We're Home!!

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!

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!

What comes next after Sentencia Day

Esteban this morning, at his happiest

Yesterday (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!

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

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.

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:

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.

Pics at Snapfish

5 weeks later

Esteban, man of leisure, riding in the car

Won'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.

4 weeks!

It's hard to believe that we've been in Colombia for a month, and we've had Esteban for 4 weeks. It feels like no time, and forever, all at once.

On Tuesday night we had a Sentencia party for a Dutch family who got their Sentencia on Monday. They have been here for 8 weeks, and they are SO excited to be heading home! The party was after dinner, with champagne and cake, balloons and noisemakers, and it was made even more fun by the fact that three new families arrived that day from Norway.

The three of us at the party.

Esteban in a party mood, actually standing on the floor!

Wednesday we hung out around the hotel, trying to honor Esteban's natural schedule of eating and napping. On days like that, we take a walk in the morning, and usually again in the afternoon.

Esteban is nearly always happy to take a walk to the park!

Also, la doctora (the pediatrician on-call, who visits the hotel) came to see us on Wednesday. She was most impressed with Esteban's growth and strength, and said we can start adding one new fruit a week to his diet. So we started with bananas at breakfast today. As you can see below, Esteban took great delight in his bananas.

Mmm, bananas

Tomorrow (Friday) morning, we head out to spend a couple of days in Villa de Leyva--a last hurrah before Grandma Dawn goes home to Seattle early on Monday morning. Villa de Leyva is a town that was founded in colonial (that's the Spanish colonization) times and retains much of its colonial character. It will be a nice change of scenery!

A word of thanks to all of you who have posted comments telling us how it's snowing where you are (Seattle, Boston, etc). I hope the cold and wet ends soon and that it's followed by Bogota weather! We'll be offline until Sunday night or Monday morning. Have a great weekend!

The latest pics and vids

Our little guy is busy!

Esteban is taking his first morning nap (he takes two right now), Grandma Dawn is off to her Colombian cooking class, and Momma Sabeth has a few moments to share the promised pictures on Snapfish:
http://www1.snapfish.com/shareereg/p=486301206933342682/l=358236077/g=3203364/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB/pns/share/p=486301206933342682/l=358236077/g=3203364/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

And a few recent videos. None of these are more than 90 seconds because they are taken with my regular digital camera.

Esteban rolling over (front to back)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7361311154243153563&pr=goog-sl

Chatty Esteban--giggles, squeals, and 'talking'
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6554901068597883975&pr=goog-sl

Happy Esteban, v. 2--a brief look into his developing personality--this one is sideways on the screen
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7631495946018728259&pr=goog-sl

Hope all is well with you and yours!

Busy weekend

I am writing this in the midst of a huge thunder/lightning/rain storm, in which we narrowly escaped being caught. For the second day in a row, the morning has been decently nice and there has been a torrential downpour in the afternoon. I shouldn't be too surprised--it IS the rainy season!

It's never too soon to start reading!

We've had a busy weekend. Yesterday we went to Monserrate, a peak overlooking Bogota that has a church on top. The church contains a statue of the Fallen Christ, to which many miracles are attributed. Monserrate is a national pilgrimage site in Colombia--about 20,000 people visit it every Sunday. So, it was good to go on Saturday when it was not as crowded. You get up to the top of the mountain by taking a train up a VERY steep track, and then you come down by funicular. After Monserrate, we ate lunch in a very typical Colombian parilla (grill) restaurant where we were served huge plates of very tasty grilled meat. So good!

We're at Monserrate, elevation 3100m (~10,200 ft)

The sightseeing wasn't actually the highlight yesterday. The most exciting thing that happened was that Esteban rolled over! Before breakfast, even. He rolled from his front to his back. He still hasn't quite figured out how to go the other way, but I'm sure it's coming soon. The photo documentation, along with pics from Monserrate and our Sunday adventure are on Snapfish, which is being typically uncooperative when I want to post a link. I'll put the photo link on tomorrow.

With Grandma Dawn at our break for 'elevensies.'

Today (Sunday) we headed out, walking, for the flea market in Usaquen. It's about 30 blocks north of us, and the walk there took about an hour. Fortunately, on Sundays Bogota closes many main roads to auto traffic and opens them for pedestrians and bicycles. Known as Cyclovia, we really enjoy walking on Sundays because of the reduced pollution. The flea market is a wonderful place to get artisan crafts, and we didn't leave empty-handed.

