The Coan-Stevens Family at home

Things are going really well! L met Hilly today (my cousins Chris and Maria had been watching Hilly and brought her home today).

Hilly and L get along really well. L took to her "chucho" right away. She was a bit scared to touch her at first, and a bit afraid of Hilly's kisses. But that passed quickly enough.

Time at home these past two days has been nice. We've taken L on a couple of walks around the neighborhood (once with Hilly), but not too far yet.

Since it's been so wet outside, we haven't made it to the playground yet.

L met a few neighbors yesterday and today, plus her cousins Chris and Maria of course. She's been really easy going with everybody, if a little shy at times.

Hopefully this week she will meet my parents, brothers and sisters. We're hoping this weekend she'll meet Glenn's brother, Mark, and his family - and maybe even a couple more friends.

But we are taking it slow and staying really local - probably no car rides for a couple more days.

Yesterday, since we had no food in the house, we took her out to breakfast. The ride there was fine, but coming back she freaked out in the car.

Guatemala seems almost like a dream. I still look at L in the house with us and can't believe it at times!

We are HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We got home last night... plane landed at about 9:45 and we were home by 11:30 or so.

L did really well on both planes. Well, she did have a fit both times while taxing down the runway. But she could have been screaming during the whole flight, right?

Everything went really smoothly - from the taxi to the airport in Guatemala, to Immigration in Houston, to getting our bags in DC.

When I saw the Washington Monument, tears came to my eyes. Home! That really is a wonderful word.

I don't know how to thank everyone for all the support offered during my month in Guatemala. There are not words to express it.

Will post more tonight/tomorrow.

Adios Guatemala!

This is it, my final blog post from Guatemala. I hope to keep posting from home during our transition. Not sure for how long, but at least for the first few days.

Today we did not have to awake early or be anywhere until our appointment to pick up L's visa at 3:30. So we took it leisurely.

Morning was a slow wake up, followed by breakfast, and a dip in the pool (well, just L and I went to the pool while Glenn enjoyed the jacuzzi tub).

After breakfast, we took a walk around the neighborhood, known as Ciudad Vieja, around the US Embassy.

It's much more residential then just a few blocks away where L and I had been living. It was nice to walk down quiet streets without the roar of traffic and plumes of exhaust.

We returned to the hotel for an early lunch and naptime. L's been much easier to get to nap and sleep at night since Glenn's been here. I don't know if it's because I'm just so much more at ease or what.

We hung around the hotel room and played until about 3 to head over to the Embassy.

At the Embassy, we saw another mother we had met yesterday. She's actually going to be on our flight to Houston tomorrow. We exchanged e-mails and chatted.

At right around 3:30, our name was called and we were given L's visa plus her special packet of documents for Immigration.

After that, we took another brief walk looking for somewhere else to eat besides the hotel. But we were just so tired, we decided just to eat here.

There was some special meeting going on in the banquet room here. Lots of men in suits with drivers and SUVs. Not sure what that was all about.

Bedtime took a while, but L wasn't acting up too much. Just giddy, which is a good thing.

I'm so happy to say "adios," to Guatemala. But despite all it's shortcomings, it is a nice country.

I hope the recent political scandal (involving the murder of a prominent lawyer who video taped a message right before he was murdered blaming his own death on the Guatemalan president) doesn't distabilize this place. It has so much potential to be a great nation.

Our plane takes off around midday tomorrow (Guatemala time). We fly through Houston and arrive in DC late (like at 11 pm).

We will catch up with everyone over the coming week or so -- again, I hope to keep posting at least for the first few days.

We are praying for a safe, uneventful flight back. We will get to see many of you soon - yeah!!

So close, I can taste it

Well, as I posted earlier, L's visa was approved this morning and we are coming home Friday.

This morning we had to arise fairly early to get to the US EMbassy by 7:15. Mind you, our hotel is one block away. So it wasn't so bad.

Last night we hit a rough patch when L awoke around 11 p.m. I tried to get her back to sleep for about and hour, and then Glenn took over with her bottle. I think she fell asleep about 12:30 a.m.

It was SO NICE to have Glenn take over. I fell asleep and actually slept soundly straight until a little after 5 a.m. Not a ton of sleep, but the most restful I've had in a long time.

We got ourselves out the door and to the Embassy. There were only three other adoptive families there. (Yesterday, there were about five).

The entire process at the Embassy took about 2 hours, most of it just waiting. The two interviews we went through -- on with Homeland Security, the other with the State Department -- were brief.

L did great. There were a lot of Guatemalan citizens there getting their visas to come to the US. It was crowded, but she did really well with the waiting. There was a lot of walking around in a big circle and playing at the windows with a little boy.

Once we heard the words "your visa has been approved," said by the foreign service officer, my heart leapt! It's really happening folks.

We pick up the visa tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.

After leaving the Embassy, we ate breakfast and then decided we better book our flight for Friday instead of Saturday. Why wait one more day to come home?

Well, after about an hour on the phone with Continental (and being cut off twice), we finally made Glenn and L's plane reservations online (mine had actually been completed on the phone).

By then, we were all ready for a nap. L went down very quickly & Glenn and I got to doze a bit too.

