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…