Other big news is that my brothers Peter and Patrick are coming to join/help me in Bogota in mid-April. Yep, both of them at the same time! I'm really looking forward to seeing them, hanging out with Esteban, and showing them some of Bogota--a city I'm coming to really love.

3 weeks and counting

I can hardly believe we've had Esteban for 3 weeks as of yesterday. It's amazing how much he's grown and changed, and continues to develop every day. Life is settling into a good routine of naps and bottles, bath and bedtime.

Yesterday we returned to La Candelaria with Grandma Dawn, and visited the Gold Museum (about pre-Columbian civilizations' gold use--fascinating) and the Botero Collection (Fernando Botero is a living Colombian painter and sculptor whose chubby figures are unmistakable).

Jody and I taking a bottle break with the babies while at the Botero museum. Esteban has an internal timer that requires a bottle at 11:00am precisely! No waiting for Mommy to finish looking at the paintings!

In the courtyard at the Botero.

The requisite happy Esteban photo of the day.

It was a beautiful day, and we walked a lot. We ended our day out with a fabulous lunch in a little restaurant on a beautiful courtyard (at right).

We find that our days out are best ended before afternoon naptime--making morning adventures most important. A difficult schedule for this mommy whose best time of day is NOT morning!

Thanks to all of you who have emailed and posted comments to the blog. It's so great to hear from you. I am definitely missing home, and it's nice to know you're thinking of us, too.

Esteban has a killer kick!

This is what happens when the baby leans into the camera just as you take the picture. I guess he wanted a closer look at it.

Here’s a video my mom took of Esteban kicking the soccer ball. If we don’t have it documented on film, no one will believe that our son had a killer kick when he was 5 months old! This video was last week - he's even stronger at standing up this week.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1672389903010208560&pr=goog-sl

More recent photos of Esteban, more from Easter, and some of the Hotel Halifax, are on Snapfish:

http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=418251206492785792/l=358147533/g=3203364/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Happy Easter

(written Sunday afternoon)

Easter in Bogota turned out to be great! There are 5 families at the Halifax right now—2 from the US, 2 from the Netherlands, and 1 from Norway. At Saturday breakfast we had some informal conversations about our respective Easter traditions, and made some plans to celebrate accordingly.

Mom, Esteban and I went to church at the Episcopal cathedral this morning. It was very nice, and not as long as last week. Esteban was a real trouper—he very intently watched the Dean preach his sermon, and slept through about half of the service. We saw a brief liturgical dance done to traditional Colombian music, and we sang a few familiar tunes.

While we were at church, other families painted eggs. Since all the eggs here are brown, they literally used paints to decorate boiled eggs. Others colored Easter pictures. Someone blew up and hung up balloons. Other people went out and got fresh flowers. Someone found chocolate Easter eggs with prizes in them for the kids and they had an Easter egg hunt. The Halifax staff had planned a special BBQ lunch in the courtyard.

When we came home from church, there was already a fiesta starting in the sunny courtyard. Festive music was playing. The staff came out and joined us all for lunch—and the food was great! BBQ marinated beef, potatoes, grilled sweet plantains, luscious avocado and tomato salad, guacamole to put on whatever you wanted, with sangria, and fresh fruit in juice for dessert. I’m almost hungry again just talking about it! It was a really nice party.

Lunch is the more formal meal here in Colombia, so dinner will be less fancy. As we talked about Easter traditions, it became clear that family being together is an universal value for this holiday. So, for dinner tonight, we asked to all sit at one big table instead of the 4 separate tables we usually occupy. Our family in Colombia will be gathered together.

Julien celebrated Easter in Rhode Island with his parents, and we hope they had a grand celebration. We spoke with them briefly last night.

Not to make those of you in colder climes jealous, but we’ve been enjoying a run of nice weather. Sunny days, with highs in the mid60s to low 70s, sometimes a breeze, the occasional late afternoon thunderstorm (brief ones), and nights about 50 degrees. The Colombians think it’s kind of cold right now—they are all wearing jackets and sweaters. It is supposed to get a little more rainy this week, with the high temperatures climbing a few degrees at the same time.

More photos and video to come - probably tomorrow - as soon as Snapfish is cooperating again.

7 kilos!

Some people were leaving the Halifax today and the scale was out in the hall to weigh their luggage. I took advantage of it and weighed myself with and without Esteban. Never mind what I weigh, but the difference was 7 kilos! Just two weeks ago Esteban weighed 6 kilos. Now, the scale may not have been the most precise, but that's a 2lb gain in 2 weeks! And just tonight we went to put pajamas on him that were too short. Obviously, I am marvelling at how fast he's growing.

