My Sweet Babies - Together!

I am finally posting some pictures! I don't have time to write a lot, but I'm assuming everyone really just wants to see pictures. These aren't in any fabulous order, but you get the drift.

So - Enjoy!

My mom painted this mural in Eli's room. She signed it "Nana 2008." How cute is that?

The "905" on the train is his birthdate. And his name is on the boat.

Two of my favorite guys. Uncle Josh giving Eli his bottle before bedtime.

Aunt Carrie holding "the baby." Rosemary wants to be the baby, too.

Two babies getting baths at Nana's house.

They got three easter baskets each. Everyone went crazy over Eli's first Easter.

Finding eggs in the yard and then smashing them in the basket.

Eli and Aunt Carrie bundling up.

Getting ready to hunt eggs!

We're Here!

We are, indeed, home. Nice that I've been able to post photos and updates, huh? I feel that Rosie and Eli have such loyal fans and their meanie mommy can't get it together enough to post!

I promise I will post photos soon - along with an update.

I have been in a major learning curve - trying to figure out how to do about 100 things at once. I had to go back to work about a week after Eli came home so that has been quite an adjustment. I think I've got most of it figured out - and I've managed to find time to sleep - but that means no computer, no internet, no eating (just kidding about the no eating - unfortunately I've managed to find time for that.) Rosemary still doesn't sleep well - she has terrible night terrors. However, I have learned some new things that I hope will help - and help me sleep, too! I feel like I'm just catching up on sleep - and about a million other things.

I should mention the most important thing going on: Eli is beautiful - and smart - and wonderful. He is a dream come true. He's happy, he sleeps through the night, he's so easy..... Rosemary is busy and learning so much. She is becoming more like a little girl and less like a baby every day. I am sad to see her babyhood go, but I love seeing the little girl she's becoming.

I am tired. I am busy. I am frazzled. But - when my head hits the pillow at night - I am content. I am thankful that all my babies (furry and otherwise as I call it) are happy and safe and healthy. I love knowing all my little ducklings are under one roof - and that I'm the mommy. Life could not be better. This is what I've waited for my entire life. What a beautiful, kind gift God has given me.

Gun shots, spoon feeding and Chiky cookies

It's primitive here, people! I'm not kidding! I switched hotels and wow do I love the Marriott. Unfortunately ---- that is the hotel I switched from. Sigh.... Anyway, I have a free room in the new hotel and it's fairly decent. I have also stayed here before so much I feel as though I lived here once. Still not so fabulous....

It is much better to be a new mommy in your own home, I suppose. I can't wait for the days when I can simply throw a bottle in the top rack of the dishwasher, throw a dirty bib in the washer, feed my baby cereal out of a bowl (!), have hot water fifteen seconds after I turn it on instead of like fifteen minutes, have a working hair dryer, not hear gun shots outside my room...... Yep. You heard me right.

We were in our room and I heard a loud pop. I've heard that a lot here and I assumed it was a chicken bus or something backfiring. Those buses have some serious problems. I'll try to get a shot of one with people hanging out the back doors. Okay - I digress.... anyway - I heard it and it sounded very unrhythmic - you know - like random gunshots! I wasn't sure, but then I went to the balcony and noticed some traffic had stopped. Soon a whooooooole lot of police showed up and then were gone in like 5 minutes. I also saw a guy below (I'm on the 17th floor so have a really good bird's eye view) running into a building with his M-16. I think he was probably a security guard for a business and was checking things out.

Even the security guards at McDonald's carry M-16's. You are highly likely to see a water truck go by carrying bottled water with several security guards with guns. So - who knows - this could have been someone's target practice.

Another little known fact about me: I was raised a country girl. I have shot a gun more than once and we lived in the boooon docks and people used to come to our house to go deer hunting until my dad decided he didn't like it anymore (Go, Dad!) So - I KNOW what a gun sounds like - oh - and I've watched CSI Miami and Criminal Minds a lot (that is for you, Mark) so I feel like an expert in all police and gun matters (again - a joke for Mark.)

