Home Again, for the first time!

1:00 am -- After a long flight delay in Ft. Lauderdale, we finally made it back to Chicago. The kids, up since 5:00am, were fast asleep in their seats. Joseph slept restlessly the whole way. They all woke up, we grabbed our things and headed out to meet Pah and Grams for the first time. There they were, at the bottom of the escalator waiting... with Janice and Emilie as well! What joy! A big surprise, our friends Mike and son Alex Lavery arranged for us to be picked up in a giant white stretch limousine! What a step up from the 3-wheeled tuc-tucs in Atitlan!

Touching U.S. Soil... Citizen Joseph

At the embassy in Guatemala, Joseph's IR3 visa was officially approved.

"What this means," explained the official, "is he has the right to enter the U.S. and when his feet touch U.S. soil, he automatically becomes a U.S. Citizen."

When we arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, we had an 8-hour layover. We took a cab to Beach Place, right on the strip, unloaded our stuff. Then, Sandra took off his socks. Caleb and Sofia spontaneously broke into "Oh say can you say!" (The Dr. Suess version) and we lowered his little toes to the sand. Yet another symbolic moment in his journey!

Two Grandkids on the Same Day!

Welcome to little Nicholas Michael Jones - the son of Felton & Nancy (Sandra's sister). He joins his sister Izzy (almost 3-yrs). He came in the standard way on October 24th. What is interesting is that he and Joseph both arrived to their new homes on the same day... October 25th. So, congratulations, Mike and Esther, you've got two more Grandsons -- and with matching eyes!

Lake Atitlan

Amazing! How come we've never heard of this place? We're enjoying 4 incredible days in this incredible place. High mountain lake surounded by 3 ancient volcanoes. Caleb and Sofia discovered that the white rocks on the beach float! They're lava, of course. Colors, children, cobblestones, textiles, perritos, tuc-tucs (3-wheeled taxi's that go "tuc-tuc"), some tourists, but not as many as expected, restaurants open to the street, tiny shops, green green vegetation everywhere! Our hotel, Dos Mundos, featured a nice italian restaurant, pool and interior garden with tall bamboo and palms. There were many bird calls that we didn't recognize. Cold sunny mornings, warmer as the day progressed, a simple breakfast of coffee, "panqueques" or "chapin" which is eggs ranchero, beans, fried plantain and farmer's cheese. So yummy! Joseph loved to go to the markets with us in his baby-bjorn - facing out to party, facing in to sleep. Our two adventures were the mountain rainforest complete with monkeys (real ones... like this was their home), overgrown coffee groves, high cable-bridges going over waterfalls -- and a crazy boat tour of the lake, high waves, crashing wind, visits to remote villages, etc. Caleb and Sofia were in heaven! (except for an ill-fated jump off the boat into hot-springs, which freaked them both out.) More later!

Antigua Guatemala

About an hour from the city lies Antigua Guatemala -- old, cobblestoned, colonial former capital of Guatemala. Totally unexpected. There is a main city square where every one hangs out. In the center of the square is a large fountain carved with figures of women clutching their breasts, which also provided the outlet for the water. The kids noticed right away... ummm, well... some explaining... something about motherhood and provision... Anyways, our hotel was beautiful, more gardens and fountains. The funniest moment is when we first arrived and the kids ran around the courtyard. Mosaic tile and plants everywhere... Caleb lept onto a small platform to investigate a carving, stepped boldly onto the intricate tile floor and found himself suddenly neck deep in cold water... the tile was the bubble-wrap solar cover to the unheated hot-tub! Welcome! In the humidity, it took 4 days four his shoes to dry.

Embassy Day

Embassy Day: Hoy! Today in a packed embassy, with the slap of a red approval stamp on our adoption files, Joseph officially became the fifth member of our family. Waves of anxiety, built up over 11 months just melted away. "everything looks in order, I'm going to approve the I-600" At a second window, a pleasant American woman asked us to raise our right hands... four hands shot up. She asked us a few questions about our last visit, then said, congratulations, you've completed the process. When Joseph's feet touch American soil, he will become a U.S. citizen. They would not let us bring any electronics into the embassy, so here are the first shot of all of us OFFICIALLY together. We can't even begin to describe our joy in this moment... can you see it in our faces?

The Arrival!!

We're exhausted... but happy to be in country. It is dark... nothing to do but wait.
Our translater's boyfriend, Jose, arrived first. Flawless english, sharp, gentle. He's planning on going to Fuller Seminary when he finished law school. Then Sonia arrived, young, smiling. She was 5-minutes late because she'd seen a car accident. We are exausted. It is now 5:15pm and the kids have been up since 3:30am. We ordered cokes for them at dinner to wake them up! We chatted nervously, waiting. Then, I saw Erick walk by the little window... "they're here!" They're here, they're here.. Caleb and Sofia sounding the alarm. Joseph is asleep in Trini's arms, under a blanket. He wakes up right away as Caleb and Sofia approach him. I quickly ask Jose to video tape. Sandra takes him first, he's looking around. Caleb is overwhelmed, "look at him, there he is, there he is!" Sofia, laughing, "it's Joseph! Hi Joseph, Hi, Hi, Hi." Caleb isn't able to contain himself, he starts laughing then grasps his face, tears! He is surprised! Tears? Tears of joy. He covers his face and continues to laugh. I snap a photo. Sofia's smile is like the sun. She is overwhelmed! Our brother is here!!!

