Season of good cheer!

Hi all! I hope everyone is well. We went to Ben's first Christmas parade last weekend. What a blast! The whole world changes when you see it through a child's eyes. As the parade would pass by, people would throw candy towards Ben. He would get so excited and yell out, "Wow!" At one time, he looked at me and said, "This is better than Halloween!" By the time the parade was over he had a whole blanket full of loot. Aside from the candy, he really enjoyed just being there. I love seeing him so happy.

Another story I have to tell. This one is outside of holiday cheer. It falls under the heading of just plain 'ol everyday life with my lil' man. Since he has been recently potty trained, going to the bathroom around my house is a REALLY big deal. So much so, that when he poopoos, we make comments on it like, "Wow, that's a monster poopoo", or "Look, there's the babies!". At any rate, today he was on the toilet, trying his best to poopoo. After he has turned himself red in the face, he looks up at my husband and says, "I can't, my poopoo must be asleep." and then shrugs his shoulders as if to say he just doesn't understand life sometimes.

The pics are of my Mom and Dad in the parade, Ben at the beach right before the parade, Ben's very own toy soldier, (actually he was part of the parade and he jumped out of line and squatted by us just as my sister was about to click the camera). Thanks to the toy soldier, whomever you are!

Have a wonderful holiday season!

He ain't no Woodsman!

My baby is a lot of things, but he ain't no Woodsman! Yesterday was a very traumatic day for our family. My lil' one got his hand caught in a wood splitter...yikes! Needless to say we spent most of the evening and night at the emergency room. They had to perform surgery and piece his finger back together. The bone was crushed but according to the surgeon, it was still viable and he expects a wonderful recovery. Thank you God! My lil' soldier was so brave. And he stole the hearts of everyone he came in contact with. When one of the nurses went to put his patch for the EKG on him, he looked up at her and said, "No thanks". That did it for the whole surgery crew. From then on in I believe they all would have given him their lives just to keep him comfortable.

Well my lil' soldier is home, resting wonderfully. And I am so thankful it isn't any worse. He's a real trooper.

I said he ain't no Woodsmen, but he is super-duper smart. I bet this will be the only time he decides to test the wood splitter. (I hope)

Boos and Bears

Hi all!
We spent the weekend on the road. First we went to the Discovery Place in Charlotte. It was a lot of fun and Ben got a kick out of all the exhibits. But the one he kept wanting to go back to was the bears. They had a Grizzly that ws huge and he just loved it!

Today we went to the zoo. They had a Boo-fest for Halloween. Kids got to play games, face-painting, dress up in their costumes and get some candy. Ben just loves being at the zoo. This was our second trip this year. Because of the weather, this one was a much more enjoyable trip than the last year. It was a beautiful day! Ben went through every exhibit, but he enjoyed the Sea Lions the most. They were in a playful mood and kept swimming right in front of him. The bears had already layed down for an afternoon nap. So there wasn't much to see there. But the whole place was abuzz with children dressed up and enjoying the day. I have attached a few pictures. From now on, whenever I look back at these pictures, I will count it as one of the most perfect days.

God bless,
Gayle

Somebody pinch me, please!

Yesterday was a day like any other. Went to work, came home, blah, blah, blah. But when I came home and went to Gammie's to pick up my lil' pumpkin. They were all outside. He saw me and ran towards me yelling, "Mama, Mama, I miss you." And then he jumped into my arms and gave me the most wonderfullest hug and a kiss. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. But nothing could compare to that feeling. Here was my son! He loves me. And God only knows how my heart is 'bout to burst with love for him. Thank you dear Lord for this gift you have allowed me. I know I don't deserve such a precious treasure. I will cherish him all my days and take the best of care of him. I promise to be his ever vigilant custodian. I am amazed.
Gayle

No more Pampers...WooHoo!

