Everyday Something New...

I Can Do...

Walk all around the family room (with the help of my toy).

Sit by myself in the bathtub-no more baby seat in the tub! I WON'T SIT IN IT!! I REFUSE!!

Sincerely-"baby" Collin

In the few seconds it took me to type what is above, Collin was here and then I heard the smacking of little hands on the hardwood floor upstairs and dog food rattling. He set a speed record for going up the stairs-and I didn't even see it-BAD MOM!!

Now after the time it took to type the above paragraph he has opened my recipe drawer and thrown all of my recipes that I had cut from magazines all over the floor.

I think we are in trouble!

GOTTA RUN before the next adventure begins!!

Merry Christmas Eve!!

LOOK WHAT I CAN DO!!

The days of putting Collin in the family room and thinking he will stay there are officially over! A couple of days ago Wyatt was taking a nap and I was cleaning up the kitchen (how ironic). Collin was down with Wyatt in the family room playing-or so I thought. I heard a noise and went to check on him and he was half way up the stairs!!! My heart about stopped!

It is so amazing how fast he is growing. It seems like everyday he does something new. He is crawling at lightning speed, he pulls himself up to standing, he claps, he tries to snap his fingers and now he CLIMBS STAIRS!!! He laughs all the time, sometimes even when he's asleep. He loves yelling and now he has started a new squeaking noise which I like better than the yelling because it is not as loud! And he loves "BIG HUGS" and to give "BIG KISSES". They are big because his mouth is wide open!!

I have some other cute pictures to post of our random family outings for Christmas. The Collins Family doesn't know what has hit them! These kids have Rocked our World!! What FUN!! We are having a blast and these kids are going to be best of friends!!

We all went to Wildlights at the zoo. It was really cold and the kids were so bundled up they could hardly move but Collin seemed to enjoy looking at the lights. He stayed awake the whole time. This is monumental because I took him to the zoo about a dozen times while I was off work and he would sleep through the entire outing and then wake up as soon as I put him in the car to go home!!

This is Collin showing his cousin Kahlen a thing or two about how to eat out of a bowl. You have to get your entire face in there!

And last but not least-THE ELUSIVE TRIO-at it again! Still no picture of the cousins together. I'm not giving up yet! I can't figure out how to get the pictures right side up so you will have to see them sideways-SORRY!

Christmas Lesson #2

DON'T LET THE LITTLE ONES DECORATE UNSUPERVISED

Because they don't decorate cookies...they decorate their faces and eat all the cookies!!

COLLIN MEETS SANTA

Today Collin got to sit on Santa's lap for the first time. He was not very excited at first but eventually he warmed up. What a fun experience watching all the parents make fools of themselves to get their kids to smile-then it's YOUR TURN!! HAHAHA Merry Christmas!!!

More Christmas thoughts

Since I have pretty much done everything I said I would never do I might as well keep up the trend. We were not going to buy much for Collin this Christmas because we still have gifts in boxes that we were going to wrap and put under the tree and maybe even wrap some of his current toys. He's a baby, he wouldn't know we were re-gifting. He really doesn't NEED anything. And, more importantly, we are running out of space!

But...sometimes I go shopping and I see something that I know he would just LOVE! So I've picked up a few things here and there. Today I started organizing the gifts and found that I have gone slightly overboard. Is this how kids get spoiled? Is it wrong to want to give your child everything? I mean, he could have one toy and he would be perfectly happy. I don't mean to be sappy but I remember being in Guatemala and seeing poverty like we can't even imagine here. I remember coming home and the excess and importance we place on "meaningless stuff" kind of disgusted me. But here I am, doing it, and doing it well. I don't know what to say...Merry Christmas?

Christmas Lesson #1

BUY PLASTIC ORNAMENTS!!!

Need I say more?

Celebrating Adoption Photos

Collin had a session with Tennille King, a photographer that donates a free session and photos to newly adopted children to document this special time. The program is called "Celebrating Adoption". She came to our house and took the pictures. Some are in his bedroom and others are in and around his playroom aka the old livingroom. Since he is crawling at the speed of light it is tough to keep him in one place for too long. She was very patient and the pictures came out great. Bye bye FLASH! It is worth the extra money for the quality of the pictures and you pick the location for the session. She is a natural light photographer so she doesn't have a ton of equipment-only a camera!

I am adding the link to the bottom of the blog titled "View Collin's Photos" to view the online gallery. It will only be up for about 10 more days so look fast! They are SO cute!! The password is "WILSON".

I have added her web page also. I highly recommend her!!!!

1st SNOW!!

I couldn't resist bundling Collin up like the kid from "A Christmas Story" and taking him out in his new sled. I think the trauma of putting all those clothes on far outweighed any excitement over snow or the sled. Actually, I don't think he cared for the cold stuff. It may take a while to adjust to the new weather!

COLLIN'S FIRST THANKSGIVING

We had a very nice, relaxing Thanksgiving. We visited with Wyatt's family first and then went to Salvi's to eat with my family. My family usually eats out but that may end soon. It was not exactly a relaxing meal with 3 kids under 3 at the table. We will have to see next year. The food is so good and no one has to cook or clean so it is hard to beat that deal. We usually have to work so it is a quick and easy way to get together with the family.

Wyatt had to work so Collin and I hung out and relaxed at home. Even though I have been home with him every day there was something nice about escaping the holiday stress of having a million different places to go and just sitting at home instead. I think Collin had about all he could take anyway. Everyone wants to hold him and he gets passed around a lot. I'm not real good at telling people they can't hold him and that when he wants me I need to take him. He is still adjusting and bonding with us. He is doing so well that it is hard to remember that sometimes but you can tell when he has been a little too stressed and I always feel bad afterward.

After a bit we got hungry again so we went across the street to Matt and Ann Marie's and crashed their dinner. Collin and Mallory had fun playing. Hopefully they will stay in thier house for a while so that the kids can play when they get older. They look so cute with their matching cars and they really do play well together. We are really lucky to have such good neighbors!

The pictures are from Salvi's, Collin with his cousins and Pops finally getting some time with Collin.

Adoption has touched our family in so many different ways and all are wonderful. I am thankful to people I don't even know and probably never will know for bringing a life into this world and then allowing another to care and nurture that life into something wonderful that can make their mark on our lives and on the world. A birth mother makes a selfless decision to do what is best for her child and makes a family that wants so badly to have a child complete.

I can say that I have learned what mothers always say you can never understand until you have a child of your own. I look at my son and it brings complete joy and happiness with no strings attached. I have never known what it was like to love another human being more than you love yourself. Don't get me wrong, I love Wyatt to death, but the love for that baby is indescribable. I would do anything for him.

My favorite time of day is bedtime when I can just hold him and be quiet and feel him relax into my arms and into sleep. I don't think a night has passed that it hasn't brought tears to my eyes thinking of what a miracle he is and wondering how it is possible to love someone so much. I hope every night that his birth mother feels a sense of peace and knows that someone loves him and is taking care of him and that he is a happy and beautiful boy.

