We're here!!

We are finally up and running in Antigua and we are so very happy. Soleil is an absolute doll and the kids are adjusting famously. Our house is so cozy, and there are tons of other kids in our complex to play with. We have a Christmas tree (Emerson would have been so sad without one!), and I finally got our DVD player working (Cole actually figured it out). I finally worked out all of the kinks from my computer, and I just spent an hour chatting with Dave online for free! Love GoogleTalk! We start "homeschooling" tomorrow morning at 9AM sharp! We'll see how that goes... I'm remembering what it's like to have an infant again...so easy to forget! And whoever said that 4 is hardly more work than 3 was totally fibbing! It's nonstop! Between the feeding and bathing and changing and feeding again and disciplining and consoling and putting to bed it's absolutely nonstop! I do feel like I'm finally getting my rhythm, though. I guess we all are. We had an actual sit down dinner tonight and the kids (all 4 of them) were in bed by 8PM, as it's a "school night". Soli is an absolute joy and such an easy baby. She has two teeth coming in and had a tough time getting comfortable at bedtime last night (love that advil!), but then she slept through the night. She smiles all the time and talks and laughs at her brothers and sister. She loves it when Cole takes her outside to hang out with all the kids. I bought a hand-me-down baby gym from one of the other moms who's leaving soon, and she loves to lay on that and play with her toys. She's at that sweet age where she reaches for, and wants to try, everything you're eating. I had asked her foster mother to hold off on giving her solids so I guess I'll have to bust out my baby food grinder! That'll be fun! Anyway, these pictures capture a little or our home-sweet-home-away-from-home. I know they're a little overdo but, hey, I've had my hands full! Enjoy!

We ran into Santa in the lobby of the Marriott while we were waiting for our baby. (They had us waiting for over 3 hours. Errr!)

But she finally arrived! And she was just so darling and sweet!

Here she is getting to know her new brothers! They absolutely adore her.

And just like that there were four!!

Reading stories to "the girls" on our first night as a family.

We were all plum tuckered after a VERY long day.

But the next day started early...no rest for the weary! And everyone wanted in on the feeding action!

Evie is adjusting smashingly to big sisterhood. I think coming down in October was helpful in giving her a head start on adjusting. She loves her "baby sisto". Also, having lots of friends to play with has been a helpful distraction.

I could hardly get Soli away from Cole that whole first day! He took her everywhere which turned out to be a huge help because I was rather busy!

Emerson makin' friends and showin' off his new baby. (Nothing like a couple a lightsabers to cross the language barrier!)

Headin' out on the town in a Tuk-tuk. (That's our pink house in the background!)

A few of the "neighborhood" kids enjoying the fruits of their labor. Notice all the full mouths! (Yes, I lugged that Gingerbread House all the way from the States...it's a tradition!)

We picked up this beautiful Christmas tree in Guatemala City before heading to Antigua. But they didn't sell any bases! I mentioned my dilemma to Juan Jose (the caretaker of our complex) and the next day he fashioned me this brilliant Christmas tree stand. It's a five gallon bucket filled with dirt!! He essentially planted our tree in five gallons of dirt! I thought that was brilliant! I don't know if it'll suck up any water, but I water the darn thing daily! I love it!

Like I said, Cole hardly set Soli down for a minute that whole first day. He's been a really big help.

And here she is! Our new baby girl. She's just the cutest thing I've ever seen!

Look at those eyes!

And her first two teeth!

"Yeah! My Daddy's coming in just 10 days!"

Evie and Soli's Room

Here are a few pics of the girls' room. A little crowded but awfully cute. Just four days til we are leaving. I'm getting closer to being ready although my brain is so full that I'm hardly functioning at full capacity. For example, yesterday I stopped to get gas and I drove away leaving my credit card at the station. I realized soon enough and turned around to go back to get it. I signed my receipt and got my card but when I got back to my car I realized that I had left my keys on the counter! I think the guy behind the counter thought I was crazy (and I pretty much am!). My brain is so full that things like keys and credit cards are just not in the forefront of my mind!! I just hope I don't forget any children on the way to Guatemala!! Honestly! ~H

Our baby girl...

