Update

Last Wednesday, Carol returned from Guatemala with updated pictures and and medical plus some pictures that she got herself. They were really cool pics and it felt so good to see our son again. He sure is growing. At 6 months of age he 16lbs 12oz and 28.30 inches long. She did however tell us that she was having him sent to a specialist to check his vision as she is concerned he has a lazy eye or crossed eyes. I never thought that before but is ok. It is nothing major and can be corrected. We will just be glad to get our son home.

We are still waiting on PA. It wouldnt be so bad but there have been no PA's issued in over a week and none today either. I know alot of people waiting so long now and there are fears that PA time will increase another 30 days. I am praying,though, that it remains a rumor and we will have our PA on or before Oct 25th. We are still praying for a miracle and that it could occur sooner as we would really like to be out of PGN by the end of December. Please be praying,not only for us but for all adoptive parents adopting from Guatemala, the foster families and orphanages in Guatemala that have children being adopted in them, elections that will be taking place soon as the whole process of adoptions and whether they continue depends on it all. If you want to learn more about everything going in Guatemala and adoptions please go to www.guatadopt.com for more information. Remember God is in control and miracles do still happen. Thank you for the prayers.

In order to understand what come next it is this. Once we have PA,our attorney will review everything in our dossier(paperwork about us and our ability to be able to care for an infant) and then submit us to PGN. PGN (lovingly called the "Black Hole")is the process that takes place in the Guatemalan court system that will approve our adoption and make our son legally ours. In this process, We will be going thru 2 reviewers and each one can issue a KO (Kick Out)which is basically they find something they dont like about our paperwork and will send to the third review that has to sign the authorization to kick it out and then our attorney will have to get fixed or us if on our side and then when corrected will resubmit and then we start all over again. Once it has been signed off by both reviewers it will once again go to the third reviewer and if he finds nothing wrong will sign paperwork of and we will be considered out of PGN!!!!! This process is taking on average 8 weeks at a time whether it is for a kick out or sign out. We are praying for no KO's. This rarely happens cause sometimes PGN issues a KO just to do it and free up some room on their desk but as we know God is in Control and Clay will come home in HIS timing.

A miracle here would be to get PA before Oct 25th(even a week)and exit PGN before December 31, 2007.

And for what everyone has been waiting for:

We have it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have a DNA match. Carol emailed us this morning with the results. 99.99%!!!!!! Which is the max result there is. We are REALLY excited. And the day before my birthday, too.

The next step in this process is Pre-Approval (PA). This comes from our government giving us permission to adopt this child and bring him home. Normally, this countdown would begin in just a few days, but the part of the US Embassy in Guatemala has closed the PA office (to anything coming in) until August the 27th which is the day we will begin our countdown to PA. It is a 60 day countdown at this time and day 60 will be October 25th. Based on timelines recently that 60 is more likely going to be a week longer than 60, but since closing to do some catch up work we could be pleasantly surprised. Lord Willing, I would really like the pleasant surprise to occur. Based on our timeline and an avg of everyone elses at this time we are looking at Clay being home in February 2008.

We are at the top of a steep journey to our child and we can see the end but it is still a long ways off. The plans for this wait: to enjoy each other, work on Clay's room, going to see him again in mid-September and go see parts of the country we haven't ever seen and for me to finish the latch hook rug I am working on and to get Clay's life book up to date. Oh yeah, I have also volunteered to act as activities director for our apartment complex.

Well, that is all I have for now and will update occasionally in this process to PA and home forever.

Waiting on DNA Match

Well, things are really going well here. I know that the wait for DNA could be as little as a week and possibly as much as two but am hoping that an email or something will be received on Friday. I know silly and may not happen but just thinking after all the delays it would be a wonderful birthday gift. In the meantime of waiting we are trying to survive the heat (it gets 80 in the apt and wont go down till midnight or later when temp is over 100) and I am working on finishing a Precious Moments Latch Hook Rug for the for the baby's room. I dont know how or where to put it as my plans for decorating the baby's room changed as I let Matt pick out the bedding. That is ok, though. Not everything has to match or I could do a small area that is Precious Moments.

Clay turns 6 months old tomorrow. I have a care package almost ready for him. I will finish it tomorrow and get it in the mail to Carol so she can get it to Clay.

Another thing, as of DNA Match Carol said she will see about getting the foster mother to start calling Clay, Clay as that is not his birth name. He will always know his birth name as I am making it a point of putting it in his Life Book. He will have two special names and will know about them all. He will know the name his birth mom gave him and then he will have the name we are giving him.

Well, that is about all for now. I will write more and as I finish the rug I am working on I may even post it. I dont know yet. Well, Talk later.

Jacob and Emma

Emma soon after coming home


Jacob - This is an older picture but the best one I have downloaded right now.

REALLY Good Day

Our day started out pretty normal for when Matt is at work. I usually stay up till his lunch break at 2am and then go to bed till he gets home sometime between 8:45 and 9:00 am. He stays up for awhile to unwind and when he goes to bed I lay down with him for a couple hours. It is a good way to spend time with him that I wouldn't otherwise get and know once our son comes home will change, so I am relishing these last few months and enjoying him as I know things are going to change.

At 11:11 this morning, the phone rang and it was Carol. We had DNA Authorization and needed payment information. WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!! I was so excited I woke Matt up trying to get the info for her. I asked when the DNA Test was to be taken and guess what?? It is tomorrow. Tomorrow we will have DNA. Then waiting till results are to us and to the US Embassy in Guatemala for countdown to Pre-Approval to begin. A great day that no one will forget. Today, would have been my Grandma Holden's b'day today and now also the day we got DNA Authorization for our son. Well, we have been on cloud nine all day, no doubt!!!!!!

While we have been on cloud nine my sister was at the hospital or Dr with Emma her 10 month old child having a CT Scan run and possibly planning surgery to correct the craniostynosis. Please be praying for this really sweet, precious, baby and my sister and her family.

Then on top of that to learn that my youngest nephew had to have two staples in his head last night. He got out of his bath, slipped, fell and busted his head open on the bath tub. He was a very brave from what I have heard. Monday or Tuesday he should get the staples out and on Monday he starts preschool. He is growing up so fast. Well I am going to post both pics and please be praying for both these special little ones.

Our Son at 5 Months

Isn't he a cutie!!!!!

Good News Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday and Thursday were really bad days here on the home front. They were amazingly better yesterday afternoon and tonight while at dinner Carol called and boy was I really leery of what she had to say. Well, I shouldnt have been, she called to say that the birthmother's birth certificate is now in Guatemala City. YIPPPEEEEE!!!!!!
She also said that seeing as it is there we could possibly have DNA authorization by a week from Monday. That puts us at August 13, 2007, the Monday before my birthday. It is looking good that we could possibly have the DNA test done by my birthday. What a good birthday present that would be. Please be praying it is so. After, this week we need good news for quite awhile to come. Please be praying all good news, tomorrow, too.