Our First COFLAC Gathering

Yesterday we went to our first gathering with COFLAC (Central Ohio Families with Latin American Children). It was at Jeffrey Mansion in Bexley. Every month a group of people who have adopted from Latin America bring there kids together to play and have fun. Collin was still a little young but the older kids seemed to have a great time playing so I am sure he will love it when he gets older. We got some good play time in while we were there. It brought back a lot of memories since I was there pretty often as a kid. It still looks the same-it's a beautiful place. If you've never been there you should check it out.

Trick or Treat

We had a very eventful Halloween. Mommie and Collin went to a fun party at Amy's house and then Mom and Dad got to go to a grown up party thanks to Nana. Trick or Treat was fun. Mallory and Collin went around to a few neighbors then off to Nana and Pops to trick or treat with Brylie and Kahlen. Poor dad only got to spend a couple of minutes with us until he got called back to work. By the time we made it back to the house all of the kids were asleep so there are no pictures of all the cousins together in their costumes-too bad!!

Collin and his cousins-Brylie and Kahlen

Something tells me we will never be able to get all 3 of them to look at the camera at the same time?!??!! So much for the family photo!

Baby's First Halloween

Today we took Collin on his first trip to Circle S Farm to get pumpkins and check out the fun. We checked out the petting zoo, the hay barn and the slide. We found out Collin is this big...

We climbed on the giant pumpkins, and tried to enjoy our cider and doughnuts but the bees wouldn't let us. After we checked out the farm the last thing left was to find the perfect pumpkin...not an easy task!

We looked and looked...

Collin did taste tests...

But finally he found it...way down there!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Settling in

Well, I have survived my first week home-no problem. I thought I might go out of my mind but so far so good. We are all settling into "real life" and enjoying every minute we have with Collin. He is such a complete joy to have around. The kid can just look at you and bring a smile to your face. I know I am VERY biased, but he is the cutest little boy I have ever seen. He loves to laugh and smile and play all the time. Life is definitely different and this parenting thing is much harder than I had imagined but I wouldn't trade it for the world. It is amazing how this little thing can wreak such havoc on your life and keep you begging for more. Sleep...who needs sleep!?! He isn't even crawling and he has taken over the house but believe it or not I am gladly giving it up. People have seen my house in a condition that would have mortified me BC (before Collin) but I am gladly spending every second I can with him before I have to go back to work. I'm pretty sure the mess can wait!

I will post some pictures soon. I keep forgetting the camera-BAD MOM!!

New Link to Collin's First Photos

There is a link on the top left for the photos we had taken of Collin at Flash. You enter Wilson and the pics are under Heather on 9/18. The password is Collin. Take a look!!

Collin Update part 3

It just dawned on me that this may become a 20 part update and no matter how descriptive I am there is no way to actually describe the trip if you didn't actually live it. So I will try to give the condensed version so maybe I can finish it and I can move on to the present, it is so much more fun!!

Collin ended up taking a huge dive (to put it mildly)on his 3rd day. It was so bad that I was actually doubting that he was going to ever make it home. He became completely unresponsive and listless. There was a huge lack of communication and it was obvious that this was not the place that Collin would get better. I got on the phone with the US Embassy to find a hospital somewhere that could provide modern medical care rather than banana tea or to get him home somehow so we could get him to Children's Hospital. They gave me the name of a hospital in Guatemala City. An ambulance took us back to the city and THANK YOU BABY JESUS we made it to a REAL hospital. They had latex gloves and machines and little baby sized needles. Many of them even spoke English. I had no idea that they had a hospital like this or we would have gone there first. I assumed that the first place was the reality of medical care in Guatemala but I soon found out it was only a reality for the kids that are under the guardianship of the attorneys. I also found out that the doctor that had been treating all of the kids with our agency is not even a pediatrician! No wonder he OD'd the poor baby on antibiotics and drugs. Needless to say I was not happy!

The doctors at this hospital were great and luckily the doctor treating Collin was the same doctor that would evaluate him for his Embassy appointment. He was a very nice man and adamant that we would not leave the hospital until Collin was back to normal. After 4 of the longest days of my life all I wanted to see was the smiling happy baby I knew before this mess. I was beginning to think we may never see that baby again. I didn't know if his organs or brain had been damaged permanently-we still didn't even know what was wrong with him. On day 7 he still wasn't back to normal. His hands and feet swelled up and turned bright red. This obviously set off some bells. Later that day they ran some additional tests and found out that he had Denge Fever which is a virus you get from a mosquito bite in tropical regions. All of the antibiotics had killed his ability to fight the virus and destroyed the flora in his stomach an intestines.

The doctor joked and said that Collin was just waiting for his diagnosis before he would get better. By the next day he was definitely improving and we only had 1 day until his final Embassy medical evaluation. The doctor was kind enough to release us from the hospital just in time for Wyatt to arrive. He told us he wanted to see a smiling baby at his appointment the next day. He did smile for the doctor the next day and received his clean bill of health-ha ha-to leave the country!! Collin had improved so much that Wyatt joked that if I wanted him to come down sooner I could have just asked!??!!

Collin was truly was back to the baby that I remembered and I can't even describe my elation! It made me think of some people that we know with sick kids and I have an even greater respect for them now than I did before. It is the worst, most helpless feeling to see this little human being suffering and they can't tell you what is wrong or you can't tell him that these people are trying to help and it will only hurt for a second. It is unfathomable how difficult it is to not know if that little baby is going to get through this and to stay awake all day and all night just to make sure he still breathing. It really makes all the other "stuff" seem so petty and unimportant. But, the good thing is that he is home and he is better!!

He was a champ on the airplane-no crying or screaming. He was greeted at the airport by his Pops, cousins Brylie and Kahlen and Uncle Bryan and Aunt Jessie. Everyone was so happy to finally meet him. The house was decked out with balloons to welcome him home.

I was really lucky to have my mom with me the whole time. It was a great experience for us to have together and I don't know what I would have done without her. I was not sure if we would drive each other crazy but we were both so focused on Collin there wasn't time for anything else. She was quite the trooper, sleeping on the floor and eating Guatemalan hospital food. I am sorry for both of us that our experience in Guatemala was such a negative one and so different than my first trip. It really is a beautiful country and there is so much to see. Unfortunately, she only saw the worst of the worst. I have never wanted to be back in the US so badly and I have no desire to go back to Guatemala any time in the near future-maybe when Collin is 18!