Here are some really cute pics of Soleil that our coordinator took when she went to visit the babies earlier this month. I'm so glad they got some shots of her darling smiley face! They sent us a video, too, and she's just the cutest thing I've ever seen. So far her little personality seems to be nice and mellow. She's such a joy. I miss her, and I can hardly believe that we only have 8 days until we get down there again. The kids are so excited. I am a little worried about how they will adjust to not being with Dave. We'll see how it goes. My list is finally starting to get shorter. And I'm resigning myself to the fact that I won't get everything done before I go. The kids' clothes for example. Why sort them now when I'll just have to sort them again in 3 months when I get home? Cross that right off the list. My Christmas cards are going out tomorrow. A big check mark. I have appointments all this week for teeth cleanings, hair cuts, check-ups, and meetings with teachers. I'll be packing this weekend. Monday and Tuesday of next week are rather jam packed tying up loose ends and then we're off Wednesday. Oh, I'm going to miss Dave so much...but he'll be down just 2 weeks after us. And I found tickets (or rather my brilliant travel agency did: (http://www.velocitytours.com/)for $426 for the end of January. So hopefully Dave will be able to come down again then. As always, thank you so much for checking in on us. Please keep us in your thoughts over the next few weeks. ~Heather

Soli is 6 1/2 months!!

I just received new pics and an updated medical on our beautiful baby girl! These pics were taken on Nov. 16 by her pediatrician's office. She is just so cute!! I could eat her up!! I love her little hairdo! And her expressions are so funny. It looks like she is totally perplexed by the camera. She'll get used to having a camera in her face soon enough! So her medical says that she weighs 16.2 pounds or roughly 16 pounds, 3 oz. She's growing so perfectly...I talked to her foster mother the other day (we are now able to communicate via her neighbor's email! So GREAT!) and she said that Soli has two teeth now!! I can't believe it. I'm just a touch sad to have missed her first two, but there'll be plenty of teeth coming and going over the next 12 years, right?
So, my list seems to be getting longer rather than shorter. Last night I kept having to get out of bed to add things to it. Finally, I just brought my list to bed with me. I think my husband was envious of all the attention it was getting!
The kids and I leave two weeks from yesterday. I'm a little nervous. I held a friend's baby yesterday who is just a couple of weeks younger than Soli. She took one look at my face and starting crying! I was so sad and suddenly I was nervous that Soli would react the same way to me. Yikes! My friend did same that her baby has been doing that for several months so I'm hoping it's a personality thing and not an age thing. Ughh! Anyway, we're all getting very excited. I'm a little worried about Dave, all alone in our usually very busy home. But he has made himself a long list of home improvement projects to do while we're gone. So hopefully he'll just stay busy and not be too sad without us. Thanks for checking in on us. I'm off to get another check mark!! ~Hetaher

An update on our latest "pregnancy"

It has been quite a while since I updated my blog, and seeing as how it's only a little after midnight and the house is unusually quiet, I figured now was as good a time as any. We have been so crazy busy getting ready for our trip to foster Soli in Antigua. For those of you new to my blog and don't want to spend all night reading the archives I'll give you the Reader's Digest....

*married to my very favorite person (see last entry for a pic)
*3 bio kids - 2 boys and 1 girl (9,6, and 3)
*decided to adopt in Jan.
*signed with agency in March
*paper ready by May
*baby girl born May 7
*received referral May 11 (and accepted it in my heart that instant)
*officially accepted referral May 13
*Dossier to GC June 19
*visit trip Aug. 10-13 - Amazing!
*DNA done Aug. 25 Finally!
*It's a Match! Aug. 30
*decided on her name ~ Soleil - Sept. 30
*PreApproval - Oct. 3
*Second visit trip Oct. 4-10
*Into PGN - Oct. 23
*Traveling to Guatemala with my 3 older kids to foster our baby in Antigua - Dec. 6
*Dave will be joining us for Christmas Dec. 20-27

