Andres' First Christmas

Friday, Dec. 25, 2009: Andres celebrated his first Christmas with family. What a special holiday this year, with our little one. Andres was our best Christmas present! Thank you, God, for such a blessing. Andres is bringing us so much joy.

Andres' Baptism

Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009: Andres was baptized at Saint Michael's Catholic Church in Worthington.

Godparents: Jonathan Galindez and Daniele Yannucci

The Galindez family flew up for the occasion and stayed through Christmas. Neighbors and close friends attended as well.

Andres' First Thanksgiving

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009: Wow, it has been a long time since I have updated Andres' blog. He is obviously keeping me very busy. He is growing fast, so we are enjoying every moment with him.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Doug's family here in our home. Andres was happy to meet them all, especially his cousins Matthew and Nathen.

Broccoli-Not so good either!

Friday, November 6, 2009: Andres tried broccoli today. He just doesn't seem to like green veggies. We are in trouble! I kept feeding him, and at least he wasn't as resistant as he was with the green beans. I ended up mixing some squash and carrots along with the broccoli, and this helped. He always enjoys fruit the most, so I gave him a mix of apples and blueberries which he ate very happily.

Green Beans-Not so Yummy!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009: Andres tried green beans today, and made a "not-so-good" face. I still tried to feed him, despite him turning his face away from me. Eventually, I mixed up some fruit with it so he would eat it. Oh boy!

Halloween Day

Saturday, October 31, 2009: We took Andres to Toys R' Us to meet Geoffrey the giraffe. It was a bit chaotic at the toy store, but we managed to take a picture with Geoffrey. Andres didn't seem that interested.

Halloween at Bluffsview

Thursday, October 29, 2009: We dressed up Andres for Halloween and took him trick or treating in our neighborhood. We dressed him up as a giraffe. He looked adorable! We didn't collect too much candy as we only wanted to introduce him to our neighbors. Everyone was so excited to meet him.

Proof of Citizenship

Thursday, November 5, 2009: Andres received his Certificate of Citizenship in the mail. We were told it would take 45 days to receive it, and it only took 19 days. Wow! Our little boy, Andres Sebastian, is officially an American Citizen.

All About Food

Andres loves to EAT! We started feeding him mushed up bananas and he ate it all. Today, we fed him carrots for the first time, and he liked those as well. He definitely has a good appetite. I am having a lot of fun making his food with vegetables from our community shared agriculture and organic items from Whole Foods. The best part is feeding him and watching him open his mouth wide for the next spoon. So cute!

7 Months Old

Monday, October 26, 2009: Andres turned 7 months old! Wow, time does fly. I can't believe our little boy whom we received at 5 1/2 months is already 7 months old. He gets cuter and cuter by the day. We love being his parents. I am sure you can see how proud and happy DADDY is. Andres is a lot of fun, and keeps us VERY active!

WE LOVE YOU, ANDRES!!!

Eating Rice Cereal

Friday, October 23, 2009: After talking to the pediatrician at the International Adoption Clinic about Andres' feeding, we decided to take his advice and start feeding him rice cereal separately and not in his bottle. As you can see in the picture, he enjoyed it, and ate it all! He has a very good appetite, I must say.

International Adoption Clinic

Today, we had our first visit at the International Adoption Clinic in Westerville, Ohio. This is where they meet Andres for the first time and give him a check up visit. The nurse ran a TB test which will give us results by Monday. A physical therapist tested his development skills with toys. The doctor checked him, and Andres is a healthy boy. We go to Nationwide Children's Hospital on Monday for more tests and to meet with a nutritionist.

The doctor recommended we start feeding Andres some rice cereal to feed with a spoon instead of mixed in his bottle, so I tried it this afternoon, and he loved it. He seems to like everything we give him so far.

Andres with Mommy

I am so in love with our little son, Andres Sebastian, that I want to share him with everyone important in our lives. We had a great time today, at our friend's house, as we hung out with my yoga mommy friends and their babies.

The Mommy Club

Andres and I had our first social outing in Columbus. We went to Anne's house for tea, soup, and fun baby and mommy time. We had so much fun! We are all blessed to have each other's friendship, love, and support. It is wonderful to share this journey with such special mommy friends.

