We made it home last night at about 9:30pm. It was so wonderful to see Julien at the airport!
Our trip home started early Monday morning, since the cab picked us up at 5:45am. Peter and Patrick shared our cab, and kept us company all the way through Atlanta. The airport in Bogota was no less confusing and complicated than we expected--at least three different places we had to check-in, show different forms and pieces of ID. Fortunately, Helena met us at the airport and made sure we got to the gate in due time.
On our flight to Atlanta, Esteban and I sat in the bulkhead row--which turned out to be a great bonus because he could nap on the floor. Peter and Patrick sat two rows back on the other side of the aisle--close enough to help out. Esteban turns out to be a great flier. He ate and slept and looked out the window, and only hollered when he was hungry or his ears hurt (only once).
Peter and Patrick stayed with us through Immigration and Customs in Atlanta. They were a great help with the luggage--it's hard to manage 3 big bags, a stroller, two backpacks, and the baby on your own! They also made sure we had water and food to take on our flight to Boston. We really missed them as soon as we said goodbye at our gate!
Esteban had a rough night last night, adjusting to a new place. He's seemed a little confused at times today, and reassured by the presence of Mommy. He's remembering Julien and already more comfortable with him again.
Hope to post our last Colombia photos and a homecoming photo tomorrow!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Going Home
It's been a long last two days, and a very long last evening.
Yesterday we went to Zipaquira to the Salt Cathedral, a beautiful cathedral carved in a salt mine. Saw perhaps the world's only underground coffee stand. Photos will have to wait until we get back home.
Today was filled with last Cyclovia, last shopping, last GREAT lunch (BBQ-my choice), saying good-bye to the staff who have become our friends, and to Jody and Sara.
It would have been tough to do it all without having my brothers here. We've had such a wonderful time, and have missed our youngest brother Samuel--who graduated from medical school in Australia yesterday.
Esteban is sleeping. The bags are (mostly) packed. I have to write a few last thank you notes to the staff, and write our entry in the guest book.
Colombia has been hospitable. I really have fallen in love with Bogota. I hope that if you have a chance to visit, you come. It is beautiful, the people are wonderful, the food is amazing, the city is incredible. I will miss it here, and I hope we can bring Esteban to visit his city and country many times.
We travel tomorrow, all day. It will be a big day for Esteban as he becomes an American citizen, and he won't even know it. Hope he likes flying!
Please keep Jody and Sara in your thoughts as they are still waiting for Sentencia.
See you State-side!
Yesterday we went to Zipaquira to the Salt Cathedral, a beautiful cathedral carved in a salt mine. Saw perhaps the world's only underground coffee stand. Photos will have to wait until we get back home.
Today was filled with last Cyclovia, last shopping, last GREAT lunch (BBQ-my choice), saying good-bye to the staff who have become our friends, and to Jody and Sara.
It would have been tough to do it all without having my brothers here. We've had such a wonderful time, and have missed our youngest brother Samuel--who graduated from medical school in Australia yesterday.
Esteban is sleeping. The bags are (mostly) packed. I have to write a few last thank you notes to the staff, and write our entry in the guest book.
Colombia has been hospitable. I really have fallen in love with Bogota. I hope that if you have a chance to visit, you come. It is beautiful, the people are wonderful, the food is amazing, the city is incredible. I will miss it here, and I hope we can bring Esteban to visit his city and country many times.
We travel tomorrow, all day. It will be a big day for Esteban as he becomes an American citizen, and he won't even know it. Hope he likes flying!
Please keep Jody and Sara in your thoughts as they are still waiting for Sentencia.
See you State-side!
Friday, April 18, 2008
What comes next after Sentencia Day
Esteban this morning, at his happiestYesterday (Thursday) was the day after Sentencia Day, and it was still pretty full. In the morning we went to the Botanical Garden here in Bogota. The garden is nicely paved (good for strollers) and has wonderful signage about the different climates and flora of Colombia. It also has a very nice greenhouse for the tropical climates. We had a nice long walk, and just enjoyed the pretty flowers.
A couple of guys with some palm trees
3 Fitzgibbons and 1 Goulet
A tribute to Peter's wife Tanya
Esteban's favorite magnolia tree
In the afternoon I went back to pick up Esteban's visa from the US Embassy. One would think that with an appointment it would be a simple thing. Not so. When we got there, the guard shack at the entrance appeared closed for the day. Helena persisted with knocking and they finally raised the blinds to see my appointment card, and then let us through. When I arrived at the window to pick up the visa, no one was there. When the guy did arrive, he gave me the visa to check the information for accuracy and there were two mistakes! Back inside he goes, and I sit down for an indeterminate wait. Only about 20 minutes, and he returns with the corrected visa. Phew!