I called the front desk and asked what was up. They said they heard the police sirens and were sure everything is okay. I asked if they heard gunshots and they seemed unaffected and said their lobby was full so it was a bit too loud but I could turn on the television and usually 'it will be on there if something happened.' Nice. I am in a safe district, but it is the bar district - which is why I am hearing some super, super, super loud bar music below. It's sort of like I have really rude neighbors. Anyway - back to the lobby. The lobby was full of Avon people! I have never seen so many Avon people in my life - many not wearing make-up. Weird.... Oh -and they all have matching black cases and there were even a couple of men.

So - I'm sure everyone would rather hear about Eli than my bad hotel.... again - highly recommend the Marriott with it's lovely security gates.... and breakfast buffet....sigh.....
Today, I fed Eli with a spoon! His fmom said she hadn't fed him with a spoon, yet because she wanted me to have that honor. So, in the meantime, she was putting his rice cereal in his bottle. Today I thought I'd try the spoon - and I highly suspected that he probably had been fed with one. Lord knows Rosie had - she was eating guacamole and beans already! Anyway - he had NOT been fed with a spoon. He seemed confused over it (as he is the bottle - but that is another story) and didn't get what I was doing. So - we learned together. After all, I have never taught a baby how to eat from a spoon. In the end, I think we did pretty well. But - now he has a tummy ache, I think. Or he just wants me to hold him. He keeps waking up and looking for me. And - well - you KNOW - I'm going to hold him!

View from my balcony. See the volcanoes in the distance? Gorgeous.

Guatemala is a truly gorgeous place - even the city is pretty sometimes. I'm going to Tecpan tomorrow with my attorney so you'll see some more pretty pics.

See this? Can't wait!

More of Guatemala City. Around 4 million people live here.

This is how I had to feed him cereal. I brought a spoon and cereal, but getting a bowl from room service would be waaay to easy! Did I mention the service isn't so great? Oh - I didn't feed all this to him. I just had to keep adding to get the right consistency. Told you this was primitive!

Aunt Stacie warning: You are about to see baby food pictures! Beware! You may choose to abandon this blog! (Note: Stacie gags at all baby food pictures but for some reason can catch cat vomit in her hand without thinking about it! Hmmm....)

He was probably thinking I was doing it all wrong. That's supposed to go in a bottle, lady!

He started really liking it...

Maybe right before bedtime wasn't such a good idea now that I think about it.....

Sleeping not so peacefully tonight. Poor baby.

Want to see the best cookie in the world? Rachel, you have to post a comment to tell people I'm not lying! I forced Rachel to try these and Tortellitas and now I've corrupted her, too. We had those and some Grapette on our way home from Antigua. Rachel introduced me to Grapette. Also delicious. I had some of that today, too!

The best cookie in the world! If anyone ever finds these in the US, please let me know. I will be forever grateful. I've even looked them up on the internet! They have chocolate on the back - like a fudge graham. You can see they've called it, "Chocolate Enrobed." Beautiful.

I've tried all the ones in the U.S. including girl scout cookies (which may explain a lot about that picture from yesterday....) and nothing compares. They are not the same. I'm telling you - these are little bits of heaven.

Gotcha!

Today was Gotcha Day! We had a great day. I went to the airline counter at the Marriott and bought his lap ticket for the flight home. Then, we switched hotels. We went to the embassy doctor for his final medical report for the embassy appointment and Eli is in perfect condition. We did not have to get his flu shot (a new requirement) because he is not quite 6 months old (how did that happen?) They didn't tell me how tall he is, but he is 16 lbs. He looks really, really good. Then, I went and got his pictures taken for his visa. He will come home as a US citizen and will not have to be naturalized but he has to leave the country with a visa.

Posing with Eli's (and Rosie's) foster mom, Orbelina, her grandson and one of her daughters. They arrived early (like 30 minutes) and I had to hustle to get ready. Ooh. My shirt was baggy and I look super pregnant. Ummm. I'm not. But - a diet plan is not a bad idea....