Family in Bogota

Last week, we stayed in Bogota with our cousins: Andres Felipe, Mateo, and Maria Lucia. We were able to visit the Gold Museum in Bogota as well, so Andres went for his first museum visit.

Our Second Visit

Tuesday, October 20, 2009: Our dear friend, Jordan, came to visit and meet Andres today. Andres gave her a big smile at the door. Andres is already so loved by all of our friends here in Columbus. What a lucky little boy! Jordan also brought me lunch and dessert which I was so thankful for, because I haven't had any time to cook. I am still trying to catch up on laundry.

Our First Visitors

Sunday, October 18, 2009: Andres had his first visitors at home on this day. Our friends, Malini and Jay, came to meet Andres. They brought him a big stuffed bear that Andres loved and a very cozy blanket for the winter. They also brought us tons of yummy homemade Indian food. What good friends! They are like family, and we are so blessed to have them live so close to our home.

Meeting Zen and Rocco

Sunday, October 18, 2009: We went to our friend's house to pick up Zen and Rocco. We drove with Andres in the car seat, to go meet his fury brothers. The meeting was a success as Zen and Rocco licked him all over. They seemed happy to have a baby brother. Zen and Rocco seemed very happy to see all of us and head back home. Andres loves dogs, so he laughed a lot as he saw them jumping around. We are so grateful for the good care that our friend, Doug Hale, gave to our doggies.

Coming Home

Saturday, October 17, 2009: We flew home from Bogota to Atlanta and Atlanta to Columbus. Andres did pretty well on the airplane. Thank goodness he didn't have any ear problems. He just got a little bit grouchy when he was sleepy-the usual. Ha, ha. Besides that, he did really well. We think he will be quite the little traveler. We are so excited to be home, so that Andres can settle into his new home and nursery.

Received Andres' Visa

Thursday, October 15, 2009: Yeah, we received Andres' visa. He is ready to come home to Columbus, Ohio! We are so happy and relieved that the process here in Colombia is now final. We travel home to Columbus on Saturday, October 17th. Yippee!!!

Andres and I went shopping with my cousin, Mateo, this morning at Unicentro. In the evening, we went shopping with Daddy at the Andino mall. We had a nice time and met up with my family for dinner in the T Zone. We had a delicious Italian meal at "La Luna."

American Embassy in Bogota

We went to ICBF in Bogota today, to pick up the letter that was sent from Chiquitines in Cali. This letter confirms that the adoption was finalized and that the process has met all the requirements. After ICBF, we drove to the American Embassy to ask for Andres' Visa. We had 2 interviews there and waited only 45 minutes for them to give us the okay. They asked us to come back to the embassy tomorrow, October 15th, to pick up the visa. Once we have the visa in our hands, we are set to bring Andres home to the United States. Yeah!!!

Traveling to Bogota

Andres went for his first plane ride to Bogota, Colombia. He behaved very well as he enjoyed reading the Avianca magazine with daddy and looked at the clouds through the window. Thank goodness, he did not have any problems with his ears due to the altitude. We arrived safely at my Aunt Lucia's house.

Lago Calima

Sunday, October 11, 2009: We drove from the farm to Lago Calima which was less than an hour away by car. We traveled through the mountains and enjoyed the beautiful views. Andres loves car rides! He is a wonderful travel partner which is great because Doug and I love to travel all over. The weather in Lago Calima is chilly with very strong winds. It is a popular place for windsurfing and sailing. It rained most of the day, but we did get a chance to take some great pictures while the sun was still out, at the beginning of our drive. Most of my family traveled with us.

El Recreo

Saturday, October 10, 2009: We drove to "El Recreo," which is my uncle's family farm, just outside of Buga, Colombia. It is located about an hour away drive from Cali, Colombia. It is a beautiful drive near the mountains. We spent the night at the farm amidst the sound of birds only. It was so peaceful, and a beautiful experience for Andres, as he was able to see chickens, dogs, and birds. "El Recreo" stands for "The Retreat."

Daddy is Back

Doug arrived in Cali, Colombia today. Andres and I missed him, so we are happy to have him here with us again. Andres was so excited to see Doug when we picked him up at the airport this morning. We are headed to my uncle's family farm soon where Andres will have the chance to enjoy nature and meet chickens, cows, and horses. We will spend the night at the farm and head to Lago Calima tomorrow afternoon. Lots of fun!!!