We decided to lunch at our fave restaurant, La Boqueria. The chef/owner, Cristina, was there and she congratulated us on finally being able to take L home.

We had a big, wonderful lunch and then I had to take Glenn to Fontabella Plaza since about half my time here has been spent there ;)

L, of course, ran between the two fountains. We then hit the Gallo boutique, so Glenn could get a Gallo t-shirt.

Then I took him to Sophos for a cortado (espresso with a bit of milk). We bought a couple more books for L.

Then it was back to the hotel for some pool time, play time, and bath time. Dinner wasn't as good as last night - although the corn soup was yummo!

L was getting really drowsy at the dinner table so it wasn't long after we came back from dinner that she was asleep.

Things are just really great right now. We'll see how it all goes on the flights home, and once we are home.

Will try to post tomorrow but may not be able to post again until Sunday or Monday as I expect the transition home will be an adventure! We hope to start introducing L to the family next week.

Thanks to all for the well wishes! We could never have done this without everyone's constant support and love.

Visa approved! We are coming home FRIDAY!

Quick update: Visa appointment went smoothly this morning.

We can pick up L's visa tomorrow at 3:30.

We are coming home FRIDAY instead of Saturday!!!!

Alleluia, Alleluia!

Tomorrow, I love ya!

Well, this morning I was a wreck! But, as I wrote earlier, we got a new appointment for tomorrow.

Glenn's plane from Miami was delayed about an hour. I nearly lost it! I just did not want to have to go walk the streets alone with L one more time. But we had to get out.

So we did we go, where else? Fontabella Plaza because I just didn't know what else to do.

As usual, L ran around the fountains and then we ate at Sophos, an upscale bookstore and cafe.

Lunch was really yummy! Carrot salad followed by steak with a lime pesto and rotini with basil. It was almost like being home.

We headed back to the hotel to rest a bit before leaving to get Glenn. L fell asleep in her stroller. But when I tried to get her to sleep in her crib, no luck. We had about 30 minutes of quiet time. (Oh yeah, they were cleaning the room when we came back so that didn't help.)

We left for the airport and when we got there we heard the plane was delayed an additional 30 minutes. So we waited, with me holding L the entire time.

When I saw Glenn, tears came into my eyes. I had missed him so much. L cried too -- but more out of anxiety! Glenn gave her a Guatemalan worry doll and that seemed to break the ice.

On the car ride back to the hotel, Glenn bonded with her more -- being silly and playing.

She was really excited by the time we got back "home." She showing him all her toys and books. It was awesome!

Glenn and I decided to move to anther hotel, with a pool, that is on the same block as the US Embassy. I hurriedly packed a month's worth of stuff - not only the things I had brought with me but all the accumulated stuff as well. Wow, that was something!

We checked out of what has been my home base for the last month and headed in a cab to our new home, the Hotel San Carlos, about 6 blocks away. What a nice change. The place is small, the pool is small, but the room is big!

Only thing is, it has a jacuzzi tub and now I am wishing I had packed L's little bath. Giving her a bath in that is going to be fun!

We went to the pool for a few minutes. Glenn and L had such fun. And she keeps calling him "daddy" all the time!

We ate a lovely dinner on the front patio. Who should call when we were wrapping up dinner? "Gina."

I had texted her that we couldn't meet until after 5 p.m. But of course she didn't call back. She just showed up at the old hotel. But, as it is like 6 blocks away, they ("Gina," her brother, and her boyfriend) were there in no time.

She turned over all the original docs to us -- original birth certificate, adoption decree, adption opinion from Guatemalan government. We actually had a very civil conversation. I told her our appointment was tomorrow and that we were leaving this weekend.

I kind of didn't want them to know where we were staying, but oh well.

After dinner we had to dash to the only ATM I know of that gives out US currency to pay for L's visa at our appointment tomorrow. (They have a credit card machine, but apparently it breaks down all the time).

So, hoping all goes well tomorrow. We should pick up her visa Thursday afternoon. We plan to fly home Saturday!!!

Thanks for the thoughts & prayers again!

New Embassy appointment tomorrow. Home SATURDAY!!!

Went to Embassy this a.m. They just wrote the new date on my paper, initialed it, and said I could come back tomorrow.

This afternoon we have to pay off "Gina" and get the rest of our docs (not needed for Embassy, just for us)

Glenn will be here in three hours! We will be home SATURDAY!

Alleluia, we are almost there.

Thank you for the prayers and thoughts!

Just our luck! We have the Embassy appointment, but....

Well, we got the appointment e-mail. But when is the date? Tomorrow at 7:15 a.m.

What's the problem, you ask? Glenn's flight doesn't land until 11:50 a.m. , and I can't complete the interview without him!

So, I'm going to the Embassy tomorrow to be present at our appointment time. I will explain and ask for an appointment for Wednesday. If not, it will probably be next Monday or Tuesday.

I'm just so wound up, exhausted, and incredulous about our luck that I'm not going to post anything else.

SHEESH!

DNA results delivered to Embassy

Short update: The DNA results were delivered this a.m. at the US Embassy!

Thanks to my sister Jennie for checking the FedEx site for me (I was doing laundry, Glenn was running around getting ready to come here tomorrow).

