WE ARE IN PGN

I have just finally received an update TODAY. We are in PGN as of March 14th. That means we have been in one week, being Easter week was shut down So here we go it is time to PRAY HARD!!!!! Also I did receive updates yesterday on Avea. In Januarey she weighed8.5 lbs, height was 57 cms. head circ. is 36. On Februarey 28th her wieght was 10.5 lbs, height was 58 cms. and head circumference is 36. I figure her appointments are at the end of the month, so now I need to guess what she weighs so that I can start buying cloths to take. I can't wait to buy really girly clothes.

From the Guatemalan Adoption Forum

This is from the forum that I watch on a very normal occasion. It could be true it may not be. THe person who wrote it has an attorney directly in Guatemala (no Agency middle man). I am hoping it is. This is what she said"My attorney's assistant just called me with this news!!!!!! President Colom has stated that the officials of PGN have acted irresponsibly with the adoptions and are not following the law. My attorney said that President Colom is being very supportive of adoptions and wants all cases EXPEDITED!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!!

THis is what she wrote. who knows if is for sure. But we can pray.

She is also the one that put a rumor on the forum from her representives in Guatemala, that they were going to push all of us grandfathered cases through PGN by the end of April. This is so that Guatemalan officials can get the new adoption process going. And now I am seeing people coming through PGN in 3 weeks sometimes.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE!!!!!

My pants might be pulled up real high. And I am sure there flooding on the bottom. But I am cute!!! Don't look at the way she is dressing me. I have two set of ears and I am beautiful. My mom can't wait to kiss my cheeks, and my super pink lips. I can't wait to meet you all. I am sure that I will feel your love so fast. I am going to be lucky to have you all. My mommy and Daddy are going to be the luckiest though. I am going to make them love, live, smile, and realize what they have been missing for so long. I am so glad they finally found me, so that I can be where I belong.

wHO IS HOLDING ME!!! i WANT MY MOM!! i WANT MY dADDY

WHAT IS THAT FACE BESIDES ADORABLE

Oh my gosh!!!! How adorable can she get. My only problem is where, oh where, is the hair going? When we first seen her, it was all the way to her eyebrows and growing out onto her cheeks. Now she is even more receded than her daddy. I was really wanting to trim it. OH MY GOSH isn't she cute!!!!!!

The first Brain Squeezer

HAPPY EASTER

I guess I jumped the gun. I received more pictures thank goodness. I think I would have really had a problem. Mike just got here "Holy shit she's still cute" "Look at the Cheeks" we finally got a smile.

Mexican Dresses

THese are two more of the dresses. The one on the left is Mikes favorite. He says it looks really Mexican. I told him she is not Mexican she is Guatemalan, it is a little different. But she is Hispanic so I guess we will call these Mexican dresses for the Hispanic to wear. WHATEVER she will be absolutely cute in them. Thank You Grandma and Grandpa!!

Mexican outfits

Darn it!! I forot to turn it. Grandma and Granpa Henige were in Texas for a couple months. THey took a tour to Mexico. Found some cute cute cute little Mexican dresses for the little Guatemalan. Isn't it cute!!! It should fit her soon. I am hoping it will fit when we get her. But I am taking it with us just in case.

ADOPTION HORMONES??

Could it be "adoption" hormones. I was at my parents for Easter, my brother handed me a present, an I instantly started crying. What is the matter with me??? This sooo cute. It was from Chris, Mary, Margeret, and John. Thank You so Much, We LOVE IT!! Chris walked by me and said "it looks like something you would wear" That's so funny cuz I would if I was 25 lbs lighter, FOR SURE!!! I am just wondering if our little neice picked it out? SHe seams to like the same clothes that I do. THanks Again Guys!! Denise And Mike

Well, this one is better. She does look cute. I think that is one of the hammy downs that I sent. But not for sure. I need to ask Beth. I sent down a lot of her girl's clothes. I am guessing that this is her Foster Mother. She looks like she loves my girl. I found out today that she has a seven year old and an eleven month old. That means two babies within six months of each other. CRAZY!!! And I am worrying about taking care of one. The picture is really dark, the room doesn't look like it has much lighting. But that baby looks like she is losing her hair. NUTS!! I wanted a head full to trim when I get down to see her. I was planning on trimming it, so by the time she comes home, she would look like Rapunzil(sp?) Oh well, I just hope I get more pictures this time. I am sooooo bummed. Basically one picture. If I get more I will be sure to post them.

