Excitement!!!

This morning went really well, and Raelen's US Visa will be ready tomorrow afternoon for us to pick up. That means WE'RE GOING HOME THURSDAY!!! I can't wait to see Reese & Logan (ok, Donnie too:), and to see their faces when we walk through the door from the airplane! I am so excited!

I've started packing and organizing things. It's funny though, I sent a bunch of stuff home with Donnie in January, and somehow my suitcase is still overflowing! I suppose bringing gifts home for people didn't help...

Things are coming together, so now I just hope Raelen enjoys the 6 hour flight to Newark, 4 hour layover, 1.5 hour flight to Minneapolis, and 3.5 hour drive home...I guess it's going to be a long day, huh?

I'll try to post again once more before we head home. Thanks again for all of your encouragement and kind words over the last 6 weeks that I've been here. It was a HUGE challenge for me, but I can honestly say I am very proud of myself for handling a difficult situation. There were times when the tears came & I wondered how I was going to make it through, but it has been totally worth it!

Love,
Lyndsey

We're getting there!

Just had a quick second to update our status before I head back out. We got the sentencia this morning, so Raelen is officially & legally our daughter! Wow, that's the first time I've said that:) AWESOME!

I need to leave in about 30 minutes to get Raelen's new birth certificate, passport, and visit the US Embassy doctor. If we get all those things done this afternoon, I will be coming home Thursday night!

Last night she slept all night for the first time!!! She went to bed at 8:30 & got up at 5:30 (then I had to wake her up at 7:30 to leave this am). Too bad I barely slept because of all the things running through my head that I had to do today!!!

Anyway, I'll let you know more when I know anything!

Sentencia signed!

Hey everyone,
In case you didn't hear, our sentencia got signed on Thursday, so I left for Bogota that afternoon. I made it to Bogota fine. There was a nice older man who sat next to me on the plane who spoke English & he helped me carry one of my bags & told me where to go. My translator & his wife were waiting there for us, so the flight went very well (once I got on the plane, right Barb???).

Anyway, I have missed the cruise.. Donnie decided to stay home so he could meet us at the airport. It looks like I'll be going home on Thursday, so I'm sooo excited! Wish me luck that all the errands & paperwork on Monday, so I am able to come home on Thursday.

Love you all and thanks so much for your support. I couldn't have done it without you...and it's almost over!

Lyndsey & Raelen

5:00 came & went again...

I talked to our case manager today, and still no word from the judge. He said it should be yet this week, but at the very latest Monday. Funny how it keeps getting pushed back. I am starting to get a little nervous about our paperwork expiring on February 28th, but there's not much I can do but wait. Raelen is 5 months old today and I've had her for 5 weeks. I am hopeful that we will be coming home early to mid week NEXT WEEK! I can't wait!!!

Things are going well here. She continues to impress me with how happy and smiley she is all the time! We went to get her passport & visa pictures at the mall today, and even though she didn't smile for the picture (they want a "normal" look..whatever that is) she was super good and everyone comments on her being "muy bonita" (very beautiful). I've learned that phrase in Spanish, that's for sure! The other one is "que linda" or how cute!

The people are so nice here, and I am happy to have had the chance to be here, but hope to be coming home soon!

Lyndsey & Raelen

It's Not 5:00 Yet!

Well, I am still in Medellin. After talking to my caseworker & associate in Colombia, we decided to wait to go back to Bogota until the sentencia is signed. They said it could be 5:00 on Thursday afternoon, or even Friday, so if I went now, I would likely have to stay the weekend before we could get to the embassy on Monday. So it's better that I stay with family than to have to spend the weekend alone in the hotel. It makes sense, but to me going back to Bogota meant we were that much closer to going home, but hopefully this way, Raelen & I will spend less time in Bogota before we get to go home.

I'm actually making plans & talking to Donnie & my mom about coming home! It's exciting! Since Donnie will likely be gone on the cruise (by himself, sniff...) on Saturday, Mom said she will be able to come to the airport next week & pick us up. I'm having to start a list of things for her to bring...carseat, SNOWSUIT!, my winter coat, ugh! Not looking forward to winter in Iowa again, but at least it will be spring soon:) She had taken the week off to keep the kids while we were on the cruise, so at least she'll be off so we can take Raelen to meet people. You can email me your name & I will put you on the waiting list (just kidding!).