Eating Guava

Wednesday, October 7, 2009: Andres tried guava fruit for the first time with my aunt Liliana. She has a guava tree in her backyard. Andres loved it!

Thursday, October 8, 2009: I gave Andres guava compote, and he really enjoyed it. He seems to love the sweetness of the fruit.

Andres with Great Grandmother

Andres LOVES his great grandmother and she LOVES him so much too. My grandmother has been so helpful during my time here in Cali, Colombia. I don't know what I would have done without her. Andres gives her a big smile every time he sees her. It is quite special. I feel so blessed to have the chance to share Andres with her during my time here. I am also looking forward to Andres meeting his grandparents once we are back in Columbus.

Eating Mango

Thursday, October 1, 2009: Andres tried mango for the first time today, and LOVED it. My aunt, Liliana, gave him a small mango to suck on, first. He seemed to enjoy it very much. He had it all over his face and up his nose, but he didn't seem to mind.

Saturday, October 3, 2009: I pureed some mango for Andres to eat in the morning. He had a few bites, but he seems to like sucking the mango better than eating it with a spoon.

Starting Solid Food

Andres turned 6 months old on Saturday, September 26th. As his birthday gift, we decided to start him on some papaya, per the pediatrician here in Cali. He LOVED it, though it was mostly all over his face and nose. Soooooooo cute!

Andres' Colombian Passport

Tuesday, September 29, 2009: We received Andres' new birth certificate with his new name (Andres Sebastian Yannucci Galindez). With his new birth certificate, we were were able to apply for his Colombian passport. We only waited a little while in the passport office to receive it. So, we are now finished with all the documentation here in Cali, Colombia. We went out to luch with our lawyer and my aunt to celebrate the finalization of the adoption. We still can't believe how fast and smooth everything went.

All we have left to do now is to travel to Bogota, Colombia, to go the American Embassy doctor for a check up, and then to the Embassy office to apply for Andres' visa to travel to the U.S.A. We aren't too far from coming home!

Received the Sentencia

Today, we received the "sentencia," finalizing the legal process for the adoption. I can't believe how fast it came. Usually, it takes 10-15 days to receive. I went to sign it today, at 5 PM. Yeah!

Tomorrow, we receive Andres' birth certificate with his new name: Andres Sebastian Yannucci Galindez. After that, we are able to go get his Colombian passport. He was very well behaved today, as we got his passport photos done.

After receiving his passport, we are able to go to Bogota, to get his American visa to travel to the states. We should be home soon!

First Visit with Pediatrician

We took Andres to the pediatrician at 10:00 AM, for his first visit. We thought it would be good to have a check up. He is doing really well, and the doctor has suggested we start him on some fruit compote for breakfast. I am excited to try feeding him something in addition to his soy milk formula bottle. Something tells me he is going to have a great appetite for fruits and veggies.

His measurements today were:

Height: 26"

Weight: 15 lbs. 10 oz.

Head Size: 44 cm

Andres' New Name

Our lawyer, Gertrudis, explained how names are given to children here in Colombia. Every child has 2 last names (father's last name and mother's maiden name). Therefore, our idea of naming him as follows: Andres Galindez Yannucci, is not going to work. It has to be reversed.

His name has to have Doug's last name first and my maiden name second. Since the lawyer has to present the case at the court with the correct name, we decided that his Colombian name would be: Andres Sebastian Yannucci Galindez.

We have added his middle name to be Sebastian, which is a name that Doug and I have loved for a very long time. Once we get to the states, we will decide what to do about the last names. I am sure the Galindez will be dropped. Darn!!!

The Legal Process Begins

Tuesday, September 21, 2009: Our lawyer, Gertrudis, presented our case at the court. There were 11 judges, and she awaited to see which judge was assigned to our case. After waiting, she found out that the 11th judge was the one assigned. She has worked with this judge in the past, and says that she is very good and pretty fast with the process. We still don't know how long it will be for our "sentencia," but she said it should be anywhere between 10-15 days.

Interview at ICBF

Monday, September 21, 2009: We had our interview at El Instituto de Bienestar Familiar at 2:00 PM. It went really well. The purpose of this visit is to observe how we are all getting along as a family after a week of adopting Andres. They were very impressed with Doug's ability with Andres and how much time he spends with him. Andres already seems to recognize that we are his parents. It is beautiful to see how after just one week, he recognizes his mother and father. This visit also starts the legal adoption process. We also met our lawyer who is a wonderful lady.

