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

We have a match!!!

We just found out that our DNA is a match!! This is great news. Our agency says that it will be at least 30 days (to get pre-approval) before we go into PGN. I'm assuming that during this time Family Court will be done. I think I finally understand that Family Court is when the Birth and Foster Mothers are interviewed and a social worker looks over our home study. Then a report is written recommending the adoption. After that it's PGN, and there's really no way to know how long that will take. This picture was taken at the end of our visit trip earlier this month. Our baby was 3 months old. She's so beautiful. We really miss her! I hope everyone is enjoying the first signs of Fall. Thanks for checking in! ~Heather

DNA!!!

We are so excited!! We found out Wednesday that we finally received authorization from the US Embassy in Guatemala City to do the DNA test on baby Damaris and her birth mother. This test verifies the relationship between baby and birth mother and insures that babies are not being stolen and put up for adoption illegally. Then, last night (Friday), we got an email from our agency letting us know that the test was performed yesterday on both our baby and her birth mother!!! We are so excited!! We figured that once we had authorization it could take a month or so to get the birth mother into the city for the test. After waiting for authorization for over two months, I feel like maybe we're back on track with our timing. I'm so happy! Now we just need to get a positive DNA match which should come in 7-10 days. Of course, I'm constantly reminding myself that the birth mother could change her mind at any point. The DNA testing time is a common time for that to happen because the birth mother sees the baby and takes a picture with her. Although we would have a grieving process if that were to happen, we would find consolation in that our baby would surely have a very rich life with her birth family in beautiful Guatemala. But we would miss her terribly! We'll just have to trust that everything will work out exactly as it's supposed to. The next steps after the DNA results are the birth mother has an interview with a social worker and then Family Court. I'm still rather fuzzy on what exactly is involved in Family Court, but I'll learn. Then our paperwork is submitted again to the US Embassy (Ugh!) where we will likely wait up to a month for preapproval to enter the final court, PGN. My understanding is that in PGN all of our paperwork is scrutinized and gone through with a fine toothed comb. If any errors are found we'll receive a "previo" at which point our paperwork will be returned to our lawyer to be fixed. Once ammended it can be resubmitted to be looked over again. This part of the process can be rather exhausting and take anywhere from 3 weeks (very rare) all the way up to 6 months (also very rare). Currently PGN is taking 6-8 weeks. After that we wait 3-4 weeks for a new birth certificate (with our names!) to be issued and for our final appointment at the Embassy to be scheduled. Then we can bring her home!!! At this point we are just so happy to see any sign of forward progress, and the DNA test is a major check mark. I just hope that we can keep up some of this momentum.
I'm looking into taking the kids down to live in Antigua and foster our baby for a couple of months once we are in PGN. I think it would be an amazing once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us. We'll keep you posted! Thanks for checking in. ~Heather

