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.