Mano, Sleep and Things that Go Squeak

With an ever-so-slight withdrawal of my hand, I had accomplished something I hadn't done in literally  months.

Daniel was asleep in his crib and I had been the primary parent involved. Every single night for as long as I can remember, the bedtime routine involved Claudia putting Daniel to bed. For whatever reason, I wasn't quite the same in Daniel's mind.

On this particular evening, however, Claudia was out with some friends and the evening routine was left in my hands.

It began with Daniel drinking a bottle while snuggled on the couch with me and watching a T.V. show. As time went on, it became obvious Daniel was becoming drowsy and ready for bed.

"Ready to go to sleep, buddy," I asked.

"Yes," he said and nodded for extra emphasis.

I pulled him up in my arms. We said, "Night-Night," to our dogs, the living room, kitchen and stairs. I laid him in the crib and he rolled up in the blanket. I thought it was going to be that easy for a brief moment.

As he noticed I was leaving, he whipped around, threw off the blanket, bolted up on his feet and cried for me to come back; which I of course did. As soon as I was hanging over his crib, he was laying down again and reaching for my hand.

"Mano," he asked. I reached out and let his miniature fingers curl around my hand and watched him doze to sleep again. After a few attempts, he finally let me withdraw my hand completely. He was sound asleep.

That's when I turned around and realized why God made our bodies make popping noises, creaky floors and things that go squeak. It's to give him a little laugh every night when parents try their best to slink out of their children's rooms soundlessly.

While my back was turned and I was leaning over Daniel's crib, his room had transformed into a virtual mine field of potential sound-making booby-traps. I can only imagine, God smiles down every now and then at our plight as parents.

I gingerly took my first step and heard my knee pop. I prayed the floor wouldn't make a noise, but of course it did.

CREEEEAAAKK.

I slowly put increasing pressure on the carpet; my mouth contorted as I silently prayed for God's intervention. "Help me be silent, Lord, and please, please don't let Claudia come home right now" I prayed. If she did arrive at this time, the dogs would certainly create enough racket that Daniel would wake.

Daniel rolled over. I twisted my neck to look back at the crib while minimizing my body's movement.  The coast was still clear. Daniel remained laying down. Now time to make sure I didn't bump a toy that makes noise.

Finally I reached the door, which of course, during the day opens and shuts silently. But at night, the noise the door makes as the bottom rubs across the carpet is like a child's nails scratching a chalkboard.

I continued my prayer even though the goal was so tantalizingly close. I took nothing for granted. Then with the swiftness of a ninja, I opened the door enough to slide out and shut the door behind me.

Mission accomplished. Good night.

Raising a Colombian in the USA

Daniel looked down at his plate, grabbed a fistful of arepa and stuffed it into his mouth; but getting him to consume other aspects of his Colombian culture are more challenging.

Gotcha Day is ten months behind us and a lot has changed. First and foremost, Daniel is a full blown toddler. He runs. He plays. He talks. His personality shines more brightly each day and the pace of his learning has increased ten fold.

As adoptive parents, it's important to us for Daniel to remain connected to his birth country Colombia. We didn't change his name. We speak Spanish at the house. We attended Novenas during Christmas. We cook arepas and arroz con pollo. We listen to Colombian music and translate English books into Spanish while reading to him before bed time.

We're not abnormal. Many parents of Internationally adopted children do the same type of things. Why? It's because a child's native country is a part of him or her and should be celebrated and encouraged rather than to pretend otherwise. When we've explained our desire for Daniel to speak Spanish, for example, we've had more than one person make comments as though we're in denial of the enevitble and I feel as though I have to defend or explain our rationale. Sometimes it's unspoken and other times it's said out right, "well, he needs to speak English too."

The opposite is true. We want him to be bilingual, but Daniel is exposed to English so much that he is already displaying a preference toward it and could lose Spanish completely if we weren't on constant vigil. Here's a great example of a frequent exchange he and I have.

