July 25: The Loooooong Journey Home

Big sister and proud of it! (thanks to our role model "A" for the t-shirt!)

Our day began at 3:00 am. All four alarms worked, so Gordon and I were well awake and ready to go on time.

Gracie: not so much. She gave me some flash forwards to her teenage years, burrowing under the covers saying: “I want to sleeeeeeeep!” Since Danny is used to a 4:00 am feeding, he was a more willing participant.

We had one near disaster when someone from the hotel came to check the mini bar. We had only requested access to this so we could store Danny’s medicine. We didn’t use anything. I explained this to the person checking. “Nothing?” he said, “then I no need check.” As he headed down the hall I suddenly realized that he thought I meant there was nothing left. Oops! I ran after him and through pantomime, brought him back to take note of our fully stocked mini bar. Whew! I don’t want to think how many Quetezales that might have set us back!

Our friend Edwin loaded up the car for us and helped to transport a still sleeping Gracie. Our carry on luggage was much lighter on this leg of our journey because I didn’t need to pack a change of clothes in case our luggage was lost. (Note: this is foreshadowing.)

Edwin promised to deliver our left over formula and baby food to a nearby orphanage. And we were off.
.

As many times as we were scared and stressed out on this trip, the beautiful people of Guatemala without exception made our journey memorable and very special. For every broken promise and dispassionate encounter from our Gringo contacts affiliated with the orphanage, our Guatemalan friends restored our trust and overrode the bad memories with their kindness. When we return, Edwin promises to show us the “real Guatemala” away from the touristy areas of Guatemala City. I can hardly wait.


Edwin did us one last favor as we arrived in the airport by setting us up with a porter who whisked us through the check-in lines. Usually I wait my turn, but this day I did not feel a bit guilty about being ushered, with our load of babies and baggage, to the front of a line of about 150 exuberant 20-something members of a mission team. In fact, my personal mission was to stay in front of this group to avoid long lines. And from the joyful smiles they gave us, I don’t think they minded a bit either.

My last triumph using my limited Spanish vocabulary was to go back to the snack bar where we bought our airport breakfast and tell them that they forgot to include Gordon’s ham and cheese croissant in our order. “No hay croissant. Donde esta croissant?” It worked!

Once on the plane, our kids (our kids!) were amazing. As on the flight out, the stellar invention of the portable video player saved the day. Danny got his first look at the Wiggles and I’m still not quite sure what he thought of them.



Ever the sharer, Gracie made sure that her puppy, Quenta, had a listen, too.




There was a treat waiting for us in Houston. Just the day before I had learned that our credit card would give us access to the Continental VIP lounge. With a four-and-a-half hour layover, this was a welcome refuge.

First we needed to pass through Customs with our luggage and them Immigration with our new little US Citizen.

Re-entering the security area after Customs gave Gracie a chance for one last melt-down. Poor kid, we had to wake her up to go through security since we needed to fold up her stroller. To say that she was upset would be an understatement. She was exhausted, angry about waking up and wanting to be carried like her little brother. She screamed, kicked, writhed, and howled. We made it through the check point, but then she didn’t want to get back in the stroller. She wanted me to carry her along with the diaper bag and carry on bag of toys. Finally, we just wrestled her into the stroller, strapped her in and proceeded amidst ear-splitting screams. We looked neither left nor right – just pushed ahead. At one point a kind stranger stopped me to tell me that one of Gracie’s socks was outside the elevator on the floor we had just left. For all I know it’s still there because there was no way I was going back for it!

Then, just as quickly as it started, our Gracie was her usual sunny self and all was forgotten.

We got to the VIP lounge and were treated like royalty. As we sat in the quiet, cool air-conditioned sanctuary eating free snacks and drinking free juice we marveled that some people travel like this all the time.

But our adventure was not over. Take a look at the two pictures that follow. Both were taken at the Houston airport....



Yes, Danny had one last surprise for us helped along by the interaction of antibiotic and his digestive system. Gordon headed off to the men’s room with Danny for a routine diaper change. He didn’t come back for almost a half-an-hour. Gracie and I were so engrossed in stuffing down as many free snacks as possible that we didn’t even notice. Suddenly there was Gordon with a shirtless Danny. “Danny has just had his first US bath!” Gordon informed me. It seems that this episode was not going to be taken care of with a few flimsy wipes. Gordon said that after 5 minutes of trying, he just headed over to the sinks.

