Days 45-47...

Day 45 – Saturday, May 26^th – Today I am thankful for my mom. She has been here with me for the last 6 weeks and I am so thankful for her presence. She has helped me through some tough times of missing Evan & Perry, and is there for me when she knows I need to take a mental break from what I now call “The Process”. Today was no exception.

Just before lunchtime, my mom, Sofia and I hailed a taxi to take us to my aunt Beatriz’s house for another lunch. We were there with my aunt Maria Teresa and my cousin Maria Claudia. After another delicious lunch, my other cousin Dayana came by to pick us up to go out on the town. My mom and her sisters babysat Sofia while the cousins went out. We went to Usaquen to walk around. We were too full after lunch to have anything to eat or drink, so we walked around a mall, went to an art gallery, Maria Claudia and I went into a beautiful church to say a quick prayer, and we finished our “cousin date” at a cool, little theater where they show artsy movies and you can eat or drink while watching the show. We each asked for tea and watched a really good movie – the only thing was that it was a French movie with Spanish subtitles. Although the subtitles flashed faster than I could read most of them, I understood the movie and thought it was great. After the movie, we headed back to pick up my mom and Sofia and head home.

Another great day in Colombia as I wait through the weekend and hope to get the call next week.

Day 46 – Sunday, May 27^th – I’m not expecting a call today since it is Sunday, so I’m just enjoying the day. Today my mom’s cousin, Edgar (Efrain’s son) picked us up to bring us to lunch at a mall that is close to their house. We ate at Crepes & Waffles with Edgar, Patricia and the 3 boys. After lunch, we went to Edgar’s house to relax, converse and catch up. We had a nice day!

Day 47 – Monday, May 28^th – 

Memorial Day – Special thoughts & prayers go out to the men and women that serve and have served our country. God bless the U.S.

I had a hunch that I would get the much awaited call today, but rather than sit around and wait for it, I decided to have a”ME” day (with the help of my mom, of course).  In the morning I went for a long walk and ended up at a huge bookstore called Panamerican.  It was a huge store, but unfortunately only had one small shelf full of books in English. I looked through the options, and unfortunately there were only a few fiction novels that I wasn’t too interested in, and the other options were all “how to succeed in business” books. Those books once inspired me, but not at this point… So I thought about reading a book in Spanish, but was quickly reminded of the past few nights, not being able to sleep because every thought I had, I was subconsciously translating into Spanish.  I’ve been waking up very tired, and reading a Spanish book probably wouldn’t help that cause.  So I left bookless and decided to make my way back home.  When I got home I found Sofia sitting up and smiling at me as I walked through the door.  Today is the first day since we got here that we actually made our lunch and ate it at home. We made spaghetti – to keep it simple J.  After lunch my mom and Sofia and I walked over to a local Peluqueria/hair salon and I decided to get my hair colored, highlights, cut and styled. My mom took Sofia back to the house while I enjoyed my SPA day. The guys that work there are very nice. I ended up being there for over 3 hours, but the conversations, people watching, and TV made the time fly. (I remembered what I have been missing without having a TV for the past month.) It was truly a delight!

...And We Wait...

Day 44 – Friday, May 25^th – There’s nothing I can do to speed up the process of our adoption, and even though I am ready to go home, I have decided that I have to let go and just “desfrutar”/enjoy the rest of my time in Colombia. I have accepted the fact that we will not be able to come home on the 31^st.  Early next week I will contact our travel agent to cancel our tickets for the 31^st, and we can re-book once we know when we can fly home.

Today, Sofia was an angel for most of the day. She has been crying a little more the past few days, but with reason. Not only are her two bottom teeth showing under her gums, but she has 3 points of a tooth that have pierced through her gums on the bottom left side of her mouth. It’s incredible how the back tooth pierced through the gums before the front teeth. Poor baby! Now that’s a reason to cry! Even a baby that doesn’t cry much would cry at that pain.

Other than the occasional cry, Sofia was great today. She was watching a soccer game with her Tio Abuelo Oswaldo after we had lunch. I was thinking that her first word might be “GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL”. But in actuality, she got a little scared when Barcelona got a goal. So that was it for watching “futbol”.

As for the adoption process… I did not get the call. So we wait until next week and hope for the best.

The Only News is "Not Yet"

Day 42 – Wednesday, May 23^rd – Sofia is sitting up on her own and playing with her toys. Everything is going into her mouth. She’s such a happy baby. She hasn’t cried much in the first month (if at all), but now she’s cried 2 days in a row. My guess is that her teeth are bothering her. Her cries are very quiet (at least so far). Usually a quick walk around the house, looking at all the pictures and photos brings her smile back. (Get ready Papi, she’s ready to pace with you.)

Today we went to the local Kodak store to get passport and visa photos of Sofia. (No one told us what we need and it’s not listed in any of my paperwork, but one of the other families mentioned that they needed to get these photos, so I want to have them ready when we need them.) We went to the store and the owner said that we need to change her clothes because the photo has to be against a while background so she can’t be wearing white. So my mom and I went across the street to a little baby clothes store and bought a dark pink long sleeve shirt. We went back to the photo store and was told we also have to take her earrings off. I was scared to take them off and didn’t want to, but it’s a new U.S. rule that you can’t have earrings. (But come’on… for a baby???) But to be safe, we took them out and put them back in right away.  The owner was having a hard time getting a good shot because the picture has to be with her mouth closed and Sofia kept smiling when she took the picture. We finally got one.

7^th Week-

Day 43 – Thursday, May 24^th – Today was a tough day for me.  I’m in my seventh week in Colombia, and almost a month since Sofia and I were with Evan and Perry. We miss them so much!

Our contact is officially on vacation so I called our substitute contact to see if I could get a few answers.