I claim VICTORY for the home team! I believe we have defeated the potty training monster. Yeah! My lil' one has done so well with this. He has had a few mishaps, but for the most part...he is the smartest little boy in the world. Next week we move to nuclear science! (he should grasp this concept with no problem)

Potty Training 101

Got valium? OK, 6 changes later and we are still no closer than before. The issue seems to be Ben doesn't understand how to avoid using the bathroom in his pants. I keep asking him to tell me before he peepees. He says, OK. And then it happens again. I have tried bribery with stickers, new super-duper cool underwear and plain out talking about it. Nothing seems to be working. I am certain that at almost three and a half, he should be just about ready. Who knows. Am I doing something wrong? We go to the bathroom every 30 to 45 minutes. But I'm just not catching him in time.

Shouldn't there be an "easy" button for this?

Gayle

Weathering the storms and loving the Joy!

Updating...hmmmmm. I know I have been sort of slack on the blogging of late. Sorry. Today's version of family news is brought by "gentle" urging from a dear friend. Hope this helps with the DT's, Deb.

Let's seeeeeee...Ben is a wonderful bowl of sunshine. That pretty much sums it up. I'll write later when I have more to post. (snicker) Just kidding :o) Actually our lives have been cram-jam full of everyday excitement. Ben's progress into becoming a George is superb. He really is doing great at adjustment and life in general. He has a wonderful personality. Full of smiles, love and a great humor. In fact, he is so comfortable in his role in the George family that yesterday a lady even remarked on how much he is like me. She called him spoiled. That kind of stung a little.

The day unfolded as a very busy event of running from appt after appt and culminating in the last appt of the day, the vet.s office. We hit the ground running early in the morning for gymnastics. And the last stop was for my oldest labs' doctors visit. This was the first time Ben had been to the vet. We walk in the front and a "lady" and her two, quiet, sweet as angels, sons were sitting at her side. Her pit-bull proceeded to snarl and growl at my docile, cuddly as a bug, lab. So they wisked her and her ravaging dog and two sweetheart sons into a private room. Well, we went on with our business and appt. After everything was finished we come out of our room only to see HER standing at the front desk, paying her bill. When she saw us, she has her angelic sons take her snarling dog out to the car. Thank you! She then proceeded to strike up a conversation with me. I thanked her for removing her beast. She then started to ask me about Ben. She said, "He's an only child, right?" I said yes. Then she said, "He's SPOILED." I said, "Thank you, yes he is." I was floored. After I got out to my car and gained my composure I was floored again. What did she say about my son!?! And who the #@!% is she? Yes, he acted up a little while we were waiting. But good God, he had been cooped up in the car all day and had a very traumatic experience at the dentist office. Wait...am I just making excuses for him? He was acting up. But really. My angel....spoiled? At any rate, spoiled or not. If I had the quick wit of some I know, I would have been able to reply with something good like, "At least he's not a future poster child for America's most wanted". Or something like that. Oh well, in all seriousness, he's probably a "little" spoiled. But I wonder how many times I have passed judgement on someone else's child, not taking into account that I don't know the whole story. And instead of supporting my fellow sister and understanding she is probably doing the best she can at the moment, I have walked away, all high and mighty, thinking to myself, "if I ever have children, they will NEVER behave that way". Yeah, right!

Here are a few pics of Ben. He is growing right up in front of us. There are times I pick him up and realize how far down his feet are dangling. Then it strikes me just how fast he really is growing.

Oh...and did I tell you about Ben's dentist appt? Yesterday was his first "routine" vist. He has some decay. I expected that. After all, you can't suck on formula out of a bottle for almost three years and not have a little decay. After the checkup, the dentist, in his most sympathetic voice he could muster explained to me just how extensive his decay was. I was very diligent in listening until he got to the expense part....$5,500. WAIT....when I get back up from the floor, I want to hear that again. I'm not so sure I got it right the first time. Did you say Five Thousand, Five Hundred DOLLARS? US DOLLARS? WAIT...aren't these the same teeth he will start losing in about two years? Well that explains it. No wonder the boy is spoiled. If I spent 55 hundred dollars in a span of fifteen minutes, I'd be spoiled too!

God bless,
Gayle

P.S. I am home for the next four days. The mission...potty training. God, give me strength!

Lazy Days of Summer

Child Abuse

Round and round and round we go!

Aunt Sissy and Ben in the front yard.

Zoo Pictures

Spring Showers

Spring showers bring May flowers......