Oct 18-25 In Guatemala!! Leave us Messages Here...

Use the COMMENTS below to leave us messages while we're in Guatemala! This is more reliable than email, as we can check this from any computer.
Need to contact us? Call from the US, +011.502.5092.9300

Schedule:
Oct 18 - fly to Guatemala (6:00am plane... yes, up at 3:30am)
Hotel Ciudad Vieja (http://www.hotelciudadvieja.com)
Oct 19 - Embassy Day -- GOTCHA DAY! Leave for Antigua
Hotel Casa Azul (http://www.casazul.guate.com/english.htm)
Oct 21 - to Panajachel, Lago Atitlan
Hotel Dos Mundos (http://www.hoteldosmundos.com)
Oct 25 - Back to Chicago!! Arr 10:30pm (tired)

TODAY... PINK !!!

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life! Proverbs 12:13

Oh... Lord... thank you! Today it came! The coveted Pink Slip... it is wonderful, at the top is says, "Jose Daniel Hadley" and in the middle is says, "Your visa appointment is October 19th 8:00."

We are so grateful to God and to all who have been praying for this moment. We're exhausted and excited. More later. Sofia heard Sandra on the phone and was giddy with joy. After kindergarten, she ran immediately and found Caleb on the playground. According to Caleb she ran up shouting, "we got our pink, we got our pink!" He had to stop her and slow her down before he could understand her. Then, he reported, "I ran right away back to tell Ms Tresselt (his teacher) and all my friends... they all gave me high fives and knuckles." They were unstoppable the rest of the day.

All day has been spent arranging flights and hotels... Sandra forgot to eat all day and got a migraine! It's midnight... we're going to bed. Happy.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

Days of stress... and waiting

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

The promise of his rest is sustaining us. He gives us peace as we wait...

O Lord...

O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. ...answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love. Psalm 143:1,7,8

This is our heart today. We're not sleeping well and the ambiguity of waiting is maddening. We so long for a good word of Pink Slip... news of our embassy date. I don't think we can take it much longer. Everything is on hold.

Joseph's 8-month Doctor's visit

Oh how we long to see him!

De: Francisco Montiel
Fecha: 05/10/2007 02:18:29 p.m.
Asunto: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

Hello!

I do trust you are doing fine, this morning I had the opportunity to see little Jose Daniel who as you know is aged 8 months and has been, besides a bout of diarrhoea form which he is still recovering, the caregiver tells me, doing fine since his last visit, his development, mainly based on what I am told appears to be progressing well, he is alert and active notices and interacts with whom and what surrounds him, smiles socially and is certainly very vocal, he is now able to keep the sitting position unsupported and will try and pull himself to the standing position, appears to understand some simple words of everyday things looks at things when they are named, he will also "help' by holding his bottle when being fed. I am told that he takes well his diet and is also receiving his ordered vitamin supplement. Upon evaluation today he appears in good health with no obvious physical or neurological abnormalities, his weight today is 20 lbs 7 oz, length of 67.7 cms and head circumference of 42.9 cms. Please find some pictures attached.

Best Regards
Francisco

Good news from the front!

Wonderful news from faithful foster-brother Erick. Basically, he says, that they took Joseph in for his DNA last Tuesday (9/25!) He had a little fever, but is getting better; that he can sit all by himself and says "Papa" and "Erick" and that he loves to blow kisses and to have kisses blown at him. Erick also tells us how much he wants to us to continue sending him news about Joseph once we get him home. It is obvious he loves Joseph. We do too!

From: erick lopez
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2007 5:29 PM
To: Keith Hadley
Subject: RE: Hola Erick

hola

les tenemos buenas noticias. el martes ultimo jose daniel fue a su ultimo ADN. AL parecer ya todo esta saliendo para que se pueda ir. El a estado un poco enfermo de la fiebre, pero ya esta tomando medicamento para mejorar y esperamos que este mejor en estos dias. EL ya se sienta solito y a veces dice papa y no lo dice bien pero dice Erick. Ya tira besitos y le gusta que le tiremos besitos. EL esta muy bien y al parecer, ya todo esta salñiendo bien para que se vaya a su casa. Lo queremos mucho mucho y les pedimos por favor que cuando se vaya no perdamos contacto porque nos gustaria seguir sabiendo mas de èl- un fuerte abrazo.
Erick Y Trini

And back again!

Whew! Thank you for all your prayers and concerns. We're on the road again. Our agency called and they told us that they have processed our DNA payment, which, if you've been following the details, means that our birth certificate was accepted! Praise the Lord.

Think about what this means! Somewhere in Guatemala, on official paper, is a birth certificate that says, Jose Daniel Hadley! Now, all we need to do is get the permission to go pick him up! On that note, it looks like we may travel to Guatemala toward the end of October – fully a month later than we originally expected but, within reasonable limits, we guess!

God has put Psalm 40 on our hearts… I love how David in verse 1 says, “I waited patiently for the Lord” and in then closes it in verse 17 with, “O my God, do not delay.” We can relate! We are impatiently patient as we wait, on the one hand trusting on the other pleading. In the meantime, we will proclaim God’s love and truth to anyone who will listen (v.10).

From Wha-whoo to Aargh!

So... here we are again, frustrated, stressed, anxious. We've been out of PGN now for over 1-month and still no word of second DNA or Pink Slip. We don't know why and the details are scarce, but our newly issued birth certificate from Mixco, which is only supposed to take one week, was not accepted, we think by the US Embassy, likely due to a clerical error. So, it has been a month now and no word of progress.