Miscommunication at the DAS

Friday, September 18, 2009: Today was a pretty stressful day with about 5 trips to the DAS (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad), since 2 days ago, in order to figure out how to extend our visas. I have never been so frustrated with the lack of miscommunication. Every time we show up at the DAS office, we get a different person that gives us different information. At the end of it all, we found out that the extension of our visa has to be done in Bogota at the Ministerio de Relaciones Extranjeras. Now we have to take an extra trip to Bogota next week, just to get our visa extension. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Andres is doing really well. We LOVE him so much, and he loves to be hugged and kissed. We still can't believe how lucky we are to have him in our lives as our son.

Our First Night with Andres

We had a wonderful night with Andres last night. He woke up at 12:15 AM, crying for his bottle. As soon as we gave it to him he was happy and gained energy. Andres proceeded to stay up for a little while to play with us in bed. He wasn't close to going to bed. Ha, ha.

He ended up falling asleep and we put him in the crib. At about 3:30 PM, he cried quickly, and went back to sleep. At 6:00 AM, I heard him in the crib, making cute little noises, just playing and entertaining himself. I went over to see him, and he gave me the biggest smile. It made my day! I then went to make his bottle, and he drank most of it.

Andres seems to be a very happy and playful baby. His smile makes us all so happy. My family here in Colombia is really enjoying his presence. He is going to be SPOILED! Oh, oh.

The Big Day - La Presentacion

Monday, September 14, 2009: Today, was such a special day. This morning, at 8:30 AM, we met our baby boy, Andres! It was such a special moment filled with lots of emotions. We experienced such happiness and peace.

Agatha, the director of Chiquitines, seen in this picture, was so special. We are honored to have her trust in us as parents to Andres.

Andres is just beautiful! He has big brown eyes that shine with long eyelashes. His lips are adorable. His temparement is amazing. He has a calmness to him but is also very active. The moment he was presented to us, he looke right at us, knowing we would be his MOMMY and DADDY.

Flying to Cali, Colombia

Sunday, September 13, 2009: Today, we fly to Cali, Colombia. My family will greet us there. One more day for us to see little Andres. We pick him up on Monday, September 14, at 8:30 AM. I am sure we won´t get much sleep tonight, from being excited and nervous.

Arrived in Bogota, Colombia

Saturday, September 12, 2009: We arrived in Bogota, Colombia at 9:15 pM. We are staying with my aunt and cousins. We haven´t seen each other since my sister´s wedding in Cartagena in 2005. My cousin, Andres Felipe, is also my godson, so I am really happy to be here with him before picking up our baby boy, Andres, on Monday morning.

Information about Colombia

Here we are, 2 days away from traveling to Colombia, and 4 days away from picking up our baby boy, Andres. This week has been filled with running errands, packing, working, worrying, laughing, praying, meditating, practicing yoga, and so many things. We still don't know how we are going to pack it all in just a few suitcases.

In order to relax a little, I thought I would take the time to give some information about Colombia so that you can all learn about this beautiful country in South America. We received this information from our agency in our travel notes.

Capital: Bogota is the third highest capital in South America after La Paz and Quito. It is located on a mountain-rimmed plateau known as the Sabana de Bogota high in the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes Mountains.

Religion: The official religion is Roman Catholic. In fact, Andres will be baptized on December 20, 2009, at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Worthington. Godmother: Doug's sister, Daniele Yannucci and Godfather: My brother, Jonathan Galindez.

National Tree: Wax Palm Tree

National Flower: Orchid

Race: Mestizo (Indians and Spaniards), Mulato (Black and Spaniards), Zambo (Black and Indian)

Typical Colombian Food: Ajiaco, which is a potato soup with chicken, sweet corn, avocado, cream, and a special herb called guasca. Sancocho, which is a meat and vegetable soup. Arepa, which is sort of a cornmeal pancake.

Family: Family life is very important for people in Colombia. All members' opinions are always taken into consideration for family matters. The elderly people's advice is always listened to, and they are well respected. The older parents live with their children or close by. The father is the head of the household.