I've heard this a million times. But this year, it has a totally different meaning for me. My baby bug has blossomed under the warm May sun. This past week my whole family went on vacation and it was great for all of us. Especially great for bonding with Ben. It just seemed to have clicked for him this past week. Almost like overnight he decided this was his family and he knows he belongs with us.

My name has now been replaced from "Momma Yina" to "Mommy". AND I LOVE IT!!! God has blessed me with my child and when he looks up at me with his most handsome eyes, I can't help but give thanks. I pray I never forget just how blessed we are. Enough of the teary stuff...on to the antics.

Ben has a personality that just gets better everyday. He loves to play Dinosaur, Action Fingers, Snake and just about everything else that is "all boy". He kept most of us rolling this past week. Oh, and one great thing that needs to be mentioned...I believe he has just about beaten his motion sickness. Can I get a "Halelujah"? Now the lil' bug can go everywhere with us. And his sleeping pattern seems to be smoothing into just that...a pattern. Overall he just seems more at peace and comfortable. I am so glad to see him easing into being part of our family. I have so many hopes for him. Now I feel he has a chance at conquering the whole world!

Amazing.....says it all

Please make sure your speakers are on. These are pictures of Ben's Journey Home. It expands over two and a half years. Thank God he is finally home and we are starting our lives together!

God bless!!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

DNA received

Just a quick update...
The embassy received our DNA this past Thursday at 3:40 in the afternoon. I am sitting on pins and needles!!! We are soooo close, but still so far. Pray for a date this coming week, please.
Paz a todos,
Gayle

Three Simple Letters

Three Simple Letters means so much....DNA. We received authorization for DNA today!!! Yeah, WaHoo, Yippee! Little Benjamin will have his swabbing tomorrow, they will send the "stick" back to the lab and then they will mail the results to the embassy. The lady at Orchid Genescreen was so nice today. When she intitially pulled up my paperwork, she said, "Oh my! This has been a long time coming." She also offered to keep me informed every step of the way. (I just love it when people are sincerely happy for you.)

I expect that we will know something next week. I hope the days go by fast. If they do not, I surely will be tied up in knots by the time we get any information. We are so close...but yet so far. Thank you God for getting us here!

Paz a todo,
Gayle

Proud Papa

My Funny Man! This is proud Papa letting off a little steam with some comic relief. Do you think Ben will want to grow up to be just like his father?

Gayle

Our world has been righted

Whew....I think we dodged another bullet. (well, more like letting the bullet ricochet off us) Leslie from Senator Burr's office was very efficient in helping us with our embassy problem. She called me back, bright and early the next day with an answer. She said that the embassy had closed our case because our I600A had expired, even though we had an approved and valid I171H sitting there. The reason being that they are so overloaded right now with all the PAP's trying to get their children home that they are trying to clear the clutter. Now, why couldn't they have told me that instead of that very sterile and nonemotional response of, "your file is administratively closed". I bet that whole little incident took at least 2 years off my life. Anyway, apparantley the fix is simple. I scanned a copy of our approval to the Senator's office. They in turn are forwarding it to the embassy. We hope this will be enough. If not, I think they said we can just open the case back up when we get there with the physical document. WooHoo!

AND.....we have more good news! We have the passport in hand! Yeah, one step closer. Next we apply to the embassy for DNA authorization, get results and then submit for visa appointment. I love the color PINK! (for those that don't know, the visa appt. is referred to as having PINK, because it used to be issued on a pink slip, now they just email it.)

AND...one last thing. Ilse was talking with one of the old facilitator's assistant the other day and she told her of Ben coming home. The reply was that she couldn't believe it, she thought that boy would never be able to come home and that they all thought his case was a lost cause. Well, due to the grace of God, power of a lot of prayer, (and just as much money) and much help from many friends, we may have our miracle soon! The way I see it. We are looking at picking Ben up in the middle to late February. Somebody, please pinch me! We might actually be able to get off this rickety 'ol rollercoaster soon!!!

