Finally...Our Gotcha Day Video

How Quickly They Learn

As Abuelita settled into her car, Daniel looked on from the doorway.

"Bye-bye, ya'll,"said Daniel while waving his small hand back and forth.

Claudia and I did a double take and prompted him to say bye-bye again just to make sure we heard correctly the first time.

We did.

Our Colombian-born son who has been in the United States for only six months has already begun picking up true southern dialect. In his own child-like way, Daniel was definitely trying to say the Southern-most of Southern words: Ya'll.

For the past few weeks it has been impressive to notice everything Daniel is picking up cognitively. He has masted walking and continues making great strides eating independently. Now, his mental energies are focused on his vocabulary and communication skills.

Claudia will ask him to repeat several random words and he makes the cutest effort to repeat a lot of them. He is at a great stage where communicating with him is becoming easier, and even if he isn't getting the pronunciation correctly it is very cute to witness this learning process.

We are also now even more acutely aware of the challenge we face in raising Daniel to be bi-lingual. Claudia and her family are native Spanish speakers and I'm getting better with time. But the deluge of English Daniel hears daily either on television, radio or during day care overwhelms the few hours a day he hears Claudia and I speak Spanish.

Furthermore, my Spanish isn't perfect so I'm certain to be only adding to the confusion he must be experiencing while trying to learn both languages correctly. At least, I pray, I'm not permanently damaging his speaking skills.

People ask how everything is going with Daniel and many times I don't know where to begin. Parenthood has been one of the most immeasurably, wonderfully unexpected joys in our lives! Most of the time, I can only describe it as awesome.

Watching this little person become more aware of his environment and world is a great experience. You get to re-live life again through your child's eyes. Sticks, rocks and specks of dust are all just as new to him as a clear blue sky.

The next time you see our son, he may just have a Southern drawl to go with that, "Ya'll."

God bless,

Daniel Learning to Sign

With a quick, repetitive hand gestures, Daniel indicates he is hungry and ready to eat dinner.

During dinner, Daniel signs that he'd like more of a helping of pasta or fruit.

After only two months in day care, Daniel is learning sign language as a way to communicate when he needs basic needs met. It's something we tried teaching in Colombia, but were not very successful. I guess it's because we were overwhelmed with so many other things Daniel was trying to teach us at the same time!

Daniel is a quick learner and especially when food is involved. 

Shortly after I drop Daniel off at day care, the children enjoy a morning snack. Most mornings with backpack and jacket still on, Daniel begins gesturing for food as soon as he walks into the room.

His teachers look at him and say, "Yes Daniel, we know you want to eat."

I take his jacket off and watch him head toward the sink to wash his hands with the teacher. He waves good-bye, and off I go to work.

Claudia and I are so happy Daniel is learning to communicate with us more. He can tell us when he wants to drink or eat and a few other things.

I wish we could say that we taught him to sign and therefore were some sort of parental geniuses; but we can't. We pass all of those kudos to his day care teachers.

Restaurants, Races and Rendezvous

Let's go have dinner at Pei Wei, Applebee's or our favorite Mexican Restaurant dive.

It sounds like such a great idea at the time. All the ingredients to a good time are there. We're hungry. There's a restaurant offering to satisfy a particular craving we have. And so, we go inside.

But after a few visits to the restaurants, we have realized there is a pattern.

The waiter comes. We order. We wait. Daniel is entertained by something or another. Food comes. Daniel becomes bored. The race is on!

It's stressful eating when a child is screaming and forcing you to split your attention between meal, conversation and child. We end up shoveling food into our mouths, gulp the drink and bolt out the door as quickly as possible.

How can you enjoy the atmosphere when your child is decorating it with the entree? Makes you wonder, right?

We resigned ourselves to the fact that restaurants won't be a part of our lives for the next couple of years... at least not with Daniel.

While at work the other day, Claudia sent me a text.

"Are you available for lunch," she asked.

"Sure," I said.

"It's a date and without Daniel," she responded.

What a great idea! We could have our weekday rendezvous sneaking off to enjoy a lunch together at one of our favorite restaurants each week. My wife, in case you didn't know already, is brilliant!

This is a great solution to a seemingly silly problem, but in reality it is extremely important for us to maintain our relationship with each other. We rarely have time to enjoy an uninterrupted hour together now. So these lunches give us a chance to go on our "date" and continue the romance that made our relationship and friendship so great before parenthood.

So Claudia and I can continue enjoying our conversations at meal times, albeit during lunch; and Daniel can decorate our kitchen with his meal while we eat dinner together instead of destroying the decor in a restaurant.

Balance has been restored in the universe and life is good.

Independence Is a Messy Transition

Daniel appeared like a little man sitting in his miniature chair at the table and taking fist-fulls of fruit and shoving it into his mouth while surrounded by his new friends at day care.

One of the things Daniel's day care begins teaching all of the children upon arrival is how to become more independent. He has only been attending for about a week and already he wants to be more like the 18 month old children in his class.

"I'm losing my baby," Claudia exclaimed at one moment. 

Yeah, Daniel is starting to do a few more new things and we're realizing progress can be messy. It's cute to watch him be a little man eating at his miniature chair and table in day care. Frankly, we don't have to clean up the mess on the floor afterwards. At home, it's a different story.

Daniel is starting to use a spoon. By that, I mean he holds it in one hand while shoveling food into his mouth with the other. He pauses and looks at you. A grin creeps across his face. He knows how to use the spoon but prefers the feeling of soft banana squishing in his fist while eating.

Before day care, we would spoon feed Daniel the majority of his food. He would eat pieces of fruit by hand, but that was about all. Now he is eating by hand pasta, vegetables, fruit and whatever else we give him. Some days are cleaner than others.

In other developments, Daniel is starting to finally gain enough confidence to walk by himself - even if he is making it into a game.

He crawls out of his bedroom and into the nearby bathroom out of view. Then, he'll burst into the doorway and waddle his way toward you with a huge grin, laughing and arms pointed toward the ceiling. 

He totally knows what he is doing.

We receive daily reports from day care and they say he is starting to cruise around a lot more. That's definitely a welcome change for the staff, if not for Claudia and I who love to tote him around like an accessory. 

One day I observed him in his class room and everyone was standing in a line to go outside. Daniel was the last child in line. It was hard to see him because he was sitting down. The teachers opened the door and children walked outside. 

"Wait a minute. Let's see if he'll crawl outside, " one teacher said to another.

Daniel began crawling out the door, but about the time he got to the doorway he noticed something fascinating on the ground. 

I could see him pick it up in his hand and pull it close to his face to inspect the object of curiosity. The teacher, still holding the door patiently, just tilted her head to one side. The other teacher finally picked him up and took him outside.

Maybe Daniel's transition from baby to toddler won't be messy on all fronts. Some changes will be welcome, like sleeping the entire night; and others will make us remember with fondness when he was just a little bit more dependent on us, like when we're cleaning our kitchen floor after every meal.

Daddy Duty & Daycare

The words "Tata" frequently echo throughout the house and each time I swell with pride.

I never tire of hearing that infantile pronunciation of Da-da Daniel says. For the past three weeks, I've enjoyed working double duty between taking care of my son and answering phone calls, showing property and trying to negotiate real estate deals. It's been a tough juggling act at times and I'm thankful to everyone's patience - especially Daniel's.

But between the calls and various interruptions, there's a bond that's formed between us. I don't have the same routine as my wife when she took care of Daniel for two months. I didn't have the luxury of being completely away from work. But I ended up with my routine and Daniel is still alive. That equals success in my book.

Our bond is apparent in his smile and the way he laughs when we play. But it didn't come easily. The first week was really difficult for both of us. The second week felt like I had been doing this gig forever. But before I knew it, my time with Daniel at the house was coming to an end.

Our "new normal" begins next week. That's when Claudia and I will return to work full-time and Daniel will go to day care. Claudia and I haven't been full-time at work at the same time since May 21. We've attempted to transition Daniel by taking him to the day care a few times, but unfortunately he was sick last week and we've only taken him for half a day so far. September 15 will be his first full day.

Did I mention the reason for the half day?

No. Oh, well, okay. Allow me to explain. The day care is highly rated. The best there can be supposedly. It has an observation room where parents can stop by and watch their children unnoticed. Claudia and I visited the observation room around noon that day.