I was actually kind of excited about buying Danny a new outfit – I imagined a nice Houston related ensemble. (Remember, no change of clothes in the carry-on!) So I headed down to the shops only to discover that the sole baby clothing source was a shuttle ride and three gates away. Thus was born the start of my new fitness program. Twenty minutes later, 10 minutes before boarding I was back with the cute outfit you see above.

One last flight and we were home. HOME!

Looking back at how tired we were, I still can’t believe that we had time to sit down for our first family dinner.

Yes, I have see one of these, and I know how to use it!

The doctors at the Guatemala hospital told us to start Danny on solid foods just like you would start a six month-old. Let him get down and dirty with it. I tell you he was in heaven! I can’t even begin to describe the look on his face when I handed him the spoon. It was one of pure joy; as if he had been waiting for this moment all his life. He does this cute thing where he dips the spoon end into the food and then puts the handle in his mouth.

I told you I could do it and you ain't seen nothin' yet!

After a meal like that, of course, a bath was called for. God bless the nannies at the orphanage, when they bathe the kids in the special sinks, they dunk them completely under to rinse them off. So Danny had absolutely no fear of the water. He seemed overjoyed to have such a vast body of water all to himself. He laughed and splashed and laughed.

And so our journey ended. And our first day home ended as all of them have so far: food fest, bath, bottle, bed.

I leave you with a few more pictures of Gracie and Danny, good friends already.

Thank you for travelling this road with us. The journey is just beginning. Over the next few days I’ll tell you about our re-entry into society, and a few surprises waiting for us this week.

Then we will be caught up to each other and we can once again walk side-by-side as we move into a new chapter of our lives. Your presence, your prayers and your kindness have gotten us this far. We will be forever grateful.

Day 5: Goodbye

As our plane landed on the day we arrived and I looked at the breathtaking vista below, I told Gordon that I knew I already wanted to come back.

Thursday, our last day in Guatemala, I felt the same. Someday we will come back when every one is healthy and strong and visit this beautiful country and really get to know the people who make it so special.

We have made some lasting friendships here. Ironically they began as business relationships but now extend to true friendships.

Today was a day to thank these amazing people and to say goodbye.

A relaxing start to the day

For the first time since we arrived, we had no need to get up early. Ah, so civilized…
We all bathed, and got ready for breakfast. I think it was the first time that we were all clean at the same time. The lounge on our floor served a wonderful breakfast and that’s where we headed.

Miss Grace assembles her breakfast components

I had visions of a nice little family gathering at one of the beautifully laid out tables, but Gracie had other plans. She immediately settled herself in an armchair in front of a glass coffee table. She pulled out her sticker book and tucked into a chocolate croissant. The rest of us riff raff started out at a table but soon joined her on an nearby sofa.

Chocolate, the universal language of YUM!

Our first hello and goodbye to good friends was scheduled at 11:00 that morning. We were meeting with our attorney and the director of Adoption Supervisors. For those who don’t know, Adoption Supervisors is an independent organization that provides information and sometimes assistance in cases that are not being handled to the satisfaction of the families involved. As often as they can, they supervise cases without the knowledge of the official adoption agency.

I will write more someday about the details of our case, but for now suffice it to say that mistakes were made and no information was provided to us regarding the outcome of those mistakes. Into the midst of my fears and dwindling trust came our friends at Adoption Supervisors. Not only did they provide accurate and timely information but they did so with compassion. Now we were meeting these friends in person for the first time! We exchanged many hugs, talked about the future of adoptions in Guatemala and gave each other gifts from our countries. We promised to keep in touch and send pictures of our happy family.

Our next goodbye was with our new friend and driver, Edwin. True, he was taking us to the airport at 4:00 am the next morning, but since I planned on being comatose at that time, this afternoon was the last time for us to spend time as friends together. Because I hadn’t had any time to shop, Edwin took us to a nice, close, open air market where I went nuts on gifts and souvenirs. What a patient man! He directed us to shops with unique items. When I was loaded down with too many parcels, he would run them out to his car. The five of us enjoyed a wonderful meal at a nearby steak house. It was our first chance to sample some of the local cuisine. Danny was feeling much better and was really enjoying the tortillas!

The guys dig in

Yes, you can eat tortillas with 2.5 teeth

Full body smile!

