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.