It was nap time and all of the children were sleeping - except Daniel. He was laying on his cot underneath our window. We could only see his tiny legs and bare feet. But we could hear him!  He was wailing. His toes would curl as he exerted all his effort into his crying. We knew, as only parents can, that he was really stressed - not just crying.

So, we decided to interrupt the nap and take him home. While they said he had only been crying for the past 15 minutes during nap time, his voice was gone. Never in my life did I imagine I would have felt the way I did. I was eager to take him home, comfort him and play with him. Claudia was in tears.

Parenthood really makes you see the world differently. Being an adopted parent means you always have another dimension to consider. Was he crying because he felt abandoned or because he just didn't want to take a nap? Did he think we would never come back? Those type of thoughts run through your mind.

I really hope Daniel enjoys daycare, makes plenty of friends and gets to experience things he wouldn't otherwise be able to at home. That's my hope, anyway. We'll see what our new normal looks like next week.

Situational Spanish for Parents

I've learned a lot of Spanish after being married for seven years to my wonderful Colombian wife, but my vocabulary has increased dramatically since Gotcha Day.

During lunch with some friends today, it struck me there is an entirely new host of words and phrases a parent uses daily. I'd like to share a few of my most commonly used words and phrases in case you find yourself the parent of a Spanish-speaking toddler.

Ven aca. = Come here.
No hagas eso. = Don't do that.
No jales mi pelo. = Don't pull my hair.
Déjalo. = Let it go.
Tu pañal esta mojado. = Your diaper is wet.
Tu pañal esta sucio. = Your diaper is dirty.
Necesito cambiar tu pañal. = I need to change your diaper.
Quieto! = Be still! (usually said with emphasis.)
Donde esta la pañalera? = Where is the diaper bag?
Te amo. = I love you.
Me amas? = Do you love me?
Cochino. = Nasty.
Estamos tarde. = We're late.
Quieres un tete? = Do you want a bottle?
Parate. = Stand up.
Camina. = Walk.
Muy bien. = Very good.
No pongas tu comida en el piso, por favor. = Don't put your food on the floor, please.
No lo toques. = Don't touch that.
No grites por favor. = Don't scream please.
Pacito. = soft (usually when he is petting the dogs).
Dame mis gafas. = Give me my glasses back.
Dulce sueños. = Sweet dreams.

I hope you find these words and phrases to be helpful to you.

All the best,

Saying Good-bye to Dog Days of Summer

The summer has flown by faster than most in recent years and Daniel has played a large role in making that happen.

The sunset arrives earlier every day and the 100 degree summer days with 100 percent humidity has finally begun to give way to slightly cooler temperatures - albeit in the high 80's and mid-90's.

Since arriving home with Daniel, we have spent a lot of time trying to establish a routine. It's been difficult because we are required to be home for 90 days. Claudia has been home for 60 days but returned to work last week. I'm picking up the last 30 days. So, we're still a month away from what will be our "new normal."

We've also made a couple of weekend trips to Memphis to introduce Daniel to family and friends. By now, he has met the majority of our immediate families and close friends with a few exceptions.

It was particularly special to introduce him to one of my family's friends for three generations, Mrs. Blaine. She was one of my grandmother's closest friends and they would talk daily. She was also our neighbor for several years in Memphis, which was when I developed a close relationship with her that continues today. She's 93 years young and a joy to be around. When she met Daniel, she quickly assumed the title of grandmother, and that's exactly how we wanted it to be.

It was also special to see my brother Derek playing the piano and watching Daniel sway back and forth while listening to the slow melody. Daniel loves music and dancing. Our theory is it's something he inherited in his Latin blood.

Developmentally, Daniel is progressing very quickly. No, he still isn't walking independently yet . But he does walk very well when we hold his hand or if we coax him to walk back-and-forth between us. He says a variety of  words including; tata (for daddy), mama, tete (bottle), aqua, Amen, gracias, wow-wow (doggies), up (mimicking a trick we do with our Cocker Spaniel), bye-bye  and a few others. He is standing up on his own without holding on to anything and taking steps toward us. He eats very well and loves fresh fruit (Mango, Watermelon, Strawberries and Banana) and Mommy-made soups.

It's amazing how quickly a child picks up the skill of manipulation. For example, Claudia scolds him to stop spitting Mango out of his mouth and throwing it to the floor. His reaction is to blow her a kiss. Her heart melts a little bit and then they start laughing and smiling toward each other.

He blows a lot of kisses.

He also has an active imagination. He was playing house with my sisters during one of our Memphis visits. They would spoon feed him and he'd open his mouth, pretend to take a mouthful of some unseen food and then say, "Yum."

Also, I'll make the sound of a mosquito buzzing around his head; then with my fingers pretend to catch it like Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid. With the invisible mosquito pinched between index finger and thumb, I'll act like I'm going to feed it to Daniel. Like a good sport, he leans forward and opens his mouth. Once the mosquito is inside, he'll say, "Yum."

He is adjusting so well that we can not help but thank God for all he has given us. Many people say because of his age, he will not realize certain things or remember all of these changes so early in his childhood.

That is true in a specific sense, but he will still be influenced by his past generally speaking. And at some point, whether in five years or 20, Daniel will likely ask us questions that unfortunately we won't have sufficient answers.

Even today, we don't take for granted how well he is adjusting. We are aware there are children who don't react as well and the transition takes longer and has more struggles than what we've experienced.

For now, we'll enjoy the last days of summer together as a forever family.

First Post Adoption Home Visit: Check!

Despite successfully navigating through the adoption process in Bogota in June, we are required to have several post adoption home visits until 2013.

Our first home visit was last week with our social worker, Kim, from Nashville-based Miriam's Promise. Even though we need to go through this, it's a lot easier because we're using the same social worker who did our home study.

Kim arrived on time at 9 a.m. We sat down in the living room with Daniel. He was very active, laughing and showing off for our guest. Of course he had no idea who was Kim. She opened her folder and began asking a variety of questions related to our routine and how well we were adjusting.

Claudia did the majority of the talking. In fact, she talked a lot more than I had expected. It was awesome to hear her describe our experience with the glow of new motherhood shining from her smile. While Claudia was talking, Daniel was crawling on the floor and playing with his various toys. He laughed in the background and would occasionally turn to Kim with a huge smile.

"Is he always this happy," she asked. "Oh, yes," we both replied.

By 11 a.m. Kim had asked all of her questions. I had put Daniel in his crib for his morning nap and he was sound asleep. Before Kim could leave, Claudia and I insisted on showing pictures of our trip that was on my Ipad and gave her a quick tour of Daniel's bedroom.

After we said our good-bye's and closed the front door, Claudia and I let out a collective sigh. We had passed. Well, it's not really a "pass or fail" situation but you can't help but think you are being evaluated.

On another note, Daniel had his first pediatrician visit. The doctor, who has several internationally adopted children as patients, said Daniel was current on shots and completely healthy. We're also beginning the process to finalize our adoption in Tennessee so he will have a Tennessee birth certificate.

Slowly but surely, we are almost finished.

Week Three: Half Infant and Half Toddler

While we slowly return to our new normal, it seems each day Daniel either learns a new word, sound, gesture or movement.

It is hard to believe we have been home three weeks. Time has a funny way of going fast. Claudia has enjoyed staying home with Daniel. I've returned to work and am finally starting to get caught up with our various projects and potential new business.

Daniel is getting into his routine. We've transitioned him into his bedroom during the nights, albeit reluctantly on my part. He slept the entire night yesterday and we are hoping this will become a trend.

His abuela delivered his crib bumper she made for him today. It looks great in the room and matches the existing color scheme.

Now on to more fun things! Daniel is on the verge of walking. It stumbled his first couple of steps quasi-unassisted yesterday. Claudia and I sat a few feet a part and let him lurch himself into our waiting arms. Without us there to catch him, he surely would have face planted into the carpet. Whether we want him to or not, Daniel is growing.

I like to describe him as half infant and half toddler. He enjoys being cuddled and treated like an infant, but at times he exerts his independence and is extremely curious about everything. It's a wonderful age.

The other day Claudia and Daniel were down stairs. Claudia went into the kitchen, which joins our living room, for a minute. Daniel took his moment of solitude combined with freedom to explore one of our potted plants. By the time Claudia saw him there was dirt all over the floor. The first indication something else was awry was when she noticed a little bit of dirt on Daniel's lip. When she opened his mouth it was full of, you guessed it, dirt!

