Paperwork and more adventures in Colombia

Back by popular demand, I´m back writing. :) But let´s start by my current setting: The light is off, therefore I can hardly see the keyboard, I have a playpen to my left and an eight month old sleeping to my right.  There are toys everywhere, diapers, towels... to name a few of the things around me.  And on top of it, I am husbandless because Tavo left for Bogota yesterday and will fly to Canada tomorrow.

I know it doesn´t sound like the most inspiring setting but this is my new me... and so I´ll blog covered in baby stuff. :)  Besides, it´s not even that bad... it´s just another me!

Since the last time I wrote it´s been very busy. Process over here is really complicated because nothing is standardized and it seems that each judge and each registry is different. I'll sumarize for the sake of information and I'll throw in some baby pictures to make it fun. Documentation talk can be really dry...

The "sentencia" or adoption order: It took two and a half weeks to get our adoption order starting the day the complete set of documents got to the judge´s office. This happened last Monday March 14th. That´s exactly one month after the integration meeting. We got lucky we have a family friend who knew the judge and asked her to speed up the process.  We heard later that it is normally taking longer than 2 weeks. 

The new birth certificate:  On Tuesday the 15th my brother traveled to Sebastian´s town where he spend the full day getting a new birth certificate for him.  He had to wait for I don´t know how long and we kept e-mailing him documents that were required at the last minute.  Seriously... it´s like you are never ready because they can ask for anything. The good news is that by 4:30 pm he had Sebastian David Cristancho Jaimes´ birth certificate in his hands... 10 copies of it (just in case!!!).  He mailed everthing the same day.  (Yayyy for uncle Felix!)

Sebastian's Colombian Passport: Wednesday the 16th we picked up the documents at the mail office. We already had Sebastian´s passport pictures taken so we quickly got to the passport office to get that done. I have to say that was the easiest step of all because once again, we dad's friend works there. The lady was super helpful and by noon we had the passport in our hands. (Yay for abuelito Felix!)

That same evening, Tavo took his plane to Bogota to spend two days with his mom and brother and to deliver the "complete" set of documents to the Canadian Embassy.

Canadian Visa:  Thursday the 17th Tavo called the Canadian Embassy to make sure he had everything required for Sebastian´s visa, and sure enough, we had a missing document! I went to my lawyer and nobody seemed to know how to get this letter. Of course I was on panic by then...again. How can neither my lawyer or the regional ICBF office know how to get that letter! But Tavo came to the rescue when he talked to someone at the main ICBF office today who was able to provide the letter. So finally, we have everything! Uff...  Yayyy for daddy!

Next tuesday (monday is a holiday here in Colombia) Abuelita Marina,  Tavo's mom, will be delivering the docs to the Embassy and hopefully before two weeks we´ll have the visa. :)
Yes, this is been a full family effort. 

Nothing seem to be easy regarding documents in international adoption!!

The good thing is Sebastian is so so so much worth the effort! Every day he seems to come up with different ways to be cute... he´s starting to say "agua" which in english means water. It seems to me that´s a perfect first word... since he likes it so much! He´s also already looking for us when we leave the room for whatever reason and he comes to me when "in trouble" which is a definite sign of attachment.

I got to run but I will definetely tell you later about our trip to my family´s acreage... what an adventure!

Until next post, 

LuzM.

Life in Bucaramanga

After my last "introduction" post I decided I kinda of like this blogging thing.  Besides, after I blog all of mommy's friends and family write and call back! Impresive!
So this time I'll write about my new life in Bucaramanga.  However, a word of caution... I hear this will not be my permanent city.  This is only temporary until we get our documents in order and we can all go home, in Canada.  I only hope the weather over there is a nice as it is here... 25 celcius in the past two weeks.  Niceeee!