So we are home now and life will never be the same-LOL!! In a matter of 1 week I have broken just about every rule I had in my head of things I would NOT do when I was a parent. The most recent being buying a DVD player for the car. I know...we didn't have DVD players or car seats or any of this stuff but Collin seems to have a major issue with the car. I don't know if it is the car seat or the fact that he can't see me or maybe it is just my driving. Either way-I cannot take listening to him scream bloody murder every time I drive somewhere. I did not hear screams like this when he was being tortured with giant needles and gagged with things stuffed down his throat. Do anything to the poor kid but don't put him in my car!!!! I can't tell you how many times I have pulled off the side of the road to see if I accidentally shut his fingers in the door or something because I don't know how that sound comes out of that quiet, happy little boy. Something terrible must have happened, but no, he's just mad. And I mean MAD!!

I debated if I should throw all of my Accident Investigation paranoia out the window and turn his car seat around to face the front. I decided to try a DVD player instead but only on one condition...only Baby Einstein DVDs played in Spanish or the family video DVD we have from our first visit. He has a DVD player but he WILL learn something if it kills me!!! I don't want to jinx myself but I hooked it up today and it seems that I am on to something!!SCORE!!! I can drive in peace and give my ulcer a break.

We have gotten rid of all of the furniture in our upstairs living room and made it into a play room. We now have a play area on every level of the house-yes, all 4 levels. Some may recall I stated I would not be one of those people that runs out and buys every toy and loads up the house with a bunch of junk. BUT-it's not junk, they are educational toys that will make him more coordinated and intelligent. I hope he's not "over-coordinated" like his dad was when he was a child!! I am sure that 3 jumpers is not overboard...right? He loves to jump!! I am simply providing him with the resources to improve his skills and abilities. Who knows, maybe he will be a basketball player or a track and field star. I'm not sure how to rationalize the McDonald's cash register that says "chicken nuggets' and "french fries"-maybe I'll get rid of that!!

Otherwise, things are going great. Wyatt never ceases to amaze me. He is truly a fantastic father. I love watching him with Collin. It is interesting seeing how Collin interacts with us differently. He definitely knows his daddy! The best part is he laughs at everything Wyatt does. We will definitely have different philosophies on parenting but who doesn't. I am a mom and he is a dad and that is the way it should be. Hopefully we will balance each other out.

I never thought that life would really change that much with a baby in the house but I was WRONG,WRONG, WRONG!. I am no longer the HBIC-he runs the house and he runs my life. The shocking thing is that I don't mind one bit. He is the cutest thing I have ever seen and a joy to have around. I can say with a great degree of certainty though, that I could not be a stay at home mom. Wow, what a job. I will need to go to work just to escape the impossible job of constantly entertaining a baby!

Well, I guess I am pretty much up to date. Announcements should be going out soon. I have to say they are really cute, but I may be a little biased!! I think we won the baby lottery!

Off to bed-hopefully!!!

Collin Update part 2

Okay, he's asleep in the swing-thanks Bryan and Jessie-we will see how long this lasts.

The doctor eventually decided at about 9:30 pm that he wanted us to take Collin to the hospital in Guatemala City. We quickly packed a bag and arranged a ride with the b&b owner's husband, Israel. He drove us to the city at about 100 mph-very scary!! I could tell we were not in a desirable part of town to say the least. We pulled up to an unmarked building and knocked on the door. They let us in and opened the garage door for Israel to pull his car in. We walked in and they directed us to a room off of the garage. I should have followed my instincts and left but we were in a third world country and I had no idea what to expect. I had no idea if this was what hospitals were like so I tried to keep an open mind. There was no identifiable medical equipment and the doctor kept assuring us that the people torturing, I mean, examining Collin were doctors and he just wanted to get a second (and third) opinion. The brain surgeons made a collective decision that he had an ear infection and they would prescribe more antibiotics and we needed to spend the night!!! Poor Israel looked torn between not wanting to leave us there alone and running for his life. He said he would pick us up at 9am and left us to fin for ourselves in this garage they called a hospital.

They led us up some stairs to our room. It was very dark and all you heard were babies crying inconsolably. The room had 3 old hospital beds crammed in but the bonus was we did have a bathroom. The bonus ended up being the booby prize because when I looked in I saw blood on the toilet and all over the floor. Needless to say we were not using the bathroom. We did not turn off the lights for fear that bugs (or worse) might attack. They left us in the room and didn't come back until the morning. There was no water, no formula, no diapers, no nurses checking on my sick baby, no NOTHING! Thank goodness we packed a bag but we only had one bottle of water. We took "survival sips" so that we would have enough for a bottle and so we wouldn't have to pee!!

The doctor finally showed up and told us we needed to stay until 1pm since there was no improvement. AAGGHH!!! We were literally counting the minutes until 9am and now we had to stay until 1pm!! All they did was give him a shot of antibiotics and tell us he should be eating baby food and not just formula. We decided we were out of there at 1pm no matter what they said. The ironic thing was that at 12:55pm they brought in a hot bath for the baby with a 104 degree temperature and a tray of (slop) food. We were not hanging around for the bath or the food. As we left, people literally ran to our room and tore into the food. Luckily, Israel came back for us and drove us back top Antigua at about 90 mph this time. We wanted to kiss the ground when we arrived back at the bed and breakfast but instead we de-funked by immediately showering and throwing away the clothes and shoes we had been wearing. I quarantined all other items for the rest of the trip. Collin even perked up when we got back but unfortunately that didn't last long.

I had been pumping the poor child full of drugs for 3 days now and he was just getting worse. The owner of the B&B came by and was very concerned so she called her friend who runs a hospital in Antigua. She told us to bring him there right away. Off we went again. We packed a lot of water this time just in case. This hospital appeared much better and he was seen right away. Luckily Consuelo was with us to translate. They told us we would have to stay and we were given a room-clean, no blood, no bugs, one bed and a TV(but it didn't work). We started giving him Pedialyte a few ounces an hour. Thanks goodness he drank it.

Baby is up-have to take a break. Stay tuned for part 3.

Collin Update part one

It is hard to believe that Collin is finally here. It has been a week since we came home and life sure has changed and so has the house-I don't even recognize it. As I type he is breaking his record for length of time sleeping in his crib. He has been sleeping in bed with us. I was beginning to think that maybe he didn't like his room. I should probably be in bed enjoying the extra space but I can't seem to find any other time to get on the computer.

I'll start with our nightmare visit to Guatemala. My mom and I went down for a visit trip. The plan was to stay for a week. The phone rang at 4am and American Airlines wanted to advise me that our flight had been delayed and we would miss our connection. We were supposed to arrive at noon but we would now arrive at 8pm. This caused an array of issues for us but the main issue was that we would arrive too late to get the baby and would have to spend the night in the city and wait until the next day to get Collin. Once I woke up I realized American was not doing us any favors by getting us there 8 hours later so I called back and had them schedule us on another airline-crisis #1 averted.