She quickly opened his mouth and finger swiped as much dirt out as possible. Daniel was a little startled. They sat there looking at each other for a moment and then started laughing.

Our dogs are learning to adjust having an infant in the house. Daniel enjoys the dogs and now everything that moves is a "wow-wow." Cows. Horses. People walking in the distance. They are all doggies to Daniel.

Occasionally Missy (our nine-year-old cocker spaniel) or Pebbles (our adopted Pomeranian) will growl at Daniel to tell him he is getting into their space. Daniel, sitting up on the floor in only his onesie, looks at them for a minute and growls back at them. We die laughing.

Daniel still hasn't gotten used to the sweltering heat yet, but the good news is none of the natives have either. As with much of the country, Nashville has been consistently in the mid-90s with high humidity making outside really feel like 100+ degrees. Step outside for a few minutes and it feels like you're taking a shower in your sweat.

Car trips aren't nearly as fun as the destinations for Daniel. It is an understatement to say he hates being in his car seat by himself. With someone sitting in the backseat with him it is a lot better experience. Otherwise, he is wailing from start to stop.

It makes trips to Gymboree during the week bittersweet for Claudia. He really enjoys interacting with the other children, but going and coming is very traumatic for him in the car seat. Still, Claudia has watched him play peek-a-boo with the teacher and crawl-sprint toward the surprise toy box at the end of class. I can't wait to see him during one of the classes.

And so, each day we enjoy watching our son do what little one-year-old children do. He's exploring, learning and talking a lot. Everything is new to him. Whether it's a summer breeze and flowers or a trip to the grocery store and Gymboree. Basically, it's awesome.

Visiting Vanderbilt Children's Hospital

After returning to the United States, one of the first items on our agenda was visiting Vanderbilt Children Hospital International Adoption Clinic.

 We visited the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital International Adoption Clinic to run a battery of tests on Daniel. The clinic's name says it all and specializes in evaluating medical documents from other countries and specific testing for children from other countries once they arrive stateside.

Of course Daniel did exceptionally well! We are so thankful to be blessed with a wonderful, friendly, healthy child.

Now we are beginning our search for a pediatrician. A few have been highly recommended by friends or family and we'll likely visit them.

Each day we are getting back into a routine and our "new normal."


Claudia is getting used to being home and has done a wonderful job managing to establish Daniel's routine. He is very comfortable in the house. He really enjoys Missy and Pebbles; and they are doing great with him too.

The heat, however, is really hard for Daniel. He is accustomed to fifties and overcast days. Nashville has been like a soup with mid-nineties and very high humidity. Within minutes, Daniel is drenched with sweat. Until he gets acclimated to the temperature here, we aren't taking him out very much.

I returned to work this week. It has been difficult leaving Daniel and Mommy at the house, but the reaction Daniel makes when I walk through the door in the afternoon warms my heart. He becomes so happy. He smiles and laughs until I can pick him up.

Daniel met Ezra last weekend. Ezra is one of our closest friends son and is about a month older than Daniel. Everyone had a great time watching the two of them interact. Little did they know the pressure and scrutiny they are under to become fast, best friends!

This weekend we have Claudia's sister Ana Maria and her husband and kids coming to visit. We can't wait to see them.

Back in the U.S.A

After almost six weeks in Bogota, Colombia, we are back and seeing the benefits of being in our home with Daniel the first week.

Daniel did amazingly well during the five hour flight from Bogota to Houston, and the three hour flight from Houston to Nashville on July 3. While going through Customs and Immigration in Houston, Daniel became a U.S. citizen.

Claudia and Daniel disappeared into one of the Immigration and Customs offices for about 15 minutes. When their meeting ended with the Immigration officer, he extended his hand to Daniel for a shake and said, "Welcome to the United States of America."

Daniel eyed the gentleman with a skeptical expression.

Both sets of grandparents and Claudia's sister and brother-in-law were waiting for us at the airport. Daniel wore a red Colombian t-shirt and Claudia and I wore shirts made by her sister Ana Maria and niece. The shirts were great and proudly said, "Daniel, we are a forever family!"

Naturally, he received a lot of love and attention from his new family. It was a little much for him at one point because he broke down and cried. That said, he was comfortable in my arms. I guess we're attached now.

Adoption experts say to expect continued improvements when a child arrives home. We've been home for four days. Daniel is sleeping and eating great. He is fascinated with his two new doggies, Missy (Cocker Spaniel) and Pebbles (Pomeranian). The doggies are interested in him but with somewhat less enthusiasm.

All indications say he feels at home. Claudia's cousin postulated that in Colombia nothing smelled like his parents, but at home everything smells like us. Naturally, if everything feels like his parents then he must feel more comfortable.

Everything Daniel sees, smells and hears is completely new to him. I took him for a morning walk the other day through our neighborhood. First, it was 90 degrees. That's about 40 degrees hotter than he is used to in Bogota. Second, without buses, taxis, pedestrians, dogs, various stores, street vendors, and constant bumps and jumping curbs, our neighborhood must be incredibly boring to Daniel. We may need to jump the sidewalk curbs every other house just to keep things interesting for the little guy.

Daniel spent about thirty minutes at our neighborhood swimming pool yesterday. He loves the pool! The little guy was kicking with his feet and waving his hands to make as many splashes as possible. The grin on his face was so large he could have swallowed all the water in the pool.

"We'll need to make sure he get swimming lessons," said Claudia after watching him joyfully play in the pool.

Claudia and I are committed to speak Spanish at home with Daniel. We have been married for about seven years and have never implemented this as a house rule, but now it is very important if Daniel is to be bilingual.
Case-in-point, after being home for two days he was already saying bye-bye and waving his hands bye.

We will forever cherish our experiences in Bogota with Daniel. They are part of our journey to parenthood. Now we are establishing our routines at home and providing Daniel the stability and security he needs.

Day 42: Coming Home

The sun has set on our last day in Bogota, Colombia and we are finishing packing our suitcases.

It is hard to believe we have been in Colombia for six weeks. This is a wonderful country with friendly people, great food and culture. Still we are very excited to return to Nashville tomorrow with Daniel.

We can't wait to introduce him to our two dogs and the rest of his family. We will have a long travel day. We wake up at 4 a.m. to make it to the airport for our 7:50 a.m. flight. We'll arrive in Nashville at 5:30 p.m.

Today we enjoyed lunch with Hedmer, Lilliana and Carolina just outside of Bogota. It really meant a lot to have such wonderful friends to celebrate Daniel's birthday so far from home. Daniel had a little bit more cake too.

At the condominium, Tio Alberto gave Daniel his birthday present; a playschool cell phone. The night before, Daniel showed everyone he knew how to "answer" a phone. We died laughing as he would pick up the phone and place it next to his ear. So, Tio Alberto's gift was perfect for him!

Claudia and I are so grateful to everyone at Children's Hope, Miriam's Promise, Lucia, Oscar and Andres. Words can't give justice to how much we appreciate the love and support from all of our family and friends. Now we begin our adventures as a Forever Family!

Day 41: Daniel Turns One and Tours Orphanage

The first thing Daniel saw this morning when he opened his eyes was his parents, who then sang Happy Birthday.

Today Daniel turned one year old. He had a great day that included receiving his first soccer ball and Colombian soccer jersey and shorts, and ate his first piece of cake. By most accounts that is a pretty good way to kick off a long series of birthdays.

Before we celebrated, however, we returned to the orphanage from yesterday. We brought with us some specific items the orphanage had mentioned needing. This time we were able to tour portions of the facility and meet with the founder and his wife.

The building is nondescript and only has a small sign identifying it as an orphanage.  The building is connected to the others on the street. If you weren’t looking for it, then you could easily miss it.

When we entered the building, it became obvious that it was connected to the other buildings. From the outside its size was deceptive, but once indoors there were some stairs to the second floor and then a hallway that lead to an atrium between the buildings where sunshine and warm air could be enjoyed.

And it was being enjoyed by several children bound to wheelchairs. There were other children with varying degrees of functionality and independence. Numerous nurses and aides were attending to the children. Colombian singer Shakira blared on the radio while a couple of children danced to her music. Fifty –three children call this orphanage home.

We were fortunate to have a conversation with the founder and his wife. They truly have wonderful hearts and are doing God’s work by helping children who have no family, are dependent on others for even basic functions and will likely never be adopted.