I have been going crazy!! Is this all I get!!!

Oh my gosh, I have been waiting six weeks for a picture. I have only received two. And one, who would know if it is my Avea or not. This is the one. I am not sure who the girl is. It looks like they were taking a picture of her. NOT AVEA!!! I am so bummed, I figure it is the adoption agency's daughter. I am praying there are more coming. We want a smile soooo bad!!! Check out the outfit. I sent those green pants. It is not the jacket that went with it. Not sure if I sent the top or not. I sure would have like to see her in one of the cutest outfits I sent. Instead of the hammy downs, that aren't even matching. Sorry I am griping but come on. We are talking style now!!!

Oh I forgot

Well after all this, I forgot to tell you all where we are in the process. As of March 13, our update was, that we were supposed to be submitted in PGN on the 14th. I haven't heard for sure, being Guatemala pretty much shuts down the whole holy week. They are mostly Catholics there I hear. I am supposed to get an update Tuesday. I will probably find out what she can do, how much she weighs, her height and most likely a new set of pictures. Wow, this has been a long one on the pictures. I can not WAIT!!!! So check Tuesday or Wednesday I hopefully will be able to get them on here.

Happy Birthday Grandma Henige

Well it is my mom's birthday today. It is a Big one too. We celebrated it on Easter. Poor woman didn't know we were going to celebrate it, we just surprised her with the basement decorated. She had to cook for around 25 people on her own birthday. It is hard for us all to get together. Everyone lives in Michigan, but everyone is a couple hours in different directions. Any ways HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!!! Next year you will have one more grandbaby to celebrate with you!!

I GUESS THIS IS MY ULTRASOUND

My baby

The one on the left is my first baby. His name is Keiko, he's ten years old and he is spoiled rotten. I actually feel sorry for him cuz he doesn't have any idea what's a coming. That is his cousin Annie (I call her Annabelle) She is Calvin and Lauren's dog. We are her babysitter when needed. When she comes Keiko is like uhh her again, how long this time. I definately can see him thinking that. So what is he going to think when his sister comes home for good. He loves kids, but babies, he has a tendancy to lick lick lick until I make him stop. He must think that they taste good. But I have been told you have to let them do it, at least a few times so he can figure out what they are. I am just praying that he ends up loving her. When friends bring their kids over he has to lay right next to them so he can to them. So I think he'll be alright.

Avea's Poem

This is the poem that I wrote for the day we told our families. I put it on a video one verse then a picture then a verse then a picture. It was a awesome experience telling around thirty people at one time. I had put music with it. The first song that I listened to for it was the one that I used, it seem to fit so perfectly. It was by N-sync As Long As You Love Me. Not a dry eye in the house on Christmas. My 12 year old neice even said Aunt Dee Dee that was the best Cristmas present you could have ever given us. Mike side it was a little traumatic at first but it ended up just as awesome. Aunt Dude had about four DVD players in the house and not one worked with the dvd that I made. So we had to haul them all into the computer room and lie after lie about what this movie was about. But we got them there, all the lies through them off until the very end then they all got it. I really wish I would have video taped the reactions that we got on both sides. But anyways this is the poem.

They have tried and tried to get me,

They just couldn't see,

That I have been waiting,

Somewhere they didn't think I'd be.

I knew I would be theirs the whole time,

Patiently waiting, knowing,

That they would be mine.

For me, God had a plan,

To be raised,

By another woman and a man.

He found someone to have me,

To lovingly give me away,

Please keep her in your hearts,

Because with you, I get to stay,

As for now Guatemala is my home,

I will be here for eight to ten months,

I have a family for now,

Don't be sad, I am not alone.