We flew to Charlotte and then to Guatemala City. We were even able to upgrade to first class for the long portion. Now that is the way to start a trip. We arrived an hour later than we were supposed to, but our driver was still there-SCORE. Things were definitely looking up for us. He took us to the hotel in the city to pick up the baby and then to buy a cheap cell phone to use while we were there. The in country coordinator didn't show up so we had to have a hotel employee translate for us, just the beginning of my issues with the agency. But, we got Collin and we were on our way to Antigua.

We arrived at the hotel which was really more of a bed and breakfast. No one spoke English but they led us to our room. We were looking for a place to check in but it didn't exist. We were told the owner would stop by the next day to say hi. Keep in mind we didn't even give a credit card number when we made the reservation! It was like we were staying at a friends house except we had no idea what they were saying. There were 4 guest bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a living room and some outdoor sitting areas. I wasn't sure that I was going to care for this type of place but it ended up being really nice and a real life saver. There was one other woman, Consuelo, staying there with her daughter, Leesie, waiting for her adoption to be finalized. She had been there for 6 weeks and spoke fluent Spanish. THANK YOU CONSUELO!! She saved us many, many, many times during the trip.

When we picked Collin up we were told he was not feeling well. He had 3 kinds of medicine to take. He was acting fine and seemed to remember me from the last trip. He was the same easy going, happy baby I remembered. We got settled in to the hotel and went out to check out the town a little before it got dark. The next day we saw a couple of churches with Consuelo and Leesie and had a nice dinner and bottle of wine. Collin seemed a little fussy and warm but not too bad. He waited to throw up until we were leaving thank goodness.

The next day we had a really nice lunch but Collin was really fussy and feeling hot ,but once again he waited to throw up until after lunch. I headed back to the hotel and mom and Consuelo went to the store to buy some wine. We had decided to stay in that night since Collin was sick so we needed some refreshments. We had met another girl, Francois, who was staying off and on at the hotel for a few nights while we were there. She was going to join us for "girls night"-Sorry Collin!

After the puking incident at the restaurant Collin seemed to just get worse and worse. His temperature rose to 104 degrees which made me very nervous. He also was refusing to take his bottle. I called the doctor and ....time is up...baby is calling LOUDLY!!!

To be continued...

COLLIN IS HOME!!

We all arrived home late Thursday night. I will update soon-very busy adjusting to life with a baby but enjoying every minute.

Birth Certificate...check!!!

We have a new birth certificate! They closed the US Embassy this week to catch up on a backlog of paperwork. How convenient...our paperwork will take about a week to be translated and the Embassy will be back open and ready to issue us a date to bring Collin home!! I'm almost afraid to say it but this the timing is looking really good!!!

ADPTION DECREE SIGNED!! HE'S OURS

We were notified that the final adoption decree was signed by Collin's birthmother on 8/13/07. That means that he is officially a Wilson!!! All that is left is just formality-HE IS OURS!!!
Here is what happens next:

1. A new birth certificate is issued listing us as his parents
2. A Guatemalan passport is issued so he can travel
3. Everything is translated to English and turned into the US Embassy in Guatemala for final approval
4. They issue their approval (called PINK because of the color of the cover sheet) and we receive a date for our US Embassy appointment(usually 10-14 days from the date of approval).
5. We Travel to Guatemala and take Collin to his final medical appointment and US Embassy appointment to get his American visa
6. WE GO HOME WITH COLLIN FOREVER!!!

Almost there!!!

Waiting is my middle name

The problem with this process is that during each step you can't wait to get to the next one. I am constantly thinking...if we just get to this step then it will be easier...and then we get to it and it's NOT easier. I think it may be harder!! The closer we get the harder it becomes to wait. How is that possible?

People say that it all melts away as soon as you get to bring your baby home. I think I will look forward to that rather than checking a million times to see if the adoption decree has been signed yet. One long term goal rather than a bunch of short term goals. Isn't that exactly the opposite of what the "experts"say?

Actually, I think I will focus on leaving for Guatemala in 2 weeks!! I don't know if I can come home without him this time though. Maybe I should focus on the disaster we are calling the baby's room upstairs-there's an idea...gotta go!

PGN Approval!!

COLLIN IS COMING HOME IN 4-8 WEEKS!! We got our PGN approval yesterday. This is very big news!

Wyatt, Peyton, Brylie and I went to Alum Creek yesterday to beat the heat for the day. On our way home I checked my phone and saw that I had a call from our adoption agency. Normally I would have been very excited but we just got another new coordinator and I assumed it was her calling to introduce herself. I retrieved the message and it was our old coordinator calling to tell us that she had one last duty to take care of before she left and it was to tell us we have PGN approval.

I cannot begin to tell you what a relief this is. PGN is the land of the unknown. It is the place where everything can get screwed up. It is the place where you are at the mercy of some unknown persons mood-and we all know that's not good. No one can really give you an estimate of how long it is going to take. You are in limbo and so is your baby! Some people are stuck there for months and months. They get kick out after kick out for stupid reasons while their kids get older and more attached to their foster families. But we are OUT!!!!

As always we have to remain cautiously optimistic. After PGN approval the final adoption decree has to be signed by the birth mother. It is the last opportunity for her to change her mind. Fortunately, that rarely happens. I am more concerned that it will take her a long time to get to the city to get it signed but our attorney has a great track record of having them signed within a week of approval, sometimes the same day. He also has a reputation for not updating us in a timely manner so we could be suffering with that thought for a while. When we get that notification-that is when the real excitement can begin. I don't know that the true reality will set in until we have him on the airplane and we are back in the US. I may have to kiss the ground in Miami!!YUCK!

The really funny thing is that my mom and I are going down to visit 8/30 to 9/6. The end of that trip will be the 4 week mark. Needless to say I am hoping that our visit trip will coincide with the pick-up trip. I can take my mom to the airport to send her home and pick up Wyatt to take care of business in Guatemala and then we can go home as a family!!! That would be perfect. But, if not it is okay. It will give Collin's foster family a few more days with him. I know that they will be very sad to see him go. It will be especially difficult on the granddaughter. We can understand their pain very well. It was so hard to meet him in May and have to leave him but he is so loved by so many people, here and in Guatemala. It is a really amazing thing that I hope he understands some day. I also hope that his birth mom knows how many people love him and that he is going to have a life full of love and opportunity.

Hopefully I will be posting very soon with a signed adoption decree and Collin will officially be a Wilson!!!

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

I got a call today from our coordinator, Dusty. We don't really speak on the phone often so when the Indiana number pops up I know something is up. I was once again at work and driving around with my partner just getting ready to pull into White Castle for our coffee-just like when we got our referral. I saw the number and I didn't even say hello I just answered and said "I hope you have good news". She said "well, I have bad news and good news". I knew right then exactly what she was going to say. We were kicked out of PGN on 7/17 but the good news was that we were re-submitted the same day. That means that whatever the reviewer felt was wrong with our file was a very minor problem and the attorney was able to correct it within the day and get us back on the pile to start all over. It could have been something as little as a missing accent mark or they wanted a clearer copy. Don't laugh, it's true! And the mistake could have been on the first page of our hundred page document. The average person would think that one would continue to read to find any other mistakes so that they could all be fixed at once but there is nothing average about PGN reviewers. Dusty didn't know what the kickout was for but who cares, we are back in.