1)     She said there is no news about our case. They are still waiting for 1 signature. Our paperwork stated that the judge has up to 10 working days to sign, but in our case it has been MUCH longer than that.  I asked her about the 10 day period that is mentioned in our paperwork, and she said that everything is done by hand and the judge is the only one to decide when to sign. She said it can take more than 10 days if the judge is busy with many cases. I also mentioned that we were right behind the other Minnesota family and they are leaving tomorrow, and she said that that is normal; that the papers can be on the judge’s desk and be signed at totally different times depending on what cases are in between. She said it should be soon.

2)     I asked about the Embassy being closed on Friday and Monday due to our Memorial Day Holiday and she told me not to worry about that because we won't be at that point at that time. I asked if they are also closed on Wednesdays too (someone told me that the US Embassy does not usually take appointments on Wednesdays) and she said that they usually are open on Wednesdays during holiday weeks. She said we probably won’t be at that point by then either. (ARG!!!!)

3)     There was also mention that our orphanage had an expired date on their adoption certificate. Our contact said that was already fixed and it did not affect our case as our papers are still waiting to be signed.

4)     Our paperwork states that our contact will stay in contact to update or just check in every few days… well, that’s never happened. I asked our substitute contact to keep me updated on the progress... she said she will call the lawyer on Friday afternoon or Monday to see if there is any progress and she'll get back to me.

5)     Well, our tickets are for the 31^st. Our contact thinks I will need to change them for a later date because she doesn't think we'll be done by then. :(

The good news is that the other Minnesota family got everything done from Sentencia to travel in 7 days. They will be travelling home tomorrow.

So I'm not optimistic that I will be home by next week, but my aunts are saying prayers for me and there's still a small chance. Hopefully soon...

Still here at 41 days with no news of our return

Day 38 – Saturday, May 19^th – Not much going on today. I’m anxious to come home so I am running errands to get ready. I’m heading to Exito (which is like a Super Target). My mom and Elvira watched Sofia while I walked and ran errands for 3 ½ hours in and out of the rain.

Day 39 – Sunday, May 20^th – Sofia and I ventured out to our old stomping grounds at the Zuetana hotel to meet up with a friend of mine from Minnesota that is also adopting. They are almost done and should be able to leave by the end of this week.  I am so happy for them. 

There was rumor that we would get our Sentencia right after the other Minnesota family, but I’m still waiting for the call.  There was also word that there might be another delay for us due to agency paperwork, but my contact called me and made no mention of that. She simply stated that it should be soon.

I’m hoping soon means VERY soon…. it gets dark so early here at this time of year…  I read my books, there is only one channel on this TV that works (sometimes)  but there is nothing on, my Xfinity movies on demand only works within the US, I’m caught up on checking emails, I feel like I’m up-to-date on Facebook, I’m getting bored of looking at Pinterest… what else is there? Sleep… but then I can’t sleep at night. I am anxious to come home to be a family with Perry & Evan. I miss them so much it hurts!!!

Day 40 – Monday, May 21^st – Today is my big brother’s birthday! I, of course, posted a message for him on facebook and started the day. Unfortunately, I know I won’t be getting the call for Sentencia today because it is a holiday in Colombia. My mom went to a funeral today with her sister. I invited Efrain to go somewhere for lunch. We ended up putting Sofia in her stroller and went for a 2 hour walk with a stop for lunch in between. The sun is finally out and the weather has been better – less rainy at least. It still gets colder after 3:00ish and is dark by 6:00pm. I feel a little cooped up at night, but I am hopeful it won’t be much longer until I can enjoy the beautiful Minnesota spring weather and the sun.

Sofia started sitting on her own without falling over. She has grown so much in the past 40 days. We are so blessed and can’t for her to officially become a Swanson.

Day 41 – Tuesday, May 22^nd – Had lunch at Tia Rachel & Peretz’s apartment. Sofia hasn’t cried much in the past 40 days, until today. She has been uncomfortable all day. She cries a little and as soon as you pick her up, she smiles but then starts crying again. After feeding her, changing her diaper, and holding her, I realized that it is probably her teeth that are bothering her since she started puckering her lower lip so it looks like an elderly person without their dentures. Ahhh yesss…. The teething has begun. I tried Ambisol and it seemed to have helped a little.  Teething and tired, my little princess fell asleep at 6:45pm and seems like she will be down for the night.  If not, I’m here for her.

Day 37 - Rumor has it...

Day 37 – Friday, May 18^th – Today I had my cell phone with me all day hoping for a call from our adoption contact. We had another great day – as everyday has been! We woke up late, my mom got her hair done, my cousin picked us up at Noon to meet at La Plaza de Andres to celebrate my Aunt’s birthday. (It is the same place we celebrated my other Aunt’s birthday a few weeks back.) It’s a cool place (much worth the visit if you are in Colombia). Today I had a salad for lunch with an Arepa Chocolo on the side (it’s a sweet corn patty with melted cheese on the inside – it almost tastes like a pancake.) After lunch we went to OMA for a tinto/coffee. We sat for a while and believe it or not, Sofia was soooo good even though we were out for over 5 ½ hours. She is truly an angel!!! Everyone adores her here in Colombia and I can’t wait to bring her home to meet everyone there. I am so lucky that this sweet little baby girl has come into my life. As a family, we are so lucky to have this option to adopt. And I know our decision to adopt from Colombia was truly the right decision. We have been blessed many times over!!!!

We finally caught a taxi at 5:45 and didn’t arrive home until almost 7:00pm. We really were only 70 blocks away, but the traffic was TERRIBLE! We got home to find Efrain waiting for us. He held Sofia and gave her a bottle, we Skyped daddy & Evan & Grandpa FarFar, and went to bed.