We are trying to have faith, we really are. We have not forgotten how God answered our prayer to get Joseph's file out of PGN in great time with no kick-outs. How quickly we have become anxious again. Please pray with us and for us. According to OUR plan and the original estimate of our agent, we thought we'd be in Guatemala now picking him up... but we're not. I'm on the couch, at home, with at least 2-4 weeks of more waiting.

I read today, "they who wait upon the the Lord will renew their strength." We have faith that this is true, that God is in control, that all will be well. We are just waiting for our feelings to catch up with our faith.

Another email from Erick

heLLo Keith
al parecer no les llego mi ultimo correo ...
De verdad estamos muy contentos con Danielito "Our little one" es un niño super super feliz y le encanta que le cantemos para dormir, le encanta que mi abuelo que se llama antonio, lo cargue y le cante la cancion del "Elefantito".
Ya tiene dos pequeños dientes al frente...mucha gente piensa que el es mi hijo pero luego les explicamos que no pero dicen que nos parecemos...
A todos nuestros vecinos les gusta danielito y piensan que es un niño muy lindo y feliz porque con toda la gente se rie...

WE love daniel and he´s our little one too. We know you love him so much and we pray for Your lives and your childrens(daniel´s brothers) we know he will be very happy in Chicago with his lovely parents and brothers.

Erick

Joseph Turns 7 Months

No word yet on when we will get our "pink slip" from the US Embassy with a court date to finally pick Joseph up! We are so close, but things seem so much in turmoil in Guatemala that we remain anxious. I've been meditating on Phil 4... "Be anxious for nothing... but in all things, with prayers and petitions, present your requests to God and the PEACE of God, which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ." We don't read the news anymore, because it is largely sensationalized and negative. But we do HOPE. So, pray with us as we wait for our final step. By all estimates, this should be between Sept. 20th and Oct. 15th.

Love,

Keith

From: Sue Hedberg
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 7:05 PM
To: Keith Hadley
Fecha: 09/04/07 13:51:49
Asunto: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

HI!

I do trust you are doing fine, this morning I had the opportunity to examine little Jose Daniel, he has now reached his seventh month of age and has been, the caregiver tells me, doing well in the time since he was seen for the last time in my office, he has been healthy and his development, considering what I am told also appears to be heading in the right direction., he likes to look at things and will look for them when they are moved, turns to sound localizing it and is quite vocal himself making many cooing and some babbling noises of his own, he will reach out and grab things that he will put into his mouth but also likes to looks at them whilst holding them with his fingers. He will keep the sitting
position with minimal support around his waist. I am told that he takes well his diet and is also receiving his ordered vitamin supplement. Upon examination today he appears as healthy little by with no obvious physical or neurological abnormalities, his weight today is 20 lbs 5 oz, length of 65.8 cms and head circumference of 42.8 cms. Please find his pictures attached.

Best Regards

Dr. Francisco Montiel

Whaa-whooo! Out of PGN!

I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything to difficult for me? Jer 32:26

Praise be to God! That is all we can say! Joseph's case is out of PGN. For the last 10 days Sandra and I have been prompted in our spirits to pray. We didn't compare notes until a week ago, but we were both feeling the same thing... God wanted us to ASK - to PRAY - to be before Him in prayer. So we did, continually. And, we called and emailed our family and friends to join us. Several of you told us that you too felt a call to pray and were already praying on our behalf. I was specifically praying, "Lord, I know that you are in control. You have the power to simply move our file into the right hands, to have it approved, and we would be out of PGN tomorrow! Joseph is fatherless, and You are the Father to the fatherless. I want to be his father, Lord, so please, let him come to me. Please do not delay, for his good and for Your Glory!"

Today at 1:30, Sue Hedberg called with the good news, out of PGN without any kick-outs. This is our official approval from the Guatemalan government. This means that we will likely travel to pick him up in one month! Here is what comes next: his birth mother must give her final blessing with a signature, then, they order a new birth certificate made (this takes around 2-weeks); then, the US Embassy issues him a US Passport and requests a final DNA test to ensure that he is the same little boy (any picture will tell you this - this adds 5-6 more days); we then get our "pink slip" and are assigned a date in family court (usually a week away); then we can buy our tickets. At this court date, it is final and we can take him home. We expect this to be around Sept 23rd... our 12th Wedding Anniversary.

You can imagine the reaction when I told Sandra, weeping and praising God. Caleb and Sofia were ecstatic at the news. Our big lesson of the day, God answers prayer. He prompted us to pray in earnest so he could show us his Glory.