I felt like I knew when the phone rang that this was not going to be "the call". I wish it would have been so that on Sunday at our shower we could tell everyone we would be picking him up in about a month but no such luck. I hate to say I have good days and bad days because I am really trying to focus on enjoying our last childless days and find ways to stay positive and upbeat about this process but it is really hard. Today was not one of the best days. I have tried to stay off of the chat group because it was making me crazy,but it's like crack-I can't stop. So I peeked at a few postings and found that someone with a son that was born 3 days before Collin got their PGN approval today after 2 weeks. It seems like if people aren't getting out in a week they are the extreme opposite and stuck in PGN for months and months. I am happy for those people that got out so fast but I really hoped and believed that we would be one of those people. So the news made me really sad and then add the phone call on top of it and I have to say it was not a good day. I should really stay off the chat board!!

Ironically, I was tossing around the idea of taking another visit trip since Collin turned 6 months the other day. Wyatt isn't going to go because he doesn't want to be broke. I, on the other hand, will deal with being broke. We have been working a ton of special duty to save for the pick up trip and for our last big payment ($11,000)that we had to send in last week. I just think it is important for Collin to see at least one of us again since it is obvious we won't be picking him up as soon as we would have liked. He is 6 months old now and his object permanence is going to start kicking in. I want to be an object in his head. I want him to recognize and miss me when I leave and know me when I come back to take him home. If I have to spend some money to take a trip down there and spend a week with him that is what I am going to do! My mom just got her passport in the mail yesterday so I am taking it as a sign. She is going to go down with me at the end of August and Collin will get to meet his grandmother for the first time. She will be the one babysitting him when he gets home and we go back to work. I am excited that she will have the opportunity to see his beautiful country so that she will know first hand where he came from. And hopefully both of us will return alive and on speaking terms! =*)

We are getting excited for the party this weekend. I hope the weather is good. Chrissy and I did some party shopping yesterday. There are lots of fun things planned!! And a ton of adult beverages!! How fun to be able to drink at your own baby shower!

I eventually will get back to my FAQ posting. I had hoped to have it done before the shower. I sat her for almost 3 hours last week composing a work of art that answered all of the "frequently asked questions" that we get. I thought since the blog was on the invitations that some people may want to take a look and it might be a good way to get everyone up to speed. When my masterpiece was completed the computer decided to eat it. I am certain it was no fault of my own and if I wasn't still paying for this computer I would have thrown the damn thing out in the street! It was gone and never to be seen again. So it has taken me a good week to get back on here and post after that trauma. I guess I am over it now and on to the next crisis!

I hope to see everyone this weekend. Be ready-as Wyatt would say.

WE ARE IN!!!

After weeks of bugging our coordinator with e-mails I decided to make a call and make sure my point got across-we want to know where we are!!! I got the same story, I'll e-mail the boss and have her contact the attorney. I was not happy but what can you do? She said she would let me know as soon as she heard anything. Our agency has an online adoption tracker that most people stalk 24/7. You usually get information there long before you get it from your coordinator. So, I just happened to check it later that afternoon and what do you know....we have been in PGN since 6/20...2 days after we got Pre-Approval!! That means we have 3 weeks of PGN under our belts. I'd love to say we didn't have to suffer through it but we did. Or should I say I did, Wyatt remains in his state of "ignorance is bliss". He listens when I tell him about the latest but somehow none of it phases him. I used to think he didn't even listen but I found out he knows a lot more than I thought he did. He was chatting it up with all the parents in Antigua.

The other down side is that we are obviously not one of the "5 day out" people, which is fine, I'll take a 5 week out. We still have a lot of work to do before the big day but if they called us to get him tomorrow, that would be just fine.

I should learn to listen to my gut feeling. I felt like there was nothing to worry about but easier said than done. I know we have one of the best attorneys and that he works very diligently to get things done quickly but when you don't know what is going on it makes you crazy. Hopefully my gut is right this time too because I feel like we will be out of PGN in no time and pick up Collin in late August or early September. Keep your fingers crossed!!

Give us something PLEASE!!!

As if it wasn't hard enough waiting for 8 weeks for pre-approval we have now waited almost 3 more weeks and heard NOTHING!!! I am trying to stay positive as our attorney is known for working diligently but not updating so hopefully we are well on our way in PGN. I have e-mailed our coordinator several times the last couple of weeks hoping for some glimmer of hope. I think I am being ignored! I really don't understand what can be so difficult about making a phone call and getting an update on our status. Obviously, it is nearly impossible. Oddly enough, as crazy and stressed as I feel something tells me that we are making progress and not to worry. Whatever that something is, I hope it's right. I keep thinking, it has been 3 weeks. We could have been in PGN for 2 weeks or more. Maybe we will find out we are out before we hear we are in!! OR maybe our file fell off the desk and into the trash can...I never claimed to be an optimist!


We did get one shred of good news. I was concerned that a few people with our attorney have had an issue with the wording on their Power of Attorney and have received a kick out from the courts. I was so incredibly organized and agonized over keeping records of everything during our "paper chase" but it turns out that I neglected to make a copy of our POA before I mailed it. Probably because I wanted to set the world record for speed and get it back ASAP! Our coordinator sent me a copy and the wording was correct on ours. YEA! One less thing to worry about.

On a lighter note, we did get updated pictures of Collin. It appears Mama Rosa (or Luisa, her granddaughter) may have given him a haircut. Not the curls, just the bangs. She must have used a bowl or a ruler to get them that straight!! Not the best pictures but he looks like he is gaining weight. We haven't received the updated weight and measurements yet. Those usually come in the first part of the month. They take pride in fattening up the babies down there. Hopefully we get him home before they turn him into an Oompah Loompah.

I tried to call Mama Rosa tonight but her neighbor that speaks English wasn't home. It is always an entertaining conversation when neither party has a clue what the other one is saying. I did get to talk to Collin but he didn't talk back. They were laughing so he must have been doing something funny. Or wait, maybe they were laughing at me???

I have been taking Spanish at Columbus State Monday thru Friday 8A-10:30a. I am hoping to learn as much as possible before Collin gets here. We will see how it goes. It is quite a challenge getting up every morning after getting home at 11pm and finding time to study. I managed to make it 6 months without going to school. Why didn't I take Spanish instead of sign language??? I don't think I would have been nearly as driven to learn it if it wasn't for Collin.