If I haven't heard from the Embassy by the time L awakes from her nap, I am heading down there. The Consular Section (which handles adoptions) is open until 5 p.m.

We will get that appointment!!!

A lonely first Mother's Day

Well, as you know, today is Mother's Day (in the States and here in Guatemala too). Being with L on this day is a prayer answered, I can tell you. I prayed very hard that we would be together this Mother's Day since the last two (especially last year) have been difficult.

But this morning I felt very lonely seeing all the other families gathering to celebrate this day. By day's end, I was feeling much better -- a pattern I have noticed these last few days. In the morning the day ahead looks so long, but by its end I realize we are one day closer to being with Glenn and one day closer to home.

Well, let me start from the morning.

We actually made it through an entire mass! They cleaned the bathrooms for Mother's Day, so it wasn't bad having to go two times (one right before mass started and one at the end of the homily). I'm glad she's potty trained, but sometimes it's just a bit much!

After mass we strolled down Avenida Reforma and then back to Plaza Obelisco because on Sundays both Avenidas (Reforma and Las Americas) are closed to cars.

In fact, I was doing what I wanted to do yesterday but with more success.

L just loves water, as you know by now. So she ran around at the fountain at Plaza Obelisco. But then we had to take a detour to the Westin Camino Real to use the bathroom (again!)

Then we went back to the Obelisco and got our picture taken by one of the photographers there. It came out really nice.

I wanted to document this first Mother's Day - even if I wasn't in the best of moods. (I'll try to scan it in tomorrow to post on the blog)

We walked up the Avenida Las Americas a little bit -- again what I wanted to do yesterday.

There were so many families out, which was nice in some ways but also made me feel a bit isolated. Still, it was a good distraction for us both.

I had to figure out where to go to lunch. I wanted to try the Cafe Vienes at the Westin, but there was a long line. I thought of a couple other places, but I was tired and hot and hungry, and I couldn't decide where to eat.

We ended up at San Martin and I totally don't want to go there anymore. The chicken sandwich I ordered just did not smell good to me! I ended up eating half of L's pizza.

It looked like it was about to pour, so we headed home for hopefully a nap. But that didn't really happen. She was wound up from all the running around, plus it was kind of late (for us at least).

Then, despite having the "do not disturb" sign on the door, the cleaning staff called me to say they wanted to clean my room. I would have said no, but they had taken all the towels.

So I was flipping channels while the woman cleaned the room, and landed on a mass from Fatima. This totally entranced L. I have to say the music was very nice. So I kept that on to calm her.

Then that mass was over, and I flipped to the Pope's mass from Jordan (there are at least three Catholic networks here, including EWTN). This also calmed her. The music was really beautiful (some beautiful Arabic music during communion).

She chilled with me on the couch and fell asleep for about 20 minutes or so. But when I tried to move her to the bed, she woke up.

I needed to get out. While it was a bit of a downer seeing other families together on this day, it would have been downright depressing to stay in.

So we headed to our second home, Fontabella Plaza, because they were having a Mother's Day performance, which turned out to be really cute. It was a mother and daughter (of about 12) with a band, singing songs and dancing.

Of course, all L wanted to do was run around the fountain. But I still got to enjoy the music -- and a gelato. I got her a lemon one (because she was wearing white) and I got myself chocolate (it's my day, right?)

So we hung out there for almost two hours, which was actually really nice. But we had to leave when she got a little crazy -- no nap, lots of running around, gelato and a lollipop!

We walked around the mall a little bit with her in the stroller to calm her down.

Then we went home for some play time and dinner. It was a pretty quiet evening. We danced a little to some videos on TV. At first when I started dancing, L said "no!" But I told her it was "el día de Mommies" and I could do what I wanted.

We ended the day watching a program on baby monkeys. She loved it and so did I. It was too cute!

By the end of the day, I realized I have it pretty darn good. I know there are other mothers out there separated from their children in one way or another.

I also thought about L's other mothers - her birth mother and birth grandmother, and her foster mother. We should celebrate them on this day too. Without them, Little Miss L wouldn't be with me to celebrate my first Mother's Day.

Obelisco fiasco, lots of play time, no more cooking for me!

This morning I didn't cajole L back to sleep when she woke up -- although it took us both some time really awake. I wanted to get up a little earlier than we had been, in the hopes that nap time & bedtime could be a little earlier as well.

My stomach was feeling much better this morning - I ate my entire bowl of cereal. A good start. But there were, as usual, some rocky parts to the day.

I wanted to head for the Avenida Las Americas which is supposed to be a family hang out on the weekend. But it turned into what I am calling the "Obelisco fiasco".

Before heading there, we took a pit stop at the Los Proceres mall to use the bathroom. Plus it was like 9:30 and Las Americas was not supposed to start going until after 10.

Well the Avenida Las Americas is on the other side of the Plaza Obelisco from the Avenida Reforma. Obelisco is about 4 blocks from my hotel.

So, I thought, no problem. Funny me.

I didn't realize that you had to cross at a certain point to (1) get into the Plaza and (2) be able to walk through the park that is in the center of the Avenida Las Americas. This park is surrounded on both sides by 4 lanes of traffic and no traffic lights.