At 3:00 we headed to the Embassy to pick up our Visa. All went smoothly and in no time we were headed back to our hotel with all the paperwork necessary to leave the country. Edwin commented that for the first time he could see that all the tension was out of my face! He also warned us: “DO NOT OPEN THE SEALED ENVELOPE!” The sealed envelope is the Pandora’s Box for adoptive families. The Embassy hands you a sealed envelope to be turned over at US Immigration. Many families wonder what’s in that envelope and some have given into temptation and opened it. Edwin knew such a family and warned that the punishment was a two week wait in-country while the paperwork was reassembled. So we followed orders.

Back at our hotel, we had one last appointment with a new friend. Danny’s pediatrician was stopping by for a last check-up to see if we were good to fly out the next day. One of my most gratifying moments of the trip was the look on the doctor’s face when Danny and I answered the door. His look was of relief and amazement in the transformation of our sweet boy. Before the doctor left, he told me that he felt adoption was a wonderful thing. He said that we were making a difference in a life, giving a life to someone who might otherwise have missed out. I was quick to tell him that the blessing worked both ways and that we were equally blessed to have Danny in our lives. We promised to send pictures to our new friend to show him Danny’s progress.

Danny's first doctor

Now there was nothing left to do but order room service and pack. The doctor had told us that Danny really needed to begin experiencing food since the feeding at the orphanage left little room for wallowing in food the way kids need to in order to learn to eat. So we turned Danny loose on the plain noodles much to Gracie’s delight.

Pasta is awesome

With the kids finally sleeping, Gordon and I packed until about 11:00. We set two alarms and for good measure I attempted to follow the Spanish automated menu instructions on our phone to place a wake-up call request.

After a wonderful day, we were ready to head home. Our last leg of the journey was set to begin in just four hours.

One of my favorite pictures of all time!

Day four: "Big Bless"

This is the day all adoptive families wait for: the date at the U.S. Embassy to apply for a travel visa. We needed to leave at about 6:15. So we had another early morning. Due to an intense storm the day before, there were rolling blackouts all night long in our hotel. The next morning I headed for the shower only to discover that there was no hot water! Talk about a wake up call!

This day, we were using the driver supplied by our adoption agency. Our adoption fees covered the service of a ride to the Embassy to apply for the Visa, and again the next day to pick up said Visa. Edwin had completely spoiled us. I must say, the agency’s driver was certainly amiable and more then patient. He stood calmly by while two sleep-deprived parents struggled to load a stroller, bulging diaper bag, bag of books and toys and a two-inch stack of paperwork into the van with no car seats. He helped Gordon through the process of paying for the Visa and getting a receipt. Then he left us to wait for our interview. He said he’d be back in an hour to pick us up, and off he went to get a bite to eat.

The wait was a struggle for Gracie. She is an energetic cheerful child, and being stuck in a drab government building is just not her thing. But she’s a trooper and she joyfully played the gravity game endlessly with Danny. (I drop, you pick up, etc. etc.) Then she saw the large America flag in the corner. How tempting is that? She ran over, and before we could stop her she had wrapped herself completely in the flag and was spinning around joyfully. This was a game she had been playing in the hotel drapes just a couple hours earlier and it was difficult to explain why the flag wasn’t fair game.

Sorry no pictures by decree of the US Government! But here's one to tide you over...

Luckily we were called shortly after this. First we entered a small closet sized room and handed over our paperwork while someone examined our passports. Then we were dismissed to wait for one more interview. About 20 minutes later we were called to the infamous window #10. “Please raise your right hand. Do you swear that the information in this documentation is the truth.” “Yes.” “Have you fulfilled the requirements in your state to complete an adoption?” “Yes.” “Congratulations, come back tomorrow at 3:30 to pick up your Visa.”

Done.

That’s it?

Yep. Done!

Well, not quite. Our driver, who said he’d be back in an hour, did not show up for another hour. He had instructed us to wait by the exit doors so he could see us. We stood there with an increasingly hungry and impatient Gracie, and a still feverish Danny. We were dripping with sweat in our “Business Casual” Embassy outfits, I could feel my hair soaking up the humid air and beginning to extend on either side of my head – defying gravity.

Finally, FINALLY there he was. Amiable as ever, calmly watching us make our way down two flights of stairs with the aforementioned baggage. When he deposited us at our hotel, we let him know that we wouldn’t need him to drive us to the Embassy the next day. We would be using our new best friend, Edwin.