One more necessary stop today--the Delta office to change our tickets! Since the office is a healthy 40 minute walk from the Halifax, I collect Esteban, my brothers, Jody and Sara and we set out to change our tickets. This turns out to be the easiest part of the entire process here! Since I already have tickets for both of us and just want to change our flights to Monday, it takes about 5 minutes at the counter. We'll be flying to Atlanta on the same flight with my brothers on Monday morning!
Today has been a quiet day. Esteban's naps have been disrupted for the past few days, so it seemed prudent for him to have a quiet day on a regular schedule. Peter and Patrick have taken off today to explore a little more of Bogota--the old city and maybe Monserrate. Tomorrow we're headed for the Salt Cathedral.
Latest photos (from Sentencia Day, Botanical Garden, and hanging out with Peter and Patrick) on Snapfish.
I can hardly believe we're getting ready to head home. It will be 7 weeks exactly that I have been in Colombia when I leave. It was certainly slow at times, and lonely and frustrating. Now we're heading home to start the rest of our life as a family!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Sentencia!
Sentencia
Yesterday morning I got all dressed up and left Esteban at the Halifax with my brothers, who are looking very jet-lagged in the photo below, and went with our advocate Helena to sign the final adoption decree (Sentencia).
We took a long ride to the very middle of downtown Bogota, to the family court. There were hundreds of people waiting in line to get in, and Helena says, "Let's just go around the corner and go in another door." Helena's secret door turns out to have just 15 or 20 people waiting to get in. Although there is an armed guard at the door of the building and our bags are checked, this isn't your typical neat, clean, well-lit American office building. We go in and wait in line to go on the elevator (our court is on the 6th floor). When we get off the elevator we're in a crowded hallway, with service windows at various locations. When I think of a court office, I think of an office with a waiting area--not in Colombia! Our lawyer, Francisco de Asisi Fonseca (love that name), was waiting for me. That's Francisco and I, after the signing.
He and I stepped up to the counter, the clerk brought the 2" thick file and turned to the back of the last page. She stamped something official on the back of the page and I signed it. She came back and signed it (notarizing it, I think). That was it. It's not a very exciting looking piece of paper, for all the waiting and importance of it. That wasn't the end of the courthouse for us, though. Now we needed 8 copies of the sentencia, and they don't make those copies for you. So Francisco's assistant goes off to make 8 copies. When she returns, the clerk has to certify them all, and we need one last form that officially requests that a new birth certificate be issued. So we wait, standing in the hallway where people come and go and want to look at the bulletin board behind us. We waited more than an hour for the papers after I signed. Finally, we leave with our 8 certified copies and the request for a new birth certificate.
Birth Certificate
We go from the courthouse to the Registry Office where Esteban's original birth certificate was filed. I know this because when we presented the copy, the clerk stepped to a drawer and pulled out his original. She takes our request and all the supporting documentation and goes in the back room. I sit down (there were at least chairs here) and optimistically think that maybe this will be done quickly. After 10 minutes the clerk comes back and says that the printer isn't working, so we can wait while they hand-type a new birth certificate. OK, that doesn't seem too bad. She brings the new certificate and I sign it. So, we're done here, right? Not so fast.
We need 8 copies of this as well. Since they don't handle cash at this office, we have to go pay for the copies at a bank (that's a 45 minute round-trip) and bring the receipt back. The clerk goes to make the copies and we go to the bank. Have I mentioned that it's now lunch time so I'm hungry, and I'm worried about how Esteban is doing with his uncles (no reflection on them, more about the baby)? Back to the Registry Office to get the copies, and the Registrar, who has to sign them to make them official, is gone to lunch--but have a seat, he'll be back soon. Fortunately, he does walk in the door in the next 60 seconds and quickly signs the copies, and we can go.
We get back to the hotel at 2pm. We want to get Esteban's Colombian passport today, and hopefully his physical from the US Embassy doctor. Helena gives me 10 minutes to change my clothes, find some food to eat in the car, get Esteban, the diaper bag, and my brothers. We make it with seconds to spare!
Colombian Passport
Yesterday morning I got all dressed up and left Esteban at the Halifax with my brothers, who are looking very jet-lagged in the photo below, and went with our advocate Helena to sign the final adoption decree (Sentencia).