***Adoption Progress Rumor…  My friends from MN that are also adopting just got their “Sentencia” today. Tomorrow they are going to get the new birth certificate and finish up the rest of the process mid-next week. Unfortunately, Monday is another Holiday here so everything is closed. (Once again, that delays our process.)  But rumor has it that we are right behind them and should get a call by mid-week. Once that is done, the rush is on to get all the paperwork and doctor’s visit done so we can come home. Our tickets are for May 31^st, but if we are done early… by all means… we will come home early!!!!

Heading into week 6

6^th Week-

Day 36 – Thursday, May 17^th-  As I’m heading into my 6^th week in Colombia, I’m anxious to get the call for our Sentencia…  I’m hoping it will come soon. It didn’t come today, so hopefully tomorrow!

I spent most of the day in the house, so by 4:30pm I was itching to go for a nice long walk with Sofia. We walked for about an hour and a half and when I returned I got an earful from Efrain about how cold it gets here after 5:00pm. (It’s definitely not cold by our Minnesota standards, but it is a different kind of humid cold that can get a person sick.) Fortunately, I’ve heard this many times before, so I dressed warm, dressed Sofia appropriately and had a super warm blanket on her. It was a nice walk and good to get out.

(We are currently in Colombia's "wet winter" months. Although it is not anything like our Minnesota winter, it's not the hot and beautiful weather that I remember from all of my previous trips to Colombia. Apparently the "winter" goes From March to May and comes again September to November. The other months are the dry season where the weather is warmer, even in Bogota’s high altitude.) 

Days 34 & 35

Day 34 – Tuesday, May 15^th – Mom, Sofia and I had planned to meet my aunt Elvira in a super cool shopping mall called Hacienda Santa Barbara that is on 116^th & 9^th. We were going to meet at 11:45am, but at 10:30am I got a call from our Representative asking if we could meet at Zuetana (our old hotel)  because she wanted to introduce Maria Teresa to me and another family that has been here for eight weeks already, since Maria Teresa will be filling in for our representative while she is on vacation in New York. I told her I could make it by about 11:30 by myself while my mom took Sofia to meet up with my aunt. I took a taxi to Zuetana and arrived a little late. It was great to see the staff and my friends that are staying there. Our rep told us that our papers are on the Judge’s desk just waiting to be signed. Once that happens, things should move along a lot quicker. 

Once I was done visiting, I walked to the main street and hailed a taxi to meet up at the historic shopping mall. Once I got there, I heard that my aunt was about an hour late because there was a bombing close to where she lives and she wasn’t able to find a taxi. Apparently the bomb was meant for an ex-governor, and unfortunately there were three casualties.  I’m amazed that even though things like this happen, I still feel very safe here.  Maybe part of it is that I haven’t watched TV in about a month (with the exception of a movie dubbed in Spanish), so I’m not constantly reminded of the negative. Another part of it, is that I am always aware of what’s going on around me (on my guard) and I don’t walk around outside after 6pm when it gets dark. As Perry always says: “Safety First!”.

Day 35 – Wednesday, May 16^th -  My cousin, Maria Claudia, picked us up to go to La Calera for lunch. On the way we stopped to pick up my aunt Beatriz. We drove up the rim of the mountain to a place called El Tambor. If you’re in Colombia, you can’t miss this one. The views are phenomenal on the way up and the food is typical Colombiano. We sat outside and when our order came, it was a huge basket of finger sized bites of arepas (like my mom makes), patecones (fried  plantain), yuka (similar to potato), steak. pork, papas criollas (little round yellow potatoes that are crispy on the outside and the inside is steamy and melts-in-your-mouth) and a few other things that I’m not sure what they were or what they are called. But it was good.

Rather than returning to Bogota, we continued on the mountain road to Sopo’. There is a Swiss company located in that town and there is a store that sells everything from that brand, as well as some awesome desserts (postres).  We each got a few things from the store, including desserts and coffee, and we sat on the patio outside. It was refreshing with the sun shining, but at almost 4:00pm we could feel a drastic change in temperature. We decided to head back to Bogota through the traffic.  Once again, another great day in Colombia!

Week 5

5^th Week-

Day 29 – Thursday, May 10^th- Home Sweet Home, well, Efrain’s home sweet home.  My mom had plans to go play cards at her cousin’s house. I spent most of the day at home, reading through our adoption paperwork, reading my Nicholas Sparks book, watching “Hitch” in Spanish, and just hanging out. We hired a maid for the day so I chose to stay at the hose until the maid was done cleaning.  (How much do you think it costs to hire a maid for 8 hours of work for one day? Apparently, the going rate for a maid is 32,000 pesos or approximately  $16 for the day. If it was like that in the states, I’d have a maid at my house everyday!) After the house smelled clean and the maid left for the day, I took Miss Sofia with me across the street to get my nails done. (7,000 pesos – about $3.50 for a manicure. Unbelievable!)

Day 30 – Friday, May 11^th – Onces – Friday we had plans to go over to my mom’s cousin’s apartment. Maria Lenor lives on the 24^th floor in a big building on the mountain. What an incredible view!  Onces (kind of like the English Tea Time but with hot chocolate and a ton of other Colombian treats) was not until 3:30, so in the morning my mom watched Sofia while I went across the street to the same Peluqeria (beauty shop) to get my hair done. I had my hair straightened for only 10,000 pesos or about $5 for a hairstyle. (So THINGS here are very expensive, but Services are not! If you’re in Colombia for an adoption, treat yourself! J ) Maria Lenor had Onces in honor of Sofia and I. It was great to spend time with mom, her sisters and her cousins. As always, Sofia was all smiles. She slept during our meal and woke just before we were getting ready to leave.  She is truly my precious angel. As my mom says… “The angel that’s the most angelic angel of all angels.”

Day 31 – Saturday, May 12^th – Tia Elvira and Tio Fernando invited me, Sofia, my mom, and Efrain for a delicious spaghetti lunch. (One of my favorites).  Also in my honor, we had little empanadas as a starter. One of my missions was to find the best empanadas in Colombia. Those served at Tia Elvira’s house might just be in the lead at this point. …and the search continues.