So, every time the phone rings, I think it's someone calling about the sentencia. I still have hope for today...it's not 5:00 yet!

No word yet...

I emailed my caseworker on Friday, & called him on Saturday & Sunday, but have not heard anything from him. I got an email from the associate here in Colombia, and she said she would call the lawyer this afternoon to see if they've heard anything. She suggested I wait to come to Bogota until tomorrow, which is what I am now planning to do. If it's not signed by Wednesday, I can say "bon voyage" to the cruise...It takes 2 days to get the passport & visa, and doctor appointment at the Embassy, and wouldn't you know it, they are closed on Fridays. Can you hear the resentment & irritation in my voice yet??? :)

But I guess it's not that bad, considering it could be any day now that I get to go home. I look at how far we've already made it, being away from my kids for 5 weeks today & my husband 3 weeks today...it's been hard, but maybe it will make us even stronger as a family. I'll probably look back on this experience and say that it wasn't that bad...and it's going to be worth it in the end! It's time with Raelen that I will never get back, and I think it's been good for us...however 2 or 3 weeks probably would have been good too:)

Happy Girl!

I figured out how to post more pictures, so I'll hopefully be able to add more. Raelen just laid down for a nap, and I'm still waiting for our case manager to call to let me know if he's heard anything about the sentencia being signed. I'll let you know!

Yesterday I had Raelen to the pediatrician because she wasn't eating very well. It turns out she must have scratched the roof of her mouth with her fingernail! Poor thing, no wonder she didn't want to eat! Needless to say I cut her fingernails and will be keeping a closer eye on them! This picture was taken Wednesday night, so you can see she was still pretty happy despite her owie!

Keeping our fingers crossed...

I haven't heard any more from our case manager since Friday, so I'm assuming there is no news about our adoption decree. I am thinking if we don't hear anything by Friday, Raelen and I will head back to Bogota on Monday. Our flight is supposed to leave for our cruise on Saturday morning, so I am hoping to get home by next week Thursday at the latest, but I'm sure that's way too optimistic. It will be 5 working days tomorrow, so I'm really hoping to hear something SOON!

Trying to be patient...

Otherwise, things are going ok. Raelen jabbers and blows more bubbles every day. Tonight Donnie & the kids are going to call us on the web cam, so that will be nice.

Hopefully I'll be able to post some good news again soon!

Lyndsey & Raelen

Good news!

I got a call from our case manager in Florida yesterday afternoon that the judge has accepted our paperwork (called an "auto admisorio") and that the 10 day (work days) limit probably started on Thursday. I say probably, because Raul wasn't sure if the 10 days limit started once the judge signed or if it starts when it gets signed again by the ICBF (like Social Services back home). So we're hoping it started Thursday! There is still a small chance I'll make it back in time to go on the Manderfield cruise 2/21. I'm just so excited to see our homecoming date in the near future!

Raelen is still doing wonderfully. She got up at 4:20 the other night and didn't want to go back to sleep until 6, but then last night she woke up at 3:30 and then slept until 9! That's my girl:) Mommy functions better with adequate sleep!

That's all for now!
Love,
Lyndsey & Raelen

I'm still waiting to hear from our case worker regarding whether the judge has accepted our paperwork or not. I'll post something as soon as I hear.

Yesterday we went up to the mountains to a little tourist spot, where they had taken several of the old buildings from a small "pueblo" or town in Medellin and restored them to look like they did years ago. It was really neat & I took some pictures to share with everyone. We ate there and bought a few small souveniers to take back with us.

Then we went to a family's home here in Medellin (from Des Moines!) and watched the Super Bowl, which of course the Steelers won:) Unfortunately we had to leave in the 3rd quarter, because it was way past Raelen's bedtime & she was letting us know it! I talked to Donnie & he commentated the last 49 seconds for me.

Anyway, that's all for now, I'll keep you posted!