Women: Love to dress up! Women wait for the man who is in the group to pull out a chair for them, open the door, help to get her coat on, etc.

Men: They dress elegantly and fashionably! They are eloquent and charming. Men like to flirt with women and it is common that men compliment women, even if they do not know each other.

Children: Most of the Colombian children attend school, where they get education, entertainment, and games. They respect adults and older people. The common salute is to say Good morning, Good afternoon, Good evening, or Good night.

Worrying like a MOM already

Tuesday, September 8, 2009: What a rollercoaster experience this morning. I received a call from our agency telling us that they had just received news about Andres being sick. Of course, our agency starts out by saying "Don't panic, but..." The first thing i did was panic. They told us he was just diagnosed with scarlet fever. I couldn't believe this was happening at this time. All I could think of was how fast could I get to Colombia to be with our baby boy.

I immediately called the pediatrician here at the International Adoption Clinic at Nationwide Children's Hospital. He thought it was very strange to have a 5-month old with scarlet fever. He said that is something found in 5 year olds not 5 months old. He asked me to confirm some other tests with the orphanage, and an email went out to them with my questions.

After a few hours, I got another email, saying that he in fact did NOT have scarlet fever. They apologized for alarming us, and that what Andres has is a respiratory infection with a rash, and it looked like scarlet fever, but was NOT. Whew! Of course, having him with a respiratory infection doesn't make me feel too good either, but he is on antibiotics and doing well.

Please pray for our little boy to be nursed back to health soon. We plan to give him the best medicine when we get him - LOTS OF LOVE!

Travel Clearance

Yeah!!! I just got a call from our agency representative at 6:30 PM, tonight. We have received clearance to travel to Colombia to pick our baby boy. Our presentation date (the day we pick up Andres) is Monday, September 14th, 8:30 AM.

We need to be in Cali, Colombia, on Sunday, September 13th. Can't wait!

Baby Shower - August 30, 2009

My mother and father hosted a family baby shower for us in Miami, FL. It was wonderful to continue celebrating our journey with our family. Everyone is really looking forward to welcoming Andres to our family and can't wait to meet him.

We had an array of sushi and chinese appetizers at our shower.

Baby Shower - August 29, 2009

My friend, Kristin, hosted a lovely baby shower for me at her home in Coral Gables, FL. She is an interior decorator, so you could imagine the lovely decorations and delicious food she had prepared for us that day. There were only 12 of us in total, and it was just perfect! She even had a vegan chocolate cake especially made by Whole Foods. Delicious!

Thank you, again and again, for hosting such an amazing baby shower for me to celebrate with family and friends.

Not Traveling Yet

We have been in touch with our agency representative almost every day. At this point, we are waiting to hear when we can travel. Last we heard, the orphanage wants us to go pick up Andres on Monday, September 14th. We are waiting to get more of a confirmation so that we can book our flights to travel the weekend of the 12th.

Waiting is getting harder and harder, but spending time with family and friends this past weekend in Miami really helped to keep us staying positive and patient.

Colombia is not as dangerous as you may think

A friend recently sent me this link, referring to a good article about Colombia.

http://thetravelersnotebook.com/destinations-guides/10-reasons-why-colombia-is-not-as-dangerous-as-you-think/

Correct spelling: COLOMBIA

Incorrect spelling: COLUMBIA

False Alarm

Friday, August 21, 2009: Talked to our agency representative, to confirm our travel arrangements since Doug and I had put some flights on hold until midnight this night. Well, thank goodness we called to confirm because our representative told us she had found out that there was still one document that had not been finalized on Colombia's end, so we couldn't travel yet.

Now, we are on hold again, waiting for this document to be finalized. It is the Article 5 Letter that has to be authenticated for immigration. We are trying to stay patient. We feel positive that we will be able to travel within the first week or two of September. Will keep you posted!

Either way, we are waiting for Doug's visa to come back because after receiving it last week, we noticed this last name was mispelled so we had to send it back to the Colombian Consulate in Chicago to be redone. We should be receiving it this coming week.

Received Call to Travel

Oh my God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We received a call this afternoon from our agency, notifying us that we are able to travel. Wow, that was quick! We are excited and frantic, all at once. We still have quite a few things to organize before leaving.

When I got home after teaching yoga class, I noticed that our visas were in the mail. Yippee!