Whew, back to the air conditioned bliss of our hotel. Our original plans were to meet Edwin lunch time and head for the city of Antigua to do some sightseeing and shopping. However, we were still worried about Danny. He was much improved from the day before but I was still worried. We called the pediatrician to ask a few questions. He said that the best thing for Danny would be to be seen at a hospital for x-rays and blood work to confirm the pneumonia and to determine whether he needed additional care. I felt the blood drain from my face. What next!?

While waiting, Gracie melds all her playdoh colors to create an "Ox-rainbow" with craters!

So Edwin took us to the ER instead of Antigua. I had visions of the ER in our town: a germ pit with endless waiting. I assumed that in Guatemala City, with over twice the population of our city, things would be even worse. Imagine our surprise when we were issued into an empty, spotless waiting room and shortly after that, a charming pediatric exam room. Thank God Edwin was there to translate. We were able to give the medical staff detailed information about Danny’s condition and the meds he was taking.

X-rays were taken, blood was drawn, tears were shed (mine and Danny’s). We met with the pediatric on call doctor and a viral specialist. They explained that Danny did indeed have pneumonia in both lungs. If his white counts were seriously elevated, he would need to be hospitalized and receive IV antibiotics. Finally results were back and we received good news. Danny’s blood work did not indicate a need for hospitalization. They were pleased with his progress to date and recommended that we continue as instructed by our doctor. We promised to have him come out the night before we left to give Danny the green light for flying.

The doctors were appalled that he had not been receiving formula for his first year. They were concerned about the nutritional value of a milk diet. They recommended Pediasure instead of milk. They emphasized fluids and calories were to be our focus.

I can’t even begin to describe how relieved I felt after this visit. I felt like we were finally on the right track. The care we received was outstanding and the staff was incredible. While we were waiting for results I asked Edwin why there was no one else in the waiting room. He explained that few people in Guatemala could afford this hospital. Here’s that thing that really got to me: our bill for an ER visit, x-rays, lab work, doctor exam and a visit by a viral specialist was $178. This expense which we could pay for out of petty cash was too much for most of the people living in Guatemala City. I also thought about what the excellent doctors must be earning if the cost of their care was so little. What heroes to stay in their country rather then look elsewhere for what surely would be a much bigger paycheck.

As we were leaving, I asked the doctor what would have happened to Danny had he been at the orphanage in his condition for any longer. She said that three more days and he would have been lucky to have made it to the hospital on time.

I told this to Edwin as we were driving back to the hotel. I told him how we hadn’t been expecting to get our pink slip as soon as we did. “Can you imagine” I said, “what could have happened? Thank God for getting that pink slip early.”

Edwin said, “This is a big bless. A big big bless.”

Later that night when we got home Gordon and Edwin headed to the grocery store to buy provisions I stayed with a passed out Gracie and an ever improving Danny. Looking at my beautiful children and feeling Josh’s presence so strongly I agreed: A big big bless indeed!

Being a big sister is hard work!

Yes, all this plastic is really enjoyable, but what I really need.....

Is a spoon and the remote. Now I'm groovin'!

Big Bless!!

Day 3: The first leg of the journey home

Morning in Beautiful Guatemala

The morning of our departure dawned: clear and crisp and beautiful. Danny’s fever seemed to have subsided in the night. The migraine gremlins who live in my head were re-thinking their strategy after I’d hit them with a dose of my super-duper migraine medicine. Gracie entertained Danny while we got dressed and ready to head for the Children’s Home for breakfast.

Wake-up call

Things took a bit of a turn once we got to the orphanage. First of all, it was hot and loud inside. Second, Danny was not at all interested in solid food and began to feel feverish again. And finally, as we sat down to our breakfast of warm milk and cornflakes, I turned my chair to face a reluctant Gracie and pinched her finger between our two chairs. Gracie screamed, and my head suddenly began to throb. There was no consoling her and I was sure that all the nannies were questioning my ability to parent an additional child.

We all left without any breakfast. I felt terrible about leaving uneaten food behind, but we had to get out of there.

Luckily, my diaper bag has the solutions to all life’s problems buried inside. About 15 bandages later, Gracie declared herself healed.