Thank you Lord. You have given us immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine, according to your power which is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20)

For His Glory,

Keith (& Sandra & the kids)

the latest from Erick

"Like cold water to the weary soul, so is good news from a distant land." Proverbs 25:25

We felt very refreshed to get news, good news, from foster brother Erick about Joseph Daniel (Danielito). It is such a treasure to get a glimpse of what Joseph is doing in his loving foster home. Spanish readers enjoy:

HOla!!!
esperamos que esten bien...Danielito sigue creciendo muy bien y su cabeza ya esta muchisimo mejor. Ya da vuelta para los dos lados y tambien escoge los juguetes que le gustan.. los que no le gustan los agarra en sus manos y los tira... le gusta mucho una pelotita que yo le di y tambien su tabla de surf. Ya balbucea bastante y parece que le van a salir dientes abajo ... cuando yo llego en la noche y lo estan durmiendo y me escucha llegar se despierta para que lo cargue y si no lo cargo cuando llego se pone a llorar entonces siempre lo cargo. Las fotos ya pronto se las enviare lo que sucede es que la camara digital no es mia entonces tengo que prestarla para poder bajar las fotos y enviarlas. Le gustan mucho pero mucho las pelotas y cuando mira una quiere agarrarla. ya intenta pararse solito en la"cuna" pero todavia no puede. Le gusta mucho la musica y cuando escuhca musica que le gusta empieza a mover sus piernitas como si estuviera bailando. Tambien tiene una "araña" (no se como se dira en ingles pero es donde ellos se pueden mover porque tiene rueditas).. a veces lo colocamos alli y le suta porque se puede mover para donde el quiera... Seguiremos en contacto... DIos los bendiga =

In essence, Joseph rolls and grabs toys. He throws toys he is not fond of and has a special love for balls (future soccer player?!) He seems to be cutting teeth on the bottom and is trying to stand up in his little crib. He loves music and moves his feet to the rhythm. He likes for Eric to hold him when he gets home in the evening.

Thank you, Lord, for this news in a time that had seemed so dry. And thank you to those of you, dear family and friends, who have responded to our last post so lovingly and promised to pray.

This email went out today to those family and friends for whom we had addresses. Many of you responded with kind words, scriptures and promises to pray. Several said they were already feeling the prompt to pray...

Date: August 21, 2007 10:29:13 PM CDT
Subject: request for prayer

Hello family and friends,

We have no news about our status in adopting Joseph Daniel... in fact, it has been 8 weeks since entering the last stage of the process (PGN). Both Keith and I woke up this morning feeling a special urgency to pray. So we wanted to communicate this to those closest to us. Please visit our blog again when you get a chance. Since we started our blog as a way to keep everyone up to date with developments, it seemed appropriate to use it to write down some of my thoughts. Thank you for your support and your prayers.

Love, Sandra

As we wait...

In all the research and reading I have done about adoption, no one has ever said adoption is easy. The first few months of seemingly endless paperwork, fingerprinting, lines at embassies, waiting on hold for government officials, and trips to the Fed Ex office were definitely hard. I looked forward to all this being done so we could get to the "easier" part of getting the nursery ready while we waited for our lawyer to take care of the rest. And yet, all the experienced adoptive parents would say that the waiting is the hardest. I didn't really believe it at the outset, so happy was I to be done with the complicated paper trail. But now I know... they were right. It IS the wait that is the most difficult. The loss of control, the days on end of no news or updates, the realization that each day Joseph is getting older and older without us. Now that we've held him and sang over him and seen his smiles and trusting eyes... it is so hard to wait..

I woke up this morning feeling quite down. Guatemalan adoptions are no longer taking the 4 to 8 months average quoted to us when we first started on this adventure. Many events this year have impacted adoption and now the average is 6 to 12 months. As of just this month, the embassy is requiring a 2nd DNA test after PGN which will add several more weeks to the process. When we started the journey last November, we imagined a little dark haired baby spending the summer with us in Chicago. Now, It seems that things have gotten so difficult, so very difficult. Those thoughts filled me this morning and I started to feel quite down and much less hopeful. So, I was driven to my knees and then driven to search for wisdom from the Bible. It pretty much fell open to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 32. In this chapter God is telling Jeremiah to purchase a field in Israel at just the time when the Chaldeans are about to invade and take over the land. It seems like an almost impossible situation. Jeremiah prays in verse 17, "Ah, Lord God! You made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for you!" God confirms this in verse 27, "Look, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for me?" I truly believe that God brought these verses and thoughts to me today. I also truly believe that He quietly is urging me to pray and to ask for a miracle... Nothing is too difficult for God. Not the red tape, not the Guatemalan political unrest, not the extra DNA test, not the miles that separate us from Joseph, ... Nothing. So, I (in my more charismatic persona) am asking God in faith to get Joseph through the process. Soon.. Now...! I know God is able to do it. So I am asking. Please join Keith and me and PRAY that his adoption will be completed as soon as possible. Matthew 21:22, Philippians 4:6

6-Month Photos!

It was great to get this update from Dr. Montiel who saw Joseph just after his 6-month birthday. His note was a real encouragement to us. Somehow we never got a copy of his 5-month visit, so we were feeling starved for information. Sandra's Mom, Esther is in town so she was able to see this pictures with us for the first time. Great fun.

Much Love,

Keith & Sandra

Date: August 07, 2007 04:31:17 PM CDT
Subject: FW: Reenviar: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

Hi!

I hope you are doing fine, this morning I had the opportunity to assess little Jose Daniel he is now aged 6 months and ha seen, in the words of his caregiver, been doing, except for about of dairrhoea that has now disappeared completely, well in the time since he was seen for the last time one month ago, he is a bright lad who is now showing interest in
and interacting with all that goes on around him, turns to sound and recognizes the sound of his name turning towards the person who calls him, he is quite vocal himself and will make many cooing and some babbling noises of his own, playing with the pitch and the different
sounds he can produce. He has now mastered rolling over to either side and also tries hard to sit up. Reaches out and grabs things that he will then put into his mouth and "helps"
holding his bottle. I am told that he takes well his formula and diet and is also receiving his ordered vitamin supplement. Upon evaluation today I found him in good health with no obvious physical or neurological abnormalities, his weight is 19 lbs 13 oz, length of 64.1 cms and head circumference of 42.9 cms. Please find some pictures attached.