Andres, we are on our way to bring you home! Can't wait to meet you.

Just noticed, it is the new moon, again. These new moons and full moons are bringing us lots of beautiful surprises.

I-797C, Notice of Action

Monday, August 17, 2009: Received our Notice of Provisional Approval for the I-800. Yeah, we are one step closer to traveling to meet our little Andres. We still have our visas to receive and some other documents to be authenticated. Patience is much needed during this time.

Eco-Friendly Baby Gifts

This evening, we received some gifts from our friend, Monica-my high school friend from Miami. She purchased some items from our registry at www.satara-inc.com

Wow, the bamboo hooded towels are so soft. She also bought us some wooded toys and a bamboo shirt and matching hat in "chocolate." Sooooooooooooo cute!

Starting the Nursery

Today, we assembled the crib which didn't take too long. It looks so beautiful in the nursery. Doug and I had a lot of fun putting it together. The room is starting to take shape, and we think Andres will really like it.

When we are in Colombia, we are going to have my aunt, Ana Maria, create some artwork for the nursery. She is really talented with baby artwork!

Baby Furniture Arrived

Yeah! The baby furniture was delivered this afternoon. The dresser comes assembled, and Doug and I will be working to put the crib together tonight. We also had our friend come over to paint the ceiling in white for a brighter look. The room looks so cheery!

First Baby Gifts Received

This week, we received some baby gifts for Andres.

One of my yoga students gave us a beautiful children's book authored by her and a cute little stuffed crib animal toy made of cotton.

We also received a gift set of "Born Free" bottles which are 100% BPA-free (Bisphenol-A Free Plastic).

Everyone is being so generous! Thank you.

More Baby Items

Tuesday, 8/4/09: I stayed up late registering for more baby items. A friend recommended a wonderful website for lots of organic items. I ended up registering for bamboo blankets and towels, as well as wooden toys. What a wonderful website. Check it out: http://www.satara-inc.com/

Fashionable Baby

Andres will be a fashionable baby! Doug is already making plans to have him wear baby "Superga" shoes, which are sold by R.G. Barry. Very cute!

I love the red and yellow ones the best!

Third Trip to Babies R' Us

Tuesday, 7/28/09: Yes, I actually visited this store twice today. I ended up going back to the store this evening with Doug to purchase the crib and dresser for the nursery. We also purchased an organic cotton mattress and the crib set. We were the last ones shopping at the store.

The theme for the nursery is giraffes with retro circles. We LOVE it and hope that Andres will love it too!

Growth Chart

Birth:
Weight: 7.5 lbs
Length: 19.5 in.

1st Month:
Weight: 11.5 lbs
Length: 23 in.

2nd Month:
Weight: 12.75 lbs
Length: 24.5 in.

3rd Month:
Weight: 13.5 lbs
Length: 25 in.
Length:

Second Trip to Babies R' Us

Tuesday, 7/28/09: I went shopping with my friend, Janine. I thought she would be a good friend to help me find natural and organic items that were functional for the baby. She was such a big help, and she didn't mind joining me on her birthday. I took her out for lunch after our trip to Babies R' Us. I feel so blessed to have so much help in the baby department.

Registering at Babies R' Us

Sunday, 7/26/09: Today, Andres is 4 months old. Doug and I went to Babies R' Us, to start registering for the bigger items like the bedroom furniture, strollers, car seat, high chair, etc.

Wow, this store can be so overwhelming! I didn't realize how much stuff we would need. The good thing is that we do get to skip over a lot of the items because Andres will be about 6 months old when we get him in Colombia.

We are so excited to get his nursery all set up! I feel lucky to have my friend, Kristin, who is an interior designer. She was sending me ideas for the nursery until 12 am one night.

More Information Received

Wednesday, 7/22/09: We received more pictures of Andres. It turns out that the country specialist for CHSFS had the chance to meet him when she was in Colombia and took pictures and videos of him. We felt so lucky to see more of him. We really can't wait to go pick him up and bring him home.

He is just adorable and looks happy and loved. Doug and I can't stop staring at his pictures.

Sorry we can't share his pictures at this time. Everything has to be finalized in Colombia first, before we are able to share pictures via the internet.

Received Our Referral

Tuesday, July 21, 2009: Our CHSFS representative called us at home. Once I saw the caller id, I knew this was it! I picked up the phone, and she told me she had some very good news-a referral for a beautiful baby boy! Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I was so happy.