By the way, I was reading back in my blog and it sounds like we are eating a ton! I write about my lunches at my relatives’ houses or going out for lunch… but in reality, it’s different than in the states. Here they have a very healthy breakfast with coffee and fruit, then a big lunch, and a miniscule dinner. It seems to work well since I have dropped a few pounds since I’ve been here. J

Day 32 – Sunday, May 13^th – Dia de la Madre – Tio Peretz and Tia Rachel picked us up at 9am to head out to their finca in Sobachoque (not sure of the spelling, and ditto goes for every other Spanish word in this blog.) We got there at 10:30. Peretz drove into town to pick up the maid, but unfortunately, she cancelled since it was mother’s day. Fortunately, Peretz found someone that was willing to come later in the day to clean up after the meal. So the Super-Mom’s took over to handle the cooking.  Mom and Tia Rachel made the appetizers and the potatoes, while my cousin Freddy manned the BBQ. We had a fabulous time and looked through 100’s of old photographs. It was a blast! Once everything was cleaned up, we were ready to head back to Bogota.

Once we got to Bogota, I turned on my Skype and was able to connect with Evan and Perry. Although I wasn’t able to spend the day with my entire family, at least I was able to communicate through Skype. It was definitely a Mother’s Day that I will never forget. My first Mother’s Day with my little boy and my beautiful baby girl!

Day 33 – Monday, May 14^th – Dia Tranquila – Today we had a very relaxing day. Sofia slept past her usual 6am feeding and slept until 8am. (How did I get so lucky???)  Once she woke up, she was fed and had a nice bath with lukewarm water (the water in the bathroom comes out somewhat cold so I fill a tub with water from the kitchen sink – which is at least a little warmer – and bath her in the tub.) That is one of the things that I am looking forward to in the near future… a SUPER HOT STEAMY SHOWER. Taking somewhat cold showers over the last month is getting old.

Around lunch time, my mom, Sofia and I headed out to take a long walk down 140 to pick up a few things and stop for lunch. We returned back to the house at 3:30, just in time for Sofia’s nap. She is so easy-going and is easy to go anywhere with her. As all my relatives say “She’s an angel!”

At 6:30pm Sofia started getting a little fussy. I gave her a bottle and she was out. Usually she doesn’t go to bed until 8pm, but tonight… it was lights out at 6:45pm. 

Our day out

Day 28 – Wednesday, May 9^th – Today we ran errands. We had an appointment at 12:30, but as we were in the taxi at 12:25, I received a call that our appointment was cancelled for today.  (That’s how things go here, and I know that, so it wasn’t a big deal.)  So we were dropped off on 106 & 19 and decided to have lunch with my mom at Carbon de Palo (absolutely one of the best restaurants for meat and typical Colombian foods.) Sofia was in her stroller and was such an angel while we ate lunch. There was a trio playing live music and I think Sofia enjoyed that as much as we did. After lunch we went next door to my favorite store, Maku, which I have mentioned before. It’s a big, 3-level store that sells things that are typical of Colombia. The girls that work there know me already. Again, I bought some additional gifts and have no idea how they are going to fit in my suitcase to come home.  Note: If you go to Maku, make sure to go to the back of the store. You can go out the door and there is a little garden with a water feature and a place to get a complimentary “tinto” or coffee. While we were sitting in the back we noticed some dark clouds coming in. We paid for our purchases and were off to pick up our family photos from the photo studio that is nearby. A few weeks back we decided to get our family photos taken at Ba-Boa-Ba Photo Studio that is on 107 & 19. The owner and photographer, Yoko, did such a great job and is sooooo nice.  Although it’s a little expensive, if you’re in the area, I highly recommend her! And what a great way to record this special time in Colombia.  We had also planned to stop by Zuetana hotel to visit my new friends, but just when we were leaving the photo studio, it started to rain. So we jumped into a taxi and headed back to Efrain’s house.

As for the adoption process, our case has been approved through the courts and we are now waiting for signatures. At this point it seems like it could take the full 7-8 weeks before we will be able to come home.  So far, I have been here for 4 weeks already. I have seen most of my relatives and am having a great time, but I am starting to get anxious to come home.  ...but for now, all we can do is wait.

Long weekend in Ibague

Day 26 – Monday, May 7^th – Today was another relaxing day in Ibague. We visited with my cousin Maria Carolina for most of the day. Little Sofia has a cold, but seems to be getting better. She has been sleeping a lot today so I’m hoping she will be feeling better soon.

Day 27 – Tuesday, May 8^th – We drove through the mountains and are back in Bogota today. Ibague is only about 3 hours away, but the traffic in Bogota added an hour and a half to our trip.   It was wonderful to visit my Tio Fernando, Alba Lucia and Maria Carolina.  My family is so wonderful. They have gone above and beyond to accommodate us and make us feel at home. I am so lucky to have my Colombian family!

Now have web access again... Let the catch up begin.

Catching up on our blog – Colombian Adoption 2012

With limited internet connectivity, my daily blog has now turned into a somewhat random, weekly (or so) blog. Please excuse the randomness.  I currently don’t have internet access where I am staying so I am feeling a bit disconnected, but I will find a way and will do my best to keep up-to-date.

The time here in Colombia has been going so quickly. Every day with Sofia has been wonderful. She is so precious and such a good baby. We are so lucky to have her in our family!

With so much going on, I wanted to step back to document the day to day events of our trip to date:

Day 1 – Thursday, April 12^th 10:00am - *** Presentation Day- One of the best days of our lives… after 2 years and 2 months since the start of our adoption process, we were finally united with Sofia.