I have also decided to change jobs. I am moving to the Domestic Violence Unit. That should put an end to the middle of the night call ins and the days off will work out better for child care. We were trying to get opposing days off so that Collin would only need to go to his Nana and Pops 3 days a week rather that 4 or 5. But, who knows what will happen. Wyatt still could get promoted and end up with a schedule that changes the whole plan. It will be a nice change hopefully although it is always difficult leaving what is comfortable and familiar. I look at it as a time of transition and change for all 3 of us. Wyatt is in a new job and may end up promoted, I am going to a new job and Collin will be leaving his familiar surroundings soon and coming to an unknown place with different people, smells, sounds, language and scenery. Everything will be new to him and to us but we can't wait and hopefully it will be a smooth transition for all of us. I can only hope that some day he realizes how many people loved him before they even knew him and looked forward to the day that he finally came home.

We received an e-mail today from Dusty, our coordinator, finally answering my question about Family Court. I guess I need to be more specific or maybe more annoying. I was concerned because we have not received an update that we are out of Family Court. I have heard rumors that there has been a shake up with the judges and cases were really getting backed up-to the tune of 14 weeks! We have been in family court for 10 weeks as far as we know. Dusty stated that Raphael, our attorney, is notorious for not picking up Family Court approvals until pre-approval has been received. She seems to think this is PROBABLY the case but can't tell us for sure. She said she would try to get more information. Since entering PGN means it's time to pay the lawyer again, I'm sure we will get an update ASAP. Hopefully by next week we will hear that we are in PGN which means we are out of Family Court and we just weren't updated, which is fine with me. As long as we are moving forward and not sitting still, I will be happy. Our attorney has a pretty good track record as far as quick outs in PGN so we will keep our fingers crossed. I am trying to take Bryan's advise and look at each passing day as one day closer to Collin coming home rather than one more day away from him. What a smart brother he is!! =*)

Finally-PRE-APPROVAL

WE FINALLY GOT PRE-APPROVAL!!!
8 WEEKS EXACTLY

Thank you to the US Government for making us wait 8 weeks for something that should only take 3-6 weeks. And thank you for creating annoying form letters in reply to our inquiries that don't answer our question at all and make us want to throw our nice computers out the window. Thank you for sending those same exact letters to my congressman when he tries to find out what is taking so long.

Hopefully soon I can thank Guatemalan Family Court for chewing us up and spitting us out after 10 long weeks!

PGN please be nice to us!!!

First post-our visit trip-LONG

This blogging thing is all new to me but I find lately I need to do as much as possible to keep my mind occupied. We have just returned home from Guatemala where we met our son for the first time. Words really cannot describe the feelings and emotions we encountered on this trip. I am not exaggerating when I call it a "life changing experience". It was truly the trip of a lifetime and if I could go back tomorrow I would!

We were so excited to meet our son and to finally be able to hold him in our arms. Wyatt actually did most of the holding but I managed to muscle him away a few times. We looked at this trip as an adventure. We had no idea what to expect in Guatemala. Neither of us has ever been in a "3rd World Country" before. I have of course researched it to death but you never really know until you get there.

We left Columbus on May 29th and flew to Tampa and then Fort Lauderdale. Our flights were all full and of course Wyatt had the window seat so I was thrown to the wolves and had to deal with God knows what in the aisle seat. I hate talking to people on airplanes! I don't know why but once a conversation starts there is no easy way to get out of it, and then you are stuck for hours trying to politely ignore the person next to you. Don't bump an elbow or try to go to the bathroom because the whole vicious cycle starts over again.

A nice woman sat down next to me and didn't seem too obnoxious so I breathed a sigh of relief. Just let me read my People magazine in peace. Wyatt then decided that he needed the details of the next flight, which I had not memorized, so I had to pull out the Bible, I mean the notebook. She took one look at the notebook and asked if we were adopting. Only another (well-organized, detail oriented, anal retentive) adoptive mother knows "THE NOTEBOOK" when she sees it. Amy and I talked the whole way to Tampa-it was the fastest flight ever! She lives in Dublin and is adopting from Vietnam. She was headed to Florida on business. It was really nice to talk to someone who understood exactly what we were going through and understood the excitement of meeting our baby for the first time. She was nice enough to take our picture at the airport to document the start of our trip.

Our first real adventure was checking in for our international flight with Spirit Airline in Fort Lauderdale. I felt like I was already in Guatemala. When they said low cost airline I didn't think they meant no air conditioning! We had 4 huge checked suitcases all carefully weighed to come in just under the 50 lb. limit, a stroller, and each of us had 2 carry-on bags. It took 2 carts to carry everything. We had to pick up our bags, load them on a cart, unload them on a bus, change terminals, unload them off the bus and back onto a cart and fight through a crowded ticketing area to get in line and wait for what seemed like hours. When we finally made it up to the counter, someone must have sqeezed an extra pair of shoes in one of the suitcases because we were a couple of pounds over. So we proceeded to unpack and repack so that all were under the weight requirement.

The ticket agent wanted to charge us $25 for the stroller because there was no baby in it which just about sent me over the edge. I had called to verify that the stroller was free and even printed the policy off their website. He didn't care! He had me so flustered that I walked away and left my notebook and wallet at the counter. When I went back to look for them, they were gone and the guy was nowhere to be found! Wyatt had just made fun of me earlier for splitting my money up and putting it in several different places. He said I would forget where I put it and lose it. I say it's better to lose it in little amounts than to lose it all. I seem to remember losing my wallet in an airport before and having it returned to me minus $500. Thanks a lot! Well, the agent returned with my stuff and what do you know, the measly $100 was still there.

We boarded our flight and headed to Guatemala City. That airport would be the next challenge. We had read about how the airport was so crowded with people that you could barely move and not to go outside the doors of the airport until you actually saw your shuttle pull up and definitely don't let anyone take your bags for you except the guys in the blue shirts...or was it white?

We got off the plane not knowing if we were going to hit a dirt floor or have people grabbing at us and little kids dressed in rags trying to sell Chicklets, or maybe we would see Mama Rosa with a sign that said "Collin" waiting to welcome us with a village of people in traditional dress and not a word of English.

Well, we were pleasantly surprised when the airport looked just like any other airport and it wasn't any more crowded than average. We made our way to customs and waited in line. While in line we started talking to Rebecca who was coming to visit her son Owen. They are from Missouri and are currently in PGN. That once again helped the time pass. She was going to Antigua as well so we agreed to try to meet while we were there. She said the pool at our hotel is a hot spot for adoptive parents so we were bound to run in to each other.

We made it to baggage claim and collected our bags and began the journey to the unknown-outside the airport. We asked Rebecca if she knew where the shuttles were but she said her driver always meets her inside and takes her straight to the car. I hope we are not in trouble!!Okay, remember don't let anyone take your bags and don't go outside.