Please hope and pray,

Each and every day,

That I will be with Mommy and Daddy,

Sooner than they say.

I will have dark, dark round eyes,

Hair black like coal,

Skin that's golden brown,

My mom think's I'll be the prettiest in town.

Different looking I'll be,

But I'm gonna love you,

And your gonna love me,

You will See!!!!

Meeting our daughter

Yes, it is true. We have finally decided to go meet our baby. This was very scary for me, for many reasons.

First reason, the birth family can still change their minds. Yes it is true, something that I guess I knew, but I felt alright about because I haven't held her, touched her, kissed her. Now I decided to go anyways, and take our chances.

Next reason I was scared, was the thought of leaving her there after I have spent every moment with her for three days. (we get her the whole time we're there) How excrutiating that will be. I have been watching other peoples blogs and they all say that it is worth it. So we are going to go.

Third and final reason. Oh my gosh what if I don't know what to do if she won't quit crying? This baby doesn't know us, we will look different we will speak different she might and very well could be scared to death of this white, blue eyed blonde. I know, I know it will be fine. No, it won't, I will be in a different country, I won't be able to call anyone and after about an hour of screaming, Mike would be sitting in the bar enjoying a corona, and that is where I would want to be if it wouldn't stop. So, we decided, what are Grandmas for. Hee Hee. I decided to ask my mom if she would like to go. She jumped all over it. Mikes mom wants to soooo bad but just can't get on a plane. She says she gets sick just thinking about it. Oh well, hopefully she'll only have to wait a couple more months to meet her new grandbaby. So anyways we asked Aunt Dude to take her spot. Uncle Dan is coming too. How awesome this will be. To share this moment with them all.

So anyways I am waiting on a current weight so that I can find a itsy bitsy teeny wheeny Bikini for my girl. Some new clothes, diapers, swimming diapers and all lthat stuff a mom needs to take care of her baby for a weekend. I will have to stay in the hotel for the hotel time that I have Avea. I am trying to plan some things for the rest of them to do. I think one will be going to Antigua for the day. They say it is awesome there. We will be leaving in almost a month. Oh my GOSH I need to stay CALM.

It is going to take us about 7 1/2 hours to get there. That is including a two hour lay over in Texas. We will get there friday at about 1:30 p.m. And we will be home Monday about 4:30 in Detroit.

Oh I forgot

The reason it says Virginia on her name is because that is what her birth mother named her. Her given name is VIRGINIA DE LOS ANGELES. I won't put her last names on there because I don't think that I am supposed to.

After further review

After further review, (an all nighter looking at the football player) I see her little favorite snow suit sticking out from under her chin. Awe I have got to get some clothes down there.

WOW she's a FOOTBALL player

I found these pictures on my computer at 1 a.m. I printed them all off. Then I woke Mike up to look at them. He said wow she's cute, but she looks like a football player. We laughed

15 Weeks

Oh my gosh!!! Isn't she getting even more cute!!!!

We sent the dress down for Christmas. I guess it didn't get there in time. Notice the sweater outfit underneath. I think she looks like she could have sweat beads on her forehead.

Oh my gosh we have eyes!!! I couldn't wait for the day when I seen her eyes looking at me.

Notice the outfit

I seen this outfit. Was amazed that she was in something so warm. I guess it get down in the high fifties there. Remember the outfit.

Five week old pictures

Okay she looks more peaceful now.

My favorite in this set

For some reason this is my favorite picture out of all these five day old pictures. Do you think this is an inclination of the future. Whooooh I hope not. We don't need two criers in the family.

The only eyes we're going to see for a while

Yes, she is still crying. Look at the hair, I can't wait to get my hands on it.

These were our referral pictures

Yes the first pictures we ever seen of our daughter she was screaming in everyone of them.

