Previo...back in line.

We just got word that a document in our file had to be redone (i.e. we had a 'previo' or 'knockout'.) We are not sure of the date of the knock out, but we do know that the file was resubmitted on the 9th of February. Unfortunately, the way the system works is that we now start back at the beginning of the line to be reviewed. They don't look for all problems at once, but bounce the thing each time there is a problem and the whole package is resubmitted.

So what does that mean practically? At this point, that means that we could get another previo at any time, and if we don't, and things go smoothly, we will hear in 6-10 weeks that we will be able to get the baby a month or so from that notice. The upshot is that we have no idea how long it will be from here.

The other news is political, and just rumor at this point, but it looks as if the VP of Guatemala is going to make an announcement/decree that the adoption procedures should be made more stringent than they currently are (I know, hard to comprehend...) We have no idea how that will affect adoptions already in process. That said, we are being told that it shouldn't be a problem for us. We'll know more soon...

No New News.

Just wanted to update that we have no new news, we're just patiently (ahem...) waiting to hear from PGN. Rumor has it that things are stretching out and taking longer than they had been, so we're trying to not have too many expectations. We are, however, starting to get the house ready-ish.

And obviously no new baby pictures, but I had to post this photo of Edge, her tongue got stuck somehow, and she was wandering around the house like this. Don't tell her I put this up, she'd be mad.



We'll post any news if we get it, and more photos of Julian will be up the first week of March at the latest.

Love,
Sam and Jon

Process update and potential timeline.

We found out that while we were in Guatemala our case was submitted to PGN, the organization in Guatemala that has to approve all adoptions. When we first put in our application PGN was taking about a month for folks to get processed (unless there was a paperwork problem or 'previo' in which case it would get bounced out for corrections then put back in line again.) Of late however, PGN is tending to take 8-10 weeks on average- with some cases, due to previos or simply unknown reasons, taking much much longer. This is where it starts to get tough for a 'ducks-in-a-row' type of person (hmmm......)

Once we are approved by PGN, the whole case goes back to the American Embassy for final approval. This last step will take about a month. We will be waiting for a 'pink slip', the final notice that he will be ours.

So the upshot is that we have no idea when Julian will come home. Best case scenario probably beginning of April. Beyond that it could be anything.

That said, we have had some folks ask if we are 100% assured that Julian will come home with us, and the answer unfortunately, is no. It would be very unlikely that something would interrupt the process at this time, but it can happen. We are thinking positively though as the closer we get to bringing him home, the better off we are.

We are planning on another visit the first week in March, and if we hear any news before then we'll post, otherwise we'll be posting when we see the babe again.

-Sam and Jon

One more day.

It is almost impossible to believe that we will be leaving tomorrow. The week has just flown. The baby is doing great. There are now 4 or 5 other families visiting with their babies at the hotel which makes all of this a bit easier.


Julian's happy place, on Daddy's shoulder.


Kathryn got these Osh Kosh jammies for Julian. He's already almost too big for them.



At breakfast today Julian sat facing forward without fussing for the first time (with us, anyway.)



Happy baby.


There may be time for one more post, but we're not sure. If not, we'll keep updating intermittantly from home.

Thanks for checking in. We can feel everyone's support all the way from here.

Love,
Sam, Jon, and Julian

Ixpanpajul- the last of the travel posts.

The last day before we came to see the baby (Tuesday the 9th) we travelled in the morning to a park called Ixpanpajul. It is a newly created tourist oriented nature preserve halfway between Lake Peten and Flores. There are horseback rides, sky bridges, a zip line over the jungle, and other activities. We had another great guide, Melvin (he tells us this is a relatively common name in Guatemala...) who is an expert on local birds, and, as it turns out, knows quite a bit about the medicinal uses of many of the jungle plants and trees.
We spent 3 hours hiking in the jungle, traversing the sky bridges, and learning a great deal about the plants and trees. Unfortunately the animals weren't out as it was midday, and it so happened we didn't see any birds at all. This is the first sky bridge. It was pretty high up there, but felt more sturdy than I anticipated. No problem.

Termite nests are all over the place. We hear that they are high in protein.



















www.ixpanpajul.com

Tikal

We visited Tikal last Monday with the most remarkable guide. Set up by the hotel, we were with a guide that actually grew up in a village that used to be in the Park. About 30 years ago they relocated the residents to an area nearby. We asked if he thought that was a good thing and he said yes, because it was necessary to preserve the site. He has been a guide for 15 years, and he considers it mandatory that he read all available information about Mayan culture. There is way too much to go into here, but if anyone is interested, please feel free to ask us about it when we get home. I´ll post a few photos here.


Arriving with Jesus Antonio


Into the jungle


Our guide kept taking us through thick jungle so we would come out to set eyes on the most amazing framed shots of the ruins. He knows the land like the back of his hand.


These guys are a cross between a racoon and a marmot...not literally, but that's what they look like. They were everywhere.



Temples in the distance


Jon wanted SO much to see the monkeys, we could hear them from our room at night, the sound was amazing. This one is a spider monkey. Unfortunately we didn't get a very good shot.




FYI, Wikipedia is a good site for basic info on Tikal if you're interested at all.

Love,
Sam and Jon

New Photos

All is well.