Me handing Eli back to Orbelina for one last hug.

Sleeping peacefully in his mommy's care. I never have to go through the agony of leaving him for months at a time again. Okay - he can go to college - and that's it! No leaving his mommy!
How precious is this perfect baby?

Chain, chain, chain.....of events.....

Okay - so it's been a while since I've posted. So, I have some catching up to do! As you will notice in the title, I have been watching too much American Idol. Scratch that - wishing I could watch more. It took me a week to watch the first two hour episode. Thank goodness for DVR's (love, love, love TIVO.)

Here's what happened in order:

We got ORANGE!!! That - I may have mentioned. But - I wanted to say it again. So - I got to go with little Mr (as I'm calling him) and have his DNA taken. It was a simple swab and we were done.

I stalked the lab AND Fedex AND the embassy. I was at a meeting for work for three days and I can't believe everyone I work with doesn't hate my pre-occupied guts. I kept checking email on my phone. The lab was late by a day or two causing our embassy appointment to be moved back several days. The lady who normally handles it was out because her mother-in-law died. I turned into Momzilla and told the lab I was sorry for her but it wasn't my fault and it sounded like a personal problem and they had a business to run. (I'm even shocked at myself!) They, in turn, wrote me a nasty email telling me they completed my DAUGHTER's DNA as quickly as possible and they did not drop the ball. This infuriated me even more since they are a DNA lab! Ummmm....Eli is a boy. I have never heard of a girl named Eli. Not that there's anything wrong with that....

The embassy was really nice to me and gave me an appointment the day before my paperwork expires and held it for me until my DNA results arrived.

We got PINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our appointment is Monday. We are first in line. Thank goodness for the embassy holding the appointment b/c if it would have been one day later my paperwork would have expired and we would probably have a couple of months delay or so.

I'm in Guatemala. I just arrived about an hour ago and should receive little Mr. tomorrow morning!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is "Gotcha Day."

Now - I am officially clearing my slate b/c I have been tagged by the great Amanda. Love her! I am supposed to write 7 things about myself that everyone may not know, things that are interesting, things I deem noteworthy.

Here you go:

1. I hate cold salads. Yep. You know: pasta salad, chicken salad, carrot salad, potato salad. DIS-gusting. And, what's with putting mayonnaise in there? Just eat it on a sandwich, dude. Oh, but FYI for anyone planning to make me a cold salad without mayo - I'm still against it. This hatred does not include the regular leaf lettuce salads - that is a whole other subject which I am also quite particular about.

2. I have a bizarre love for country music. I mean - so much so that I know the majority of country songs. And - if I'm driving through an area (yes, some of where I work is that remote) where I cannot pick up good radio (that also includes XM), I scan the radio and play the "Country Music Game" - a game I made up to pass the long drive (perhaps I should be listening to self-help CD's.) Mostly, I try to sing along with every single song that is country (most are in these particular areas) to see if I know them all, then repeat each time the radio scans. So fun. But - as you all know I love to sing.....

Which brings me to the next weird thing but must be in the same category. I love, love, love Loretta Lynn. I was super little when "Coal Miner's Daughter" came out. I still know most of the words to the movie! And, when I sing karaoke, I usually throw a little "Coal Miner's Daughter" in just as a tribute to Loretta!

3. I live in pajamas. Even in the summer and all day long at my home I wear pajamas (mostly flannel.) The mailman, FedEx, UPS guy, neighbors, trash people, you get the point... have all seen me in my pajamas and I'm so not ashamed. I never, ever wear the ones I slept in or that I'm planning to sleep in because that would be grody. The daily wear pj is a fresh pair at all times. Now that I'm working again, I am obviously a weekend and after work (immediately after work) pajama girl. Oh - and they MUST have fun, cute, silly patterns on them. They can be worn with the pant and tank, with a shirt thrown over, etc. The pj is super stylish.