We took a long ride to the very middle of downtown Bogota, to the family court. There were hundreds of people waiting in line to get in, and Helena says, "Let's just go around the corner and go in another door." Helena's secret door turns out to have just 15 or 20 people waiting to get in. Although there is an armed guard at the door of the building and our bags are checked, this isn't your typical neat, clean, well-lit American office building. We go in and wait in line to go on the elevator (our court is on the 6th floor). When we get off the elevator we're in a crowded hallway, with service windows at various locations. When I think of a court office, I think of an office with a waiting area--not in Colombia! Our lawyer, Francisco de Asisi Fonseca (love that name), was waiting for me. That's Francisco and I, after the signing.
He and I stepped up to the counter, the clerk brought the 2" thick file and turned to the back of the last page. She stamped something official on the back of the page and I signed it. She came back and signed it (notarizing it, I think). That was it. It's not a very exciting looking piece of paper, for all the waiting and importance of it. That wasn't the end of the courthouse for us, though. Now we needed 8 copies of the sentencia, and they don't make those copies for you. So Francisco's assistant goes off to make 8 copies. When she returns, the clerk has to certify them all, and we need one last form that officially requests that a new birth certificate be issued. So we wait, standing in the hallway where people come and go and want to look at the bulletin board behind us. We waited more than an hour for the papers after I signed. Finally, we leave with our 8 certified copies and the request for a new birth certificate.Birth Certificate
We go from the courthouse to the Registry Office where Esteban's original birth certificate was filed. I know this because when we presented the copy, the clerk stepped to a drawer and pulled out his original. She takes our request and all the supporting documentation and goes in the back room. I sit down (there were at least chairs here) and optimistically think that maybe this will be done quickly. After 10 minutes the clerk comes back and says that the printer isn't working, so we can wait while they hand-type a new birth certificate. OK, that doesn't seem too bad. She brings the new certificate and I sign it. So, we're done here, right? Not so fast.
We need 8 copies of this as well. Since they don't handle cash at this office, we have to go pay for the copies at a bank (that's a 45 minute round-trip) and bring the receipt back. The clerk goes to make the copies and we go to the bank. Have I mentioned that it's now lunch time so I'm hungry, and I'm worried about how Esteban is doing with his uncles (no reflection on them, more about the baby)? Back to the Registry Office to get the copies, and the Registrar, who has to sign them to make them official, is gone to lunch--but have a seat, he'll be back soon. Fortunately, he does walk in the door in the next 60 seconds and quickly signs the copies, and we can go.
We get back to the hotel at 2pm. We want to get Esteban's Colombian passport today, and hopefully his physical from the US Embassy doctor. Helena gives me 10 minutes to change my clothes, find some food to eat in the car, get Esteban, the diaper bag, and my brothers. We make it with seconds to spare!
Colombian Passport
Luckily, this Passport Office is near the Halifax. We stop on our way in to get passport photos taken of Esteban. We have to feed him first, so he'll stop screaming. Even so, he's not exactly smiling in his photo. Helena goes ahead of us to pay the passport fee and get a number. By the time we join her in the office, we step directly to the counter and present the necessary papers and photos. We wait about 15 minutes, and they call Esteban's name--his passport is ready! So far, the passport is the quickest part of the process!
Embassy Doctor
Our next and last stop is the doctor who gives physicals to potential immigrants to the US. His office is within walking distance of the Halifax, so Helena walks us in and then leaves us. Again, we wait. Esteban and I go in to see the doctor, who speaks great English and is very nice. He reviews Esteban's medical records, checks his immunization record, and gives him a quick physical check. While he's naked, Esteban pees on me--and I have to put him back in the Baby Bjorn to get home :( The doctor gives Esteban a clean bill of health, and gives me a sealed envelope to take to the US Embassy today.
Phew! That was one long day! And we're back at the Halifax with all that accomplished by 5:30pm!
Tios Peter and Patrick
Esteban and I are both enjoying having my brothers here. Peter and Patrick are both really having fun with Esteban, as well as helping out with washing bottles, changing diapers, and hauling the diaper bag. They came over bright and early this morning to play with him so I could be ready to go to the US Embassy.
US Visa
Helena picked us all up and we went on an adventure to the US Embassy to apply for Esteban's visa, something we couldn't do until we got his passport yesterday. Once again, Helena had all the paperwork ready. All I had to do was answer a few easy questions and sign my name. We were at the Embassy a total of just under 2 hours, and I can go tomorrow afternoon to pick up Esteban's visa. An interesting thing about the Embassy--the visa processing unit (which handles all kinds of immigration and visitor visas) is all outdoors (with some coverings), with about 35 different windows. You are in the Embassy compound, but you never actually enter the Embassy. There were several hundred people there, and never enough seats.