So we were on the outside of the Avenida, rather than on the inside where the park is. I was hoping to find somewhere to cross. After about 10 minutes of walking, I turned around and finally crossed into the Plaza Obelisco properly.

But I think it was just too early for people to really be there. And the park is really really long. So I think the section where there are playgrounds, etc., is pretty far away.

So we just hung out in the Obelisco looking at the big fountain there. We did make it a bit up into the park to see the Simon Bolivar monument. Oh well.

We returned to Proceres mall, because there is a grill place there that is always busy so I thought we'd try it for lunch. Oh, did I say I've given up cooking? Everything I cook is plain, and I hate the electric stove!

Well, this grill is busy - and even at 11 a.m. there was a long wait to order. I couldn't take waiting after trekking along that freakin' mini highway (Las Americas, that is). So I figured we could eat left over Chinese food for lunch.

Well, the warmed-up-in-the-microwave lemon chicken was NOT good. Plus I think I was too overheated and tired to eat. L ended up eating a lovely lunch of a banana, some vanilla cookies, and saltines. Me - saltines and lemon soda. Nice mother I am!

Naptime was good. I got her to sleep by 1 and I dozed for about 20 or 30 minutes. Then I watched a little bit of "Moonstruck" and "Nurse Betty" while she slept. Got a call from my friend, Rob, which was a very nice surprise.

After a nice nap of one-and-a-half hours, L woke up cheery and playful. The afternoon was a lot of playing with stickers and playdough.

Also, she's started this thing where she pretends she's going out (shopping bags in hand, and her baby doll, whom she calls "be-be-be," in her stroller). Sometimes she's wearing her Burger King crown, sometimes not. But you really never know when you will need your crown, right? She gives me a kiss on the lips and says "adios." Love it!

Since I've given up cooking, I thought we'd eat out for dinner. But when we stepped outside there was some loud thunder going on. So we bought tamales to bring home.

The usual bath and bed. Bedtime is still long. Like an hour to and hour-and-a-half. I think this is normal. But I hope in a couple months after coming home it will shorten a tad. Wishful thinking I know!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and it's going to be very special as it is my first official one. I wish Glenn could be here. But I know he is here in spirit.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers I know, and all the mothers that read this.

Catching up and a trip to the Children's Museum

Well, yesterday I just was not feeling well enough to post. So let's get caught up:

Yesterday is kind of a blur. Since I was so woozy in the morning, it took me a good long time to get up the energy to head to the supermarket for soup and saltines (plus pull-ups and some other essentials).

After that, we headed home for lunch. I made the soup. I could only find Knorr's packages which are so-so. They only had Campbell's cream of chicekn - not good for upset stomachs.

So it was soup & crackers for lunch. L ate more than me, I was just feeling so nauseous.

We both napped, and then the afternoon was Oakland Mall. Yes, this is my life - malls!

On the way there I taught her how to say "yee-haw" (which she pronounces "yee-kaw") because at some fast food place we ate she got a toy of Sponge Bob Square Pant's sidekick (I do not know his name) dressed as a cowboy. I call him her "vaquero" and tell her he says "Yee-haw, como estas?" (See pic of her at top of this post)

We rode the carousel at Oakland Mall and L ran around a bit. It looked like it was going to pour, so I high-tailed it the 7 blocks home. But of course, the rain was nothing (until later that night).

What did we do for dinner? I don't even remember!

Today was better. I was still feeling a bit woozy at breakfast, but ate some of my cereal and fruit. L enjoyed toast with butter and fruit, and some juice. I actually drank some coffee too (had none yesterday).

I was determined to go to the Children's Musuem no matter how I felt. I'm so happy we did!

It is over by the airport, so we had to take a taxi. But there was a lot there for L to do!

She played with big cloth blocks, in the sand on a pretend beach, with giant bubbles, outside on the slides and the little play houses, and with a large floor puzzle that's in the shape of Guatemala with all the different departments (states).

There were also a lot of kids there which made it fun for her.

We got back home for lunch around noon. Left over soup which I could hardly eat, but L was happy.

Naptime was a bit of a struggle -- started to settle her at 1 and she didn't fall asleep until 2! Not boding well for bedtime. I gotta get up earlier so she can go to sleep earlier!

After nap, she woke up cheerful if slow to want to rise.

After some playtime with stickers (and me checking the FedEx site every other minute to see if her DNA test results had made it to the US Embassy yet), I decided I wanted Chinese food. So we headed to J.K. Ming, a swanky Chinese restaurant at Fontabella Plaza.

But before getting the food to take home, L ran between her two fave fountains for a while. Then she played on the big chess board with another little boy, moving the chess pieces around.

There was an art exhibit going on by the bigger fountain. I really liked one artist . But did I have time to really look at their work? No!

We took the food home, and L even tried chopsticks. She actually picked up some rice with them! She's a natural.

I was feeling much better by then. Plus I hadn't had Chinese food in ages -- it made me happy!

Bath was fun, as usual. L loves water, any kinds of water, can you tell?

I chatted with my friend, Carmelina, while L played with some stickers in her crib. Then I tried to settle her.