Day 2 – Friday, April 13^th – family time at Hotel Zuetana. It was raining outside so we stayed in the entire day.  Our first impression of Zuetana was good, despite several buckets laid out along the hallway collecting drips from the skylights on the ceiling. It is a gated house with 10 rooms that each have their own bathroom, fridge & microwave. Our stay included breakfast and the option of having lunch and dinner added on each day. The first week we ate at the hotel for most meals. The food is delicious. Every morning the maid prepared a fresh scrambled egg with onions and tomatoes, a plate of fresh fruit, and the best café con leche (a little coffee and a lot of milk).  DELISIOSA!!!! For lunch and dinner we had a variety of popular Colombian dishes as well as some OK reheated dishes- like lasagna. For the most part the food was great.

 

  

Zuetana 106 – Our temporary home.

Day 3 – Saturday, April 14^th – Lots of family came to visit. It’s so nice to connect with mi familia Colombiana.  Elvira & Fernando were the first to meet Sofia. Later came Alejandra with the family. Evan, Santiago and Evan’s new friend Edward were playing Club Penguin on the computer, laughing and having a great time. In between visits, I went for a long walk to check out the area while the family stayed in the hotel. I found a store called Maku that sells all types of Colombian things – everything from the famous buses, baskets, musical instruments, blankets, hammocks, leather goods, clay & pottery, etc. It’s a fabulous find to bring home some Colombian made gifts. (Just a note to anyone planning to go there… remember that anything you buy has to fit in your suitcase and not weigh down your suitcase a ton! … luckily, I have 4 suitcases to divvy up my purchases and hopefully our suitcases will each be under the 50 pound limit on the return flight.)  Saturday also happened to be “Big Brother Day” where Evan could choose what we did all day and what we were going to eat for dinner. He chose to order a pizza from Pizza Hut (yes- they have all the same US chains here that you can imagine).  Unfortunately, that day I started to feel very sick. I was so sick, I couldn’t eat a thing. So Perry and Evan enjoyed the pizza without me.

Day 4 – Sunday, April 15^th – My aunt, Rachel, uncle Peretz, and cousin Dayana and her 2 sons came to pick us up to take us to lunch. Little did we know that we were giving everyone  the wrong address. Instead of 106A 18A-19, we were giving out 106A 20A-19 (which doesn’t exist).  Lo siento.  Since it was raining again, we had a nice lunch at a local mall called Santa Ana, despite me having a fever. We ate a Crepes & Waffles and everything was very good. Sofia was in her stroller and slept through our lunch. She was very easy to bring to the mall. We had a nice visit. It was also nice to get to know Dayana’s sweet boys.  Later in the day, we got a visit from Elvira and Maria Teresa.

Day 5 – Monday, April 16^th – Another rainy day. Evan’s new friend Edward started going to a local preschool in the mornings so Evan was waiting for him to come back so they could play.  I think this was also the day that my cousin, Maria Claudia, came to visit, Sofia immediately smiled as soon as she saw her. We visited for a while. In our conversation I had mentioned that we hadn’t had any empanadas yet (which is a typical Colombian food that is like a turnover with meat & potatoes or meat & rice inside.) Evan, Perry and I all love empanadas – especially when my mom makes them.  So shortly after we said goodbye to Maria Claudia, she came back with a box of empanadas for us to enjoy. What a wonderful treat! (Muchisimas gracias Maria Claudia… Eran deliciosas!)

Day 6 – Tuesday, April 17^th - *** 9:30am Meeting with the psychologists with our representative, Our representative.  They were running late – most likely due to the horrible traffic all around Bogota. Evan started to feel sick, so he stayed in our room while we planned to have our meeting in the living room of the hotel. Our representative finally got in contact with them and they said they were on the bus on their way. She told them to take a taxi and we would pay so they could get here faster. They finally arrived at about 10:00.  They asked us a few simple questions and said that they approved that Sofia is a good fit for our family. Once that appointment was done, we were scheduled to meet with the ICBF Defender of Minors on Thursday at 9:30am. OK, we thought, things are moving along.

My mom’s flight came in at about 8:30pm. She is staying with my aunt so we planned to see her the next day. I’m sure she was anxious to see Sofia and give her kisses.

  

Day 7 – Wednesday, April 18^th - *** 11:00am Notary – We got a call at 10:00am saying that Our representative was coming to pick us up within the hour to go to the notary to get some documents notarized. We had to notarize our Power of Attorney documents as well as a document that will let me take Sofia out of Colombia without Perry. (Since Perry & Evan are heading back to the states on the 28^th).  We had one of the employees babysit Sofia and Evan while we were gone. We got the documents notarized – no problem – and the notary was only about a block and a half from our hotel so we were back in a jiffy.  Later that afternoon, after another solo trip to Maku, I received a call stating that I had to go back to the notary to get my Colombian Cedula and passport authenticated. I was able to do that, and when I returned, my mom and Tia Elvira were taking care of Sofia in the living room. Evan was still sick, but seemed to be feeling a little better.

2^nd Week

Day 8- Thursday, April 19^th – Unfortunately, our morning appointment with the Defender of Minors was cancelled. Apparently there was some investigation into Colombian adoptions, so several of the private orphanages had surprise inspections. Because of that situation, all adoptions are being looked at under the microscope to make sure everything is as it should be. There is talk that this may delay our process, but at this point, it is only delayed a few days and we were not able to schedule a tour of the orphanage at this time. 

In the afternoon, we went to Unicentro (a big shopping mall) with my mom, Tia Elvira, Tia Beatriz, Evan, Sofia and myself. Unfortunately, it was Perry’s turn to get sick so he stayed at the hotel. We had lunch, walked around, and I bought a pre-paid cell phone for $23 so I could keep in contact with my family and our rep from our agency. You wouldn’t believe how many people stopped to say how precious and beautiful Sofia is, and a few even told Evan how handsome he is. All in Spanish, so it didn’t embarrass him too much.