Best Regards

Francisco

All is well... at almost 6 months old!

Hey, more news (in Spanish) from Erick... he is so thorough and helpful. We are very grateful for he and Trini's good care for Joseph. We were especially happy to get this as, for some reason, our 5th Month Doctor's report never surfaced. Typically we would have some new photos from this visit, but for now it is a hole in our information. We are simply in PGN and waiting.

Keith

Date:August 02, 2007 12:43:57 PM CDT
To:Keith Hadley
Subject:: saludos

Hola ... les escribimos para contarles que Danielito ha estado un poco enfermo de su estomago pero gracias a Dios ya se esta mejorando, paso varios dias malo pero ahora ya esta bastante mejor. Le gustan mucho los juguetes que le mandaron y se la pasa jugando con ellos todo el tiempo al igual que las cadenas de colores que le mandaron le encantan. Ya se sienta mucho mas y su cabezita ha mejorado considerablemente, ya lucha por darse vuelta para ambos lados pero se le hace mas facil para el lado
izquierdo.

por lo de las fotos he tomado muchas mas pero no las he podido enviar porque la camara digital no es de nosotros entonces estoy esperando a conseguirla nuevamente porque alli estan guardadas para poder enviarselas...hay algunas de el dia de mi cumpleaños con toda la familia y el esta contento con nosotros. le gusta mucho jugar con mis primos que tienen 4 y 7 años...cuando llegan de visita a la casa el rie mucho con ellos es muy feliz.... me alegra que cuando le decimos que ustedes son sus papas y mira la foto se rie....ademas ya nos conoce muy bien a nosotros porque cuando mi abuela le dice "alli viene Erick" el me esta esperando para que lo cargue y lo lleve a mi habitacion para jugar con él.

espero la proxima semana poderles enviar todas las fotos que tenemos de el
(son como 60)

DIos los bendiga.

Erick

5-month pictures.

Here is our "missing" 5-month doctor's visit. It is such a relief to get this one into the history. More terrific pictures of our little guy and it shows that the doctor continues to monitor his head. It is also reassuring to see that his hyper-growth is slowing from 4 to 5 to 6 months.

To: "Keith and Sandra"
Date: August 11, 2007 08:13:27 AM CDT
Subject: FW: Reenviar: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos
July 4

Fecha: 04/07/2007 02:24:01 p.m.

Asunto: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

Hi:

This afternoon I have just finished seeing little Jose Daniel who is now, as you are aware, aged 5months and has been, according to the reference received form the caregiver doing well in the time since he was seen for the last time here in my office, he shows an apparently normal growth and he is development also appears to be progressing as expected, he is alert and active, shows interest in la that goes on around him will turn to sound localizing it and is now able to keep the head very straight in the midline, when pulled to the sitting position and if put in the sitting position will keep it with support around his back, he reaches out and tries to grab whatever is nearby to put into his mouth, I am also told that he is quite vocal and makes many cooing noises of his own to socialize and to call attention to himself. I am told that the takes well his diet. Upon exam today I found he shows some flattening on the ha back of his head so I have insisted he be kept on his "tummy" and also to allow him some sitting up time, other than this he appears to be in good health and both his physical and neurological exam are within normal limits, his weight today is 19 lbs 2 oz, length of 62.5 cms and head circumference of 42.5 cms. Please find his pictures attached.

Best Regards

Francisco

Back in PGN!

PGN is the Guatemalan version of the Attorney General's Office. It must review our case... anything they don't like (like smudge or a mismatched date, etc.) would cause them to issue a "previo" and we get "kicked out" of PGN. If they like it, they issue us a coveted "pink slip" at which point they create for Joseph a new birth certificate and give us a court date... then we bring him home. All this could take anywhere from 2-4 month plus a month for the certificate/court date. So, this means we're getting into the final lap. Praise the Lord! This was the email we've been watching for!

>From: "Sue Hedberg"
>To: "Keith and Sandra"
>Date: June 27, 2007 01:49:19 PM CDT
>Subject: RE: Your case
>
>Your case goes back into PGN today.. complete.. hopefully the final go
>around

PREAPPROVAL!

Just a quick note of thanks... We received notice from the US Embassy that our adoption case for Joseph was preapproved. If you want more details of what that means, scroll down to the post labeled "The Process". Next step is PGN, which can take anywhere from 2 months to 6 months. Please pray that God would move the hands and hearts of those officials who will be looking at our case. Please specifically pray that my Argentine birth certificate would be accepted in its current form, as this would be the most difficult piece to redo. As we wait, the Lord reminds us daily that He is absolutely in control. All glory to the God of the universe and the Defender of the weak!

Likes cereal, but not bananas!

Hi all: We just got this fun email from Erick. It is wonderful to get some news of his day to day activities. Hope you Spanish is working... Keith & Sandra

From: "erick lopez"
To:
Date: June 24, 2007 08:02:36 PM CDT
Subject: NEWs about danielitO!!