The orphanage keeps a low profile and doesn’t do a lot of publicity or fundraising. That said it survives on donations from a network of professional colleagues, adoptive families, grants, etc. Over the years, the orphanage has made connections with people in far flung countries as France, United States and Australia.

“Sometimes people feel if they can’t donate a large amount of money, then they can’t donate anything,” the founder explained. “But if you give me ten dollars, then we can buy rice for meals. Anything can help.”

An orphanage that specializes in helping disabled children has an entirely different level of need than others with healthy children. I didn’t realize how great the need is for physical therapy equipment, air tanks, wheelchairs, guard rails for beds, etc. that are needed for special needs children. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I didn’t make the connection until we toured the facility.

“Ninety-five percent of the children we receive have a major disability,” the founder says. “The other five percent only need a surgery to have a normal life.”

What does that mean for the five percent of children? It means they are put on the special needs list and their chances of being adopted are low because the majority of adoptions are with healthy children.

We left the orphanage discussing how we can help raise money for the orphanage. When we return to the United States, it’s our goal to help out as best we can.

During the evening, Tio Alberto brought Daniel his first birthday cake. We put on our birthday hats, lit the “1” candle and sang “Happy Birthday” to him in English and Spanish. We think he likes being the center of attention.

He enjoyed his first cake like all one-year-old children on their birthdays. Then we put on his Colombian soccer outfit and gave him his mini-soccer ball. Tio Alberto and Claudia helped teach him how to kick the soccer ball.

The boy can’t walk yet and he is already enthusiastically kicking a soccer ball. He must have Colombian blood running through his veins.

Day 40: Our First Month Together & Making a Difference

We’ve been a forever family for one month and it feels great.

Everyone knows time doesn’t stand still. But sometimes it feels to move slower; and other times faster. Our wait for Daniel felt very slow, but time has moved quickly after Gotcha Day on May 30.

You often hear new mothers talk about how their child does something new or different every day. The pace of their physical and mental development is so quick for babies. Daniel is no different.

Daniel has formed an emotional attachment to each of us in different ways. Mami consoles him when he is tired or hurt. Papi plays and either carry or push him everywhere. Mami feeds him and Papi bathes him. We are finding our strengths and weaknesses with parenthood and the outline of our responsibilities is slowly forming.

So, what changes have we noticed in Daniel beyond attachment?

1.      He tries to say agua, casa, momma, and papa.

2.      He had six teeth on Gotcha Day and now has two new ones coming out now.

3.      Daniel has learned a few cool tricks like blowing on Papi’s arm to make poot noises.

4.      Papi taught Daniel how to blow kisses.

5.      Mami taught Daniel how to play peek-a-boo (he still only uses one very small hand to cover his entire face)

6.      He used to just drop objects on the floor, but now it’s a game. If you have kids, then you know the “Oh Oh,” game. He plays it constantly. In fact, he actually says “Oh Oh,” before he drops things, or if he hears a stranger drop something in the grocery store.

7.      Since Gotcha Day, Daniel has been learning how to walk. He still has a lot of development to go, but he’s going to get there.

8.      He has gained weight, which is HUGE.

9.      When he is full, now he spits his food out.

10.  He has learned to make lots of new noises with his mouth.

Today we went to Carrefour, located in Santa Fe Mall, to purchase a variety of items for our visit to one of the local orphanages.

This was particularly meaningful for us. It is so important to be able to provide even a little bit for children who need so much. We filled our shopping cart with a couple hundred diapers, sleeping clothes, chocolate milk powder, milk and toys.

Despite what appeared to be so much, “I doubt some of this will last a day,” Claudia said.

We took a short cab ride to the orphanage. It’s located in a nondescript building. We rang the door and within a couple of minutes were allowed to enter. We entered into the garage and laid out our donations.

The receptionist greeted us and was very appreciative of what we brought. The orphanage has 53 children; many of whom are teenagers and disabled. Some of the children are categorized as disabled because they needed a one-time surgery but are otherwise healthy.

The receptionist said we couldn’t take a tour because ICBF was visiting the orphanage today. But we may be able to see the facility tomorrow if we returned. We were very happy to hear that news and are excited about returning.

Day 37: Forrester Lose Track of Days and Realize Today is Really Day 39

How it happened probably isn’t as important as the fact that it happened.

We are actually on day forty. We have no clue what happened to the missing two days. I can assure you they weren’t the Gotcha Day or Sentencia. Other than that, who knows, right?

Well, I’ll start on Day 40 for the next blog for those who are keeping up.

As for today’s events, we continued trying to keep Daniel on a more normal schedule. We visited with Bisabuela Joca and her housemaid Francia (who went with us to Jaime Duke Park with her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter).

The original plan was to have breakfast, or desayuno, at 10 a.m. We arrived at noon. So breakfast had turned into lunch de facto.

Daniel and I took a two hour siesta. He was tired and I was still sick with a sore throat and lingering body aches. While we slept, Claudia, Bisabuela and Francia took a walk outside. The weather was great; clear skies and sunshine.

Daniel and I awoke at 2:30 p.m. We all took a short walk to Unicentro Mall. There we said our good-byes. It was bitter sweet. We’re leaving Sunday, so this is the last time for us to see Bisabuela.

Daniel gave her a wet kiss and hug. Claudia and Bisabuela hugged and wiped a few tears from their eyes.

It’s hard to say good-bye.

Day 36: U.S Government Grants Daniel Visa and Residence Status

Tuesday Daniel completed his adoption process and was granted permanent resident status in the United States.

At approximately 2:30 p.m. Claudia, accompanied by her grandfather Hernando, hailed a taxi in front of Mirandela Shopping Center across from the condominium. Inside the taxi, she gave the driver instructions to go to the United States Embassy.

The driver wasn’t quite as good as the one who took us to the Embassy last Thursday because he didn’t know exactly how to get to the front gate of the Embassy. As a result, he dropped Claudia and Abuelo a few blocks from the Embassy.

Despite the unexpected walking, Claudia had no issues picking up Daniel’s U.S. Visa and a sealed package of documents we assume to be related to his immigration process. The package has special instructions to remain sealed until we arrive at the U.S. Customs and Immigration office in Houston.

It’s hard to believe the process is now over. Daniel is our son and will become a U.S. citizen within the next few days. His life, and ours, is forever changed.

Of course, the day’s events and significance didn’t exactly impact Daniel’s day. He was in a pleasant mood. In fact, he had slept most of the night despite our concern to the contrary. He is teething and has a couple of new front teeth appearing. It took us a couple of days to realize the new teeth were the reason he was being cranky. After we gave him some teething oral-jell to relieve the pain, he was in much better spirits.

I stayed at the apartment with Daniel during the day. We really wanted to get him back on his routine. After a weekend trip, his routine was a wreck. Also, I wasn’t feeling very well and may be getting a little bit of a sore throat and low fever.

We are so thankful our process is almost over! We’re emotionally ready to be back in our home and see everyone.

Day 34 & 35: Forresters take Weekend Trip to Villa de Leyva & Raquira

Sunday & Monday: Taking advantage of the long weekend, we traveled for an overnight stay in one of Colombia’s most famous pueblos.

Villa de Leyva is one of Brian’s favorite towns in Colombia. The town is one of the oldest in Colombia and a step back in time to the Spanish colonial period. Known for its white-washed walled buildings and portons, Villa de Levya has changed very little since Spain ruled the countryside nearly 200 years ago.

Another benefit of Villa de Leyva is it is located only three hours from Bogota. The route takes you through Tunja in Boyacá and past El Puente de Boyacá, the site of one of Simon Bolivar’s most significant military victories en route to overthrow the Spaniards in Bogota.

Claudia’s uncle Alberto offered to take us on the overnight trip. We piled into his car around mid-morning Sunday. While Tio Alberto and Bisabuelo had basically a backpack for the overnight trip, we had a suitcase, pack & play, baby bag, camera, tripod, etc.

“All of this is for just one night,” I said. We’re getting used to being parents, a responsibility that requires we pack for an army even though it is really just for one child.

Puente de Boyacá translates to Bridge of Boyacá. There is a small white-washed bridge that crosses a small creek. Four soldiers dressed in period military uniforms stood guard on both sides of the bridge. A small crowd of people were touring the historic site.