Day 9 – Friday, April 20^th  – Perry, Evan, Sofia and I took a taxi to Unicentro. It was finally the first sunny day. Perry started to feel better. We had lunch at Unicentro and walked around a bit. We were going to take a taxi back to the hotel but I convinced Perry that it would be a nice walk. It’s a ways away, but a nice way to see the city and see all the stores and restaurants that are not too far away. Just as we got to our hotel, it started to sprinkle. What timing. J

Day 10 – Saturday, April 21^st – Family Picture Day. We got up and put on our somewhat matching clothes for our unplanned family pictures. Right next to the notary, a block and a ½ away from the hotel, is a photography studio named Ba-Boa-Ba. The photographer, Yoko, has taken lots of family photos of adoptive families since there are a lot of hotels in the area that specialize in long stays during the adoption process. We scheduled to appointment the day before and were able to come in for a photo shoot right away. Both Sofia and Evan did a wonderful job.

Later that evening we went to Tia Elvira’s house for Ajiaco (a delicious potato-based soup that is very Colombian). It was so good. Afterwards we had Oleas con Arequipe for dessert (thin wafers with a smooth carmel spread). It was so delicious that we bought some at the grocery store to have as a treat at the hotel.

Day 11 – Sunday, April 22^nd – Sundays are special days in Bogota. Some of the roads close so that people can bike, walk and rollerblade all throughout Bogota. Sunday is also the only day that the famous market is open where vendors go to sell their goods, Colombian food, music and other pieces of Colombian culture can be found. It’s awesome! Maria Claudia came to pick us up and drove us to the market. It was sprinkling earlier in the morning so we were debating whether we should go or not, but it was Perry & Evan’s last Sunday in Bogota, so we decided to go… and the weather turned beautiful. We had a nice time walking around, we enjoyed some Guayavana juice, tinto (coffee) and Evan had his chocolate covered strawberries on a stick. On our way down from the market there was a vendor selling Paella. Perry’s mouth was watering and he was tempted to stop to get some, but he chose not to since we had plans to eat lunch at my aunt’s house. After walking around and having a nice morning with Maria Claudia, she drove us to visit Tia Maria Teresa and Oswaldo for lunch. Surprisingly, they had prepared a wonderful Pallela that everyone loved – especially Perry. Since I can’t eat seafood, I just had the rice and chicken and it was delicious like that as well. Soon after we ate, my cousin, Nicolas and his wife Natalia came to visit. When they were in Minnesota last summer, they got to meet Evan. I’m so happy that we could have them meet Sofia now. Of course she was all smiles!

After we returned to the hotel, Evan played with Edward in the front and back yard/garden areas for several hours. He came back to the room with mud all over – but they had fun!

  

Day 12 – Monday, April 23^rd – All day we waited for a phone call to let us know when our appointment for the ICBF Defender of Minors would be. At 5:30pm we got a call stating that our appointment is at 7:30 the next day and a driver will come pick us up at 7:00am. Evan played Club Penguin and made a video using Movie Maker (self-taught) while Sofia watched.

Day 13 – Tuesday, April 24^th – We woke the whole family up early, got everyone dressed nicely and we were almost ready to go when our representative showed up at 6:45am. We hurried to get everything together and were off in the taxi. There wasn’t much traffic so we got there early. We tried to get in the usual way, but the guard said that we had to go to the other gate, so we walked to the other gate and the guard to us that we need to go in the first gate. (There was a bit of miscommunication with the happenings from the week before and the one gate was not supposed to open until 8am) Our representative told the guard that our appointment was at 7:30am and they finally let us in.  We sat in a small waiting area in a Red Cross building with our family, Our representative, our lawyer, and another family that was also adopting a little boy. The Defender of Minors was with another family, so we just sat in the waiting area and talked. Once it was our turn to meet with the Defender of Minors, he asked us some questions, Our representative was there to help interpret, but I was able to understand everything and answer in Spanish. He had us sign some papers stating that we would be taking care of Sofia, and had Evan sign his name as well, as he would also be caring for his little sister. Once the papers were signed, they went directly to our lawyer and we were done. Simple as that! Once this appointment was done, we had all the documents signed that are necessary before Perry and Evan are able to return to the states. Now is the waiting period. We don’t have to do anything else until the Adoption Decree is finalized in the Colombian Courts. So now would be a good time to travel to see other parts of Colombia, but with Perry and Evan leaving on Saturday night, we decided to do the touristy things in and around Bogota.

Day 14 – Wednesday, April 25^th – My uncle Oswaldo drove us to the old part of Bogota called Candelaria.  We went to the Gold Museum while Oswaldo had other things to do there. Before we went into the museum, we walked down to the square where there were vendors of all sorts. Evan and I shared a bag of chips and a Coca-Cola and Perry bought a tomale from a vendor on a bike.  After he started eating it, he thought, is this safe to be eating this? Luckily, he didn’t get sick.  The Gold Museum was cool. At one point we went into a dark room and the doors started to close. Evan was a little scared, but I held his hand tight and soon some lights came on to emphasize different pieces of gold. It was a great experience and even more cool for Evan since we are planning a summer trip to Colorado and he is hoping to go gold mining.  After walking around for about and hour, we met for lunch at the restaurant in the Gold Museum. The food was excellent. I highly recommend it!