Hola esperamos que se encuentren bien en todo. Solo les escribo para contarles que Daniel le gusta mucho comer su cereal y el banano no le gusta. Ya comenzo a agarrar las cosas con sus manos y le gusta mucho un patito amarillo que ustedes le dejaron.. que por cierto aparece en unas fotos que les envie. Ahora se rie recio ya escuchamos cuando se rie y le gusta que juguemos con èl en la noche antes de dormir. Le gusta mucho el libro rojo que le dejaron. Ahora cada mañana cuando despierta lo hace hablando y riendose porque se despierta feliz y no le gusta estar solo, por eso nunca lo dejamos solo en un cuarto siempre esta con nosotros. Saben que queremos mucho a Daniel y de verdad cada dia lo amamos mas y sera dificil para nosotros el dia que se vaya pero ira con los mejores papàs que Dios le pudo dar Nos seguimos hablando-


Erick y Trini

O.K., so why Fabulous Hadleys?

Are we so vain? What is up with that name? "The Fabulous Hadleys" is the name of our family acrobatic stunt crew. It started when Caleb was 2-3 years old. Our first trick, sitting on Daddy's feet high in the air and shouting "Ta-Dah!" at Mommy. We added tricks when Sofia came along, including forming a human hoop with Mommy and Caleb and having Sofie lunge thru it! Now the kids simply ask, "Hey Dad, can we play Fabulous Hadleys?" So, we are already working up a new routine for FIVE Fabulous Hadleys... coming soon to a soft, carpeted floor near you!

Photos from Erick...

Erick (bless his heart) just sent us some new photos of Joseph... we are so glad to see him again. Please continue to pray that we'd get our "pre-approval" soon from the US Embassy in Guatemala. We've been over 60 days now -- Sue's warned us that it is taking up to 70 days. So, we wait.

>From: "erick lopez"
>To:
>Date: June 21, 2007 02:26:58 PM CDT
>Subject: hola
>
>hola esperamos que se encuentren bien
>Aqui les enviamos una fotos de Jose Daniel

Update from foster brother, Erick

We had a bit of anxiety yesterday when the news flashed reports of an earthquake in Guatemala of 6.8 magnitude. I called Erick and Trini, Joseph's foster family, and was happy to hear that everyone was fine. Apparently, the quake was perhaps smaller than first measured and caused no damage. We are so thankful for the ability to keep in close touch with Joseph's wonderful foster family during our time of separation. For the spanish readers (or those who wish to try), here is an email he sent today.

Le damos Gracias a Dios que el Termblor de ayer no paso a mas y todos estamos bien, no le paso nada a nadie aqui. Las noticias exageraron un poco diciendo que era de 6.8 cuando en realidad fue de 5.3 el temblor. Les contamos que Daniel ya esta empezando a comer cereal y banano... el cereal le encanta pero el banano no mucho pero igual lo come. Ya no duerme mas en el porta bebe ahora que duerme en su "cunita" esta mucho mejor y la doctora dice que el problema de la cabeza se le va a ir quitando con ya no dormir en el porta bebe y con estar mucho tiempo en su pansita. El esta muy contento y es un niño feliz y nosotros lo amamos mucho.

Un fuerte abrazo,

Erick

From: "Sue Hedberg"
To: "Keith and Sandra"
Date: June 09, 2007 09:31:52 AM CDT
Subject: FW: Reenviar: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

De: Francisco Montiel
Fecha: 08/06/2007 02:21:03 p.m.
Asunto: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

Hello!

This morning I had the opportunity to review little Jose Daniel, he is now aged 4 months and has been, I am told, doing really well in the time since he was seen for the last time one month ago, he shows a constant and normal development, a very bright little boy he shows interest in all that goes on around him, will turn to sound without localizing it, and is quite vocal himself making many cooing and some initial babbling noises of his own. He now shows better control of his neck muscles an will keep the head pretty straight in the midline when pulled to the sitting position, also when on his stomach he is able to lift his head clear form the bed, will attempt, with swiping movements. To grant things that are nearby and puts everything into his mouth. He will hold his hands together in the midline and also enjoys looking at his fingers whilst putting them in front of his eyes. The caregiver tells me that this little one takes well his formula and is also receiving his ordered vitamin supplement. Upon evaluation today I found him in good health with no obvious physical or neurological abnormalities, his weight today is 17 lbs 14 oz, length of 61 cms and head circumference of 42 cms. He received today his second dose of DPT and HiB. Please find his pictures attached.


Best Regards

Francisco

News from Guatemala

Today we were delighted to get this email from Erick, Joseph's foster brother, who is 18 years old, internet saavy and very much interested and loving with 'Danielito.' Sandra and I agreed together that this was a specific answer to our prayers for Joseph and his care... we are so fortunate to have him in a home with someone like Erick. Read on, it will be a test of your Spanish!

Hola... si hemos recibidos sus 2 mails gracias.
Daniel los extraño mucho el dia que lo fuimos a traer, se veia un poco triste porque los extrañaba. Ya no esta durmiendo en el porta bebe y ahora duerme en una especie de cunita, y estamos jugando con el sobre su estomago..le gusta bastante.

Ya no toma pacha cada 2 horas ahora toma cada tres horas. Estamos haciendo todo lo posible para que su cabezita este en una mejor posicion. perdon por no haber escrito antes pero no tenemos internet en casa... y proximamente les estaremos enviando fotos por el correo.

bendiciones

Erick y Trini

Sorrow and joy

Hard to leave... so very hard to leave him there. As I held him sleeping in my arms it dawned on me that I would soon hand him back to Trini and Erick, his foster mother and her wonderful grandson. I was watching and listening as Sandra compared notes with them... it was obvious that they love "Daniel" and know all his likes, dislikes and quirks... suddenly I looked at him and began to cry. It hurt me so to think about handing him back over and my heart felt like it weighed 100 lbs. Then another feeling joined my deep sorrow, joy, because I realized suddenly how much I truly loved Jose Daniel. That felt very, very good.