Tonight there have been three times when I thought she was settled but she wasn't. I'm hoping this last time (at 9:45) is really the last! Oy vey!

So on the DNA result tracking - the results got to Guatemala today but were NOT delivered to the U.S. Embassy. They are being held for pickup - at least that's what the FedEx site says. I think that just means the Embassy was closed when they tried to deliver.

Hoping for Monday a.m. and then we'll see about our appointment. Glenn will be her Tuesday, so even if we have to wait a week I will no longer be doing this alone. Yahoo!

I must say that every day me and Little Miss L become closer. She definitely calls me mommy all the time now, and she calls me when she's distressed, comes to me around strangers, and of course feels independent enough to tell me "no!" when she wants to.

So, three more days and then "daddy" is here (Tuesday, btw, is my one-month anniversary here !)

Oh, we've been calling Glenn to say "buenas noches." In fact, every time my phone rings she says "daddy." Too cute!

Short post today

A very short post today - no pix. I'm just really really tired.

Whatever upset L's stomach last night hit me this morning. I'm feeling much better now - thanks to chicken broth, saltines, and Coca Cola!

L is doing fine! Today was pretty routine, so not much to say.

News on the adoption process though: The results from the 2nd DNA test were sent FedEx today to the US Embassy here in Guatemala. Pray that the Embassy gets them tomorrow (or Monday at the latest) and that we get an appointment for next Wednesday.

Glenn arrives midday on Tuesday - yahoo!!!!

A rough night, a rough afternoon

Well, last night L went to bed early - like just after 7. My friend Elena asked me if L ever gets up in the middle of the night if she goes to bed early.

Thanks Elena - you jinxed me! L was up from 2 to 4 a.m. What a night. I finally had to just move her into the big bed with me to fall asleep. She still roused at 6, but I got her to go back to sleep until about 7:45.

The other rough patch of the day was when L. awoke from an hour-long nap with a horrible stomach ache. The poor child was writhing in pain. I rubbed her tummy, put a cool compress on her head and neck, tried to give her a little water.

She spit up, not much thank goodness (and we got to the toilet this time). I took her temperature - no fever. But I still gave her some children's Tylenol.

She fell back asleep about an hour later. An hour after that, I gently woke her up on the advice of my sister, Jacqui. Just so she would at least get to sleep at some point tonight.

L was her cheerful old self when she awoke, if a little groggy. Took her quite some time to want to get out of the crib and try a few plain cookies to try and settle her stomach.

The cookies and water were sitting well, so I ordered chicken broth and rice for her from the restaurant downstairs. That all seemed to sit well. Let's hope it stays down tonight!

Bed time was late, of course. She finally fell asleep a bit after 9 - after talking on the phone with her tias, Jennie and Jacqui, and her daddy.

There were a few highlights in between the rough patches. Like L running around between two fountains at our home-away-from-home, Fontabella Plaza.

I had intentions, once again, to find the playground in Oakland Colonia. But the sky couldn't decide if it was going to rain or not. I figured I should stay closer to home, hence we ended up at Fontabella.

There, I met another mother, Paméla, with her 9- or 10-month-old son. She was very nice and gave me her number. Both L and the little boy were enjoying the fountains, and of course yelling and carrying on.

Another highlight - I bought some play-dough and some molds and we had fun with those. L pretended to make tortillas and gave me a whole stack.

Also, before bed we had fun making faces in the mirror that hangs above the crib. L's favorite is what I call the "cara de muerte." Megan witnessed L's "cara de muerte" when she was here. It is akin to what we called the "idiot brow" that my niece, Alyssa, used to give everyone when she was a toddler.

So, I'm pretty worn out but one more day closer to coming home. Don't know when that will be. But hoping next week.

OH - the other highlight: The lab in the US that is processing L's DNA sample e-mailed me to say some of the tests are done, others are pending. Let's hope and pray they are ALL done tomorrow and they can ship those results to the US Embassy here.

If the Embassy gets the DNA results on Friday, I am certain we will have our visa appointment next week!

A very routine day

Today was a very ho-hum, routine kind of day. While I was still in a blue mood in the morning -- what with being back here alone -- by the evening I was feeling much better!

L awoke at 6, but I took her from the crib and put her next to me in bed and we slept until 8:30.

Oh yeah, she's going to sleep for nap and bed in the crib now. Started in Antigua. I think this will be a good thing when we get home. I mean, we will sleep in her room with her. But I think we can start her off in her bed. (We'll see of course.)

So after breakfast, we headed to the Econo Super to replenish some other supplies that we didn't have a chance to get yesterday.

I had grand ideas of walking to this nearby neighborhood, Colonia Oakland (on the other side of the Oakland Mall), because another woman who had lived for a while in Guate while finishing up her adoption said there is an actual playground there.

However, I wasn't feeling well. And L had to go "pi pi" (big surprise), so we headed to the McDonald's over by the supermarket. It has a play area. So she could play while I drank a Coke hoping to calm my stomach.

I still wasn't feeling too hot, so we headed home for lunch and nap. But there was no nap.

Just an hour of "quiet time" in the crib. An hour is the most I'll try for a nap -- so just decided let's get going.