It is amazing to me how many parallels there are between my pregnancies and this adoption process. I feel like the first trimester of this "pregnancy" was filled with tedious paperchasing and only a very vague sense of "baby" at the end of the seemingly endless road ahead. Not unlike the first trimesters of more physical pregnancies which are often marked (at least for me) by the seemingly endless nausea and vomiting and still only a very vague sense of "baby". But there is no proof of this baby...no fluttering, no hiccups, no belly to speak of. Until suddenly you wake up one day and the nausea and the paperwork are done. Your dossier is on it's way and the vomiting has ceased. It's the second trimester! And suddenly there is proof of a baby! A picture on your computer screen...a referral! And there are fluttery little kicks, and tiny little hiccups, and a tiny little belly. There WILL be a baby after all. The second trimester is a time of excitement and anticipation. Milestones are being reached...DNA, Family Court, Pre Approval, AFP, Hemoglobin and Ultrasound. You're feeling good and healthy and strong. You can endure. Names are being discussed and decided upon. And the baby's growing...new pictures arrive and the medical update says she gained 2 perfect pounds since last month. And the midwife says your belly has grown 4 perfect centimeters since last month. Amazing! And then the third trimester begins. Your belly is feeling rather huge and the PGN wait seems rather long. How can I possible make it to the end? You think you'll never make it! Swollen feet, heartburn, achy back, can't sleep and the agency calls....another Previo. This can't go on! But then one day you wake up with contractions...you're out of PGN! You thought this day would never come! You can't believe it's almost over! There's so much to do! Call the midwife, defrost the soup, book the hotel, call the relatives, update the blog! But labor is so long and hard! Why does it take so long to get pink?! Finally the midwife says, "It's time to push: soon you'll be holding your baby". And the agency calls, "Your pink slip has been issued: soon you'll be holding your baby". Thank God! It's almost over. And then suddenly your baby is in your arms and all the paperwork, vomiting, certifying, varicose veins, and the endless waiting, waiting, waiting are distant memories...

Tomorrow marks 4 weeks in PGN. Four weeks into our third trimester and I have been nesting, nesting, nesting. And I'm not the only one! Dave nests as much, if not more, than I do at the end of our "pregnancies". We put together the crib today (thought we wouldn't be doing that again until we had grandkids!). The baby clothes are washed and organized, toys and closets are being sorted, and the kids' rooms are rearranged. I took a monster load of "stuff" to Good Will the other day. Dave pulled out the garden (the tomatoes were taking over the entire back yard and our neighbors are utterly sick of us sending our kids over with more zucchini!), we sorted through our storage shed (why do I keep some of that stuff?), and we threw out an entire trailor load of rusty bikes and broken toys. I still have a monster big list, but I figure if I get 2-3 check marks a day I'll be done by the time we leave in a little over two weeks! Yikes! But if I don't go to bed soon I won't get anything done at all. Thank you all for checking in, and please keep us all in your thoughts over the next few weeks as we transition into our new roles as a family of six! ~Hugs, Heath

My Very Favorite Person...

I met Dave 11 years ago on the Rio Dulce in Guatemala. The night we met I had no place to stay. He scooped me up and kept me safe and has been doing so ever since. He is the most selfless person I know and has always supported me in following my heart no matter how seemingly crazy the direction. Most recently he has supported me on this crazy adventure called adoption. He was content with three, but being the selfless man that he is, he consented to my plea for "just one more". Of course, when he signed on he didn't know that I would be taking our three older kids to live in Guatemala, leaving him to fend for himself and run our business for an undetermined length of time. But, true to form, he has maintained a loving, supportive attitude about it all. I don't know if he will ever know how appreciative I am for the sacrifices he makes to allow me to live my life so fully. He means the world to me. I love you, Dave. ~H

Halloween Treats

A Few of My Favorites from Halloween...

Pumpkin Patch Success!

Emerson - 6, Cole - 9, Evie - 3

A Nerd, A Napolean, A Caterpillar,

A Tinker Baby (5 months),

And a Darling Daddy with an Afro!

I learned a new trick...

Make an online slideshow at onetruemedia.com

New pics of Soli

Look at my pretty little girl! But where's her smiley face? We just got these pics from our agency. They were taken October 16, at Soli's 5 month check-up. She looks bigger than when I saw her the week before! She weighs 14 lbs. and 10 oz. I was so glad to hear that they had a recent medical for her when her case was submitted to PGN. Her hair is so cute pulled back in the clip I left for her! She looks like such a big girl!! And I was glad to see that she was still wearing the bracelet that Evie gave her. I can't wait to see her and kiss all over those cheeks!!