4. I hate wet socks. That is my biggest pet peeve. Who wants to roam around in a sock after it's been in some water?

5. I am a huge, huge, huge animal lover. But - I will never, ever beat the animal lovin-ness of my friend, Stacie who is queen of the animal lovers. I am a member of the ASPCA. I help support the animal officers you see on the Animal Planet. I also have very strong opinions and I'm on the writing committees for some of the animal protection groups.

I love my dogs. They are so very, very precious to me. It's been me and them for a long time - we've been through a lot together. And, I adore them. I've had Panda since she was 3 1/2 weeks old and Sally since she was around 2. They are both 10 now. And, they've been good sports about this whole baby thing! I also really, really believe in adopting animals. There are so many that need homes and so many more that never get them. So - if you are considering a pet, think about adopting. If you want a specific breed, there are some great breed rescue organizations. Try that first!

6. I am very weird about my laundry. I still spend way too much time doing it (but that does not mean it is always caught up.... I really take my time on these things...hee hee.) I press out all the ruffles, bows, appliques, pull out wrinkles by hand before I hang things up to dry. I also fold my towels, waschloths, etc with all the labels tucked neatly inside and the seems all tucked inside and matched perfectly corner to corner. I also store them all facing the same way - with the band on the outside, folded side in, etc. This probably makes a person think I am super organized. Wrong. It's just a problem I have.

7. When I really love a person or an animal or I'm soothing someone, I call them "Bear." It all started from my little Panda Bear. So, now Sally is Sally Louise (she needed her own middle name) and I also call her Bear. Rosie, Eli.... everyone is Bear. It's sort of like, "Oh, what's wrong, sweet Bear?" or "I love you, Baby Bear."

So, now everyone knows my secrets. I am tagging Dawn and Emily. Nice that I'm tagging women with multiple children. I'm sure they have nothing better to do! : ) Sorry, guys. Love ya'.

Weekend in Review

Just what you've all been waiting for.... more pics of Eli! : ) Here they are in random order. There are so many more, but this is just a sampling of what is in store for more posts. I have to pace myself - oh - and sleep. By the way - amazing that I had to come to Guatemala to sleep! Eli is such a good sleeper (although he stays awake a bit too much at night and sleeps most of the day - normal for the change from foster mom to me) that I can sleep so well. Praise the Lord, I say because I don't get a lot of sleep at home! This has been great. He's great! So cute and cuddly and precious.

Having more fun with his mommy and his hat.

My friends, Lance and Rachel are here with their baby Tarynn. We all went to Antigua today (the former capitol city of Guatemala.) I also have pics of us when we were in Guatemala during our adoption process with Rosie and their baby, Taylor. We're all old pros.

I realized just how old I am when I was trying to climb the hill back to the car - through the sand, carrying a baby! But - I think it was worth it for the pretty pictures.

These are "rugs" made purely of loose (you could destroy the rug with a sweep of your foot) sawdust. People spend hours making them. These are some examples of the huge, gigantic rugs made during Holy Week.

Mr. Fix It

Cutie pie in his Antigua touring outfit.

Thanks, Nana for fixing this gown. Now, could you work on the socks?

Styling in his bear gown and cool hat he got in Antigua earlier in the day. Doesn't he look like he's ready to pack his bags and leave? Soon!

He really enjoys pulling his gown up and playing with it and his hat.

I Love Mommy.

A quick wardrobe fix after a spit-up accident and ta-da Mommy Loves Me!

Guess What???

I have the same last name as my mommy and big sister! Today I got to see my mommy again and then we went and had my picture taken and got my passport. The neatest thing was my mommy got to sign. Usually someone else does that, but since my mommy was already here, things went faster for us -- and she got to sign as my legal guardian! I'm hoping to get submitted for ORANGE and then get my 2nd DNA test on Monday and then come home in couple of weeks! My mommy will go back home because she has a lot of work to do before I come home. She still has to complete a whole nursery! Thank goodness for my Nana! I can't wait to meet her and Grandad and everyone else at home!

Did I mention you're going to love me? Mommy keeps saying I'm perfect!