The sky was overcast and within a few minutes of being there it began to rain. The good thing was the rain scattered the people, who were searching for cover. This allowed for me to snap a few quick photos without so many people in the photo.

Afterward, we hopped back into the car and continued our trip. In Tunja, a city nearly 500 years old, we stopped for lunch. Daniel did great during the car ride and even took a nap every now and then.

Once we arrived in Villa de Leyva, we checked into our hotel and quickly unpacked our bags so we could go to the town’s main plaza. Several guests were cyclists. There was a small bike race around the city that day. Cycling is a very popular hobby for many Colombians.

We walked around the main plaza of Villa de Leyva, which was full of tourists from Colombia and other countries. People were drinking and eating and after the sun set they were listening to storytellers weave fables on the cobblestone in front of the church steps.

We woke up around 8:30 a.m. Daniel woke up during the night a couple of times. He was completely disoriented, but I’m sure the fact there was no electricity and the room was pitch black; only my iphone broke the darkness.

We had a healthy breakfast and headed toward Raquira (pronounced Rack-e-da), a small town about an hour from Villa de Leyva and famous for manufacturing thousands of handcrafts sold throughout the country.

Where Villa de Leyva is white-washed walls and portons, Raquira is an explosion of colors. Buildings are painted bright reds, greens, pinks and blues. One building is even painted red, blue and yellow, the three colors of the Colombian flag. The main road that enters the city is bordered on both sides by locally-owned shops until the road arrives at the city’s main square and plaza.

The road is a swarm of activity. Shop owners stand at their doorways calling out to passersby, “Bienvenidos. Siguen.”

Claudia and I disappeared into many of the stores while Tio Alberto and Bisabuelo watched after Daniel. We believed it would be expensive to take Daniel into stores filled with fragile art crafts.

When buying in Raquira, never pay asking price. Claudia is an expert, as some may already know, at negotiation. She can hammer those poor people into giving her things for free. You almost feel bad for the vendors!

The stores were packed with hundreds of Portons (they are miniature replicas of the famous balconies from Villa de Leyva and often have flowers, machetes, dogs or cats, etc. Also, we have several in our kitchen if you’ve been to our house before), hand-made wrist bands, ceramics, t-shirts, typical Colombian hats, toys, hammocks, and a variety of sizes of chivas (brightly colored vehicles typical of Colombia)

We racked up in Raquira! We purchased a lot of things for friends, family and us. But despite the great deals, after three hours we were beginning to get a little hungry. We hadn’t even reached the town plaza because we were doing so much shopping.

After lunch we headed toward Chiquinquira to see one of the most famous churches in the country. Pope John Paul and Simon Bolivar, the liberator of Colombia and four other countries from Spain, have each paid visits to the Basilica for the Virgin of Chiquinquira.

The Basilica is located in front of a large plaza that features a statue and is a hub of the city’s activity. Inside a mass was in progress. Several locals were seated respectfully as the priest spoke. His voice echoed in the cavernous space.

Local and Catholic lore know the Basilica as being the source of numerous miracles, which was one of the reasons driving Pope John Paul’s visit, explained Claudia.

“The church is similar to those we saw while in Italy and Spain,” Claudia said. It was her first time to visit also.

The sun was setting behind one of the large, white-washed buildings in front of the Basilica which meant we needed to get back on the road. We were still a couple of hours from Bogota.

Road trips are great, but in Colombia you can’t take them for granted for numerous reasons. One of the main reasons is people drive crazy in this country. It’s common place for cars, buses and commercial 18-wheelers to pass on blind curves or pass multiple vehicles at a time. Each time they do so, they risk head-on-collisions, their lives and those of the people around them.

So we took advantage of the little daylight left of the day and headed home. About thirty miles from Bogota, Tio Alberto’s clutch gave out and he wasn’t able to go from second to third gear. We were in traffic with other people returning to Bogota from their weekend trips.

We stopped a few times and debated about being able to continue. We decided to keep the car in second gear and drive the last 20 miles as slow as necessary despite the blaring horns from frustrated drivers behind us. Fortunately, the remainder of the drive was on two lane roads and cars and trucks could pass us easily.

Once home, we unpacked and had dinner. Daniel, who had slept the entire way home from Chiquinquira, ate a quick dinner and went to bed. His parents were worn out too, but not sure if he would wake up during the night since he had slept so much already.

Only time would tell.

Day 33: Visit with Friends

Given we are officially on a countdown to return home, we took advantage of our last Saturday in Colombia to visit with Lilliana and her boyfriend Juan.

The day was not particularly eventful beyond our meeting with Claudia’s college friend but an enjoyable distraction from being in the condominium all day. The weather cooperated with us also as it was sunny with a slight chill in the air.

We enjoyed lunch in a restaurant just outside Bogota. The establishment is relatively new and is the second location for one of Bogota’s most famous local dives known for bar-b-que ribs, although they don’t resemble anything like what we call ribs in the South.

The restaurant was very spacious and empty of patrons by mid-afternoon when we arrived. We selected a table inside rather than on the patio because of the chill in the air. Our service was prompt and the food was great.

It was good to visit with old friends. Lilliana was one of the first of Claudia’s friends I met. She came to the United States the year Claudia and I were married and was the envoy for our wedding rings.

After lunch we drove a little farther north to the town of Sopo. There we visited Alpina’s factory and restaurant again. The first time we visited was with Claudia’s uncle our first weekend in Colombia.

It was a great way to begin closing out our visit in Bogota. The first time we were at Alpina was without Daniel, which made the second visit more special. Our lives have forever changed for the better with Daniel in our lives.

While we enjoyed our deserts, we were not alone. There was a huge crowd of people doing the same as us. This weekend is a holiday for Colombia. Businesses are closed on Monday. So, once again, Colombians take advantage of the break and do little things to make it special; like enjoying desert at Alpina.

During the evening, we tried to get well rested because Sunday we were heading for a little adventure to Villa de Leyva.

Day 32: U.S. Grants Daniel Visa to Enter States

A day after Colombia-based ICBF officially closed its file on Daniel Forrrester, the United States granted him a sought-after visa to enter the states with his parents.

We woke up at 5:45 a.m. and began our morning routine preparing to leave for our 8:30 a.m. meeting at the United States Embassy. Daniel skipped his morning bath, dressed wearing his USA jacket and had a quick breakfast. Claudia grabbed all of our documents necessary for our meeting and we were off.

We hailed a taxi to take us to the U.S. Embassy that is located near the El Dorado International Airport. En route, we struck up a conversation with the driver. There are 400,000 taxis serving Bogota's 7.4 million population. No wonder its so easy to get a taxi!

Even though we arrived at the Embassy at 7:45 a.m. there was already a line of a few hundred people hoping to receive a U.S. visa. Each person pays just to have an opportunity for an interview at the Embassy with no guarantee of receiving a visa.

A U.S. visa is very difficult to obtain in Colombia. It's something most U.S. citizens don't understand because there are very few countries that require U.S. citizens to obtain a tourist visa. Nearly every person waiting this morning had a packet of documents for their interview.

Inside the packets there was more than likely either letters from a family member in the United States petitioning for the applicant to recieve a tourist visa and vouching they will be responsible for the applicant, financial documents supporting a sufficient amount of money to incentivize the applicant's return to Colombia, and/or letters from work, etc.

The interviewer has a lot of leeway during the interview, based on information provided from a U.S representative. The interviewer has the right to ask whatever questions they want. They can request to review every document the applicant brings, or on a good day they won't even ask for it. If the applicant is nervous, then odds are against them receiving a visa. For these reasons and more, no one in Colombia takes the process for granted.

As we watched people leave from their interview, they had one of two reactions. Either they were smiling and hugging their family members, or they had a sad or frustrated expression. Many had dressed formally for the interview and some were probably wearing new clothes specifically for this morning.

All of that said, Daniel's situation is different. Because of his adoption, his visa is almost guaranteed. His visa will only be good for the 5-hour flight to Houston, but once he arrives there he will become a U.S. citizen.

After nearly two hours waiting, we were told his visa was approved and we can pick it up on Tuesday. Personally, I think his USA jacket had a lot of sway during the interview process. The little guy is eager to be home just like his parents!

This is the last step in our nearly 18 month process to bring our son home.