The CUTEST BABY EVER

I remember the day when my sister Diana had her beautiful baby Lauren. I went to the hospital right after she had the baby c-section. She was on pain killer and had a pretty good slur going. I was holding the sweetest baby, and she said Denise tell me the truth, is she cute. "All moms think that their babies are cute, but I want to know the truth is she cute??" I told her "she was beautiful", and I wasn't lying. So now I look at my baby and I think she is so freakin' cute I can't stand it. Mike and I wonder if we are just biased cuz she is ours. But we truly think she is the cutest baby ever. Could she be??? Or is it just cuz she is ours???

Here is the Process

1. get the referral of your child

2. Prepare a Power of Attorney and forward it to agency with proper signatures and proper seals. Once attourner receives the POA. the process of you adiption can begin in Guatemala.

The I-171H, I600 and G-28 documents along with the documents of the Birth Mom and child are presented to the Embassy in Guatemala. The same day the documents are presented, attorney receives the Authorization for DNA testing. You will be contacted to let you know if it is a match.

4. The US lab where test was processed sends the results directly to Guatemala to the US embassy.

5. You will be notified via E-mail of you child's Visa Pre-Approval bu the USIS/home land Security office in Guatemala. At the same time your Guatemalan Attorney will be notified as well. If you have not received this notification after 4 weeks, Please contact you Case Manager for instructions on how to proceed.

6. Whil all of the above is taking place, your dossier is being translated into Spanish by PGN approved translators and set to Foreign Affairs for authentication.

7. Once the dossier is authenticated, itis submitted to Family Court and a Social Worker is assigned to the case. Various interviews take place, with the Birth Mother, the Child and the FOster Mom.

This can be in process while waithing for your child's Pre Approval notifations about 2 months

8. The Social worker issues a report on his/her findings. If the report is favorable the case can proceed to the PGN (Solicitor's General Office or "Procuraduria General de la Nacion")

Hopefully at this point you attorney has received and picked up you Pre-Approval and he/she is ready to submit your file for the first time to PGN. Once in PGN, your case will be assigned to an attorney who will review you case.

You will get "kicked out" of PGN at least once with "previos". most likely more than one time. These "previos" are irregularities with your case that could be found in either paperwork submitted by your attorney in Guatemala or your dossier. The PGN gets quite picky at this point. You can be rejected from PGN for expired notay commissions, or due to insignifacat things like smudges, cross-outs, white outs, illegibility of a document, and so on. This is quite "normal" in the process. When your reviewing attorney is finished reviewing, he gives you file to his supervisor (another attorney) who then signs the file. The case then moves to the Sub-Attorney General's office for signature.

The cas follows this sequence each time that is rejected and resubmitted to PGN. If they can't find anything else "wrong" with your case, the Sub-Attorney General signs the case for final approval and you are out of PGN. Please note that the Sub-Attorney General does not sign on a daily basis, sometimes not even on a weekly basis.

9. Birth MOther is called into the Guatemala Atorney's office to sign off on your case. At this point the child is YOURS, legally irrevocably and officially.

10. The attorney then needs to file a new birth certificate with your lst name at the Civil Registry in the local Municipality where child was born. This may take up to three weeks; depending on how far away from the city the child was born.

11. The attorney then procures a Guatemalan Passport for your child so the she can travel out of the country. 3----4 days.

12. At this time, documents will need to be translated to English to be presented to the US Embassy inorder to receive you Embassy Interview appointment slop, commonly referred to as the "Pink Slip" About 48 hours from submission. If submitted on Thursdays, it should come out on Tuesday of the next week. The US Embassy is closed for adoptions on Fridays.

13. The baby will need to be seen by an Embassy approved doctor who will do a final examination on the child making sure that all vaccinations are up to date and issuing a bill of good health for the baby to travel. THe Doctore issues a report to this effect. You will need to have you Pink Slip at this point. About 1 day.

14. With you "pink Slip" in hand, the Emabassy will schedule your appointment to ontain the visa for you child to travel. Please note that this is done Monday through Thursday, starting at 7 a.m. At this time you willl pay the proper fee. You need to retain the receipt to show the Counselor officer. Your child's visa will be ready to be picked up in the afternoon or the next day between 3 and 4. About 1-2 weeks.