Our little Casita!

Just a quick post and a pic of the little cottage that we'll be renting in December. Isn't it so cute!? I'm so excited! I had to start renting it on November 1 to secure it, but I think I've already found someone who will sublet it for the month. Thanks for checking in! ~H

The Rest of Us!

Just thought I'd post a quick pic of the rest of the family! This was taken at my sister's wedding in July. From left to right Coleman-9 1/2, Dave, Evie-3 1/2, Me, and Emerson-6.

The Good News and the Bad News

The good news is that we finally heard today that we are in PGN. The bad news is that we just barely went in yesterday- October 23. When I had met with Hilda, our attorney, in Guatemala City, she told me she would be submitting our case to PGN the following day-October 10. So here I thought we had 2 weeks under our belts when really we only have 1 day. It was disappointing news, but I'm trying to keep perspective. At least now we know for sure we are on the home stretch. And, really, with how unpredictable PGN timing can be, I have no way of knowing whether this is an actual set back at all. For all I know, our case would have been assigned to a slow reviewer two weeks ago and now we're with a quick one. There's really no rhyme or reason...We'll never really know. I would be interested to know what has been going on these last two weeks. Has our paperwork been sitting on our attorney's desk forgotten? Or was she waiting for the final social worker report? Was she waiting for an updated medical on Soli? (Not having an updated medical report can be reason for a kick out from PGN.) Of course, had I known we still had two weeks I would have overnighted my new improved name affidavit. I've heard of a couple of cases that were kicked out of PGN for not specifying the mother's maiden name on the name affidavit. I had mine redone just in case, but I would have sent it to be included if I'd known there was time. I thought it was too late...OK, now I'm just rambling. Like I said, I have to believe that this "delay" will somehow benefit our progess overall.
On a more positive note, I think we may have found a place to rent. The down side is that I'll have to rent it starting immediately to secure it for December and January. Then I'll have to try and sublet it for the next 6 weeks. Anyone need a place to stay? But it is really perfect for us. It has 3 bedrooms, a full kitchen, washer and dryer, internet access, 24 hour security, a huge enclosed yard with grass and fruit trees for the kids to play, and lots of other fostering families (mostly moms and kids) in the same situation as me. So we have 2 days to decide for sure and then we need to let him know, but I think that's what we'll do. I visited the complex while I was there 2 weeks ago and it was lovely. We would be very comfortable and safe there. And there's a preschool just down the block! How fun would that be? Anyway, thanks for checking in on us. I hope everyone is healthy and happy. ~Heather
P.S. I couldn't visit Soli in October without taking a Halloween costume! So, yes, that is Soli borrowing Sister's Tinker Bell costume.

Home from our Visit with Soli

Evie and I are home safely from visiting with our darling baby girl. We had a great time and I'm so thankful to have been able to make a second visit trip. I'm also glad that Evie had the chance to ease into big sisterhood. Soli was just precious. She's such an easy going baby girl. She loved cruising around in the sling and going for walks around the hotel. At five months old I could tell that she has become accustomed to the way her foster mother does certain things. For example, Mary gives her a bottle propped on a pillow while Soli's lying on her back on the bed. So when I would try to hold her in a nursing position to give her a bottle she would squirm and fuss. In this sense she was a little trickier for me to take care of than when she was 3 months old. The same was also true for nursing. She much preferred nursing while lying next to me in bed as opposed to being held in a traditional nursing position. Although, by the end of the week she was getting the hang of it. We'll see if we can figure it out again in December when we go back.
We spent one day in Antigua looking at potential rental homes and apartments for when the kids and I go back in December, but we're still undecided. My first choice is over $1000/month, but it has internet, great security, and lots of room for the kids to play. My second choice is also over $1000/ month, but it's quite a hike from town and doesn't have internet. The house I thought that I would like wasn't quite right for us. I was mostly concerned about the lack of security with the open courtyard and the common roofs with the neighboring homes. So we're still looking. Any suggestions?
On the adoption front...I was able to meet with our attorney, Hilda, while we were in Guatemala City. I invited her to lunch at the hotel on Monday, and she came with her husband, Juan Luis. I was so glad to meet her, and I was rather surprised at how unlawyery she was in appearance and demeanor (see above photo). She didn't speak a word of English and she was rather shy. I had been so nervous to meet her, and I was relieved to see that she was just an ordinary person doing her job. She told me right away that she was planning on submitting our case into PGN the following day (Oct. 10). This was great news! I had to fight back a little tear. I asked my agency to confirm this for me last week, and I'm waiting to hear back. She also told me that I could contact her directly with any questions or concerns that I have. That'll be nice. Anyway, I was so glad to establish a relationship with her. I gave her a little box of See's candy and a thank you note and a picture of our family. She thanked me over and over for the invitation, and she told me she was very happy to know that Soli was going to a good family.
So, assuming we're in PGN now, we're in the final stretch. Our agency says to expect 12 weeks for PGN, but there have been lots of other families out in about 6-8 weeks. It's just a waiting game now...Thanks for checking in! ~Heather and family