That afternoon, we went to Santa Fe to celebrate with Daniel. He ate Bandeja Paisa with mommy and  I ate a burger to satisfy a week-long craving. After lunch, we went to both of the children's play areas. Daniel was in heaven with all of the children running and jumping around him.

We headed back to the condo after a couple of hours. Daniel was obviously worn out based on his crying. It was time to start our night-time routine. Eat. Play. Change into pajamas. Bottle. Bed.

Day 31: ICBF Closes Case for Daniel Forrester

By all accounts Daniel appeared the same as we rode in the taxi back to our condo this afternoon, but something unseen was very different.

At 2:30 p.m. we met with Lucia's assistant Andres at the Colombian passport office. The weather was overcast and scattered showers. We stepped out quickly after paying our fare. Another couple was waiting to get into the taxi. When it's raining in Bogota, taxis are a valuable commodity.

We didn't need to wait very long to pick up Daniel's Colombian passport. The passport office had moved to a newer, larger location since we were last there to pick up Claudia's Colombian passport nearly a month ago. Maybe being in a new location makes things more efficient!

The wait was only about 20 minutes to get his passport. While waiting, Daniel was getting pretty tired and fighting sleep. I walked around the aisles with him in my arms. Claudia and Andres took care of the passport. When we finished, we grabbed another taxi and headed to the ICBF headquarters located near the airport.

At ICBF, we finalized Daniel's adoption paperwork, known as the "Resolution," and ICBF closed his case. Daniel is our son by all accounts. The only thing we need now is his U.S. Visa to return home. We're so close to being finished!

Outside ICBF, we said our good-bye's to Andres. He won't be joining us at the U.S. Embassy tomorrow, so this was likely our last opportunity to see him.

Lucia, Andres and our attorney Oscar are an amazing team. Lucia has been in the business for 40 years. Andres has worked with Lucia for 10 years and Oscar for 14 years. They operate like a well oiled machine. We would likely still be waiting for Sentencia if it weren't for them. (We've met one couple who have been in Colombia for two months trying to finalize the adoption!)

Daniel finally fell asleep in Claudia's arms as we rode through busy Bogota traffic en route to the condo. We both looked at him with love.

"He has no idea what has just happened," I said.

By the end of the day, something about us had changed. Daniel's first chapter in life, as hard as it may have been, finally ended today. Now he is writing a new chapter in life with a forever family and we are blessed by God to be that family.

Day 30: Forresters Begin Jumping Through Final Hoops

Now the fun begins as we take our final steps toward leaving Colombia and Daniel receiving his U.S. citizenship.

The day began early since our first meeting was at 8:30 a.m. at the Passport office. We dressed Daniel in some of his best clothes and brushed his hair for his photos. He looked great.

We hailed a taxi and met with Lucia's assistant Andres who helped us navigate the Passport office. Daniel did a great job posing for his Colombian passport photo. We had the option of either getting an emergency passport which would be ready within a day but be good for seven months, or wait an extra day and get a passport that is good for 10 years. We know we'll be coming back to visit so it made sense to go ahead and get the 10-year passport.

Once we finished with the Colombian passport, we dove into a small store a couple doors down from the passport office and took Daniel's photos for his U.S. visa.

During this time, Lucia and Andres were contacting the U.S. Embassy doctor to see if we could meet with him today instead of waiting until we received the Colombian passport. Luckily we were able to schedule a meeting for 3:00 p.m.

The process continues to move quickly.

After taking Daniel's photos for his U.S. visa we had a few hours free before our next meeting. We took a short taxi ride to La Hacienda Mall, a high-end mall that was built to look like a small farm. We did mostly window shopping, but found some great boots for Claudia.

After lunch, we took a walk around Usaquen town. It's similar to Belle Meade in Nashville in the sense that its part of Bogota but has its own mayor and other city operations. The town is high-end with elegant restaurants, clothing stores and artifacts wrapping around the town square and church.

We arrived at Casa Lanthana at 1:40. It was great to re-introduce Daniel to the staff who had taken such great care of him during our first week. The staff were so happy to see him. Another great sign of Daniel's attachment to us was when he preferred for me rather than the staff hold him.

Andres showed up at 2:30 and we headed off to the doctor's office. The doctor was tall and had a low gravely voice that reminded me of Herman Munster from the Adam's Family. He was very friendly and would throw out hints about parenthood with a twinkle in his eye.

We were very comfortable talking with the doctor. To our surprise, he lived in the United States for about five years working at a hospital in Louisana and at St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis.

Daniel was a little nervous when the doctor took a look at him. The doctor let Daniel hold a few of his instruments and play with toys.

Most importantly, the doctor signed off on the documents necessary for the U.S. Embassy to provide us with Daniel's visa. We're confirmed to visit the U.S. Embassy on Friday at 8:30 a.m. Everything is falling into place quickly. It's hard to believe we are almost finished!

During the evening, we had a brief meeting with Claudia's uncle Alberto. We're taking advantage of the Colombian holiday this weekend and planning a trip to Villa de Leyva, located about three hours from Bogota. It's one of my favorite places to go.

God Bless,
Brian, Claudia and Daniel

Day 29: Colombia Recognizes Daniel as a Forrester

Tuesday, June 21st was the BEST Day for the Forrester Family. Afer a month in Colombia we finally got the sentencia from a judge saying Daniel is our official baby boy. It was an emocional day.

We got up early because we were waiting for Lucia's call at any time. Around noon we got the good news. Our court appoinment was for 2:30 pm. Also, she recommended for Brian and Daniel to stay at the condo because it was going to be a long afternoon of paperwork. We went out to eat a quick lunch and right after that I headed to Casa Lanthana with my grandfather to meet Lucia's partner Andres, who was going to take us to the court in downtown Bogota. Around 2:15 we arrived at the building and met our lawyer Oscar.

We went trough all the paperwork to make sure all the information was correct. It melted my heart to see my son's name for the first time on paper with our last name. I don't have words to describe the moment. It was awesome. I signed the papers and we waited for about 30 minutes for the judge to sign it. Andres and the lawyer shook my hand and told me congratulations, "It is official. Daniel is your son."

 At that point I was ready to cry. My son, my fist son, was finally offcially my baby boy.

Right after that we headed out to the Notary to change Daniel's last name to Forrester on his birth certificate. In Colombia, you need to go to the Notary where you were first registered to obtain original birth certificates or make any changes. This means we were going to the Notary where Daniel was first registered. It was a special connection to part of Daniel's past. It was really far away and the traffic in Bogota can be a mess sometimes.

As soon as we walked into the Notary building, I saw all the couples registering the little babies. I became a really proud mom also. I was going to register our baby boy under our names as his parents. What a great feeling! What a great Day!!!

While we were waiting to get copies of the documents, I finally had time to call Brian and give him an update. He was really excited also and couldn't wait to celebrate. He also had great news for me. He was having a great afternoon with Daniel; a great bonding time for both of them.

I got home around 7 pm. It was a long day for everybody. As soon as Daniel saw me at the front door he was so excited that he was jumping and screaming like crazy. It was like he knew what a great and significant day we had as a family of three. All my exhaustion melted and I was ready for some play time with my son. I love my two boys with all my heart.

Good nigh everybody. We have another busy day tomorrow!!!

Claudia

Sentencia Scheduled for Tuesday!

Our liaison Lucia confirmed this evening our Sentencia is confirmed for Tuesday and now the fun begins!

This is fantastic news and means our time in Colombia is coming to an end within about a week. We'll definitely be able to spend Daniel's 1st birthday in Nashville.

We're supposed to meet Lucia downtown tomorrow morning and meet with the judge overseeing our case. Depending on the time we finish, we'll be able to immediately go get Daniel's birth certificate.

The rest of the week we'll have a lot to do. We need to obtain Daniel's Colombian passport, take him to the U.S. Embassy doctor and receive his U.S. Visa.

We need to change our flights, but will be heading to Nashville next week!

Stayed tuned.

Day 28: With End Approaching It's Time to Shop

With hopefully only a couple of weeks left in Bogota, it was time to start hunting for gift ideas for friends and family.

We believe Sentencia will be Tuesday based on our last conversation with Lucia. It will be only a matter of time before we can return to the States once Sentencia is behind us. So time is becoming a valuable commodity for us.

We had an early breakfast and headed outside The day was gorgeous. Blue skies and sunshine with a few white clouds here and there.