Doug was out of town on business, at the Salt Lake City Airport on his way to San Diego. I called him right away. He was so happy and in shock too. Ha, ha.

I emailed him pictures right away, and he immediately saved one to his blackberry screen home page. He was ready to be a DADDY and I was ready to be a MOMMY!

Next thing, we called our parents and siblings to give them the wonderful news. Everyone was so happy! Andres is going to be so loved by all of us.

Announcement to Family & Friends

Tuesday, 7/7/09: We received a phone call, informing us that we had been officially approved to adopt from the orphanage in Cali, Colombia. The country specialist also said that we would be receiving a referral in a few weeks. Wow, we were so excited to hear this news.

We still don't know if we will have a boy, girl, or twins to join our family. We are leaving this decision in God's hands. We know that he will place the right children with us. As we wait for this joyful day to come, please pray for our family.

Our Adoption Process

5/10/08: Attended adoption information meeting
6/9/08: Mailed application to Bellefaire JCB (Domestic Agency)
6/13/08: Mailed application to CHSFS in Saint Paul, MN (International Adoption Agency)
6/18/08: Adoption application approved by Bellefaire JCB
6/20/08-6/22/08: Pre-service adoption training

7/3/08: Kathy's background check

7/6/08: Purchased fire extinguishers for fire inspection

7/7/08: Purchased outlet covers for fire inspection

7/7/08: Doug's background check
7/10/08: Home fire inspection
7/18/08: Mailed full package of information to Bellefaire JCB

7/23/08: Visited Chiquitines orphanage in Cali, Colombia

8/4/08: Kathy applied for Colombian citizenship at the consulate in NYC

8/18/08: 1st Homestudy interview with social worker

8/29/08: 2nd Homestudy interview with social worker

9/5/08: 3rd Homestudy interview with social worker

9/15/08: 4th Homestudy interview with social worker

9/24/08: 5th Homestudy interview with social worker
11/16/08: International Adoption Hague Training in Cleveland, OH

12/12/08: Mailed I-800A form to USCIS

1/10/09: Bariatrics/Fingerprinting for USCIS

2/13/09: Received I-800A approval from USCIS

3/6/09: Fingerprinting at Columbus Police Records Division

4/6/09: Psychological report for dossier

4/27/09: Notarized and apostilled dossier for Chiquitines

4/28/09: Mailed dossier to CHSFS for Chiquitines

5/1/09: Mailed additional dossier documents to CHSFS

6/04/09: Dossier was mailed from Bogota to Cali

6/12/09: Dossier was approved by Chiquitines orphanage in Cali

7/7/09: Received a call from CHSFS, telling us that we would be receiving a referral very soon

7/21/09: Received REFERRAL call from CHSFS for a baby boy named Andres

7/23/09: Reviewed Andres' medical history during pre-adoption visit at Children's Hospital

7/24/09: Sent referral acceptance letter to CHSFS

7/28/09: Received I-800, I-864w, & DS-230 documents from CHSFS for us to fill out

7/30/09: Mailed DS-230 form (Visa Application for Andres) and other referral documents to CHSFS

7/30/09: Faxed I-864W and I-800 documents to CHSFS for review

8/7/09: Mailed revised DS-230 form (Visa application for Andres) to CHSFS

8/7/09: Mailed our visa application to the Colombian Consulate in Chicago

8/17/09: Received our Notice of Provisional Approval for the I-800 (I-797C, Notice of Action)
9/12/09: Traveled to Bogota, Colombia
9/13/09: Traveled to Cali, Colombia
9/14/09: La Presentacion - received Andres at Chiquitines
9/21/09: ICBF interview
9/22/09: Lawyer presents adoption case at court
9/28/09: Received and signed Sentencia *legal adoption finalized
9/29/09: Got Andres' Colombian passport

10/13/09: Traveled to Bogota, Colombia

10/13/09: Appointment with Embassy doctor

10/14/09: Picked up Chiquitines letter at ICBF in Bogota

10/14/09: Went to American Embassy to ask for Andres' visa

10/15/09: Pick up Andres' visa

10/17/09: Travel back home to Columbus, Ohio

12/7/09: 1st Post Adoption Visit with social worker