Coming Home
All that remains for planning our return home is to pick up Esteban's passport with the visa in it, and change our plane reservations--both of which I hope to do tomorrow afternoon. Other than that, we just need to play, finish our souvenir shopping, and pack.
It's really a relief to know that the end is in sight, although I'm also a little sad to be leaving Bogota. I've really come to like this city. It's also hard because my friend Jody, who has been here with us all along, still hasn't heard about her Sentencia.
Esteban, Patrick, and Peter
Repeat after me
A quick note about the pronunciation of Esteban's name.
Esteban has 3 syllables (es-TAY-bon) and the accent is on the second syllable.
Think of how you say the name Steven - the English equivalent of Esteban. Usually you pronounce the name Steven with the accent on the first syllable (STEE-ven).
Now translate that emphasis to Esteban, and you'll be reasonably close.
I've been thinking about how to explain that to non-Spanish speakers for weeks. You'll have to let me know if it works.
Monday, April 14, 2008
So much news!
Where to begin?
Well, first of all, my apologies that it's been a week since I posted. It's been a busy week, here with Esteban by myself. I have a new regard for single parents! And, as I write, I am waiting for my brothers Peter and Patrick to arrive from the airport, so I won't be alone for long.
Some of the high points of the past week:
We got mail!
A package arrived from Julien! Only two weeks after he sent it - and after the Colombian government collected duty on it! Bigger clothes for Esteban mostly. Including this very cute outfit from his Abuela Ana (who is starting him early on Mickey Mouse):
The box also included a couple of new toys from Daddy. Good choice on the Taggie! It's his new favorite thing to gnaw/suck on. The wood rattle is a little more dangerous: he's got a big bruise on his forehead from his vigorous and not very controlled playing with it.
6 Months!
Yes, Esteban turned 6 months old on Friday. We found a scale (hopefully more accurate than the luggage scale at the hotel) and weighed him--6.25 kilos (~14 lbs). He continues to be happy and curious. He's getting stronger sitting muscles, and can actually sit by himself for about 30 seconds before he topples over. He also looks less like a wet noodle in the highchair. He now complains when I take away something he's enjoying, including when I hand him over to someone he doesn't know. He loves walks outdoors and seems very happy to come 'home' to the familiar people and surrounds of the Halifax.
We tried out a different kind of tub this week, because Mommy doesn't have six hands to hold the baby, soap him, and make sure he stays upright in the tub. Jody lent us her duck tub, which was a huge hit the first night. He had a grand time kicking and splashing. Good thing the waves from his kicking hide any embarrassing views!
New Friends
Our friend Daniel from Boston was here in Bogota on business this past week, and we had a great time visiting with him and meeting his stepmom Patricia. Daniel and his wife Terri adopted their daughter Ruby last year at this time from CRAN (the agency we're working with in Bogota). Esteban had a great time with Daniel:
Well, first of all, my apologies that it's been a week since I posted. It's been a busy week, here with Esteban by myself. I have a new regard for single parents! And, as I write, I am waiting for my brothers Peter and Patrick to arrive from the airport, so I won't be alone for long.
Some of the high points of the past week:
We got mail!
A package arrived from Julien! Only two weeks after he sent it - and after the Colombian government collected duty on it! Bigger clothes for Esteban mostly. Including this very cute outfit from his Abuela Ana (who is starting him early on Mickey Mouse):
The box also included a couple of new toys from Daddy. Good choice on the Taggie! It's his new favorite thing to gnaw/suck on. The wood rattle is a little more dangerous: he's got a big bruise on his forehead from his vigorous and not very controlled playing with it.6 Months!
Yes, Esteban turned 6 months old on Friday. We found a scale (hopefully more accurate than the luggage scale at the hotel) and weighed him--6.25 kilos (~14 lbs). He continues to be happy and curious. He's getting stronger sitting muscles, and can actually sit by himself for about 30 seconds before he topples over. He also looks less like a wet noodle in the highchair. He now complains when I take away something he's enjoying, including when I hand him over to someone he doesn't know. He loves walks outdoors and seems very happy to come 'home' to the familiar people and surrounds of the Halifax.
