Hi! I figured after4.5 months, I should try to update you on how everything is going! Honestly, I tried updating a couple times, but it wouldn't let me sign in for some reason!
Raelen is getting so big...and into everything! She's pulling herself up to stand & just learned how to climb steps! Needless to say we are utilizing the baby gates a lot lately. I can't believe she'll be 1 next month! The time has gone by so fast, partly because she's been such a good baby. She's been sleeping through the night all summer & sleeps 12-13 hours a night.
She's had a couple of ear infections, but I hope once we have her off the bottle in a few months that will help. Otherwise, she's been very healthy.
We spent last weekend in Chicago and went the zoo, aquarium, and to a Colombian adoption picnic. There were 12 children there from Colombia! It was really neat to share our stories with each other & reconnect with one of the families who were in Bogota with us.
This summer has been full! We went to several parades, the pool a few times, played outside in our pool, and much more. I will post new pictures soon, I promise.
The kids start school next week, so I'm ready for some sort of schedule again! I'll be working 3 days a week, so the other 2 days I'll be home with Raelen, which will be nice.
Anyway, that's all for now, so watch for more pictures!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Update
Today marked four weeks since Raelen and I have been home, and things are going extremely well. We are all adjusting to having a baby in the house again, and Logan & Reese to having a little sister! Raelen started sleeping all night last week, so that's made the adjustment even better:)
She's grown so much in the last few weeks, and has even started doing the "army crawl" on the floor. This frustrates Logan a little, since he can't just hang out with his toys on the living room floor any more, or baby sister gets ahold of them!
We got our family pic taken last week, so I'll post that too. Things are going well and I am enjoying my last week off before heading back to work on the 6th. It's hard to believe my 12 weeks is almost over already!!!
Love,
The Manderfield 5 :)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Home Sweet Home!!!
OK, so I'm sorry I haven't posted for over a week, but I do have a good excuse! I have been very busy...but I'm definitely NOT complaining! I am so happy to be home so I can be busy with 3 kids:)
The 5.5 hour flight to Newark from Bogota went extremely well. Raelen was an absolute angel. We made it to Newark a few minutes later than scheduled, which was fine because we had a 4 hour layover, and I didn't feel rushed. Well...then it turned into a 5 hour layover, and we finally left Newark at 9:40 PM, when it was supposed to be 8:05! THEN, to top it off, when we got to Minneapolis, there weren't enough runways cleared, so we had to fly around Minneapolis for 40 minutes, and then go to Des Moines to refuel from all that extra flying! We were supposed to land at MSP at 10:30 PM, but it ended up being 1:30 AM (which was actually 2:30 AM to us, since we were an hour ahead in Bogota.) But we finally made it, and we came down the escalator & Donnie didn't see us until I got right behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. It was really a neat moment. I cried because I was so happy that the journey was finally over!!!
So, we slept for a while at a hotel & left in the morning to head back home. My mom was with my sister and the kids at our house, and we told the kids that we wouldn't be home for another hour. We were actually almost home, but wanted to surprise them. I walked in the house really quietly with Raelen in her seat, and peeked around the corner in the living room, where Reese & Logan were sitting on the couch. Then they saw me, and everyone in the room was crying:) It was another neat moment. That night, Raelen slept for 12 hours straight without a bottle! She must have been tired.
Since then, things have been going extremely well. Raelen goes to bed around 8-8:30 when Reese & Logan do, gets up around 2 AM for a bottle, and usually sleeps until 8:30-9 AM. She is so good! Reese & Logan just love her to pieces, and have both been huge helpers for me. It's wonderful to have our family all together finally!
Better get going...kids are sleeping so I need to get some things done. I'll update again soon on how things are going. Love from ALL of us...Donnie, Lyndsey, Reese, Logan and Raelen:)
The 5.5 hour flight to Newark from Bogota went extremely well. Raelen was an absolute angel. We made it to Newark a few minutes later than scheduled, which was fine because we had a 4 hour layover, and I didn't feel rushed. Well...then it turned into a 5 hour layover, and we finally left Newark at 9:40 PM, when it was supposed to be 8:05! THEN, to top it off, when we got to Minneapolis, there weren't enough runways cleared, so we had to fly around Minneapolis for 40 minutes, and then go to Des Moines to refuel from all that extra flying! We were supposed to land at MSP at 10:30 PM, but it ended up being 1:30 AM (which was actually 2:30 AM to us, since we were an hour ahead in Bogota.) But we finally made it, and we came down the escalator & Donnie didn't see us until I got right behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. It was really a neat moment. I cried because I was so happy that the journey was finally over!!!
So, we slept for a while at a hotel & left in the morning to head back home. My mom was with my sister and the kids at our house, and we told the kids that we wouldn't be home for another hour. We were actually almost home, but wanted to surprise them. I walked in the house really quietly with Raelen in her seat, and peeked around the corner in the living room, where Reese & Logan were sitting on the couch. Then they saw me, and everyone in the room was crying:) It was another neat moment. That night, Raelen slept for 12 hours straight without a bottle! She must have been tired.
Since then, things have been going extremely well. Raelen goes to bed around 8-8:30 when Reese & Logan do, gets up around 2 AM for a bottle, and usually sleeps until 8:30-9 AM. She is so good! Reese & Logan just love her to pieces, and have both been huge helpers for me. It's wonderful to have our family all together finally!
Better get going...kids are sleeping so I need to get some things done. I'll update again soon on how things are going. Love from ALL of us...Donnie, Lyndsey, Reese, Logan and Raelen:)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
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
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
Monday, February 23, 2009
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!
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!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
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
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
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