The band-aid cure-all

Romalia came by to go through Danny’s toys with us. When she arrived, Danny was playing happily on the floor with Gordon. She told Edwin that she was very relieved to see him relaxed and enjoying his new family. Dear Romalia went through each toy and, via Edwin, explained when Danny got each item, what its significance was and how he liked to play with it. She showed us how she carefully kept the letters we wrote him under his mattress. We had sent a picture of Gracie in a zip-loc bag. She told us how Danny would press the picture against his face and smile. She showed us the first toy he ever received, a cute stuffed dog. But most poignantly, she showed us the bear we had sent to Danny many months ago. She said this is his favorite toy, and told us how he hugs it and curls up against it every night. This information has helped us comfort him now that we’re home and even as I write this, he is curled up with his bear.

We were so grateful to have her loving words translated. Otherwise we never would have known the best way to comfort Danny when he wakes up at night. We never would have known that when he starts saying “lalalalalala” it means he wants something and is about to get frustrated if he doesn’t get it. We would never have known that her heart was at ease with his leaving now that she had met his loving family.

Finally it was time to go. Romalia walked Danny out to the car and put him in the car seat. This was something she wanted to do. It is only now that I think about it, I realize how difficult it must have been to put the baby you loved most in this world into someone else’s car. She said she was afraid to see him cry when she put him down. And sure enough, he cried and reached for her. My heart broke for both of them. We promised again to send pictures and assured her that our love for Danny was boundless.

And then we were off.

Our plans were to take an alternate route down the mountain side. This was a more scenic road. Without construction, the journey would be a little shorter then yesterday’s. The trade-off was that the road wound up and down the mountain about three times before connecting with the Pan-American Highway. Edwin explained that the road followed old Mayan foot paths.

OK driving in Guatemala… Let me tell you a bit about this. Big has the right of way. Cars beat humans, trucks beat cars and busses beat everyone else. Motorcycles drive in between lines of cars. To get anywhere you have to be aggressive. One more coat of paint on these cars and they would be scraping each other. While there was less traffic on our road down the mountain, there was an added element of suspense around every corner. You see, every corner was a hairpin turn that was completely blind. Edwin beeped the horn at each approach, but there was always a moment where we held our breath and expected a huge truck to come barreling around the curve.

But skillful driving and excellent descriptions of the countryside we were touring made for a beautiful descent. We passed people digging into the side of the mountain to mine for sand. The mountain was literally honey-combed with caves, all illegal, all in full sight of law enforcement. One had to wonder when these caves would collapse and bring down half the mountain. One also had to wonder what kind of poverty brings a person to take such great risks to earn a few Quetzales.

Because we were worried about Danny’s health, and my head was splitting open, we made just one stop on the peaceful if somewhat odorous shores of Lake Atitlan. But Gordon had the video camera out of the window for much of the ride catching the scenery as we passed.

How we spent our summer vacation

We travelled through marketplaces tightly packed with people and vehicles and donkeys. The contrast between the staggering poverty and the beautiful faces and clothing was breath taking. Even in extreme poverty, people were carefully and proudly dressed. Children were obviously adored and cherished.

Finally we arrived back at our hotel. We were so worried about Danny that we asked the concierge to help us find a pediatrician. She warned us that it would be expensive. This kind man travelled across town after business hours to our hotel. He stayed for a half an hour and gave us his personal phone number to call any time we had questions or concerns. The cost was $100. This is less than half of a regular 15 minute visit to our clinic.

The Doctor carefully examined Danny and told us that he was nearly certain that he had Pneumonia. He said that while he generally hates to use antibiotics, he wanted to treat this aggressively especially since we were flying out on Friday. He also said that the medication Danny was being given at the Eagle’s Nest was actually harmful and making his condition worse. The medication was making his heart race and was making breathing even more difficult.

The Doctor also reviewed Danny’s immunization records and we discovered that he was not given the Pneumonia vaccine. Also, contrary to what we were told, Danny was never given Chicken Pox vaccine.

Armed with prescriptions for an antibiotic, a steroid and another medication to help clear his bronchial passages we settled in for the night. This entailed Gordon filling our prescriptions, Gordon taking care of entertaining the kids and getting them to bed and me taking hot shower after hot shower trying to beat out the extreme headache that was now not responding to anything.

It was a long and painful night, but suddenly at about 10:00 pm, after a last ditched attempt at pain relief via a strong cup of coffee, my headache lifted!

Morning was on the way and with it, our long awaited Embassy appointment!

Siblings, deep in thought

July 21, We become a family (on Danny's birthday!)

Beautiful Guatemala

The day is finally here! In just a few short (make that long) hours, we will be together as a family.