We visited a flea market near the condo. Basically, it's a vacant lot between buildings on a main road. Someone bought the lot and then sold or rented 10' x 10' spaces to local vendors. Walking through the flea market makes me feel as though I'm going to meet that guy from Gremlins who sold the Magwai to the dad. It's an interesting spectrum of merchandise, but includes several typical Colombian-made items too.

Daniel was a trooper during the entire day. He wasn't fussy and relaxed most of the time while in his stroller. He also ate a great lunch. It's been difficult to get him to eat solid foods for the past few days, but fortunately today he decided he'd give chewing another attempt.

During the afternoon we went to Santa Fe to avoid an afternoon shower. We visited a children's play area and let Daniel burn off the calories from lunch. Watching him interact with the older children is fun to watch. He so wants to be a big kid and do big kid things.

Daniel loved playing with the other children, but would look for either Claudia or I. This is a great thing because it indicates our attachment is going well. He also looks to us to comfort him when he bumps his head, falls down or other such event. We make a big deal out of ever knock or fall. Doing so helps him attach with us.

By the time we returned to the condo, Daniel was worn out and ready for dinner and bed. He has acted wonderful the past few days and we feel as though he is really starting to view us as his parents.

Day 27: Our First Father's Day

Being a father is still a new role for me.

There will only be one first father's day as a father. It's still hard to believe that the child who climbs up my leg and sleeps in the crib in our room is our son.

Claudia and I enjoyed the first several years together after our wedding. We traveled. We bought our first house. We enjoyed lazy weekends. But as time passed, we felt the desire to start our family. I don't remember a specific date we decided to start a family, but I know it was a few years ago. It's been a long time coming to finally have a child in our lives.

So to finally see Daniel's smiling face and hear his laughter is such a sweet blessing for both of us. I pray to be as good a father as possible for him.

I can't help but see things from a slightly new perspective. I reflect on Abraham and Isaac. I think of God's willingness to sacrifice his son for our salvation. I have a new, growing appreciation for Christ and God's love for us.

We spent the day at Claudia's Uncle Miguel's home to celebrate El Dia De Padre, or Father's Day. Daniel met several second cousins and other family members. He was a little bit nervous and never completely relaxed.

That evening I laid Daniel down in his crib. He was sound asleep and looked so innocent. I really am blessed to be a father. I don't take for granted the ability to have a child. All children are blessings from God.

Happy Father's Day.

Day 26: Small Idea Turns into Big Fun

When Claudia suggested taking her grandmother's housekeeper and daughter to an amusement park, she had no idea how plans would evolve into something bigger.

We had lunch at Claudia's grandmother's house earlier in the week. During our conversation, Claudia invited her grandmother's housekeeper Francia and her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter to Jaime Duke amusement park on Saturday. Neither had been there before.

The next day when Lucia called to give us an update on Sentencia, she also mentioned there were two American families in Bogota. Claudia asked if they would be interested in visiting the park also. Of course Lucia thought the idea was great and offered to coordinate getting a large bus to take everyone.

And so Claudia's small idea evolved into something bigger than us.

In fact, by the time the bus had arrived Saturday to pick us up, there were 20 people including parents and children on the bus. The group included two families from the United States and one from France. One of the American families was adopting five siblings and the other family was adopting three siblings. The French family had an 8-month-old girl.

Jaime Duke Park is near Panaca, which we visited a couple of weeks ago. Jaime Duke is a huge amusement park that also features a zoo with exotic animals like lions, various types of monkeys and panthers to name a few.

The children had a blast on the various rides and the zoo. Daniel even had his first amusement rides with Daddy. Mommy rarely rides anything. Daniel's face almost split open with his huge smile! You could tell he had a great time. He is an active baby and enjoys thrills. I'd put money on him giving us a heart attack at some point for doing something outrageous!

The American families were very friendly and it was awesome to hear their stories. It's great to recognize the similarities and differences between our experiences.

The family adopting five sibling girls already has another six or seven children at home (sorry guys, I lost count but think you're amazing!). Their hearts and love is an amazing gift from God. They were finishing their first week together and needed a break. Jaime Duke was the perfect answer.

The couple adopting three children (two girls and one boy) was from Arizona and had been in Bogota for two months. They are ready to be home! The kids have seen videos and pictures of their new house and also are ready to be in the states!

Claudia played a special role during the day as the group leader of sorts. She and I both acted as interpreter for the parents and children at various times. After seeing the gratitude from the parents, we realized how huge a blessing it is for us to be bilingual. I've rarely been more proud of Claudia than I was when watching her connecting with the children and helping them understand the opportunities they'll have in the United States.

Claudia couldn’t compete with Daniel or his cuteness though. He was the main attraction at Jaime Duke. Many of the girls held his hand. Rarely did time go by when he wasn't escorted by a girl in each hand. Needless to say, he was in heaven.

After reflecting on the day's events, Claudia and I both agreed it was one of our favorite days in Colombia. Claudia was able to teach the parents a few key Spanish phrases and explain to the children what they're trip in a plane going home would be like among other things. It's amazing how God works through us sometimes!

Day 25: Visiting Old-time Friends

On Friday we visited two of Claudia's college friends and did a little shopping at Gran Estacion, or Grand Station Mal.

It was good to visit with Javier, Carolina and their two boys. We were able to catch up with them and later had lunch at Crepes and Waffles.

After lunch, we walked around Gran Estacion Mall. It was built about three years ago and features a small ice rink. There is a large outdoor area at one of the main entrances that features a fountain around a giant chess board.

By the time we returned home, it was time to give Daniel dinner and start our bedtime routine. Daniel is feeling much better. His congestion is almost gone. Yea!

Day 24: The End In Sight and Father's Day with Bisabuelo

Thursday morning our liaison, Lucia, called with potential good news regarding our return home.

Our airline tickets to go home are for the 23rd of June, i.e. next Thursday. It appears as if we will need to change those flights. Wednesday we asked for a suggestion regarding when we should plan on returning home; which prompted Lucia's call Thursday morning.

Lucia believes we will be able to have our Sentencia sometime next week. Sentencia is one of the most significant events during the adoption process. It's when Colombia recognizes Daniel is officially our son. Once the country does that we can begin the process of obtaining his Colombian passport and American visa.

This is great news for us because we would love to be in Nashville for Daniel's first birthday on July 1.

Hopefully we'll know something Monday, but as of now we don't have much more news than our Sentencia is imminent.

Daneil Celebrates Father's Day with Bisabuelo

For lunch we invited Abuelo Hernando to lunch at Santa Fe to celebrate Father’s Day. The mall is a short walk from the apartment. Abuelo couldn’t walk too far outside because he is still battling the funk, although he feels much better than a few days ago.

We decided to eat in the mall food court because it has a variety of options to choose from for lunch. Claudia, Abuelo and Daniel enjoyed Bandeja Paisa and I had a hamburger from El Corral.

Bandeja Paisa (click here to learn more: Bandeja Paisa) is a fusion dish typical in Colombia and a favorite among its people. The dish includes rice, beans, chorizo, ground meat, arepa, plantain, avocado slice, fried egg and a few other meats. The dish is a combination of influences from Colombia’s past; including Spanish, African and indigenous Colombians. There was even a campaign in 2005 to make Bandeja Paisa a national dish recognized by the Colombian government.

It was great to see Daniel enjoying the beans and rice from Claudia’s plate. Well, actually he was eating the sauce from the beans rather than the beans themselves. He also ate some of the ground beef.

After lunch we invited Abuelo to go shopping for his Father’s Day present. Daniel enjoyed looking at the people while we shopped. He is very social and loves to be around activity!

We headed home afterwards and called it a day. The great thing is we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sentencia is approaching; but as has been the case during the entire process, we don’t know exactly when and probably will get short notice when the date is set.

Day 23: Forresters Make Trek to Monserrate

View photos from Monserrate Trip by clicking here: Photos from Monserrate Trip.



Seconds after hailing a taxi we were en route to Monserrate and witnessing the inner-workings of Colombia's capital city through the side windows of our cab.

The skies were clear and the sun was out. Our reservations about taking Daniel on a day trip were finally gone.

Bogota's population is 7.4 million; with many more people coming into the city daily for basic needs, work and other activities. The city has the critical mass so people appear as an ant colony; multiple ants popping out of different holes and traveling down pathways on various missions. It's a city of activity. One of the best places to get the scope of the city is from the peak of Monserrate, a mountain that dominates central and southern Bogota and peaks at 10,314 feet above sea level.