Called the US Embassy to ask for a ballpark date for our visa appointment. But they said they couldn't promise anything. So I'll just call back Thursday. The squeaky wheel, right?

It was threatening rain, so I decided to stay very local and do some errands - exchange money, buy a plastic cup (finally!) to rinse her hair in the bath, get some more minutes on my Guatemalan cell phone.

They run specials here every so often. If you buy minutes on a certain day you can get double, sometimes triple the minutes. Today was a triple day. Yeah!

Then, it did start to rain. The lights flickered in the mall (2 blocks away from "home") and I was worried we would lose power again. But so far so good.

Evening was just playing, dinner, bath, and bed. L was exhausted and was out in like 30 minutes.

I chatted with several people by phone and online today & tonight. It was great to "talk" to friends and family. It helps me feel connected.

My mood is lifting, I feel it. I just have to remember to take it day by day. And that Glenn will be here with me & L next week.


Oh and here's a great pic my cousin Megan took of me and L in Antigua

Leaving Antigua, returning to the stresses of the city

Where was I? I'm a bit behind on posting... I think I only missed Sunday (May 3) and today.

Sunday was an overcast, but pleasant day in Antigua. We all awoke slowly. Once the fountains in the courtyard came on we knew it must be time to get up.

We had breakfast at the hotel - Megan took some of the left-over tortillas because they are darn good!

Top priority for the day: laundry. Since Megan was with me, and I know that Antigua has more accessible coin laundries than where I am staying in Guatemala city, I knew it would be better to do ALL my laundry now.

So we headed to the laundromat. While the clothes washed, we wandered some streets we hadn't seen the day prior. Our fave sighting were the Warholesque repeated images of a male chest and arms at the "gimnasio." (Megan took pix but I did not)

During the dry cycle, we wandered some other streets. We went through the central plaza where a woman was blowing bubbles. L was loving it!!! But the woman stopped after a while (b/c she really wanted us to pay some money for the fun). L did not like that.

But hey, there are like four fountains in the plaza so it was easy to divert her.

We then bought a few "typical" things (and a few tchotchkes) at a small shop before returning to the laundromat. The tortillas came in handy while I was folding clothes. Kept L (and Megan) occupied.

We had to take the laundry back to the hotel, so we just decided to lunch there. Megan & I both had salads, and then all three of us split the Antigua-style sausages (yum!).

Returned to the room for siesta. L was much better about going down than yesterday.

The afternoon was more wandering. We went to the textile market, which sells a lot more than textiles. Bought a few things and enjoyed the very bizarre art! L had fun throwing a bunch of what looked like hackeysack balls into a big bin.

Then we headed to La Merced church where a bunch of vendors were selling food. We ate pupusas on plastic stools. Lovely al fresco dining.

I did NOT make it to mass - our schedule has just been really off this weekend. This is the first time in forever! And in such a Catholic city. Dios mio!

We strolled a bit more and then headed home. L took TWO HOURS to go to bed, not sleeping until 10. UGH!

We were leaving at 8 a.m. on Monday, but not to worry. L awoke at 6:20. Still, we took our time and were in the reception at about 7:40 or so. Paid the bill and then went to find some pastries for breakfast and ended up with a pre-packed Spunkmeyer's muffin. Gotta love it.

Drive to airport was a bit bumpy. My coffee and muffin weren't sitting so well with me. Thank God Glenn sent some vanilla galletas (cookies) with Megan. Those really settled my stomach.

On the ride back, we were accompanied by a lovely woman called Mayra Garcia. It is her family's company, Guatemala Treck that drove us to/from Antigua. She has helped many people finish their adoptions just because she cares. She gave me some tips that I will sure to use this week or next.

We dropped Megan off at the airport, said our goodbyes, and then back to the hotel. L and I got settled, called Glenn, and we were heading out to the store to replenish our "pantry" when who should be waiting for us but fricking "Gina" and her boyfriend!

She said she didn't understand me when I told her (and wrote in a note to her) that I had gone back to the doctor's office and paid the bill, and that I had L's passport and medical exam packet for her US Visa appointment. WHATEVER.

She and her boyfriend explained they owed money to the lawyer and needed to tell the lawyer when Glenn was arriving with the money. They said other families hadn't paid them everything.

Now, just so you all know, we have actually paid "Gina" all the money we were contracted to pay. What we are going to pay her once we have our US Embassy appointment is a bonus we offered to incentivise her.

She tells people half-truths every day. Can't she just make something up to tell the lawyer?

By the way, she still has documents we need to bring with us to the US (Mayra confirmed this when I talked to her).

So she will hold onto the docs until Glenn comes and we will pay her off. Sheesh!

I am seriously considering moving house until we all leave here to come home. Only Glenn will know where we've gone.

The rest of the day was low key. I was in a blue mood because Megan was gone and I was back in the city with the stress of "Gina" again!!

One highlight: The DNA sample made it to the lab in the US! The woman there will e-mail us the FedEx tracking # once it's been sent back to the US Embassy here. Once it arrives, we can call the Embassy to tell them to look for it! (Tip from Mayra).

L slept for nearly three hours at naptime -- go figure after being up so late last night.

We were just going to stay in for dinner, but the power went out. My chicken stew was bubbling on the electric stove, and probably would have been OK to eat. But with no lights, not so fun.