3^rd Week-

Day 15 – Thursday, April 26^th – Evan wanted to go to Monserate to take pictures from the highest point of Bogota. So we called a taxi to drive us. He asked us for some numbers, but I wasn’t quite sure what he was talking about (for security, when you call for a cab, they give you the license plate numbers and the driver will ask you for the last 2 digits of your telephone number. Unfortunately, I didn’t know the number.) SO as soon as we all got in the taxi, he called someone on his cell phone and was saying…. “ohh, I have some people in my taxi that don’t speak our language…” and continued with his personal conversation for the entire ride. Little did he know that I understood much of it. I should’ve said something when he dropped us off, but I didn’t. He just dropped us off, and off he went. We had no idea where to go so we looked around and saw a sign that said Monserate. We had to pass 3 armed guards and started walking up some steps – thinking that the tram was that way. After only about 20 large steps, with Sofia strapped to me in a carrier, at an altitude of 8000 miles above sea level… I could feel it. I looked ahead and all I saw was more steps. I found a map on the side of the trail and noticed we were going up the path, where the tram was further down the road. So down we went. Once we got to the guards, one of the female guards said to me…”I was wondering if you knew you were going up the trail on purpose.” Apparently, people walk up the trail as penance for their sins and many get to the top on their hands and knees, bleeding from the rocks.  Yea, better we take the tram (funicular). So we paid for round trip tickets on the tram and up we went. It started to sprinkle when we got to the top, but it was beautiful! You could see all across Bogota. Evan took lots of pictures, as did Perry. At the bottom, we needed to find a taxi to take us back to the hotel. We asked a coordinator and a driver named Oscar Andres said he could take us. He was very nice, well dressed, educated, and it was coordinated through Monserate, so we thought it would be just as safe, if not safer, than hailing a cab. Boy, am I glad we met Oscar. He is so nice and has offered his services to us anytime we need a driver. I told him that we were thinking about going to the Salt Cathedral the following day and he was willing to take us. We set up a pick up time for the following day.

We got back to the hotel about 1:30pm and I had planned to Skype at 2:00pm.  Luckily the internet was working at that point, especially since the connectivity has been so spotty, I was wondering if it would actually work. But it did. J

Evan has been such a great big brother!!! He says, “Sofia is so cute!” and when he plays with her he says (in a high pitch voice), “Who’s a good Sofia, who’s a good Sofia?”  - Precious sibling moments.

   

Day 16 – Friday, April 27^th – Oscar came to pick us up at 9:45am. Elvira came to pick up Sofia to babysit for the day with Maria Lenor. My mom came with us to the salt cathedral in Zipaquira’. The drive was only about 45 minutes from our hotel. Once we got there, Oscar dropped us off and mentioned that we should only buy the tickets into the mine and not to buy the additional trolley ride around the town. We walked into the salt mine. It was amazing to see the religious symbols carved out of salt. With the carvings and the lights and the underground chapels, I felt a bit more religious and spiritual just from being there.  After the tour, Evan started to feel a little sick from the salty air and smell. He wanted to get out right away so I walked with him quickly while Perry walked up with my mom. I could tell her hip was hurting her on the way up so Perry took it slow with her. We got to the top and rested for a few minutes and went to the vending area to buy a Coca-Cola and my mom wanted us to try papas criollas – (small round yellow potatoes that were crispy on the outside and hot on the inside). Once again – delicious! We met back up with Oscar and got back into the van. He drove us around the town of Zipaquira and told us about it. On our way back, he dropped us off at my aunt Elvira’s house to pick up Sofia. We had lunch at Archie’s Italian restaurant and called for a taxi to take us back to the hotel. We had the stroller, car seat, diaper bag, along with Perry, Evan and me. The only taxis that were going by were the mini taxis that don’t have trunks so we finally got one and were on the way back to the hotel with Perry in the front, and Evan, Sofia and I in the back with the stroller on top of me. NOT comfortable, but we were able to get back to start packing. We let Evan play with Edward until almost 10:00pm since it was their last night to play – until we meet again in Minnesota.

Day 17 – Saturday, April 28^th – Evan and Perry’s last day.  We had an appointment at 10am to pick up our family photos… unfortunately, they weren’t ready to be picked up. We left Evan at the hotel with Edward while we ran to check on the photos and pick up some Colombian pastries for breakfast. We finished packing and were lucky to make arrangements so we wouldn’t have to check out until 6pm. So my uncle Peretz picked us up to go to his and my ant Rachel’s apartment. We had a great lunch and it was nice to visit them at their place before Perry & Evan left.  We caught a taxi back to the hotel and had an hour and a half to finish packing, say goodbye to our new friends and the wonderful staff at Zuetana 106, and Evan got to spend his last few hours with Edward.

Just before 6:00, Oscar was waiting outside to help put our bags in the van. We said goodbye to Zuetana and off we went. Oscar first drove me to my mom’s uncle’s house where my mom, Sofia and I will be staying until the adoption process is complete. Perry and Evan met Efrain and we quickly had to say goodbye so Perry and Evan could get to the airport with plenty of time before their 10:54pm flight. I first said goodbye to Evan. I gave him a heart shaped stone and told him to put it in his pocket and every time he was sad or missed me, he could put his hand in his pocket and know that I love him and that I am thinking of him. We both started to cry. I tried so hard to keep it in, but I couldn’t help the tears. I gave him a huge hug and told him that I would call or Skype when I can. I then had to say goodbye to Perry which was just as tough. If I knew I would only be away for a short time, it probably wouldn’t be as difficult, but not knowing how long I will be away from them is the tough part. I just hope I get a good judge for our case and we get put into the “fast” court. The sooner we are together at home as a family, the better! I will miss them greatly, but this is for our family and for baby Sofia, so it is all worth it! Evan was still crying when Oscar drove away with Evan and Perry on the way to the airport. About an hour later, I got a call at Efrain’s house. It was Oscar. He called to let me know that Evan eventually stopped crying, that he offered Evan a piece of candy, and he was fine by the time he dropped him off at the airport, so I shouldn’t worry.  Now tell me… what other driver would care enough to do such a simple thing that meant so much to me? What a nice gesture!!! 

So my mom and I visited with Efrain, and soon his son, Edgar, and family came over to lend me their Pack&Play for Sofia to sleep in. I was nice to meet his family. His boys are so sweet! After the visit, I started to unpack and put Sofia to bed. It was a long, very emotional day, so I was drained.