Paz a todo!
Gayle

At Every Turn

New Dilemma....emailed the US Embassy in Guatemala today to find out if we have been submitted to receive DNA authorization. Boy, was I in for a shock. The reply simply stated that they had administratively closed our case as of July 2007. W-H-A-T! What does that mean? How do I fix it? Who has to fix it? When can it be done? How long will this take? These are just a few of the questions I had and no one to ask. You see, you can't just call the Embassy and ask them a casual question. Your congressman has to do that. Just another link in the long chain. ( And who ever heard of a US Embassy that wasn't open to US citizens?)

Anyway, I emailed AS. They suggested to me, not just once, but twice, to get my congressman involved as soon as possible. They have never heard of a case being administratively closed. (Hmmm, imagine that.)

So, I did just that. First I contacted my female congress person's office. I chose her, thinking that they would be a little more sympathetic, being she's a mother herself. Wrong. I received the same 'ol run of the mill reply, first you have to submit a consent form, then follow it with an explanation of what the problem is, blah, blah, blah. Dead end. Couldn't they hear the hysterical tone to my voice? Don't they know how hard we have fought to this point?

So I did what every squeaky wheel does...I whined a little louder at the next stop. I called Richard Burr's office and much to my surprise, they were sympathetic and understanding and helpful and concerned. Whew, relief. Someone that actually sees this as the same emergency I see. They were truly genuine people. They admitted to not knowing what administratively closed meant. But they committed to finding out. (What a nice change of pace - honesty). I am still a little freaked at this last development. But I feel much better at our chances of getting this resolved since speaking with Ms. L.A. at Burr's office. She had me email her our timeline and all the info. on Ben, myself and my husband. She said she would email them and then follow up with a phone call. I have hope that she will be able to give me some sort of answer tomorrow. If not, I will have to wait out the weekend. (And we all know how excruciating that can be).

You know, I have to say that I have been taught a lesson about myself through this process. I could be labeled an obsessive person. When something has gone wrong in our process, (and much has). I find myself fixating to it. All I want to do is work on it, or think about it or talk to someone about it. I would have never thought of myself as having this gene. But I can't help myself. Today, when all of this was going on...in my mind, I kept thinking, "Don't you people know what is happening here? Don't you understand what kind of problem this is? How could you possibly want me to do something as trivial as work when I have such a HUGE emergency on my hands!" Of course, I haven't totally lost all my marbles, (just yet). So I can still tell myself there is a time and place for everything. And the middle of my office, packed with clients, is not the time nor the place to have a frenzied meltdown. So I continue the charade and smile warmly as I greet the next client at my desk. But on the inside, the war continues.

God, please put the right people in place to correct this latest dilemma. And also, please clear the way for us to bring home our son with no further "bumps". And give me the strength to stand tall and behave as my mother would be proud. I am weary. But with you, I know all is possible. Amen.
Gayle

Cup not always half full

Confession......On days when I am a little tired, I find that I am not as grateful as I should be. Today, I was reading some posts and there was one that caught my eye. The person was posting that they received DNA results today. I posted a reply and congratulated her, (after all, isn't that what our mothers have taught us, to be gracious?) Then I read the rest of her post and timeline. She was in PGN with no KO's, and she was approved from PGN AFTER us. She will be bringing home her child at a whoppin' 5 months old. This is wonderful news and I am glad for her, (diplomatic answer). But sometimes I want to revert back to 4 and whine, "Why not me" Don't get me wrong...I am tickled that our son is finally coming home and I love him to the moon and back. But, I guess, sometimes I get a little sad at how much we have missed. And you know...the fact that we continue to hit "bumps" in the road at every turn is a little tiring. I'm weary of the bumpy road, I would like smooth sailing for a little bit. Is that too much to ask? (Now I do sound like I'm whining) WHERE ARE MY ROSE-COLORED GLASSES!?! FOR GOD SAKE, PLEASE FIND MY GLASSES!!!

Paul, PAUL, P-A-U-LLL....Where did you put my glasses this time!?!