So we headed out to find somewhere with a generator to eat. Ate at one of the hotels...it was OK.

Back home for bath and bed time. Bed time was a little bit of a struggle. I finally had to tell L that I was trying to help her sleep but that she needed to try to. That actually worked!

We'll see what tomorrow brings. I may be moving, who knows. But Glenn should be here next Monday. Yeah!!!!

A BIG Thankyou

Sorry no post last night. L did not get to bed until 10 p.m. and I was wiped out!

One thing I forgot to say in Saturday's post was Thank You to all those people who sent down cards & gifts with Megan. It was so wonderful to read all the Mother's Day cards.

And of course Thank You Megan!! I felt relaxed for the first time here. We had a great time.

Will post tonight.

Ahh, Antigua Guatemala!

Well yesterday afternoon was trying for me. I was feeling really homesick and just stayed in watching a movie while L. played.

My cousin Megan's plane was set to arrive at 9:30. So L & I had dinner (ugh, McDonald's again - thank God they have salads there) and then bath and bed.

I got her ready to leave around 8:45 p.m. She slept all the way to the airport and even for a few minutes after. But she was wide awake when Megan arrived.

With a new visitor here, L was very chatty and showing off a bit. Finally , already past 11, I decided to try to get her to sleep. That was a bear! But she did get there eventually.

Megan & I were both pretty beat. Got to bed past midnight.

This morning, we slept in later than usual of course. I took L out to the living room so not to wake Megan. And then Megan gave me a great gift -- nearly 45 minutes more sleep while she played with L! How wonderful.

Breakfast was next, and who was in the lobby when we were done but "Gina." She had asked for an advance on our final payment to her. We decided we were give her some money, but I deducted what I had to pay the doctor.

I also told her I had L's passport and medical exam. There was a look of surprise on her face. (See my post from Thursday about that!)

About a half-hour later, we were on our way to Antigua Guatemala. The ride was nice and we got here in what seemed like no time.

We arrived at our hotel, the Posada Don Rodrigo. It's an old hacienda that has been converted into a hotel. It is just lovely. Our room is off the inner courtyard with its bubbling fountains or "baba" (agua) as L calls them.

We then explored a little. Went to the main plaza. Went to the artesan market and bought a few things. Ate lunch at the La Fonda de la Calle. Both Megan & I had the "typical" plate of chile relleno, frijoles volteados, guacamol, arroz, y plátanos. I got pollo asado for L. But she hardly ate.

Back to the hotel for siesta. Took L about an hour to settle. She just sat in the crib singing & carrying on. Having a good old time. I was exhausted -- I think since Thursday I have just been releasing all the tension of the last two weeks.

Finally she settled and we both slept for a good long time while Megan chilled.

When we woke up it was nearly 5! A thunderstorm was brewing,but we still decided to go out in the rain. We wanted to find Pops, a Costa Rican ice cream chain that Megan fell in love with when she lived there.

One wrong turn, and a detour into Burger King so L could use the bathroom, and we were at Pops. The chocoalmendra (chocolate & almond) was a big hit with L. She was basically drinking the melted ice cream out of the cup.

We walked around a little more. Hit a couple of book stores on the main plaza. Tried to listen to a band play -- but L didn't like them (I think it was the Andean pipes that turned her off). Picked up some essentials and then home.

Played in the courtyard with L for a while. Megan was chatting online with her boyfriend, Willie. Then L & I ate the leftovers from lunch on the portico outside the room. L had a fun time waving at Megan through the window and running into to say hi to Megan (and Willie via webcam).

L went down for bed pretty easily. It has been a busy, eventful, and very nice day.

Tomorrow we get another day of lovely Antigua.

A quiet morning

Not sure if I will be able to post to much this evening and weekend. So just wanted to share that we've had a very quiet morning.

It's Labor Day here and the city is pretty empty. A lot of the stores aren't open.

Still, we went to two malls already -- just needed somewhere to walk to. But I am now worried about swine flu. So maybe I should avoid malls. Sheesh!

After breakfast, we walked around the quiet city streets going down a couple we hadn't before. Then we ended up at the Fontabella Plaza (AGAIN!) and got coffee and a little treat.

There were two little girls playing by the big fountain there. L ended up playing with them -- so cute!

We then went to the toy store where L was just having a wonderful time sitting at this little desk.

Returned home for lunch and nap (right now she's napping, thank goodness after two days without any real nap).

Megan comes tonight. Yeah! I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to getting out of the city and having an adult to chat with (in English).

Hope everyone's weekend is good.

Addendum: We might not be totally free yet!

I just was e-mailing with another woman who adopted from Guatemala and finished up the process herself. She said that "Gina" may still has some documents needed by the Embassy (if we don't have them) .

ARGH!!!!!!!!

Well, it's OK. Today I still accomplished a lot. And I at least have part of the pieces we need for the Embassy and she isn't holding everything (if she's holding anything at all).

I'm going to bed and not worrying about it until I get back from Antigua Guatemala.

Oh yeah, my cousin comes tomorrow night and we are going to Antigua GUatemala for the weekend. Not sure if I will be able to post from there.