My headache had ratcheted up a notch by this time, which made being in the moment a bit tougher. But the drive up to the “highlands” as our driver put it, was stunningly beautiful. Edwin, our driver gave us a running history lesson and commentary on the agricultural practices and traditions of the Mayan people. He found places to stop with beautiful views, tempting markets and also clean bathrooms.

Rest stop: can't resist a beautiful coat for Gracie

Yes, it is a long, long, drive

We finally reached the fork in the road that led to the orphanage and I really wish I had taken a picture because it’s like no road I’ve ever seen. What it looked like was rutty dusty space between tightly packed buildings. Even Edwin was surprised at how rugged it was. We continued with blind faith based on the directions we were given. Finally, the dirt path became a bit of a road again, leading still higher into the hills. At last we were in the parking lot of a building I have seen so many times in pictures.

As we walked up to the door, I expected security or ID checks, but we were admitted without question. Luckily, Edwin came with us and translated everything. This gave us the priceless opportunity to speak directly with Danny’s nanny and not miss a thing. When I talk about conversations with people at the Children’s Home, they are always facilitated by Edwin.

We had waited for this moment for a year, more if you count the beginning of our adoption journey back in December of 06. There were so many emotions, so many people’s lives to take into consideration. Mostly, there was Danny who was about to be introduced to complete strangers who would take him from the only home he’s ever known. As hard as it would be, we needed to go slowly and not overwhelm him.

Romalia with our boy and her boy - a bittersweet moment

Almost as poignantly, there was Romalia, Danny’s nanny. This woman has cared for and loved Danny since he was just a couple weeks old. Now she was going to be saying goodbye. We had heard from other visitors that Danny was Romalia’s favorite baby of all time.

The sight of the checker board floor got my adrenaline rushing and my tears rising up. I had never been in this place, yet I knew it well. I was very surprised at the noise level. The TV was blaring, babies were crying, kids were babbling and nannies were talking above it all.

First meeting

Then, suddenly we saw a tearful nanny bringing our sweet boy to us. He was clearly anxious. He was bundled to within an inch of his life as Romalia assumed we would be immediately whisking him off to our room. We told her that our main concern was Danny’s emotional state and that we wanted to take things slowly. I wanted to be sure she didn’t think we were too casual about meeting him, yet I wanted Danny to view this as a casual meeting.

Romalia told us that ever since the news came that Danny’s family was coming for him, he had been anxious and waking up often during the night. She said this often happens to babies who are leaving soon. She also made sure we knew that although she was heart broken, she was very glad that Danny was finally going home to a family that loved him so dearly.

Big sister is worth a second glance

We held Danny briefly. Gracie actually got a smile out of him, the first glimmerings of the adoring little brother in our home today. Then we told Romalia that we would get settled and come back in an hour or so. By this time, it was late in the afternoon and we hadn’t eaten all day.

Amazing Edwin had already taken care of getting our things to our room and ordering lunch from Pollo Compero. (A famous world-wide fried chicken chain originating in Guatemala, we learned.) After settling in and eating, and a world class melt-down from Gracie because I marred the surface of her Flan (pudding like desert) by trying to stir it up, we were ready to spend more time with Danny.

First family portrait

I headed back to the baby changing area to find Danny and Romalia. I caught her sobbing in the back. My heart broke into a million pieces. This process of adoption involves so many lives. This dear woman was trying hard to keep her grief from Danny but still the tears were streaming down her face. Edwin later said that she told him she is single and that the babies at the orphanage are her children. Romalia asked us to please send pictures. She said many families promise to do so, but few actually follow through. We promised her that we would send pictures. Later in the day, she gave us her home address as well.

After some time in our room with Danny, we headed back for dinner for Danny and for ourselves. It was then that I learned that although there is no biological connection, Danny is truly meant to be a sibling to my other two children. This boy refuses to eat just like my other two kids. I guess he is famous for refusing food. He either clamps his mouth shut, or glues his tongue to his upper gums to prevent access with a spoon. His sole goal at meal times is to take possession of the spoon and the bowl.

This gave me concern about his nutrition. The children in the orphanage are switched to powdered whole milk at six months. This is very bad and goes directly against recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics which recommends formula or breast milk as the main source of nutrition for the first year of a child’s life. Without fortified rice cereal or other food, Danny was getting nowhere near the calories or nutrients he needed.

We also had concerns about his general health. When I returned to the orphanage to pick up our meals, the staff remembered that Danny was taking several medications: one for a fever and one for a cough. There was some confusion about the dosage, but finally we had our instructions.