It seemed there was only one hallway so we just went with the flow. Before we knew it we were OUTSIDE and 2 guys took our carts with our bags!! Were they blue shirts or white shirts? Who can tell they are half way across the parking lot dodging cars and they didn't appear to be going the same direction. I saw a lady with a Marriott sign and I think she said go with them!?! I figured they must be okay, but it seemed like they were leading us to a dark alley. Wyatt and I debated whether to stay together or each keep track of one cart. We chose the latter ( I wasn't going to lose Collin's goodies) and luckily we ended up at the same spot...the Marriott shuttle...clear in the back under an overpass. Wyatt was nearly molested by a woman wanting him to buy Chicklets but we managed to make it on the bus in one piece and so did our bags. Once on the bus we breathed a collective sigh of relief. Off to the Marriott.

As we drove the 5 minute drive to the Marriott I rehearsed my few words of Spanish I had managed to learn from a set of Pimsleur CD's I had been listening to in the car for the last month or so. Buenos noches, habla englais? They would probably have no idea that I wasn't a native. But if they didn't habla englais I was in big trouble! We walked up to the counter and they said "good evening and welcome to the Marriott" What fun is that?

We got settled in our room and headed down to check out the hotel. We went to Champions, the sports bar in the hotel and checked out our first Guatemalan beer, Gallo. Not bad. As excited as I was to meet Collin, I was glad to have this night to relax and get ready for the next day. When we got back to our room (with a few GALLOs to go) we had a message that Mama Rosa would be there with Collin at 9am. We were expecting noon or one! We were much closer to seeing him for the first time than we had expected. So much for relaxing!

The next morning we got up and had breakfast and waited for Collin to arrive. Before we knew it 9am had arrived. We decided against taking the video camera because neither of us wanted to be the designated videographer. We both wanted to get our hands on that baby-forget the video, it will be in our heads. We did take the camera in hopes of taking pictures with Mama Rosa and her family.

Just as we sat down in the lobby we saw our Collin come through the door. I knew Rosa's face because she was the woman in the picture with Collin's birth mom on the day she took him to the attorney's office. We had been told she was a friend that brought the mother to the city. I gave her a big hug and she handed him to me. He was dressed in about 300 layers of clothes and was hot and sweaty. Right at that moment, the rest of the world disappeared. There he was, in person, this picture we had all fallen in love with was an actual human being and I was holding him.

I had often contemplated what it would be like to see him for the first time. I had read books about bonding and attachment and expected that it may not be love at first sight for him or for us. I knew I would be crushed if he cried and was upset to leave Rosa and come with us but I was prepared. What I was not prepared for was the immediate knowledge that this was my child. He was the one that was supposed to come to us, there were no doubts. It was an immediate feeling of completeness. How did this perfect little boy half a world away find us? And how is it possible to immediately feel like this child is a part of you? I don't know and I don't care, I just know he is. The best part was when I looked at Wyatt, I saw the same thing. I had to hand him over and let dad enjoy his moment.

Not one picture was taken but the memories in my head will never fade. I see many years of continuing the Collins tradition on birthdays of Mom and Dad telling the story of labor, birth, Army Hospitals and missing fireworks. Collin's story may not involve labor or delivery but it is quite an adventure and I only hope that I will be able to articulate to him someday the enormous amount of excitement and joy he brought to our hearts when he came through the door of that hotel.

And so our adventure began...

up to the room we went. We laid him on the bed and checked him out. We showed him every toy we brought. He became very fond of the bee teether. He never cried or fussed, he would just giggle and laugh and kick his feet. It became apparent very quickly that he appreciated his dad's humor (which scares many kids-and adults). He laughed at everything Wyatt did. He kicked his feet constantly and grunted and groaned like he was trying to talk to us (or poop). I made his first bottle and Wyatt fed him then they took a nap together. I'm sure there will be many more of those. Thanks to Brylie and Kahlen, Wyatt has learned that if he lays on the couch with the baby, I can't make him do anything!

We spent the next few hours checking out the hotel and waiting for this perfect little angel to become a screaming maniac. It didn't happen. We were actually beginning to wonder if he knew how to cry.

Our driver came at 2pm to take us to Antigua. He was very nice and spoke English. He told us a lot about the country and we saw a little of the city on the way out. I was glad to leave Guatemala City and was even more relieved that we were not staying there the whole week. It is not recommended that you venture far from the hotel in GC (short for Guatemala City, not Grove City...haha). Wyatt and I both like to get out and about and sitting at the Marriott all week would have gotten really old, really fast. Plus,I wanted to see and learn about the culture while we were there so that we could tell Collin about his birth country when he gets older. The city was pretty much like any city but there were some really poor areas. Driving there is like playing chicken. No one stops they all just fit in where they can. People run across the streets in front of cars, they climb on top of the buses while they are moving and people drive their kids on the handlebars of motorcycles and scooters-WITH NO HELMETS. The accident investigator in me was going CRAZY but hey, we didn't have all that fancy safety equipment growing up and we lived!

Our driver explained that the buses are called "chicken buses" because you may be sitting next to a chicken or a pig on the bus, you just never know. I had been fascinated by the Guatemalan COTA bus system. I watched from the balcony of our room as brightly colored school buses flew down the street honking the horn and a guy would hang out the front door and yell at people on the street. If the people started to run and chase the bus it would slow down-not stop- and they could jump on. Sometimes the guy in the door would jump out and grab stuff from people and throw it in top of the bus. Then as the bus drove off he would climb a ladder up the back and walk on top of the bus and arrange the baggage. I thoroughly enjoyed the chicken buses. Wyatt wanted to ride one but I said NO WAY! Maybe COTA could actually make some money if they operated like that.

Antigua was a very quaint old historical town. It was actually the original capital of Guatemala until it was nearly destroyed by an earthquake many years ago. We arrived at our hotel, the Porta Hotel Antigua, and it was beautiful. Everything is open air. Their are no windows just open hallways that were lit with candles in the evening and lush tropical gardens. There were beautiful fountains and birds everywhere. There was a heated pool, a restaurant and a playground. Our room was very nice. It had french doors that opened to a private patio surrounded by tropical plants. It was a great place to just chill out and relax.

We decided to head out soon after we arrived but didn't realize that it got dark there at about 5:30pm. We got very lost and I didn't think we would ever find our hotel. Eventually, we made it back. We weren't really sure how safe it was there so it was a little nerve racking-but a great adventure! We enjoyed our first night with Collin. We found out that he could cry but if you stick a bottle in his mouth he is very happy and goes right back to sleep.

The next day we got up bright and early-I think about 6am! We fed Collin and then Wyatt had a little chat with him about how we were good while he ate his breakfast and we hoped that he would do the same. The hotel breakfast was great. They had a big buffet every morning with lots of fruit and every kind of fresh squeezed juice imaginable. They had an omelet station and some Guatemalan staples-black beans and fried plantains-YUM! They also had homemade fruit jam everyday in different flavors. The coffee was amazing. We ate so much at breakfast everyday that we rarely ate lunch. Collin stuck to his end of the deal and behaved. He had the attention of all of the wait staff and was quite popular.