Bonding

Wow... what an unusual experience. It is nothing like when the other two were born. There, it was such a dramatic process (say no more) that the meeting was mixed with joy and such profound relief that the birth was over. Holding Joseph now, looking at his face, talking to him... I feel like I'm inviting him into our life, almost like I have to ask his permission. I want to win him over, to make him comfortable, secure, to laugh... I find that I'm wooing him and hoping that he'll choose us as his parents. I keep asking him if he'd take me as his father and if he'll come to live with us in Chicago. I tell him about Caleb and Sofia and what great kids they are, how they will be good to him and make him laugh and share their toys... Sandra, of course, speaks to him in Spanish and is softer than me. I've shaved every day (which is against my vacation rules) so that I won't scratch him... whoa, he's waking up... gotta go... Joseph, Daniel... coming~!

Great night together...

Joseph almost slept thru the night... we put him down around 10:00 after a bottle... he was peaceful until around 1:30. We gave him a bottle with no struggle and then, he went right to sleep again until 5:30. He whimpered and we were both excited to see him so we got him and put him between us in the bed. He was so happy and smiley... we're holding him all the time and he really likes it. All these skills that we learned with Caleb and Sofia are paying off, we feel like pros, shushing, touching his cheek, patting his big diapered behind to calm him down and get him to take the bottle, etc. We're becoming good friends.

Happy together In Guatemala City

After a long day of travel, we arrived in Guatemala City late wednesday night. We found the people to be very kind and eager to be of help. After checking in to the Radisson, we went for a walk to explore our surroundings and get a bite to eat... more on that in the next post. We had a restless night as we anticipated meeting little Joseph Daniel on thursday morning. While enjoying breakfast, we got a phone call from Sue Hedberg explaining that Joseph was sick with a fever and we needed to meet him and his foster mom at Dr. Montiel's office. Anxiously, we hopped in a cab and waited outside the doctor's office. We recognized the foster mom walking towards us with a wrapped bundle of baby... Can't explain in words the feelings! First glimpses and introductions, with much joy of seeing him face to face. He was content to be held by the two of us. The foster mom, Trini, and her grandson, Eric (18 years old), filled us in about his routine and likes/dislikes. They are obviously very loving and told us they consider him part of the family. Eric calls him "hermano". They are evangelical christians and gave us a cute little keepsake with a picture of him and these words: "HELLO MOM AND DAD!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. YOU ARE THE ANGELS THAT GOD PUT IN MY WAY TO CARE FOR ME AND LOVE ME. SOON WE WILL BE TOGETHER. GOD BLESS YOU SO MUCH... WITH LOVE... YOUR SON, DANIEL. PSALM 127:3" The long and short of it after seeing the doctor is that he has a cold and a low fever. Also, the doctor felt that we should not travel to Antigua. Disappointed, yet all that matters, is that we are together. He is a little treasure and is doing well!

5/30 – 8:00 Our First meal…

O.K. Guatemalan food is to die for! Why don’t we have an authentic Guatemalan restaurant on every major corner of Chicago? I ordered a “tipico” meal… pork al carbon with a rich sauce, pork sausage, frijoles that were black and like nothing I’d tasted before… almost sweet with a touch of cocoa… chipotle sauce… a fried Guatemalan taco and Sandra had a 2-inch thick beef roast that melted in your mouth... plus the most satisfying beef-stock soup that tasted like magic. Plus, there were a half-dozen large cooked vegetables, half of which I’d never seen or tasted… potato, carrots (recognized these) and a round vegetable that tasted like a zucchini, a large oval one that looked like a peeled potato but tasted nothing like one… an avocado… rice, etc. Topped it off with, get this, a deep fried custard filled pastry with cinnamon on top sitting in a bowl of sugar-water… they split it for us and neither of us finished it, plus black coffee. The place itself was all tile, dark hardwoods and colorful textiles. The people are casual, smiling and helpful. Sandra’s Spanish is terrific, so that is fun. I’m smiling and nodding, understanding much and pretending like I understand it all!

Our First Trip

On May 30th... next week... we will be going down to Guatemala to see Jose Daniel for the first time. We pray for him every day and we have dozens of photos, but now, finally, we will be able to hold this little one who holds so much hope for us. He is our child of hope! Hope, not as in "wish" but as in "promise" ... he holds the promise of so much good to come. Life is beautiful. He has life and we so desperately long to join his life to ours.

Understanding the process...

DNA: This is a US requirement to insure the woman who has made the adoption plan is indeed the mother who gave birth to the baby. Although the birth mom signs off on the adoption 4 times, this is the only time she is required to see her child while the process moved ahead.

Pre-Approval (PA): Again, a US requirement. This is where the US reviews our case and issues PA, this simply means they intend to issue the child a visa to enter the US upon the finalization of our adoption. This process used to take 30 days, but is currently running about 55 days !

