This past week has gone by so fast! Exactly one week ago, I
was finishing up with work before my temporary leave of absence and Perry had a
day trip to and from Chicago for a 30 minute appointment at the Colombian
Consulate. This was just one more of the multitude of steps in this process. Perry
had to get a Visitor’s Visa from the Colombian Consulate in Chicago, but he
could not apply for it until he had proof of his return flight. With the
weekend being Easter weekend, we were lucky that he was able to get the
appointment after we got the tickets, but before we had to leave. It’s yet
another “hurry up and wait” process, but it just happened to work out.
On Tuesday, the 10th, Evan had his last day of
school before his extended vacation. I spent the day trying to fit 2 months
full of clothes and baby stuff, as well as Perry & Evan’s stuff, in 3
suitcases that weigh less than 50 pounds each. That proved to be impossible, so
we decided to pack a 4th bag and just pay the extra bag fee. That
ended up to be a good idea, because we ended up being very close to the weight
limit on all our bags.
Wednesday was our travel day and it was LONG! We got to the
Minneapolis airport at 8:30am flew to JFK, had a 2+ hour layover, and then
another 5 ½ hour flight to Colombia. One
thing I found comical was how many looks and comments we got walking around the
airports with a stroller full of carry-ons and no baby. It may have looked
funny, but, boy, was it ever handy to be able to stroll our overweight
carry-ons instead of carrying them! J
Evan was such a good traveler – and
always has been! Even though the international flight was so long, he was
intrigued by the personal screen with the flight map and flight information
that gave all the stats. That definitely helped make the time fly. That, and
the fact that we were all so excited to be united with Sofia the next day. Once we arrived in Bogota, we collected our 4
bags, car seat, stroller, and carry-ons and as we exited the airport, we saw a
driver holding a sign that said “Familia Swanson”. We were driven to our
hotel/hostel and checked in at about midnight. We tried to get to sleep right
away, but we were all anxious for the following morning.
Thursday morning came quickly. We got all dressed up and our
contact came to pick us up to drive us to the orphanage. We met with the
Director of the orphanage to sign some papers, and then met with the Pediatrician. We were told that Sofia had just recently
been in the hospital for 10 days with Bronchitis and needed oxygen, but is
doing well now. She is on a few medications, so the Pediatrician explained
everything. Once we finished our meeting, they brought us down to a room that
was set up like a living room. They said that Sofia was in there, and once we
go in, we can spend time together as a family before we take her back to the
hotel. Perry, Evan and I walked in and saw a pink bassinet. We walked towards
the bassinet and saw the most beautiful, sweet, precious baby girl. We were all
filled with emotions as we took turns holding her and giving her kisses. We
were all in love. Even Evan kept saying “Oh, cute!” We were so happy to finally
be with our baby Sofia!!!
Thursday and Friday were both rainy days, and with Sofia’s
Bronchitis, we were hesitant to leave the hotel anyway, so we stayed in. It’s
amazing how tired we were, trying to get used to the new routines, in addition
to a bit of jetlag and the effects of being in the high altitude. …All well
worth it!
So that’s the start of our adoption journey. We have had
some connectivity issues, so I am writing this all at once. I will continue to
blog through the process and share our story of how Sofia Nicole came into our
lives.
Thank you to everyone for your well wishes. Until next time…
Just like when you told us about the call, as I read this blog, I busted out in tears of joy! -and now I'm laughing and crying at the same time. :) I'm so happy for you!!! I can't get over how PERFECT she is! -Mich
ReplyDeleteWe are all so happy for you guys! What a beautiful baby girl! She looks like she fits right in with the Swansons. We look forward to keeping up with your blog. Can't wait to meet her!!
ReplyDeleteLove you all!
Angela, Rich, Alex and Haley
Ohhh!!! I have goosebumps, I'm so glad you are united! She is absolutely beautiful, and the smiles on Evan's face is priceless! So very very happy for you!
ReplyDeleteNancy