And it's not just his physical size--he's stronger every day. Standing up more (while holding onto hands), sitting up more steadily and pulling himself from reclining to sitting. He still can't fully roll over or sit himself up, but those milestones can't be too far away. He's just amazing. And so curious and interested in the world. We can almost see his brain sponging up new information. What with the growing and learning, it's no surprise that he's sleeping 10 hours/night. Last night, it was all the way through.

We talked to Julien tonight via Skype. The Internet is a truly amazing thing! Our camera resolution wasn't great, but we were able to see and talk with each other in real time. Esteban was a little confused, and also fascinated. We all miss Julien! We hope to Skype my Dad in Seattle, and my brother Samuel, my Uncle David and Grandma (the last three all in Australia) in the next few days.

Bogota is amazingly quiet today, and probably will be so through Monday, for the Easter weekend. There was almost no traffic on the streets today (so the pollution wasn't too bad) and the sidewalks were deserted. They really mean it when they say it's a holiday here! The parks, on the other hand, were filled with families and dogs. Many people travel to be with family for the Easter holidays.

I've posted new photos to Snapfish. They include photos from the last few days--Julien's last day/night in Colombia, Grandma Dawn's first days with us, and our visit to CRAN (the adoption agency here). http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=967201206048356789/l=358053449/g=3203364/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Esteban seems bigger

We decided to measure Esteban this morning to see if he really is bigger than two weeks ago. And we have proof--he grew an inch! We thought he wasn't fitting in the bathtub anymore! And those chins are a little chubbier, too.

He is also developing his baby laugh. You know, the kind that start in their toes and are totally contagious. He laughs when we shake our hair in his face, or when Sabeth nibbles on his neck.

His personality seems to be starting to appear as well. He's very curious, and loves to explore the entire hotel. He gets bored with spending too long in our room (who wouldn't? it's 10' x 10'). He is also very demanding--especially when he thinks it's time to eat!

All the women love Esteban--his big brown eyes and coy smile will undoubtedly break many hearts for years to come.

On Sunday we went to San Pablo Episcopal Cathedral here in Bogota and celebrated Palm Sunday with no fewer than three bishops! The bishop of Colombia and the bishop of Connecticut (a sister diocese) led the service, and a retired bishop of Colombia was in the congregation. Esteban loved the red vestments of Bishop Duque (Colombia) and managed to spit up right in front of him just before the service started (fortunately missing the silk vestments). The music was fabulous and live. The service was very long. Esteban, Sabeth and her mom will be going back to the cathedral for Easter services.

Today, Monday, we went back to CRAN for an informational visit and tour. Before the tour we received the final information about the adoption and learned our court assignment (Court 19). We are told that Court 19 is neither slow nor fast, just average speed in terms of how fast it processes adoptions. We expect the process to take another 4-5 weeks (especially since the courts are closed all this week for Holy Week). The tour of CRAN was informative and we are glad to know that there is such good service for children in need here in Colombia. You can find out more about this amazing agency at their website (English version) http://www.cran.org.co/default.asp?chapter=2

We spent this evening packing Julien's bags for his early morning departure back to Massachusetts tomorrow. Dawn (Sabeth's mom) arrived at the Halifax this afternoon, so she kept Esteban entertained while we packed. Julien is very sad that he will be away from his family. Sabeth is also very sad that he's leaving--he's a great dad and he really adores Esteban. And we know Esteban will miss him, too. Big thanks to Dawn for being here to help Sabeth for the next three weeks.

The process begins...

Yesterday we had our interview with the Defender of Minors at 7:30am. Now, it's true that Esteban usually wakes up (the first time) at about 5:30am, but that doesn't mean we want to get up then! In any case, we managed to get ourselves, up and presentably dressed, to be picked up at 7am for our appointment. The Defender of Minors is like a guardian ad litem and she had to give her okay for our lawyer to submit our application to adopt Esteban to the court. We met our lawyer just as we arrived at the office, and he had all our paperwork with him (He enjoyed that he and Esteban shared Francis in their names). We all went in to meet with the Defender. She talked to Esteban, asked Julien and I a few easy questions (as well as discussing Cuban politics and Castro with Julien)--like what do we do for work, and how are we liking being parents--and then signed off on the papers. Hallelujah! Our lawyer said he'd get the papers to the court yesterday, and hopefully by Monday we'll know which judge we've been assigned. (Knowing which judge may help us know how long we'll be here, since some judges have a reputation for being faster than others.)

