Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Busting some dust

I just got a dust buster (someone makes a big mess in the back seat of the car) and it's Andrew's new favorite toy...you know, besides the orange juice container that he keeps taking out of the recycling bag.









post signature

Monday, September 29, 2008

The ENT


Andrew went to the ENT the other day to have his hearing checked. He passed with flying colors and did a GREAT job during the test. The audiologist would make a noise in one of the speakers and Andrew would react right away and look at the speaker. As soon as the noise stopped, he would say, 'All gone' over and over. She had to wait for him to stop before she could start the next sound. After the test, the ENT looked in his ears to check the tubes. Everything looks great except that he pulled out enough wax to make a small votive candle. Gross.

Andrew makes this face all the time and I've never caught it on camera before. It cracks me up---it usually cracks him up too.



post signature

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Family Day Celebration


To celebrate our Family Day today, we went to a Guatemalan restaurant in the city that our friend
Megan recommended. It was FANTASTIC. They had a great menu and we both ate a LOT. We had a great time.







We started with some Guatemalan coffee and plantains. They were both DELICIOUS!

oops...still too hot.


Fork-licking good!




Watch out, plantains!


He's excited because he made his fork stand up in the table holes.


The combination platter. YUM!
You can see where Andrew had already helped himself to the beans and rice on my plate.










We sat outside and Andrew had a great time watching the pigeons. While we were waiting for the check, he was feeding them chips---until one of the waitresses saw what he was doing and said, "no, no". oops.




This is how Andrew looked about 10 minutes after we left the restaurant.

post signature

Family Day


Today is our Family day! It is the day that Andrew landed in the United States and became a citizen. Here are some of my favorite pictures from that day.


I absolutely LOVE this picture of him on the plane:




Andrew's first time in a carseat (although he had been a car many times before!)


His first meal in the U.S. was at a pizza place owned by Guatemalans. :)


post signature

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Waiting for Andrew's visa


Last year at this time, we were sitting at the pool waiting for our facilitator to drop off Andrew's visa so we could go home.

Soooo cute....


We were there during the rainy season. Every day started out like this:


And then at about 1:00, the clouds would start to move in.




Within about 1/2 an hour, the sky would look like this and we would take cover under the balcony.



post signature

Friday, September 26, 2008

Embassy Day

Thank you for bearing with me as I take this little trip down memory lane. I've been so nostalgic this week remembering my pick-up trip. I'm amazed by how much has happened in the past year and how much Andrew and I have experienced together. It's mind-boggling.
September 26, 2007, was our Embassy appointment. I expected something bigger than it was. I thought it was going to be more like court, less like the DMV. Basically, we sat in a room for hours waiting for our turn. When our number was called, we went into the smallest room I've ever seen and talked to an American man through a pane of bullet-proof glass. One of the hardest parts of the day, though, was passing all the beautiful people from Guatemala waiting outside for hours trying to get a visa to travel to the U.S. Even though I am not wealthy by most standards, I felt rich and spoiled as I passed ahead of them in line with one of their own children in my arms. I feel blessed to live in the United States and have the freedoms that we enjoy on a daily basis. We are a very blessed country. And I am a very blessed mama.

A few pictures of his-royal-cuteness on Embassy day a year ago.












post signature

Thursday, September 25, 2008

The happiest day of my life


On September 25, 2007, Andrew was placed in my arms forever. It was, without a doubt, the happiest moment of my entire life. In that instant, I went from being single to being a family. I'm still amazed by it.











post signature

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

One year ago today...


I was on a plane headed to Guatemala to pick up Andrew. I can't believe it's already been a year and yet it feels as if he has been my son forever.

I flew down late on the 24th. The flight was only about 1/3 full and I was one of the only people on my flight who was not Guatemalan. I was excited, nervous, exhausted, anxious, giddy and scared-to-death. I would have laughed at just about anything. Add to that, the in-flight movie was "Talladega Nights" which makes me giggle anyway. (How can you not laugh at Will Ferrell running around the track in his underwear?) I'm pretty sure the other passengers wondered who the crazy, white chick was that kept laughing out loud at a movie that no one else was watching. It was a great release and I arrived in Guatemala a little more relaxed than I was when I boarded the plane.

Did I mention it was a full moon that night?




I barely slept that night and couldn't wait to wake up and hold my baby.
I went alone to pick him up and I'm so happy that I did. That memory is all mine and I would not trade those first three days together for anything in the world. I don't know if I can explain it to you unless you've had the same experience. It was surreal because I had dreamed of that day for so long and yet it seemed so completely natural that it was hard to believe that we hadn't always been together.

It is truly amazing to me how much Andrew has changed in the past year and how much he is exactly that same little boy that was put into my arms that day. His funny little sense of humor and cute facial expressions are still the same. His giggle is the same, yet better. I love this little boy more than I could ever have imagined.

Even after my hardest day at work, seeing his sweet, giggly face makes everything better.

This is what Andrew was doing while I was on my way to pick him up---hanging out with his beautiful foster sisters.



post signature