Hola from Guatemala!

Hi everyone! I thought I'd just write a quick post while my girls are sleeping! We arrived safely in Guatemala City on Wednesday and received our baby Thursday. She is absolutely beautiful and such a joy! She is five months today and smiles all the time. She is nursing well although not as much as when we were here in August. Evie has taken to big sisterhood smashingly! They adore each other, and it's very sweet to watch them interact. We've been calling our baby Soli, short for Soleil, which seems to suite her perfectly. We went to the market today and we are going to the children's museum tomorrow. We are getting splendidly spoiled by the Marriott, and it will be painful to start making my own bed again! I've met so may great families here...lots of them taking their babies home. So exciting! I meet with our attorney on Monday, and I'm very much looking forward to establishing a relationship with her. We return Soli to her foster mother, Mary, on Monday evening and then we're on our way home Tuesday. I'll post new pics when I get home. We'll keep you all posted on PGN...Thanks for checking in! ~Heather, Evie, and Soli

Pre-Approval Baby!!!!!!

I'm so excited!!!! We got the email from the embassy today...we have pre-approval! Hopefully, if everything else is in order (social worker report, family court, etc.) then we'll be able to go into the final court, PGN, in the next couple of weeks. Evie and I leave for Guatemala tomorrow and we are both so excited. Evie told me the other day that when she sees her "baby sisto" she's going to scream! I told her that I might just scream myself. I think we've found a house to rent for Dec. and Jan. It's on the north-east side of Antigua, near the Casa Santo Domingo, on a quiet cul-de-sac with lots of other local families and kids. The house has a colonial style courtyard with "climbing trees". The family that rents it out has two kids (12 and 7) so the house is set up for kids. It comes fully furnished with a housekeeper and even a cat! It really seems perfect for us. I'm very excited! I'm going to Antigua on Friday to check it out and decide for sure.
I'm a little nervous about seeing our baby. At 5 months old she might know that I'm a complete stranger! At 3 months she didn't realize, and as long as I fed her she was happy. Hopefully, she'll still love me.
Anyway, thanks for checking in on us. I'll try to update this site with new pics while I'm in GC.
~Heather

We Have a Winner!

As most of you know we've really been struggling with our baby's name since we received her referral in May. We have a pretty serious candidate. Soleil Annlie Stewart. We love the name Soleil and Annlie is a combination of our moms' middle names. It probably won't be 100% until the adoption is complete and we have her home with us. But for now we'll be calling her Soleil. Four days until we get to see her again! I can't wait.
Not much to report on the adoption front. We're still waiting on pre-approval from the embassy. We received our DNA results on Aug. 30. I emailed the embassy earlier in the week to ask when they had received results and when I might expect to receive our pre-approval. They sent an automated response stating that if it had been less than 30 days since DNA to try back after 30 days. Then a couple of days later I received a response from a real person addressed to family Stewart with a case # that said they had received DNA for our case on Sept. 6. They said they had an officer reviewer our case in order to issue pre-approval ASAP. This was very encouraging news, indeed! We'll see how quick "ASAP" ends up being...
Thanks for thinking of us and checking in. ~Heather
P.S. This is my favorite pic taken on our visit trip when Soleil was 3 months old. (Oh, it's so weird to call her something other than "she"!)

New Pics of our Baby Girl!