Family Court (FC): After the referral the adoptive parents must sign a power of attorney so that the attorney can act on our behalf in Guatemala. Once the POA is registered, the dossier is translated into Spanish and the case enters into Family Court. During the Family Court stage, a social worker is assigned the case. The social worker reviews the dossier, interviews the birth mother, and sees the child. The social worker then writes a several page report summarizing the facts of the case and attesting to the reasons that the birth mother cannot care for her child. FC generally happens simultaneously as DNA and in most cases will exit FC before PA is issued.

Procuraduria General de la Nacion (PGN): PGN is equivalent to our Attorney General's office. A PGN Attorney will look at the documents and can reject them based on notarization, mis-spellings, smudges, cross-outs, etc...These errors also known as "previos" can be in the dossier provided by the adoptive family or the Guatemalan documents provided by the lawyer. If there are any problems, PGN will issue a Kick Out (KO) and request the documents be corrected. One of the requirements to get through PGN is DNA and PA. Often lawyers will submit a case to PGN w/out PA so you will receive a KO, their hope is to also find out what other previo's need to be fixed. You will get KO at least once and sometimes more...some feel this to show that they are scrutinizing our cases other think it is because some PGN Attorneys are against international adoption. Each time you enter PGN you can be in for 6-8 weeks and sometimes longer. Once you exit PGN, the birth mother signs off for the last time, and the child legally becomes yours !
There are a few more steps after PGN before you are able to travel and pick-up your child, they can take up to 4 weeks... we'll get into those steps once we get the call "YOU'RE OUT" !

3-month Doctor's visit

From: Dr. Francisco Montiel (via Sue Hedberg)
To: Keith and Sandra
Date: May 04, 2007 04:38:18 PM CDT
Subject: FW: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

Sent: Friday, May 04, 2007 10:23 AM
Subject: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

Good day!

Today I had the opportunity to see little Jose Daniel for his monthly medical visit, he is now aged 3 months and appears, from what the caregiver shares with me, to have a normal growth and development, he is an alert and active little one who likes to look around, he is more and more alert as the days go by and shows interest in what goes on around him will listen when spoken to and turns to the sound of voices, he is also quite vocal himself making cooing noises of his own and also smiles socially as well cries if disrupted, he is able, when on his stomach, to lift his face briefly from the bed, he now shows voluntary control of his arms and legs and will alternate opening and shutting his hands as well as kicks and pushes with his feet. I am told that he takes well his formula an is also receiving his ordered vitamin supplement. Upon evaluation today I found him in good health with no obvious physical or neurological abnormalities, his weight is 15 lbs 6 oz, length of 57.9 cms and head circumference of 40.6 cms.

He received today his following dose of polio vaccine. Please find some pictures attached.

Best Regards

Francisco

2-month Doctor's visit

From: Dr. Francisco Montiel (via Sue Hedberg)
To: Keith and Sandra
Date: April 12, 2007 09:34:33 AM CDT
Subject: FW: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 3:32 PM
Subject: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

Hello!

This morning I had the opportunity to review little Jose Daniel, he is now aged 2 months and has been, the caregiver tells me, doing well in the time since he was seen for the last time one month ago, save that he has manifested some signs clinically suggestive of reflux and so he is a on a special anti-reflux formula, he is an alert and active little boy who likes to look around and shows interest in all that goes around him will listen attentively when spoken to and makes some initial cooing noises and will also smile in response, shows active, symmetrical, mainly reflex movements of arms and legs and will also move his head from side to side.

I am told that he takes well his formula and is also receiving his ordered vitamin supplement. Upon evaluation today I found him in good health with a normal physical and neurological exam, his weight is 12 lbs 12 oz, length of 54.9 cms and head circumference of 39 cms. He received today his second dose of DPT, HiB and Hepatitis B. Please fin his pictures attached.

Best Regards

Francisco

1-month Doctor's visit

From: Dr. Francisco Montiel (via Sue Hedberg)
To: Keith and Sandra
Date: March 20, 2007 11:12:25 AM CDT
Subject: FW: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 10:46 AM
Subject: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

Hello!

This morning I have just finished assessing little Jose Daniel, he has now reached one month of age and according to the caregiver has been doing really well in the time since he was seen for the first time here in my office, he is now, gradually, spending more time awake and starts to notice his surroundings will quiet his cry when he hears voices, shows active, symmetrical, reflex, movements of both arms an legs and will also move his head form side to side, when on his stomach he is able to lift his chin from the bed. He will his need be known by crying. I am told, that he takes well his formula and is also receiving his ordered vitamin supplement.
Upon exam today I found him in good health wit no physical or neurological abnormalities, his weight is 8 lbs 15 oz, length of 51.4 cms and head circumference of 36.1 cms. He received today his first dose of Hepatitis B vaccine. Please find some pictures attached.

Best Regards

Francisco

First Doctor's Report

From: Sue Hedberg
To: Keith and Sandra
Date: February 21, 2007 03:42:12 AM CDT
Subject: FW: Jose Daniel Sanchez Ramos

Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2007 12:00 PM
Subject: Jose Daniel Sanchez

Hello!
This morning I had the opportunity to meet Jose Daniel, he was born
on 02/03 at a private health centre here in the city, at this moment I have no further information to share with you as to the pregnancy, delivery or any other past medical or family history, the caregiver tells me that in the time she has been looking after this little one she has not noticed any abnormality. Upon exam today he appears to be in good health with no obvious physical or neurological abnormalities, his weight is 6 lbs 15oz, length of 47.2 cms and head circumference of 33.1 cms.Please find some pictures attached.

Best Regards
Francisco