We're so glad to have made some new friends here in Colombia. Paul and Jody Sanford and their 3-year-old Owen added baby Sara to their family on the same day and through the same agency as we did. It's been great to be able to share our first days together. Since we're going through these processes at the same time, we go to many appointments together. And since we enjoy each others' company, we also have been doing lots of walks and exploring and expeditions together.

After our early appointment, we went on an all-day trip to Guatavita, a lake where the indigenous people (The Muiscas) made many gold sacrifices (Pre Spanish Conquest). There is a great visitor's center there, and the area is being restored to its natural habitat. Esteban loved the hike! It was about a 90-minute trip each way, but broken up by several stops going and coming back, so we were gone from about 10am-6pm. It was a long day of riding in the car!

Esteban had his first cereal this morning--and he chowed down like a champ!



















Here's another video of our little guy playing with Sabeth:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2376049675484579935&hl=en

And here are some pics from the last few days. They include a photo when my mom came to visit us on Monday evening, and our friends the Sanfords.
http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=196141205531016777/l=357967268/g=3203364/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

We're starting to think ahead to Julien's departure on Tuesday, and we're all a little sad. We will miss each other!

5 months old today

Esteban was born 5 months ago today! Happy day, mi hijo.

If you’ve looked at our photos, you’ve probably noticed that Esteban has a great smile. He also makes some very funny and expressive faces, from confused to very serious to extremely angry when we put saline spray in his nose (for congestion). His little voice is very sweet, and he vocalizes more and more every day. We’re just starting to hear his giggle, and it’s contagious! To round out that set of observations about him, he also has one heck of a wail when he’s hungry. We’ve taken a couple of great morning trips the past few days, with our friends the Sanfords. On Sunday we went to a wonderful flea market that happens every Sunday in the Usaquén section of Bogotá. We walked around, looked at the booths, and smelled the food for several hours. Julien was very disappointed that Sabeth wouldn’t let him eat any food from the street vendors. Esteban got a great puppet and some new shoes.

Monday we hired a driver (who toured us in a bright green 1973 Dodge Dart, see photo in Snapfish) and went to La Candelaria, the historic downtown of Bogotá. It was founded in the 1530s by the Spanish. It is almost 500 feet higher in elevation than our hotel, which is at about 8000 feet. The presidential palace, parliament, congress, supreme court and Simon Bolivar square are all in La Candelaria. Esteban especially liked the pigeons we fed in Bolivar Square. We finished our tour with a really great lunch of traditional Colombian food. We also learned that we should always have an extra set of clothes for Esteban in case of a diaper explosion.

Being the rainy season, it rains almost every afternoon here. Sabeth has learned that if she hasn’t taken the laundry down from the (covered) clothesline before the rain, it absorbs so much moisture it has to hang another day before it’s totally dry. We took Esteban out just before dinner for a quick walk to the grocery store, and he seemed to really like the sprinkles and the breeze. We bet he’ll like Seattle!

Speaking of Seattle, Esteban’s Grandma Dawn (Sabeth’s mom) joined us for dinner last night. She is taking a week long Spanish language course before joining Sabeth at the Halifax after Julien leaves. She was VERY excited to meet her first grandchild—and proclaimed that it was about time that she’s no longer the shortest member of the family.

We've discovered Juan Valdez Cafe (the local equivalent of Starbucks) has FREE WiFi. This might become our new favorite hang out. And it's right across the street from a great park!

We’ll write again after our appointment with the Defender of Minors on Thursday. This appointment will officially begin our Colombian legal process.

Latest pics

We just can't get enough of our little guy!

http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=49381205032237172/l=357889230/g=3203364/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

We're learning about each other

The last two days have been wonderful bonding time with Esteban. Every day we seem to grow closer. He smiles at us when he wakes up and melts our hearts with his cute baby voice. He is a strong boy and has already given Julien a fat lip with a head butt. He also knows what he wants and when he wants it. If at night we don't go from bath to clothes to bottle in quick succession, we (and the rest of the hotel) hear about it. He loves to play with us. He loves bath time, getting his diaper changed and being naked - he's a boy!

Yesterday we had a visit from Doctora Clemencia, the pediatrician who makes hotel calls. We asked to see her, more for us than for Esteban. Esteban did have some congestion and a mild rash, but her visit was really for us first time parents. She was very reassuring. She read all his medical history, assured us that a little saline nose spray would alleviate his congestion (and it has), and confirmed that he's a healthy, strong baby. According to his exit documents from CRAN, he's 13 lbs and 24 inches. We swear his cheeks are chubbier since Wednesday!

