News

We have been told by our agency that since Tuesday, our paperwork has been on the judges desk.  This means that he has until February 11th to sign the papers and declare us Claudia's parents.  He could sign it any day!  Please pray that it is sooner than the 11th.  Once we get the word that the judge has signed the paperwork, Jason and Claudia will go back to Pasto to pick it up and to get copies of her old and new birth certificate.  With that paperwork they can come back to Bogota and get Claudia's passport and visa and come home!  They are expected to be home the week of the 18th but it could be sooner.  The end is in sight, and it is a good thing because I miss them soooo much!

Brutal Assault

I'm still recovering from another full day of being an object to be climbed by my child, but at least I'm keeping her nails short and dull now.

One Week Ago

One week ago today I said good bye to my precious little girl and my husband.  I miss them so much and wish that I were still in Colombia.  I wish I could be with them and love on them.  I wish I could help Jason take care of Claudia and be able to give him breaks.  I wish I was still there, bonding with my daughter.  We are so blessed that he is able to take the time off from work to complete the adoption proceedings. I feel bad that he is there by himself and that he has to do a lot of the adoption stuff on his own from here on out.  Unfortunately, I am unable to be with them right now as I am finishing up my last semester of school.  I pray that we get good news soon and that they will both be on a plane home quickly and safely.

I have been able to Skype with Jason and Claudia almost every night since I have been home.  It is such a nice tool to be able to utilize while we are thousands of miles away.  Claudia is not always up for sitting still but we make faces and noises at each other, I can hear her contagious laugh and I hope she remembers me.  It is wonderful to be able to talk to Jason, it is my favorite part of the day.  I can't wait until they get home and we can be a family together again.

Please pray that things move swiftly from here on out :)

An actual new video!

Bear with me boys and girls, I'm having all sorts of trouble lately when it comes to posting videos, whether it be here or on Facebook. I've got a lot to catch up on, but as far as the actual adoption process goes, we're just waiting to hear back from the courts in Claudia's district. Assuming nothing goes horribly wrong, we'll be flying back out (Joy! More airports!) and then back again the next day. Hopefully within a week following that (if not sooner), we'll be on a plane back home.

 

 

Claudia and I are getting by as cheaply as possible, thanks to an awesome guy who is covering this suite with his hotel points (thanks Shawn!) and the grocery store not too far from here. But it is a royal pain to go to the store because the stroller does not have any storage, nor does it like to be steered with only one hand.  Hence, I'm continually bumping into things, and have to try to stuff my backpack full of groceries so I don't have to carry all the bags back to the hotel.

 

And as an aside: Peanut butter and Jelly are expensive down here! I got the cheap peanut butter, and a little container was 10.900 COP (almost 6 USD) and the jelly was just as bad. Unfortunately, we only have a little microwave, and an even smaller fridge, so non-perishable food items are the menu of choice. On the plus side, we get a good breakfast for free every morning, so I milk that for all the nutritional value it's worth.  And don't worry about Claudia starving to death either - the gremlin eats more than I do!

 

Hopefully I'll have better luck posting more pictures and videos in the coming days, but it's hard now that it's just the two of us; I can't really grab the camera when she's holding me down and beating me up.

A couple of new (old) videos

These were taken while Angie was still here - it's hard to take video when it's just Claudia and I.

 

 

 

Hopefully I'll be able to post some more pictures and videos soon.

Bargain Shopping

Yesterday Jason and Claudia switched hotels.  They are now staying at a really nice hotel that is less kid friendly and there are no other adoptive families there.  It is unfortunate that they could not stay at the previous hotel but we could not afford it.  The new hotel is the one that they get to stay at for free (minus meals and such).  So as it is a huge blessing to have a free hotel for a few weeks, it will not be as fun for Claudia and Jason.  They were given permission by Hotel Paris to stop by any time and even to eat there, so I think they will be spending a bit of time there still whenever they can make the 3-4 mile walk.  The good thing about the new hotel is that it has a pool.  I can't wait to hear how much Claudia loves that!

Yesterday I went out to get a couple of things.  I ended up next to the local shoe store and decided to go in as it appeared that they were having a big sale and Claudia needed some more shoes to match her outfits.  I ended up getting a screaming deal on 5 pairs of shoes, some that should fit now and a couple that will fit later.  I got all 5 pairs (including the boots) for $23.50.  The original price would have been $84!!!  I love a great deal!  Here they are:

Not a great picture as Jason has all of my cameras and I don't have a fancy phone, but you get the idea!  5 pairs of brand new shoes averaging at $4.70 a piece!  Can you tell I am excited?  We are still in need of size 5 winter boots if anyone has some they no longer need.  Claudia is not going to know what to think about the snow when she gets home!

Hopefully Jason will have some photos to upload and share with everyone soon.

Surviving

I am surviving being home without my wonderful husband and daughter.  I wanted to show you all proof that I really can cook (just not nearly as well as Jason!)  See I AM eating!  LOL:

Chicken quesedilla with salsa and a salad!

Back in Colombia, Jason and Claudia are doing well.  Our case has been accepted by the courts, so that means that things are moving along.  Yesterday Claudia had to go back to the doctors to have her PPD read.  It was fine.  She also had her doctors visit with the doctor appointed by the US Embassy to perform exams for children being adopted by Americans.  That went well (meaning she has no communicable diseases).  They required her to get a chicken pox vaccination and that was the only extra vaccine she needed.  She will need several consults with various doctors and professionals when she gets home but she is healthy.

That is all the updates I have for now.  Please continue to pray for a smooth and quick process and safe travels back home.