad will then supposedly work in earnest on finishing the airplane that he has started building. After it is done, they are planning to move "somewhere." They haven't come to an agreement on where to move yet. I have put my vote in to have them move here to be close to their granddaughter and daughter. It would be nice for her to grow up knowing her grandparents. I would enjoy having family around also.

Well, I am going to move the sprinkler, throw a turkey filet on the grill and then go walk (if it has cooled down some).

I am really enjoying using this blog as a way to keep track of my progress (or lack thereof) but also just what is happening in my life.

Susan

No Mail Yet

Still no mail from Immigration Dept. I am getting antsy. I come home, check the mail and then watch Adoption Stories on TV and cry so anxious to bring my girl home.

Work has been challenging this past couple of weeks. We had a big install on Sunday and had a lot of testing to do last week. They really didn't give us enough time to test everything. Unfortunately, we found a pretty bad problem yesterday that affected the amounts that we were quoting to our customers. We were underquoting many of our shipments. We had to go to a manual quote mode to prevent the system from auto-quoting. So last night they put in a patch to fix the problem. That went in at 9:00 so I was logged on from home to test things out and ensure that all was well. While I was logged on, I started getting instant messages from various people with problems. Then my cell phone started ringing with problems. I ended up working from 9:00 to 11:45. I am very tired today.

OK. Well, gonna read a bit and then go to bed hopefully.
Hopefully will have some news soon :)

Still Waiting

Well, I got an email from my adoption coordinator last Thursday saying that she had all of my paperwork for my dossier back from the Guatemalan consulates. Now all we are waiting for is my USCIS (immigration) approval. It has been 4 weeks tomorrow so hopefully within the next week or so I should have the approval back. The waiting is difficult. I find myself coming home every day checking the mailbox and feeling disappointed and frustrated that there is nothing there but junk mail.

My mom is working on a quilt for daughter. It is a pattern that I bought at Christmas time with the intent of making it. However, mom wanted to make a "raggedy quilt" and I told her I had a pattern that I was going to make and if she wanted to that she could use it. I think she is having fun with it and even commented that my dad had been helping with the layout--making sure the fabrics and patterns matched up.

I need to start working on the nursery again. I need to really scrub the floor (bought a scrub brush on Friday). It has a lot of wallpaper/glue stuck to the hardwood that I just need to get down on my hands and knees and scrub. I am looking for a butterfly area rug to put down in the middle of the room.

Yesterday I walked in the American Heart Association heart walk. It was a 2.5 mile walk and there were hundreds of people walking. Our company won the award for the largest contribution. We have a lot of fundraisers for several months leading up to the walk. By the end of yesterday I had walked about 6 miles just from walking around the park, to and from the parking area, the official walk and then I went to our town square yesterday and walked around. My feet were really killing me by the end of the day. I don't know if I have ever had such bad cramps in the feet before. I felt really good about completing the walk. I never really enjoyed walking in the past but now that my neighbors invite me to walk with them every evening, I am enjoying it more. I think it is just funner to walk with people.

Well, just wnated to put a short update out here. Nothing new to report with the adoption other than "still waiting......."

Susan

Short Update

I received a call from my adoption coordinator today. She has been out of the office for the past two weeks for graduation. She just completed her Masters of Social Work degree. She is very competent and consciensious (SP?). She was just calling to let me know the status of my paperwork. Most of my paperwork has come back from the Guatemalan consulates. While she was gone the agency director sent off the last three documents to the consulate in Denver. Those should be coming back soon.

Now I am just waiting (not very patiently I might add) for my Immigration (USCIS) clearance to come back. It will be 3 weeks this next Monday and the typical turnaround is 2-6 weeks. I am right in the middle of the waiting time. I am hoping it comes soon. I did check my bank account and they have cashed my check which I have found through my other experiences dealing with government agencies during this process that they are working on the file. In all of the other cases (passport, ordering birth certificates, getting state background checks) within about a week of the check being cashed, I received the documents. I hope this holds true.

After my Immigration clearance comes back, my paperwork (dossier) goes to Guatemala and I will receive my "referral" which is when the attorney in Guatemala matches me with a child.

I am starting to feel a lot of anticipation to see what my daughter will look like.

The bad news I received today from the adoption coordinator is that the final court in the Guatemalan process (PGN court) is very backlogged. Apparently the chief of the court is looking at EVERY case. I guess he is investigating because so many cases are being thrown out of the court for insufficent information. When this happens, the lawyers have to get the new requirements of the court and then "reenter" the PGN. According the my coordinator, there are currently 500 cases pending in the PGN. They don't know how long he is going to continue looking at each case but they are currently expecting delays. Hopefully they can get these issues smoothed out and get things running again. I guess the bright side is that just because you are #500, doesn't mean you will be the last to be processed. It isn't a first in, first out system.

I guess time will tell. My friend Peggy told me that I am starting to "nest." I have finished one quilt and I am now settling into hand quilting a queen size quilt that I have been working on for the past 2 years. It is very satisfying and relaxing.

Well, I need to go to sleep. TGIF tomorrow! It has been a long week at work with lots of computer issues.

Susan