After returning to our room, it became clear that his breathing, which I had initially taken for nerves upon our first meeting, was actually very shallow and very rapid; about two in-out breaths per second. It was a long worrisome night. We were up every four hours to administer meds and a bottle.

Despite the worry, I felt a peacefulness knowing that whatever lay ahead, we would be tackling it as a family and that we could finally advocate for Danny in person.

With Daddy...

With Mommy...

My hero!

P.S. Please hold sweet Nathan A. and his family close in your prayers. We hope and pray that his family will soon be on their own pick-up journey.

Home!

I’ll take a break from my love fest over this fabulous new family to let you know we’re home!

In a tradition started by my dear friend, Kate’s mom, I will journal each day of our trip in a separate entry.

And since we had to wait a whole day to see sweet Danny, I’m making you wait also!

Upon returning to our house last night, I was reminded of the ruins at Pompeii where people fled in the midst of every day activities. Things happened fast around here after we received word of Pink.

Once our DNA results were submitted to the Embassy, we were told that we should expect Pink late the following week. So I was in my undefined deadline mode which is to say, I was doing very little packing. Our agency, Special Delivery also would not give us confirmation until we received Pink that we could travel to the children’s home to meet Danny. This had a major impact on packing since the children’s home, the Eagle’s Nest, is located in the highlands and can get quite chilly.

Thursday night Gordon checked his e-mail and there was our notification. Customarily, families are given seven days notice. We were given an appointment six days from notification. Once we told Special Delivery of our status, they bestowed permission to visit the Children’s Home.

As you can imagine, frantic packing ensued. We wanted to leave on Sunday (about 56 hours after we got Pink.) so that we could spend the night at Eagle’s Nest prior to returning to Guatemala City with our son.

Bags were packed we left at 4:00 am on Sunday, finally heading toward our Danny.

I’ve written a lot about this little boy. But now my Gracie gets a turn. This girl was amazing on the airplane. She settled into her seat, got out her sticker book and went to work. We were helped along by the fact that sitting next to us was a woman travelling with her small puppy. Any time Gracie got a bit loud or impatient, I reminded her that we didn’t want to bother the puppy. Humans don’t rate, but for puppies…well…

Gracie with her puppy "Quenta" and the greatest invention since sliced bread!

In Dallas, we thrilled to rides on the “flat escalator.”

I had two memorable moments on the plane:

The first was, for me, a definite sign that Josh was with us on this journey. It needs a little background: when Josh was almost exactly the age Gracie is now, we went on our Make-A-Wish trip to Chicago. We took a cab from the train station to the hotel. Midway through the ride, the dispatcher came over the radio to announce an available fare. Josh’s eyes got as big as saucers and he said in awe: “We’re in a talking car!” Gordon started to explain the whole radio thing and Josh adamantly said: “NO! We’re in a talking car!” Flash forward five years to our plan ride. The attendant came on to announce something and now it was Gracie’s turn to have big eyes as she announced: “The airplane is talking to us!!” This was all I needed to know that Josh was with us every step of the way on this journey.

Second, was the indescribable emotion I felt as we flew over Guatemala. The terrain is breathtaking. But what really got me was knowing that somewhere down there, our boy was waiting for us to come and take him home. It finally seemed this was really going to happen.

Once on the ground, after working our way through customs, immigration and baggage pick-up we were met by our driver, Edwin. I will write more about him later, but suffice it to say that he was a life saver for us. He added so much to this trip by being there with us every step of the way to navigate, translate and educate us. (If you ever need a driver in Guatemala, he is the best!)

We were deposited at the Grand Tikal hotel, destination of movie stars, presidents and, thanks to a screaming deal on hotels.com, our humble family.

So very grand!

One of Gracie’s favorite sports is hotel room exploration so needless to say we enjoyed ourselves. The only little annoyance for me was the faint beginnings of the drill bit in my right temple that signaled the immanent onset of a migraine. But there was little to dampen the thrill of realizing that the first leg of our journey was complete.

Outside: a view of Guatemala City, the beautiful mountains in the distance, and of course, the Golden Arches

Room service was just fine for us that night, and we went to bed knowing that tomorrow we would meet Danny!

P.S. Please remember to pray for Nathan A. (see side bar). His birth mother has disappeared which greatly complicates the process. His parents' arms are aching for him. Please include Nathan and his family in your prayers.