Monserrate is a special attraction for the capital city. At its peak sits a 17th century church devoted to "El Senor Caido" or The Fallen Lord. The church is a pilgrim destination for people from around the world. The church is surrounded by restaurants, local artisans selling souvenirs and gardens.

Locals say if you bring your boyfriend or girlfriend to Monserrate, then either you will break up soon after or the person is the one you're meant to marry.

As we drove toward the mountain, Shakira sang Rabiosa from the taxi radio. Various tiendas were a blur. Auto mechanic shops. Plastic surgery clinics. Offices. Numerous locally-owned restaurants and small grocery stores. On the sidewalk, individuals selling empanadas, arepas and fresh squeezed juices sat waiting for their next customers.

We passed several pedestrian bridges overhead. The bridges zig-zag from one side of the road to the middle where pick-up and drop-off points for the city's mass transit system, Transmilenio, wait for them. The bright red buses have a dedicated lane to move thousands of people a day efficiently. There is a constant file of people coming and going from Transmilenio like ants filing to and from the colony.

When we got to La Circunvalar street we began our ascent to Monserrate. La Circunvalar snakes around the foot of the mountain from north to south. The small hodge-podge of local shops slowly transforms into residential towers. Small avenues going back to the city's heart are narrow and steep.

It becomes clear the residential area is high-end. In fact, it’s one of the more exclusive sections of the city with great views of Bogota below. Families who live here are wealthy enough to afford owning original paintings from Colombian artist Fernando Botero. We pass by Colegio Nueva Granada, a private school for Bogota's elite.

"Look at all of those bodyguards waiting outside the gate," says Claudia. "This is a really high-end school. The children have bodyguards. The fathers have bodyguards and the wives have bodyguards."

"This is where the president's kids go to school and they arrive on helicopter," she adds.

Within a few minutes, the residential towers begin to disappear behind us and we are surrounded by an obviously poorer area. Buildings made of worn-out brick have clothes hanging from windows and on clothes lines outside. Portions of the buildings expose the skeletal structure supporting the building.

People can be seen in the open grass areas. It's unclear if they are workers taking a break from the various road projects, or if they are so poor they don't have a house. Both are there, we just can't tell which one is which.

The desperately poor and opulently wealthy live very close to each other. It's hard for the people who have everything to ignore the people who have nothing.

Finally we arrive at the foot of Monserrate after a 40 minute taxi ride. The peak can be accessed by train, cable car or foot. If you take the footpath then you're at risk of one of the poor people robbing you. Despite the risk, many people ascend the mountain on their knees praying for something specific during Easter week.

We took the cable car.

At the top, the view of Bogota is very impressive. The entire city has been developed to support its population density. The buildings are developed so close to each other that it's hard to tell them apart. Cars are barely visible and people have completely melted into the urban landscape.

The Catholic Church perched on top of Monserrate is best known for El Senor Caido, or The Fallen Lord. Where a cross or representation of Christ on the cross would normally be in the sanctuary there is a statue depicted the moment Christ collapsed with the cross en route to Calvary.

We took several photos of Daniel with either Claudia or I and Bogota in the background. We were able to take a few photos together thanks to a couple from Bogota. Daniel enjoyed a bottle while we took in the scenery.

While we were showing Daniel the city below, he put his hands to each side of his head as though he couldn't comprehend how large his city was.


We visited the artisan shops. They were small 100 square feet tiendas with locals inviting us inside as we walked by. One shop caught our attention. Daniel was looking for presents for his friends in the United States.

The owner would quote a price per item. "Thirteen thousand pesos, but for you I'll sell them for $10,000 pesos," the owner said with a smile. "But don't tell anyone."

"Eight thousand pesos," offered Claudia. "I'm going to buy five or six of them."

The owner paused to think about the potential sale.

"Okay," he said, "But don't tell anyone."

"It's a secret between you, us and God," I joked.

After a couple of hours enjoying the mountain top and iglesia, we headed back home. It was special to take Daniel. Even though he didn't understand what he saw, we have pictures and one day we will show them and explain where he came from.

Day 22: Progress Being Made on All Fronts

We have seen great progress with Daniel during the past two days.

He has slept the entire evening for the past two days. This is a significant improvement from the past several days. We are trying to establish a routine and put him to bed at 8:30 p.m. He has woken up at 7 a.m. the past two days in a good mood and not woken up during the night at all. As I write this, I hope I'm not jinxing us for tonight!

Daniel is also feeling better. He still has a cough and a little bit of congestion. It is much better than last week though.

He plays with each of us. Today he sought me out a lot! It was great to look down and see him climbing up my leg several times. Most of his moody outbursts are simply normal for a child his age. On the other hand, he occassionally has a preference still for Claudia. This is normal for a child recently adopted. They are experiencing a lot of changes in their lives and many children only have the ability to "open up" or connect with one person at a time.

After talking with our social worker in Nashville, we have noticed a few behaviours that could be him grieving the loss of his foster mother and best friend. We noticed he moves around a lot while sleeping. Many children don't sleep well and their grief is manifested in light sleeping or tossing and turning.

We still don't have a return date yet but hope to know something next week. Our attorney needs about two weeks after our Integration Meeting (which was held 6/9) to do several legal "things" for our case. We still hope to be home first of July.

We were hoping to visit Monserrate, a huge mountain that dominates the city's landscape. There is a beautiful Catholic church on top of the mountain known for having one of the few, if not only, statues of Christ at the moment he collapsed carrying the cross. In fact, the city lays along the bottom of a few tall mountain tops that are visible from almost anywhere in the city. Click here to learn more about Monserrate: Information about Monserrate.

Unforutnately, the weather didn't cooperate with us because it was raining some during the day. Hopefully we can visit it tomorrow.

Adios!

Day 21: Looking for Positive Signs

Occasionally it is hard to be positive when you don't know exactly what signs to look for.

We are 95 percent positive every day, but there are little things that stick in the back of our minds and occasionally build up. Our attachment with Daniel, or sometimes the lack thereof, and his persistent congestion and cough are sources of frustration.

We've not had very many good night sleeps since Encuentro Day. That has been somewhat expected. Daniel wakes up crying, sometimes a lot, during the night. Ninety percent of the time we believe it is because he is sick. Sometimes we feel as though he may be grieving the loss of his foster mother and best friend, who was adopted the same week as Daniel.

The hard thing is we can't really tell the difference. It's just too early to tell.

Last night was somewhat of a low point. Daniel constantly wanted to be with Claudia. He only wanted to be with me when she was within eyesight. If she wasn't, then he crawled to find her. He also threw up his milk. He cried on and off until four o'clock in the morning.

Each day we give him medicine using an inhaler and mask, and use saline solution and a suction bulb to help his breathing. In order to do both, we have to restrain him. He pretty much melts down every time. I feel like he hates me afterward. He slaps my hands away and wails. Only Claudia can console him.

Depending on what you read or believe, he may or may not be attaching to either one of us. What we see as attachment to Claudia may just be his survival skills. You know, don't bite the hand that feeds you. This is certainly a process. We're 11 months behind most parents regarding attachment. Our bond is still in the beginning stages. We remind ourselves of that daily.

Despite a sleepless night, we woke up Sunday and hung around the house. Claudia and I spoke about some of our concerns. We hugged. We cried. And when Daniel woke up, we put him in the stroller and went to Santa Fe Mall.

While there, Daniel played on the Caterpillar play set again with a bunch of other children. He was in heaven. He crawled in circles around the other children. He also had Chinese Rice for the first time and apparently it's a winner. He wolfed down several spoonfuls. We're trying out new foods with him because we believe he is getting a little tired of soups.

During the evening, he let me feed him almost an entire grilled cheese sandwich; another favorite. He played with me without trying to hunt down Claudia. He has started to "blow kisses" by moving his hand from his mouth to the targeted person; just not consistently. We've been working on that for a couple of days. We think he called me "Papa," also. Claudia fed him one of his favorite fruits. When bedtime arrived, Claudia was able to lay him down in his crib effortlessly.

Overall, it was a great day with Daniel. We continue to be hopeful and pray for a successful transition and attachment with our son. We continue looking for positive signs each day that indicate Daniel thinks of us as parents. This is our prayer. Please keep us in yours.

In Him,
Claudia, Brian and Daniel