We just received these most recent pics of our baby girl. They were taken by her pediatrician at her last well baby visit on the 21st of September. She is 4 1/2 months old and weighs 13.2 pounds. Her foster mother says she is smiling and laughing all the time and she rolls in one direction. (I think that's what she said...) Her hair is growing as fast as she is, and she is just so darling. Evie and I leave a week from tomorrow to spend 6 days with her. I'm so looking forward to it. I'm desperate to figure out her name. The kids all vote for Gabriella. I just don't know if I can do such an up and coming name. Dave just learned that his great grandmother's name was Amelia so now we're considering that name, too. Honestly! I don't remember it being so hard!! Any ideas??? Anyone? Anyone? Here's the current list in no particular order: Mari Soleil, Soleil Damaris, Gabriella Damaris, Amelia Damaris, Mari Annlie (sp?), Mari Amelia. For anyone who doesn't know...Damaris is her given name (named by the attorney handling her case). Mari is a shortened form of Damaris and means "wished for child". Annlie is a combination of our moms' middle names. Amelia is Dave's great grandmother's name. And we just like Soleil and Gabriella. Other names that I like, but that I haven't been able to push through "congress" are: Ruby, Rose, Lilirose, and Susannah. It's really killing me not having it figured out!!! I need help! ~H

Another Check-Mark!

I just learned today that our social worker interviews were done the same day as the DNA tests (August 25). Yeah!! Another big check-mark!! Our agency expects to have the social worker report "any day". After that we need pre-approval (hopefully around the end of the month) and then we'll be ready to enter PGN. If we enter PGN by the first week of October (or so) then we might have a chance of bringing baby home in December. I really need not get my hopes up, but it could happen!!! We bought tickets last week to spend Christmas in Antigua. The kids and I have tickets from December 6-27, and Dave will join us December 20-27. We'll rent a house in Antigua, and be able to experience a true Guatemalan Christmas. We're so excited, and, of course, we'll have our baby with us the whole time! We'll home school, and hopefully the kids will be able to do language classes for the first two weeks. There is a small chance that our adoption could be complete by the 27th, but if not, the kids and I will change our tickets and stay down there until we can bring her home (hopefully by the end of January at the latest). Evie and I will be going down October 4-10 for another visit trip. I can't wait! Thanks for checking in on us and keeping us in your thoughts. ~Heather

My Baby Girls

These are pictures of my baby girls when they were each 3 months old. Even though they'll grow up with different color hair and eyes and skin they'll always be sisters. ~ Evie & Mari?

Is a picture really worth a thousand words?

I received a picture of our baby and her birth mother today. It was taken by the lab that administered the DNA test a couple of weeks ago. I've been anxiously awaiting this picture, and I realized, only upon glancing at it for the first time, that I expected it to answer so many of my lingering questions. I tore open the envelope and stared at it for a full 3 minutes, drinking in every single detail. What was she wearing? What was the texture of her hair? What was the shape of her eyes? Were her ears pierced? Did she wear makeup? Did she look healthy? What was that ring on her finger? Was she smiling? How did she hold the baby? Did it look like she would change her mind? After a while I set the picture down feeling rather dissatisfied. It didn't answer any of my true questions. What is her situation? How does she feel about this adoption? Who is the father? What is their relationship? What has her life been like? Who is her family? What are her interests? her goals? What is her personality? Who is she? These are the questions that I am desperate to have answered. These are likely to be the questions that my daughter will be desperate to have answered at some point in her life. I was getting a taste of how my baby may feel some day: a yearning to know everything there is to know about a virtual stranger who has affected our lives so deeply.
The magnitude of what's happening jumped out of that picture and hit me like a sucker punch in the gut. This young woman is losing a baby and our daughter is losing her birth family. On the flip side our baby is gaining a pretty nice family in California who loves her very much, and, of course, we feel like the luckiest family on Earth to be able to call her our own. It's monumental for all involved, and seeing that picture brought it all into perspective for me.
The birth mother's birthdate was on the paperwork that the lab sent me, and I realized that she is exactly two weeks younger than my baby sister, Hannah, who just turned 19 and is in her second year at Sacramento State. More perspective.
Our baby girl is four months old today and still we are struggling with her name. It's bumming me out a little not to have it figured out. Pretty soon I'm just going to make an executive decision and name her already! ~Heather