I have been surprised, delighted and overwhelmed by all the supportive emails and calls from friends and family since I posted last. I really appreciate everyone's encouragement and support!
The most common question I have gotten is "when is she coming home?" Unfortunately, I do not have an answer. All I can give is a range of possibilities...the absoulte earliest it would be is in 2 months, and then it can range into next spring sometime. There is nothing I can do to influence that time line at all. Trust me - if there was - I would have done it by now!
What's the hold up? Another difficult question.... The process of adoption in Guatemala, though it feels painfully slow, is actually the fastest country for international adoptions. Even the worst case scenarios - which would be bringing her home after her 1st birthday - would still be faster than Russia or China, where the youngest you are typically able to bring children home is 18 months. Here is a BRIEF summary of the process and the dates we completed that section where applicable:
Lilly's Birthday: May 11, 2006
Carrie submits final dossier to Guatemala: 5/24/06
Referral- It's a Girl! June 1, 2006
Formally accept referral: June 2
Power of Attorney notarized, certified & authenticated & sent to Guatemala: 6/7/06
Family Court: where a Guatemalan social worker meets with the biological family to assure that they want to place the child for adoption, etc. We entered probably around the 3rd week in June and completed Family Court somewhere around the middle of July.
DNA: The biological mother and the baby have to come in for DNA testing to assure that the child has not been kidnapped, etc. This is required by the USA. Lilly and her biological mother were tested on the July 7th, and I recieved the match information July 22.
US Embassy Pre-Approval: Following the DNA test, the US Embassy issues "pre approval" for the child's immigration visa after reviewing the family court imformation along with the dossier I submitted. While this usally takes only a week or two, we are currently stalled here in investigation and have been for more than a month. Prayers for a quick resolution would be greatly appreciated. Specifically I am waiting on the biological grandmother to come in to my lawyer's office to sign an affadavit to be submitted to the embassy. I am praying she can come soon, and that the embassy will accept that as a resolution to their concerns and issue our PA quickly.
PGN: "Procuraduria General de la Nacion" is sort of like our Attorney Generals office. This is the final place where every scrap of information and every piece of paper is examined with great detail. It is not a "first in, first out" process, and some families come out in 10 days, and others take more than a year. While it does drive me nuts, and words like "not fair" come to mind, I am trying desperately to remind myself that these people are trying to ensure that the children of Guatemala are being placed into safe, healthy homes and that no inappropriate dealings are alllowed in any case. When ever there is a question or concer about the file, the case is kicked out with a "previo," which my Guatemalan attorney then needs to resolve. This could be as simple as a typo on the birth certificate (I know I have one of those since I saw a copy while I was visiting) to a removed staple to requesting additional information not originally required. You have to have the embassy PA before you can get out of PGN. We entered PGN on July 26th, but I know I will get kicked out due to our lack of PA. But, the theory is that we hope they will identify all the other problems with the case so we can resolve those now while we are waiting on PA. Who knows. Definietly a test of patience and faith. Don't worry - the day I get the call that says we ARE OUT you will all hear about it right away! And, once I am out - I know its only about 2-4 weeks until I can bring her home.
Birth Certificate: Following PGN, the biological mother signs off for the fourth and final time (she signs off at relinguishment, DNA test and Family Court interview as well - which she has done in my case). After the last sign off, I am the legal parent and have full legal custody. After that, the birth certificate is re-issued with the child's new name. While in rural areas this is often accomplished in a day or two, as Lilly was born in Guatemala City, this will likely take at least 1-2 weeks. :(
Pink: Once the new birth certificate is issued, the final packet is submitted to the embassy and we are issued an appointment (on a pink slip, hence the name...though I think it sounds like a positive pregnancy test if you ask me). This should take 1-2 weeks. The appointment is typically less than a week away, and sometimes as soon as 24 hours. You just need to hustle down there at that point. Then she is placed in my arms forever and we go to our embassy appointment.
Citizenship: Since I have visited Lilly once and came back without her, she will qualify under an immigration act that will make her a US Citizen as soon as she touches ground in the US. So - while she will leave Guatemala as a Guatemalan citizen, she will be an American when she lands.
So - that is the nickel tour of the Guatemalan adoption process. If you are confused then you understand it perfectly. Bottom line: we don't know how long it will take, but all prayers for a swift process are appreciated.
And, since I know people check blogs for the pictures instead of the prose, I am trying to post more pictures. Right now the computer isn't cooperating, but I will try again tomorrow.
And she also loves Tia Maren!