In the mean time, I've had a very busy time.  Here is my schedule:

3:30 am.  During my first couple of weeks, I used to weak up at this time everyday.  My mommy said that it was probably because of all the changes in my life, but in reality I was just checking them out to see if they would really stick to our new parents-son arrangement. I wanted to weak up and see them there... no matter the time.  The good news is that mommy and daddy were always there, half asleep but there, so I decided to reduce the frequency of my testing and starting this past week, I'm only up now and then.  I am not ready to take them off the hook yet.

6:00 am.  I weak up ready to rock and roll! The day is bright and I am so full of energy that I'm normally smiling and playing.  However, I kinda of get the feeling daddy is not a morning person. He tries to keep me in bed for a little longer everyday... but I refuse! Normally is mommy who plays with me for a bit until daddy manages to open  his eyes just enough to be able to see me.

6:15 Tete time. (Bottle time). Just like that my smile goes away and I start getting really impatient.  That's my mommy's cue to get me a bottle.  I take it - 6 oz - not to hot, not to cold please. 

6:30 to 8:00 am.  I normally chill during this time.  We all go downstairs where grand-ma and grand-pa are having breakfast.  Then, I sit down with mommy and daddy while they get their breakfast too.  I normally try to reach everybody else's food but mommy only gives me crakers or fruit. She reminds me I just had my tete a couple minutes ago. 

8:00 am.  I get sleepy again. I think is this whole weaking up at 3:30 am situation... but daddy says my brain is growing and that's why I need so much sleep.  Either way, mommy says it's a blessing because I give them enough time to jump in the shower and get ready for the day. 

9:00 am.  I get my bath.  I really like my bath and I have a bunch of plastic little friends, including a turtle, which is my favorite, that swim with me.  Mommy sings: "ahi va la tortuga bajo del agua, bajo del agua"... she sais is a classic of tropical music.. and daddy gives her.. the "look". 

Oh! aunti Martha gave me a brand new towel with my name on it.  I not only use it after my bath but I also like the taste of it.  I actually like the taste of everything I find... it's a teething situation..

10:00 to 12:00.  I'm back to sleep again.  Mommy checks e-mails and-or reads during this time.  She said it will be great to have some time to cook lunch when we're in Calgary.  That's as long I keep my schedule like this. 

12:00 Tete time again! yay! I looove tete time.

12:30 to 3:30 is when I get the busiest.  I go to work and first and foremost... take care of things.  I even stole Abuelito Felix's favorite chair.  I think I look very corporate. 

We also go to different parks in town and I get to see bunnies and birds... we really have had a lot of fun in Bucaramanga.  This is daddy and me in El Parque del Agua.  This place is full of fountains and mommy thought I would enjoy it since I love water.  See why I love mommy already??

And Abuelita Martha was there too, she's the only one besides mommy and daddy who's allowed to hold me.  Mommy says it's better for my "attachment" process that not many people hold me besides mommy and daddy.  

I even got my feet wet while in the park.  Man that was fun!

3:30.  Tete time again.  Some days I get a little sleepy after my afternoon tete but some days I just keep on going!

4:00 to 6:30.  I get back to tasting things... did I talk about a teething situation? New rule in the house:  Nobody is allowed to taste remote controls, iphones or keys.   Booooring!

and I also check with the dog that the house has really been in order. 

Ok, the dog is super cool.  His name is Tizne and I think he's jealous with all the attention I get... but seriously... who's cutter?

After 6:00 everything goes really fast.  I take my second bath of the day, get on my jammies, say good night to grand ma and grand pa, and then mommy takes me upstairs so that I can sleep.  She gives me my last tete of the day and reads a book to me. 

And so are my days...

Process ways we haven't yet received the adoption order of "sentencia". We are hoping to get it next week.  Only then a new birth certificate can be written, with mommy's and daddy's names.  Then, I get my very own passport and a visa to enter Canada. 

I think mommy is a little concerned that this isn't happening fast enough.  Daddy has to go back to Canada soon and she doesn't want to travel alone.  We're hoping daddy gets a few extra days from work and can stay a bit longer.  I really like the guy after all and hope he'll hang in with us. 

More to come! ( I promised mommy I would let her write next time)

Sebastian.