Right baby...Wrong name

WOOHOO!!! Just received a copy of Ben's new BC. You know,...the one I was so excited would have George as his last name. WRONG!!! Can't believe it, but they even messed this up. They got the new BC with my husband's last name. And on all the paperwork we filed with the embassy, I am the petitioner and Paul is the spouse. We purposely did this because we intended for Ben to have my last name. Oh well. If anything were to run smooth in this adoption I would think the sky was getting ready to fall.......just ain't gonna' happn'! But, provided this last little slip doesn't cause us problems at the embassy, at least we do have it confirmed that he is really our child! WOOHOO!!! Now that is a reason to celebrate!
God bless,
Gayle, aka Ben's Mom

Can't stand it!

Good news...Good news...Good news! I was waiting until I received the actual document in my hot little hand, but....I can't stand it anymore! I have to tell someone. I was told that we received the new birth certificate for my lil' monster last week!!! That means his BC actually says "Melvin Ordonez George". WOOHOO...he finally is a George!

Whew...do I feel better. My plan is to still wait until I get a copy of it before I tell my family. My husband doesn't even know (snicker) I think it will be a nice surprise if I can just lay it down on the desk in front of him. Do you think he'll figure out what it is?

Hope to hear even better news next week. They told us that we should have the passport on Tuesday or Wednesday of this coming week. That means that in no time at all we can submit for authorization of the second DNA. (They have to wait for a trivial thing to occur first...something about the inauguration of the new President - no big deal).

Anyway...hope to post again soon! Hope everyone has a great weekend. Hug yourself today!!!

Gayle

Insanity Reincarnate

Whew....do things ever get better? Lately, there have been developments where PGN has posted they will not accept any new cases until the "Central Authority" is created.
H-E-L-L-O...when will that happen? As of today, there is no real plan in place. They are working on it. So, what does everyone do in the mean time? Wait? Wait for the 30 day deadline to expire?

And this brings me to another "soapbox". What about the press and all the true-journalistic reporting they have been doing. While they are trying to create enough noise to sell their treasured works of writing, sometimes they become part of the problem. They have, of late, leaned towards a tendency to only relay part of the story. Now, part of that I may understand. They don't always have enough room in their allotted space to fully explain the piece they are reporting. Well, if this be the case....either keep your pen dry or explain that in your article. Simple solution, right? Wrong. I guess that they are just like the rest of us and never like to acknowledge the fact that they don't know everything. Hard pill to swallow. But wouldn't it be better rather than misguide some and create unnecessary panic and confusion? I don't get it. Maybe that's why I am not a journalist. The truth, be it crystal and sparkling clear, seem important and much more preferable to a well spun story.

Back to my original intent... I feel sooooo bad for the people that are stuck in the process that doesn't know what to do with itself. My heart is extremely heavy for you. I know the added stress this is causing. Even though, the general consensus is that it will all get ironed out and everything will be just fine....the not knowing can be maddening. That again is a direct result of how people in power forget about the people they are making laws for. They sometimes forget that behind every file is a family waiting anxiously for their child. The wait is worse than any pregnancy. And until someone has been through it, you just never truly know how hard it is.

So, before lawmakers bend to the will of others, they should first consider who they are affecting. If you do not have a true plan, wait until you do. "Winging it" just isn't acceptable. Leaving people in limbo is a piss-poor, sloppy job.

I will continue to pray for the strength, patience and endurance of waiting families. And I'll pray that the lawmakers get their act together and have their new system up and running quickly. It is my hope that they DO NOT leave these families hanging on the edge any longer. As it looks, January 01, 2008 ushered in a sad day for Guatemalan adoptions and the children stuck in between.

God bless,
Gayle

Infant Colic Treatment and Causes

Information for Ilse, her daughter and grandchild. I hope this helps!!! Just follow the link...
Love,
Gayle

Infant Colic Treatment and Causes

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Happy New Year everyone!!!

I pray this will be a joyous year for all of us.

I pray for continued health of the one's dear to me.

I pray my adoption family finishes their processes in the coming year, resulting with their beloved children at home, safe and sound. (Fe nunca floja!)

And somehow, I pray for peace. That the world puts down their swords and the killing stopped. I pray someday our nations can find a peaceful way for resolution.

And last but not least, I pray for my second country, Guatemala. I pray God will guide the people making decisions for so many...... that they leave no child behind.

Espero que el ano que viene le traiga todo lo que usted desea.

Paz a todos,
Gayle