18. You are now free to bring your child home!!!



There are two DNA's in this process. One at the beginning to make sure baby matches mom. Then one at the end to make sure first baby is the same as baby at the end.

The Decision

We had to decide which country our daughter was coming from. This was tuff. Mike kind of just wanted to do domestic until we went to an agency in Lansing. They really scared us from adopting Domestic, and Guatemala. They told us the chances of a bio mother changing her mind in the U.S., they told us about the problems with Guatemala, how we could lose at least $10,000 going through Guatemala, this really detoured Mike. These were our top two. Kazastahn was one we were thinking about to but we would have to stay in country for two to six weeks that was a downer. So anyways we discussed and discussed what to do and where to go. Finally on sunday I went to church, I prayed, and I prayed I asked Jesus and I asked Mary to help me out. I said please tell me where my baby is, give me a sign, I love you and I want to love a baby tell me where she is. I went home that day after mass, oddly I put a movie in about a half hour after I got home. In the first ten minutes of the movie, I heard Guatemala at least three times. This movie was not about Guatemala it was not a set up, it was my SIGN. This is how I decided that my daughter was in Guatemala.

THANK YOU AUNT DIANA

Thanks Aunt Diana for getting this blog started. I have wanted to get one going so that everyone could watch and learn the process to our Avea Maria. She surprised me tonight with the start of one. I tell ya, I have an awesome family. Both sides!!! Our Friends!!! What love I have felt through all of this, it is amazing!!! The girls at work, and even my customers. (who have all turned into my friends) They have listened to me through the excited time the nervous time and the highly anxiety time. Thank you to you all!!!

February 2008

Well, we have some more news... more pictures!

Here is Avea looking even cuter. Denise woke up Mike at 1am when she received the pictures and quoted him as saying "she the cutest guatemalan baby I have seen so far, but she looks like a football player".... the 'football player' is in reference to the warm clothing below the cute outfits.

January 2008

Wow, is she ever growing... here Avea is sporting a very cute outfit over her winter wear.



She has beautiful eyes and looks very happy in this picture!



We are hoping as each day goes by, that Avea is getting closer to being held by her mom, dad, and all of us!

**Two more steps done.
- Power of Attorney is Registered.
- The Central Authority is registered too.
- Also her meeting with the Birth Mother Foster Mother, Avea and a social worker was done on 1/23 it usually takes 14 days for Pre-approval.
- Then after that She goes into PGN!!!!! That is a good thing. But this is the timetaker. If everything goes well it could be done in 8 weeks. If we get previo, (that means kicked out) it could be way longer. all paper work has to be perfect, sometimes you get Kicked Out 2,3, 4 times. That would be really bad. Everytime you get KO'd you start over at the beginning of PGN again. start PRAYING hard now. I have sent a 12 X 18 in, box full of clothes down there. My friend Beth gave me some hand me downs and I bought a few new ones too. With six cameras. That is a total of 11 cameras. Hopefully the foster mom likes taking pictures, cause I would really like them all to come back full. The clothes were between 3-6 months she only weighed 7lbs on Dec 30. so I am hoping that will be the last box I have to send. I am saving the bigger clothes so I can put them on her myself.

December - 2007 **Christmas in Guatemala**

Christmas was in Guatemala for baby Avea... It is colder there in the winter time so they wear heavier clothes underneath their pretty clothes. This is something we did not know when we first seen Avea.

She is so beautiful... She is going to be loved by her new mom and dad and her 'big' family!

I think this was my sisters favorite picture they sent in December. It was'nt mine. There was another one that was really cute where she was wearing a hat! (but I won't post it since it wasn't her favorite).

The beginning....

Let me tell you.... this blog is all about my new neice to-be! My sister and brother-in-law have been in the process of adopting a new baby girl from Guatemala.

They are so excited about it, yet so scared! We (their family) are very excited as well and can't wait for the new baby to arrive here in Michigan!

I am so proud of them for doing this. They will be able to give the biggest gift of all to someone who would have never otherwise had a good life!

To Denise and Mike... in making the dream a reality... and praying it happens soon!!