This morning we had a great long walk to a beautiful park. Bogota seems to have many parks and many pedestrian walks. Almost every park we've seen has a playground. On our walk today, Esteban really was fascinated with the water features, the light on the plants and trees, and watching other children.

As we expected, this process has many appointments in the first few weeks. Yesterday we went to the notary, which was just a few blocks away. We actually have no idea what documents we had notarized because Helena led us through it like lost children. Thank goodness for Helena! On the 13th (Thu) we see the Defender of Minors. This appointment begins our official legal adoption process here in Colombia. Then, on the 17th, we get a more thorough tour of CRAN since the last time we were there we were very preoccupied with getting our baby E. Then we wait and wait and wait to hear from the Colombian court for our Sentencia (final decree). That waiting could be 4 or 6 weeks, or (hopefully not) more.

One last note about a cultural difference we've noticed. In Colombia babies are dressed very warmly. So warm that they sweat. We get looks when we take Esteban out of the hotel not wearing a jacket AND blanket even though it's 70 degrees outside.

We have more pictures--because we take them constantly--and will be adding to Snapfish soon. The link to our Snapfish album is a couple of posts back.

And now for (hopefully) another decent nights' sleep. Esteban slept 8 hours last night--we hope this trend continues:-)

Video

Google Video and I had a wrestling match and, with much uncharacteristic patience, I won! I took this with my digital camera, so the quality isn't as clear as it could be.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6727423275913015040

A longer post is coming tonight.

Photo album

I don't know if this link will work. If it does, it should take you to our Snapfish album.

http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=14661204854031570/l=357865810/g=3203364/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

PS - on Thursday

Neither the video nor the slideshow are working for me at the moment. I'll keep trying, so check back soon.

First days with Esteban

Our apologies for not posting yesterday--we were so tired by the time Esteban went to sleep last night that we couldn't focus our brains. Not that today is much better, having slept only 4 hours on our first night as parents, but at least it's naptime now!

Going back to yesterday morning...

We were so nervous we could hardly eat breakfast. Helena picked us up and took us to CRAN at 8:30am. We arrived and met Ximena, the founder of CRAN and adoption coordinator. She guided us through signing a few necessary forms, and then had us meet with the foster mother. The foster mother, Gladys, told us about Esteban's routine and gave us a picture book to give to him when he's older. Finally, we were presented with Esteban and spent about 30 minutes alone with him. Words are really not adequate to describe our joy and relief. All the anxiety of the last few weeks disappeared when we held him. He is a wonderful, beautiful little boy!

We then took the 40 minute cab ride back to the Halifax--Esteban slept in Sabeth's arms the whole way. The other guests (all adoptive parents themselves) and the staff at the Halifax welcomed us back with many congratulations. They even decorated our room door!

Esteban and we are still getting used to each other. Even with the outline from Gladys, we are still learning Esteban's routine. Julien changed his first diaper, and will gladly share poop stories privately. Julien also gave him his first bath--something Esteban loved. We somehow missed his afternoon nap yesterday, and that made for a difficult evening.

And today...

Esteban woke up at 4am, ate, and went back to sleep for two more hours (thankfully! since we weren't ready to be up at 4!). The Google video on the sidebar was after Esteban's breakfast.

After our breakfast, we took the stroller out for its maiden voyage. Esteban slept for 90 minutes of our two hour exploration of the neighborhood. Our hotel is in a neighborhood with many professional buildings, restaurants, and several parks with play areas. Bogota is a city of 7-10 million (depending on whom you ask), and we think it feels very European.

The remainder of our day, so far, has been pretty uneventful as we try to re-establish Esteban's routine of bottles and naps and exercise. We hope we'll all sleep better tonight!

The Halifax is providing a wonderful community for us as we find our way through our first days of being parents. Both guests and staff are helpful, and the other guests really do know what it's like. We can't sign off without mentioning how great the food is here at the Halifax, too--lots of fresh fruit, traditional Colombian dishes, and great coffee!

We were able to borrow a cell phone. It's number and the Halifax info are now posted somewhere to the right. Also, check out our slideshow--we'll add to it regularly.

Day 1 in Colombia

We arrived in Bogota late last night - around midnight. After an uneventful trip through Customs and Immigration, we were met by a very helpful driver who brought us to the Hotel Halifax. It was about a 20 minute drive from the airport to the hotel, and our driver gave Julien a running narrative on the city (in Spanish).