One of the hardest days, but one of the best!!!

We are free!! Free from "Gina." I have L's passport and the medical paperwork in a sealed envelope that is required for the visa appointment at the US Embassy.

Oh this day has come. But it was one with lots of drama, waiting, and agonizing until I did it!

So let's start at the beginning. "Gina" was supposed to pick us up around 7:30 to go to get the DNA sample taken.

For those that don't know, this 2nd DNA test is taken to compare L to herself -- just to make sure she is the same child they took a sample from back in 2007 when they compared her to her birth mother.

Anyway, what time did "Gina" finally show up? 8:15!

We first went to get L's photos for her US visa right near the US Embassy. The Embassy is about 5 blocks from my hotel. This took like 10 minutes.

Then we went to the doctor's office where they take the DNA. Across the street from the Embassy. "Gina" said we could also do the medical exam required for L's visa at the same visit.

But she didn't have money to pay for that. She only had money for the passport and the DNA test.

Well, the deal was that she was going to pay for these things and we would pay her.

Whatever! The doctor's visit cost 700 Quetzales (like $90). So I took that out of my bank account - basically using the last money I had in there. This is not our main account, mind you. Just a spending account. I didn't feel safe bringing the ATM card to our main account.

Anyways, we get the money and we are waiting for the doctor. This was actually a nice break for me because, despite her many faults, "Gina" is very good with kids. She, and her brother, played with L and kept her busy. I was kind of annoyed at first, but then I thought, "Man, I've been needing a break. Take advantage."

Well we finally got called, and the doctor (named Roberto) was really really nice. He spoke English - and it was just me and L in there.

He asked about her eating and sleeping habits, took some vitals, and said she seemed all-in-all very healthy. He also commented that her vaccination records are really good.

He also was just so understanding about how long we've been at this adoption, and how good it was that I could come down early to transition.

Then, the took the DNA swabs -- L was really good. I told her it was like brushing her teeth. This seemed to calm her a bit.

Next, the doctor said he wanted to give L a flu shot. He said probably not to totally prevent swine flu, but perhaps to mitigate it. I agreed.

This added 200 Quetzales to the bill. I didn't have it. Yes, even though we have given "Gina" money recently for the delivery of the birth certificate, she didn't have the 200 Quetzales either. Whatever again!

So, my one account was empty & I didn't have the PIN for the other card I had with me.

So I didn't have enough money to pay. Gloria didn't have money (yeah right). So the MD's office held L's passport and medical exam packet until we could pay. The office was closing early - 3 p.m. - because tomorrow is Labor Day here.

Gloria said not to worry. The DNA was paid for and that would be the only thing to hold up the visa appointment. But I just didn't trust her. I wanted to go pick it up, myself, with out her. So I would have all of L's documents.

I tried a lot of things.

• I first called Glenn in a panic, not knowing what to do. He suggested calling Sandra, the sister of my friend Miriam. I left her a panicked message.
• Then I asked Glenn to go home and see if he could find the PIN in our files. He did this.
• So Sandra called me back, and said her daughter could drop off around noon.
• So while Glenn went back, I waited for Sandra's daughter. But by 1:15 they hadn't shown up.
• So I called Sandra and she said it would be more like 2:30.
• So finally I could leave the hotel and try to take money out. But the PIN didn't work!
• Argh! I was near my wits end!

Went back to hotel to wait for Sandra's daughters - Georgia & Jessica. They didn't show up until nearly 3 p.m.

I was still determined to try for the doctor's office -- or least get the name of the doctor (didn't get his last name) so I could call them Monday and tell them not to turn the docs over to "Gina" if she happened to show up with the money.

Well, Georgia & Jessica drove me to the office building. It's only 5 blocks away, but we're talking about major holiday rush hour traffic and the Avenida Reforma is one of those split streets where you have to take three right turns to make a left!

We got there. It was 3:30. I went up and there was one person left in the office -- waiting for FedEx to pick up L's DNA sample!

I paid her -- she seemed a bit confused. She said "Gina" had called to say we would be back Monday. Another WHATEVER! I didn't care. I paid the 200 Quetzales, got the docs & the FedEx tracking number and left.

And then, a huge weight lifted off me!

I still had to walk back towards the hotel and go get something for dinner. I was exhausted. L was exhausted. We had only eaten breakfast (at 10:30 because she couldn't eat before the DNA exam). She had eaten a few cookies and I had a coke while waiting for Georgia & Jessica.

But we are free of "Gina"!!! We have everything we need for the US Embassy appointment. Alleluia!!!(Oh I hope I'm not jinxing myself.)

And can I say that L was so great all today. Even with the flu shot and everything. While we were waiting in the hotel for the third time (once in the a.m. for "Gina" and twice in the p.m. for Georgia & Jessica), she just really was able to play and keep occupied.

Wheelchair access ramps are great fun, can I say?

I felt like I was getting an ulcer every time we had to wait. But L was having a grand old time.

When we got home, I did dinner, bath, and bedtime about 30 minutes earlier than usual. She was exhausted, even though she pretended not to be. And with that weight off me, I had the patience to calm her down and work it out with her - even as she whined and cried.

I feel like we've been through the fire and are now coming out tempered gold.