Our Visit Trip

Dave and I just got back from visiting our darling little girl. She is 3 months old and weighs 12 lbs now. We had an absolutely amazing time with her in Guatemala. We arrived on Thursday Aug. 10 at 10:30 AM. I was surprisingly emotional about meeting her. Would she like us? Would we be able to take care of her? Would she cry the whole time we had her? We didn't know what to expect. We checked into the Marriott and right away we spotted a family in the lobby returning their baby to their foster mother. They were all emotional, and I was instantly brought to tears myself. They were a darling family with 3 biological kids the same ages as ours, and they were adopting their fourth, a little girl, just like us. We had lunch, and Dave tried out the gym while I tried to rest with very little success (I was so excited). At about 3:15 we went down to the lobby to wait for our baby and her foster mother. As soon as I saw Mary (the foster mother) walk through the lobby doors I knew it was her. I approached her and asked if the baby she was carrying was Damaris. She told me that it was and peeled back her blanket so I could see her beautiful, sleeping face. I was in complete awe. I think I stood there for a full minute with my hand over my mouth. She was so much more beautiful than in her pictures, and she had a full head of flowing black hair. I was speechless. Finally, I remembered my manners and introduced Dave and myself to Mary and Taty ( the translator). We invited them up to the baby lounge on the third floor where we would be able to talk and get to know each other. By the time we got to the elevator I could stand it no longer, and I asked to hold my baby girl. As soon as she was placed in my arms I was completely overcome with love for her. It was very similar to the first time I held each of my older kids right after they were born. I couldn't stop looking at her, and the world around us didn't seem to exist. I just wanted to look over every square inch of her and smell her and count her tiny fingers and toes. She was so, so beautiful.
After we met with Mary and Taty, the three of us spent the rest of the evening getting to know each other in our room. She took to us so well, and Dave and I were surprised (and relieved) that caring for a 3 month old came back to us rather easily (like riding a bike they say). She nursed like a pro, latching on easily and even taking the Lact-Aid with little hesitation. Dave and I were amazed that she nursed so well, just like the rest of our kids; like she'd been born to us. She absolutely loved to nurse, and by the end of our trip she was preferring the breast to the bottle. I am so grateful that she got at least 4 days of Mommy Milk, and even more grateful that we had that priceless bonding time. Hopefully, she'll still be interested in nursing when I go back in October. She's at that sweet age where she smiles when smiled at, and coos, and mirrors peoples' faces. I didn't waste any time breaking out the hair bows and putting her in one of my favorite outfits from when Evie was that age (glad I saved some of those!). We ventured out for dinner and to call the kids, and she rode around in the sling like she'd been there since she was born. We were very happy. She slept well, only waking a couple of times to eat.
The next day we headed for Antigua where we spent the rest of our trip. We stayed at the Casa Santo Domingo which is absolutely beautiful. It is built around the ruins of a 17th century monastery, and the grounds are amazing. I loved being back in Antigua and getting to show Dave around one of my favorite little towns. It really hasn't changed much in the 10 years since I was there last, and it is so much more beautiful than I had remembered. At first I kept our little nena (that's what Guatemalans call their baby girls) under wraps while we were out and about because I wasn't sure how the locals felt about foreign families adopting their babies. It quickly became apparent that most people were perfectly accepting and, of course, they were absolutely smitten with her. Even Guatemalans commented on how much hair she had and how beautiful she was. She happily cruised around all day in the sling with her darling little face peeking out watching people passing by. She is such an easy going, sweet baby girl. We never had to leave a restaurant or hurry back to the hotel for a nap. If she was tired she fell asleep in the sling, and she was perfectly content taking her bottle at room temperature. After four days we had a hard time remembering life without her.
Sunday came soon enough, although Dave and I both felt like we'd been there at least a week. I was so sad packing our baby's things on Sunday morning, and I tried to get all of my tears out of the way before we met with our foster mother. Our driver got lost on the way to Mary's house, but I was glad for a few extra moments with my baby girl. I think returning her to her foster family's house was very helpful to us in making the transition easier. It was really great to see where she lives and to meet the rest of her foster family. They had missed her so much and were so happy to see her. It was very sweet to see how much they love her. She has a foster sister, Jessie-18, a foster brother-20, and a foster grandma, Angela. She also has a little foster brother who was born 2 days before her, Hugo Alexander, who Mary is also taking care of while he waits to be adopted. Returning her to such a love-filled home was not a sad occasion, and I didn't shed a single tear. She is very well cared for and completely adored. We are so thankful to have no concerns for her well-being.
One of our goals for the weekend was to figure out our baby's name. Although we tried with all our might we could not make a name stick. We both agreed that Alora just didn't suit her. Mari was better, and Soleil also suited her nicely. We're considering Mari Soleil or Soleil Damaris. We also like Gabriella Damaris, but Gabriella is becoming rather popular. We just aren't ready to say for sure one way or the other. I think we might have to take a poll. We'll keep you all posted on DNA. Thank you so much for checking in on us, and please continue to keep us in your thoughts. ~Heather