We tried out a different kind of tub this week, because Mommy doesn't have six hands to hold the baby, soap him, and make sure he stays upright in the tub. Jody lent us her duck tub, which was a huge hit the first night. He had a grand time kicking and splashing. Good thing the waves from his kicking hide any embarrassing views!
New Friends
Our friend Daniel from Boston was here in Bogota on business this past week, and we had a great time visiting with him and meeting his stepmom Patricia. Daniel and his wife Terri adopted their daughter Ruby last year at this time from CRAN (the agency we're working with in Bogota). Esteban had a great time with Daniel:
And more new friends. My uncle David, who lives in Australia, connected us with some of his friends here in Bogota. Martha (standing in the photo below) graciously welcomed us, and took us to visit a beautiful tennis club she belongs to. And then her brothers and their families and her parents all showed up to meet us as well! Very warm and welcoming people! The photo is with Martha, her brother Javier, and her parents (and a sleeping Esteban).
Just today we met another family from the US who are here adopting a baby through CRAN. Ruth Ann and her husband Steven have added 5-month-old Anna to their family. Can you believe the hair on her? That's Jody and Sara in the middle, and, yes, we are at Baskin Robbins.
Peter and Patrick arrive!
In the time it has taken me to write this, my brothers did indeed arrive from the airport. They will be here for a week to help with things and get to know their nephew.
Sentencia--yes, Sentencia
That's right. I got a call this afternoon from Helena (our advocate) that our final adoption decree is ready, and I will go to court tomorrow and sign it. This means we can get Esteban's Colombian passport and US visa and make our plans to come home. So exciting. I still can't believe it. As though the whole adoption scenario isn't a little surreal--this just adds to it.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
5 weeks later
Esteban, man of leisure, riding in the carWon't a carseat be a rude awakening for him?
We had a fabulous weekend in Villa de Leyva! Villa de Leyva is a small town in Boyaca province, north of Bogota, much of which dates from Spanish colonial times. It has stone streets--I hesitate to say cobblestone because that implies smaller stones of regular size. Because of the uneven-ness of the streets, it was NOT stroller friendly, so Esteban spent all his time in the BabyBjorn. Villa de Leyva is in/near the Andes Mountains, and we saw people there wearing the traditional braids, with the short brimmed hat and wool poncho. We went to an amazing market on Saturday morning. This wasn't a tourist market--it was the market you go to every week to buy your produce for the week, and anything else you might need.
The mountains were close enough to town to touch them. The air was clean and smelled sweet and fresh. It was colder at night than Bogota, which made the sun feel even warmer. It rained every day we were there, usually in the afternoon.
There are many more photos from Villa de Leyva, and a separate album of pics of Esteban and Bogota here.
We were sad to come home to Bogota because that meant that Grandma Dawn was leaving early Monday (yesterday) morning. Where did the past 3 weeks go?And it did indeed happen, Grandma Dawn left. Esteban and I survived our first two days alone together. I have to admit that I've been spoiled by having someone to help with the bottle-washing, bottle-preparing, bath-preparing and clean-up, and generally a second set of hands to close the door when mine are full, etc. We'll probably just be in a groove when my brothers Peter and Patrick arrive next Monday night to help out for a week.
We have been in Colombia for 5 weeks now, and received Esteban 5 weeks ago tomorrow. We had a little scare about our process this past week when we realized that the U.S.'s participation in the Hague Adoption Convention treaty went into effect on April 1. (You can read more about this on the USCIS website.) We were pretty sure that we would be okay with the US part of the paperwork, but Colombia was another questions. We found out today that, as far as anyone knows, we're fine with our Colombia paperwork as well.
I also heard from our liaison today that the court has accepted our paperwork, which means that our paperwork is all there and in order. This is the first of three steps about which we will receive notice. If things go smoothly (and that's always a big IF in Colombia) we could have our final decree in about 2 weeks. Keep those prayers and good thoughts coming!
Okay, and last but NEVER least, the Esteban update. He'll be 6 months old on Friday. I had to have Julien send me some bigger clothes because he's grown so much. He tried pears today and liked them, so now he eats pears and bananas. He thinks Skype is great fun and likes to pound on my computer casing (mimicking my typing?). He has mastered rolling from his tummy to his back, and less-quickly (for now) from his back to tummy. He has a new fascination with tags, and he figured out today how to take his hat off. He likes other babies and toddlers, whether or not he realizes that he's one too. And he thinks the camera belongs to him, no matter which side of it he's on--he likes having his picture taken, and he likes looking at the photos on the screen on the back. His soccer kick continues to improve.
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