We met up with Paul and Jody and their 3 year old Owen on our flight from Atlanta to Bogota. They are also adopting from CRAN, the agency we are working with here in Colombia. It was great to have some comraderie in our anxiety.

This morning we met with Doña Helena, who will be our guide through the paperwork and processes here in Colombia. She is a fountain of knowledge, and very experienced. Meeting with her answered the latest round of questions and calmed a few of our butterflies.

The Halifax is a hotel which caters to adoptive families, with many amenities like a playground and baby beds, and family-style meals. There are probably 15 families here, from the US (Milwaukee, WI; Bozeman, MT), Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands. There was a party after dinner tonight for some families who have received their Sentencia (the final adoption decree) and it was great to see the families and their children dancing and having fun.

Our presentation (when we receive Esteban) is tomorrow morning at 9:00am. Wooo hooo!!! We are marvelling at our last hours as a family of two! In our next blog, we will be a family of three, and hopefully attaching photos and videos.

We will be borrowing a cellphone to use while we are here, and will let you know how to reach us in one of our next blogs. We will have sporadic email availability--once or twice a week.

Wheeeeee.....

We're Leaving!

We finished packing last night at around midnight. I think we are one pound under the limit! It's 8:45am and our friend Joanne is coming to take us to the airport at 10:00am. We are so excited and nervous that even Julien is cleaning the house... Again!

Our Flight leaves Boston Logan at 1:25pm. We have a 45 minute layover in Atlanta and arrive in Bogota at 9:45pm. We found out the other day that another family, the Sanfords from Montana, are adopting a little girl from the same agency in Colombia at the same time we are. They will be on the same flight to Bogota, one row in front of us!

We are so excited to be with our son. We and Esteban have been blessed by your support and prayers. Thank you. We will hopefully have new pictures posted on Wednesday evening, of us and Esteban together!

Departing Monday March 3rd

Woo-hoo! We finally have a travel date and plane tickets! We are leaving on Monday, March 3rd to go to Bogota. We will arrive there late Monday night. We will have Tuesday to settle in and orient ourselves, and will be presented with Esteban on Wednesday, March 5th. We will celebrate March 5th as Esteban's "Gotcha" Day for many years to come!

We are so excited. With every little step, like actually buying the plane tickets, the reality of Esteban being part of our lives becomes a little clearer, a little more concrete.

Please continue with the good thoughts and prayers.

When will we leave?

Everyone is asking - when will you leave? And we wish we knew!

Sabeth hand-delivered the last piece of paperwork on Friday morning--only to find out that we now have to WAIT for the agency in Colombia to give us a travel date. We had been under the impression that once our papers were turned in we could buy a plane ticket. Unfortunately, that was not correct. So, once again, we wait.

Thanks to all of you who have listened to us babble about baby and travel and waiting, and for all your cheers of joy and support. We can't wait to introduce Esteban to you all! In the mean time, keep those prayers coming.

He has a name

Esteban Francis Fitzgibbons Goulet.

After much discussion, and to Julien's brother's dismay, Esteban will not be named Paul. We chose Francis as his middle name after St. Francis and after Sabeth's Grandpa Fitz. Sabeth and I are delighted with our baby's name and can't wait to get to Colombia.

Today we turned in what we believe is the last of the paperwork that Colombia needs before they will tell us when we can go meet Esteban. We hope to leave soon and may have to wait as late as March 1st to go.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers of support.

It's a boy!

Last Thursday afternoon (2/7), Julien received a phone call at work that we have a baby boy waiting for us in Colombia! The phone call was quickly followed by an emailed photo, which Julien quickly sent on to Sabeth. There was much cheering in our workplaces, and a few tears of joy/disbelief. Neither of us have had much concentration for work since!

This blog will be a place to share our adventures meeting our baby and our experiences in Colombia. We hope to use it to post pictures and regular updates. Here's the first picture!

So, here's what we know already... Esteban was born on 11 October 2007, at a healthy 7 lbs, 20.5 inches. He has been with a foster mother from CRAN (the agency in Bogota) since then.
We both like the name Esteban, so we will be keeping it, though the conversations about middle or first and what to put with it are on-going. We'll keep you posted.

We are desperate to get there and meet him! We've got one piece of paperwork we're trying to expedite, and wrapping up our jobs temporarily, before we can get on a plane. We will both go to Colombia initially, and then Julien will come home after about 2 weeks. Sabeth will be joined by her mom, and will stay until the adoption is legally finished in Colombia (total of 4-6 weeks).

Check back often.