Day 18 – Sunday, April 29^th – WOW! We woke up to a breakfast made for queens. We had fresh oranges, papaya, banana, and some other fruits that I don’t remember their names. We also had something that sounds like – almohavana, which is sweet like a donut. And fresh coffee.  After breakfast we followed Sofia’s routine and pretty soon it was the middle of the day. Efrain had invited both my mom and I to eat at a restaurant that is very close to his house that is called Burger Toro. They had the best meat and arepa! I had a skewer that was very good.

After lunch, my mom and Efrain took Sofia back to the house and I searched out the neighborhood to find a good place with WiFi. I found a bar about a block and ½ that was somewhat empty at 3:00 in the afternoon, had good music, and of course WiFi. I sat at a table and asked for a beer and tried to catch up on some way overdue emails, took a peek at Facebook, Skyped Perry & Evan after their LONG overnight flight back home. I seem to be procrastinating on my blog – probably because so much has happened that I don’t was to forget to write about everything and everyone. Well, I’m past that block now. Now it’s just a matter of when I will have internet access… So I’ll do the best I can.

Day 19 – Monday, April 30^th – Today we had a quiet day, following Sofia’s schedule. Our excursion of the day was to go to a huge Exito store which is similar to a Walmart, but almost everything is way more expensive than in the states.  We went with my tia Rachel. We had lunch there first and then shopped for some necessities – like a tub to give Sofia a bath, a sponge and a few other things. We caught a taxi from the parking lot and we were back at Efrain’s house within minutes. The rest of the day was very laid back. We listened to Efrain’s vacation stories, had leftovers for dinner and started Sofia’s bedtime routine.  It’s amazing how fast time flies – today went so fast!

Day 20 – Tuesday, May 1^st –  Today we celebrated  my aunt Beatriz’s birthday. It’s also Perry’s dad’s birthday. (Happy Birthday Doug!) It also happens to be a Holiday – Colombian Labor Day – so almost everything is closed except the big Centro Commerciales (big shopping centers), restaurants, and a few other places. My mom’s cousin picked us up to drive us to a big shopping center. It wasn’t too far away, but the traffic was terrible (which is constant here). We got to the mall and on the third level there was a restaurant that had stations and you could ask for what you want. We had a huge table set aside for us. Over 20 of my relatives were there. We had such a nice time and Sofia was so good the entire outing. I no longer have a camara that works so I will be sharing my mom’s camara for the time being. The unfortunate thing is that we don’t have the USB plug to upload the pictures to mu computer.  That may just have to be an expense as part of the trip. But until then, no pics… so I leave you with this one:

Day 21 – Wednesday, May 2^nd – Ajiaco at Maria Claudia’s house. Simply delicious and a very relaxing day hanging out with my mom, cousin and aunt Beatriz.

4^th Week-

Day 22 – Thursday, May 3^rd – Tia Rachel and Peretz came to pick us up to drive us to my cousin Freddy’s house for lunch.  I was so happy to meet Freddy’s wife Natalia. She is so nice. 

Again we had an awesome lunch. So far, I haven’t eaten anything I didn’t like – except the reheated lasagna from the hotel.  The menu: Salad, meat with onions (not sure what it was called, but it was awesome!), potatoes, and my favorite coconut rice.  And dessert: Fresh strawberries with cream.

After lunch we drove my mom to Maria Lenor’s house to play cards and Tia Rachel and Peretz drove Sofia and me back to Efrain’s to rest & relax. Another great day!

Day 23 – Friday, May 4^th – Sofia’s 6 month birthday!!! 6 months old and almost sitting up on her own. Today, Tia Maria Teresa and Tia Elvira came over. It was pico y placa (where only some cars can drive on certain days) so they didn’t have a car. We walked to a Mexican restaurant and had a nice lunch. It was pretty windy so we had to eat inside the restaurant. After lunch we stopped at a cute café’ for coffee. My cough has been getting worse, so I asked for Agua Aeromatica (which is hot water with fresh mint leaves, lemon and honey.)

Our contact from our agency called to let us know that our case was approved and now we have to wait to have the papers signed. She didn’t want to give me an estimated time because she said she didn’t want to give a false expectation…in case anything comes up. So again we wait…

Day 24 – Saturday, May 5^th – Tio Fernando and Alba Lucia drove from Ibague to Bogota to pick us up to take us back to Ibague to visit for a long weekend. They left at 5:30am and got to Efrain’s house at about 10:00am. How nice was that!  When they got there, we talked with Efrain, had a glass of wine (yes, that was early – but what the heck!). We then decided to go for a walk and go out to eat in the neighborhood. There are a ton of eating establishments right off of 140 – so we had lots to choose from. We decided to go to Burger Toro. They have delicious steaks. After lunch, we went to Baby Ganga. They were having a 30% off sale so I bought a Boppy since Sofia is starting to sit up on her own. Then we were on our way. Traffic was terrible getting out of Bogota, so we didn’t arrive until about 7:00pm. We talked for a while, but soon went to bed.

Tonight Sofia rolled over by herself. Yay Sofia!  I also noticed that her bottom teeth will be coming soon. She’s drooling, sucking on everything, and puckers her mouth. So cute, but it must be bothering her. Poor baby.

Day 25 – Sunday, May 6^th -  Ibague – Tonight I am blogging from the balcony of my other uncle's house in Ibague (just past Girardo). Sofia started to get a cold so we decided to venture out to warmer weather. It is about 80 here during the day - very warm and humid. My uncle lives in a super nice apartment building and the views are incredible. 

And guess what? My cough is much better. I can’t figure out if it is the altitude, allergies, or the pollution that is making my cough worse when I am in Bogota. The test is to see if it comes back once I return to Bogota after this extended weekend.

I have been so fortunate to spend time with my wonderful Colombian family. I can imagine it to be a lot harder without family and friends surrounding us.

Until next time…