Kennedy Marguerite Enters Our Lives

On September 28, 2007 we received a call from Carol (Director of Guatemala Miracles in California) asking if we would be ready to accept a referral at this time. She said she would be in touch with me once she had more details. We anxiously awaited her call.

On October 1, 2007 Carol stated she would be sending us photos and medical information for a baby girl born on 9/26/07. She was waiting to get the information from the attorney in Guatemala. We kept checking our email to see if they arrived.

On the morning of October 3, 2007 Brit and I were leaving for a day trip to Clarion for the Autumn Leaf Festival. I checked email at 6:30 a.m. before we left. The photos had arrived!

During the following week we finished getting all of our paper work in order and sent all of our documents to the adoption agency. We also sent our first care package, but it did not arrive in California in time to travel to Guatemala with Carol. She will be sending it down with a family that will soon be traveling.

October 22, 2007 Carol visits Kennedy in Guatemala and we receive new photos. We anxiously await for a video of Kennedy to arrive in the mail.

September 5, 2007

We received our passports in the mail on Friday, August 31, 2007. It was exactly 4 weeks since we completed the application and delivered to the Juniata County Prothonatary’s Office. We thought it would take closer to 12 weeks to get them back. We are hoping this quick turn-a-round time follows us into CIS.

We received the notarized copies of our home study in the mail yesterday. I got all of the materials together to send to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Brit is getting a money order for $860 today and sending everything to Philadelphia priority mail. According to the CIS website, it is currently taking 3 months to process I600-A forms. I would really like to have approval and a referral for a baby by Thanksgiving!

This past weekend Brit and I traveled to Pittsburgh to share our news with his family. We first told his Mom and Paul shortly after we arrived on Saturday evening. They are both excited for us. We asked Carol if she wanted to come with us to Guatemala when the time comes to pick up the baby. She was very honored to be asked. She is planning on when would be the best time to get her passport!

The next day, we arrived at the Lewis picnic. Brit told his Dad and Lois immediately. They both started crying and are very excited to hear of our news. We then told Brit’s siblings. Everyone is very supportive! I couldn’t believe how fast news travels! Within minutes we were flooded with congratulations from everyone at the picnic!

August 28, 2007

The last four weeks have been filled with the “paper chase”. Brit and I have multiple copies of our birth certificates, marriage license, criminal history clearance, child abuse clearance, health letter, and name affidavit. We applied for our passports on August 3, 2007. I hope to have them in 3-4 months. I feel like an expectant mother! Every chance I get I tell people we are adopting! This weekend (Labor Day Weekend) we will travel to Pittsburgh to spend time with the Lewis Family. This will be the first time they get to hear the news. I am so excited, I can barely keep from blurting it out when we are talking to any family member on the phone. I will keep my lips sealed and give Brit the honor of telling his family.

I met with Lorrie last week and spoke with her again on the phone last night. She has completed our home study and was getting it notarized last night. Yesterday was her first day of school and she came home exhausted.

I have been trying to reach Carol in California to get assistance completing our I600-A form. I want to get that in the mail to USCIS this week now that our home study is complete. There are some questions I cannot answer without her guidance.

The week of July 30, 2007 Brit began the nursery transformation. We wanted to rip out the old carpet and redo the hardwood floor underneath. We just happened to pick the most humid days of the summer (because Mamma, Mom and Mike were in Maine), so we had difficulty with the stain drying. Now the floor is complete, but Brit needs to finish putting up the trim around the base boards. I hope to have the room put back together this week. Then, we can finally show off the hard work!

On August 21, 2007 we made our first trip to Babies’ R Us. We did not but anything, but just wanted to start looking. Of course we had to have fun and that happened when we were looking at the strollers. I love the feel of the jogger strollers, but there is not much room for diaper bag, etc. We left the store and then went to Borders’ Book Store. We bought two great books on adoption. I have read one of them already and it will continue to serve as a great resource through the entire process.

I can’t wait to start buying baby books and toys for the nursery. I want to make a book for the baby so when we get the referral, we can send it to the Foster Mom to read on our behalf. It should be in both Spanish and English. I am wanting to purchase some type of educational tool to help me learn Spanish again. I want to be able to keep the language alive for our little one. Being bi-lingual will be valuable in society.

On August 26, 2007 I became a registered user on Carol’s adoption list serve. Some of the articles are freaking me out. I am becoming scared to travel due to some political unrest, but will stop at nothing to bring my baby home. I just hope we can complete the process before anything happens that might stop all adoptions to America.

July 23, 2007

This morning I emailed some friends to share our news. I want them to know, but I am too emotionally drained to tell them in person or over the phone. However, we really need their support!

July 22, 2007

We wanted to tell my Dad and Rhonda in person. We went over to their house for lunch. Of course I couldn’t get through it without crying. Dad was quiet (just like Justin). They are both happy for us. We understand that we had a lot of time to make the decision and that it could be a little overwhelming for others to absorb right away!

I called Grandma Seigler later that afternoon to share the news. She was happy and wanted to know if I was going to continue working. Unfortunately……I will have to keep working. Aunt Carole Sue called later that evening. I filled her in on the news. She is very happy and told us to let them know if there is anything they can do.

It feels real now.

July 19, 2007

I will refer to today as “Kick Off Day”. We met with Lorrie to go over the process. There was so much we did not know about. She gave us a nice thick packet of paper work to complete. Our next step is the home study. Lorrie will come to do that on Monday, July 23, 2007.

We asked Justin and Alicia to be the legal guardians of our baby. Alicia cried and Justin was speechless. I told them to think it over, that we didn’t need an answer right away. Alicia did not need any time…she said of course they would be the guardians.