We spent our days walking around Antigua checking out the sights. We did a lot of shopping. They have tons of nice shops and markets. There are also people on the streets selling stuff. Some of them carry their stuff in a basket on top of their heads. We were prime targets for the ladies. They talk to you and then remember your name and God help you if they see you again because they chase you down yelling"Heather, Wyatt, you buy pretty things, I give you special price". Walking into the markets sort of reminded me of when you go in the toy store and there is some type of toy that says something when you press its hand and you press all 50 of them and they are all talking at the same time but you can't really understand any of them. You feel bad but you have to start ignoring them or they rope you in forever. My favorite was "don't worry lady, you husband pay". Wyatt loved negotiating the prices so I would just pile up the stuff I wanted and let him go to town. It was a challenge trying to figure out what you were really paying in dollars. The Guatemalan money is the Quetzel which was worth about 7.5 US dollars. Math is not my strongest subject so a nice number like 5 or 10 would have been much easier but I think we had it down by the time we left.

Our days were very relaxed and unscheduled. I was starting to think that this baby stuff wasn't so difficult until we told friends we would meet them for lunch at 2pm. When we had to be somewhere at an actual scheduled time it changed my outlook a bit. Now I know what they mean by "baby time".

We met lots of other adopting families there. It seemed everywhere you went you saw white people walking with their Guatemalan babies. Needless to say we aren't too hard to spot. It was as if we all just automatically knew each other and would say hello or stop and chat for a while. Antigua is very popular for adopting parents because it is safer and cheaper than the city. Some people are lucky enough to be able to live in Guatemala and foster their children during the adoption process and Antigua is where a lot of them stay. I can understand why. It is a very relaxing place with very simple living. Of course, everything is simple when you aren't at home! It really makes you realize the excess and extravagance that we live with and expect in America.

We didn't make it through the entire week without a little drama! Collin had started being unusually fussy. Since we didn't know him that well we didn't know if it was just him or if something was wrong. We thought he felt hot so I went to the pharmacy 4-5 blocks away to get a thermometer. All they had was the forehead strip or a rectal one. I took the forehead strip. Since we were just getting to know each other I didn't want his first memories to be me shoving a stick up his butt! I rushed back to the room and the strip said 102 but it said it may be off a degree so it could have been 103. All we knew was he felt burning hot! We didn't know what to do. Luckily we had the doctors phone number but it was a Sunday and I wasn't sure if they would answer the phone, let alone speak English. We called our in country coordinator and she contacted the doctor who said he would call us. We waited and waited and no call. We called again and finally he called back. I thought he was going to ask us to bring him to the city which would cost us $100 but he said that he would come to Antigua after 6pm. He said he would call and let us know what time. 6 o'clock came and went and no word, so we called again. He was on his way. Now it is 9 o'clock (we called at noon) and once again he was on his way. Finally at 9:30pm he arrived at our room. It seemed clear that Collin recognized the doctor as someone he didn't care for very much-boy am I glad I didn't get that rectal thermometer!!! He said that Collin had an ear infection and prescribed him an antibiotic and pain medicine. The best part was at 10pm the front desk called the pharmacy and they delivered the scripts right to our room and the doctor didn't charge us a dime! What service! Luckily, Collin seemed better the next day other than one incident. We fed and dressed him and headed to breakfast. I was carrying him when all of the sudden he pukes straight down my shirt. He must have puked 6 times before we could get back to the room. It had gone down my shirt, pants, onto the floor and we left a trail all the way to the room. So we had to get ready all over again but he did seem to feel much better after that and mom passed her first test.

Before we knew it our week had come to an end and it was time to pack up and head back to the city. The minute we walked out the door of our room-the place that had been our home away from home for the last week-the reality set in. It was almost time to give Collin back to Mama Rosa and for us to leave and go home without him. Our driver picked us up at about noon and was nice enough to take us to the Hyper Piaz (Guatemalan Walmart) to try to find an Exersaucer to send home with Mama Rosa. Collin loved the activity gym we took and it was amazing how much his motor skills improved in a matter of days. We didn't find what we were looking for but something close enough. We went back to the Marriott and waited for the dreaded 5pm to arrive.

Collin slept through most of the afternoon so it wasn't really quality time. Rosa was supposed to bring her family and we were going to have dinner although I didn't think I could eat. Our in country coordinator was nice enough to come and translate. Mama Rosa brought her husband, her daughter, her grandaughter and her one of her 2 sons. They were obviously very happy to see Collin and I let her have him for a few minutes. Her grand-daughter ran up and gave us big hugs and said thank you for the candy. She loved Wyatt and was all over him the whole time. She went on and on in Spanish and we just acted like we knew what she was saying. She ate a piece of cake and an ice cream sundae for dinner. I'm sure it will be very hard for her when Collin leaves. Her mom is pregnant and when they ask her if she wants a brother or a sister she says she already has a brother. She loves playing with him and they told us that she dances and sings for him at home and he laughs and loves it.

The coordinator could only stay for an hour so we had about an hour until the foster family's cab arrived. That was a bit of an ackward situation since we didn't understand eachother. We took them up to our room and loaded up all of the things we brought for Collin. I ended up feeling really bad because all 6 of them crammed into one little cab (about as big as a Toyota Corolla)and all of the stuff we sent wouldn't fit in the truck so they had to hold Collin's new toy on their laps in the back. We told them we would pay for a second cab but they refused and said they were fine.

The one thing that I realized while we were with them was that even though we are very different and live very different lives, their family reminded me of mine. They all joked around with eachother and seemed very close. It made it a little easier to let them take him back because I thought if he has to be with someone that isn't us I am glad it is a family like that. There is no doubt in my mind that they love him very much and that when we come back to take him home, they will be the blubbering idiots in the hotel lobby and we will be the ones consoling them and telling them that we promise we will take good care of him and not to worry.

We loaded them up in the cab and kissed Collin goodbye for now. He started to cry which secretly made me happy because I want him to miss us and remember us but I don't want him to be sad. We made our way back up to the room and had our own sad moment. What do you do when you are sad and depressed? Go to the bar! We drowned our sorrows in alcohol and then got packed and ready to go. We had to be on the shuttle bus at 4:30am!

The flight home was excruciatingly long. We had a 6 hour layover in Fort Lauderdale whick is a complete dump of an airport! No nice people sitting next to me, just a couple of globe trotting college guys trying REALLY hard to pick up the flight attendant. I feel your pain sister!! All I wanted was to get home and check my e-mail to see if we had pre-approval. That would have made the pain of leaving ease a bit but no such luck.

My brain has been mush since we have been home. Collin consumes every thought of everyday but none of it compares to actually getting to see him and spend quality bonding time with him. Unfortunately, now we know what we are missing!