"Up," he exclaims to me with his arms outstretched.

"No entiendo," I reply.

"Arriba," he says, and I pick him up.

So despite the fact Claudia is from Colombia, we have begun to realize how difficult it will be for us to raise a Colombian in the United States. We admit, on the other hand, that we are blessed to be able to speak with him in his native language at all since many parents of adopted children don't have that resource.

I'm not admitting defeat, only acknowledging the challenge. Our culture has some great aspects, but so does Colombia and we want Daniel to have the best of both worlds.

Our 1st Family Vacation

Daniel knew something was special every time mommy exclaimed, "Nos vamos a vacaciones!"

On short notice, we decided to take advantage of the fact  Claudia would be off on Martin Luther King's day and go on a long weekend vacation to Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg, TN. We rented a cabin, packed the SUV and headed out on the three and a half hour drive.

Periodically we'd chant, "Nos vamos a vacaciones!" Daniel would smile from ear to ear and clap his hands.

If you've never been to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, then you are missing one of the country's great treasures. Nestled at the foothills of the Smokey Mountains, this area has a lot of Southern charm mixed in with Vegas-style show business. Instead of the a King's Arthur Court and buffet, there is a lumber jack duel show. Instead of the Blue Man Group, there is the Hatfield & McCoy's Family Feud and buffet. With almost 9 million tourist visiting each year, this area has a lot to offer families.

At about nine p.m. we opened the door to the cabin. Daniel acted as though he was in heaven. It was wonderful to see his excitement. He could barely contain himself. With a huge smile, he clapped his hands and yelled, "Yeaaaa!"

He saw the couch, and yelled again. He went into the bathroom and saw the jacuzzi tub and yelled again. He pulled us by the hand to show us his discovery. "Pool," he exclaimed.

Despite the holidays only being a few weeks ago, we needed a break after a hectic start to 2012. It was also our first vacation as a family. We've taken a few road trips to visit family, but nothing by ourselves.

On Saturday we took Daniel to Ripley's Believe It Or Not Aquarium in Gatlinburg. At first he was a little nervous because of all the people and the large building. He clung to my arm tightly, but after a few minutes he warmed up to all of the sea critters.

We've discovered Daniel really enjoys animals. I guess that makes him a normal boy. Seeing all of the different fish, jellies and sting rays was a lot of fun for him. We had fun just watching him. He especially enjoyed the penguins' exhibit.

By the time we left, it was late afternoon. Within five minutes of being outside, Daniel was asleep in the stroller. We, however, were starving and grabbed a quick lunch at the nearby Mellow Mushroom.

The next morning we ate breakfast at one of the many pancake house restaurants in the area. It was your traditional Southern cooking complete with fruit topped pancakes, omelets and grits. While eating we noticed there was a Rainforest Zoo close by. Since we came without an agenda, we thought it'd be a great place to take Daniel.

Once again, Daniel was surrounded by a variety of exotic animals. This time it was lizards, frogs, parrots, poisonous snakes and a couple of porcupines.

He would waddle his way from one window display to another. Standing on his toes, he'd peer inside and enthusiastically wave to the animals. During the afternoon animal show, he touched a snake, toad, lizard and a couple of other things.

That afternoon we took a long nap. Daniel in his pack-n-go, and Claudia and I on the couch. It was a great afternoon.

The most popular activity for the 9 million tourist is shopping. That's not something we enjoy doing frequently. So, like the amateur shoppers we were, we headed to the Tanger Five Oaks Outlet Mall around 5 p.m. without realizing it was Sunday and stores closed at 6 p.m.

We strolled through The Children's Place for a few minutes and then one other store before calling it quits. Tanger Five Oaks is Tennessee's most successful mall in terms of annual sales and we were there for less than one hour.

Each night we watched a Toy Story movie with Daniel before putting him to bed. When it was just Claudia and I, we watched a couple of episodes of El Cartel de Los Sapos season two. It's a Colombian-based show about a drug cartel and one of my favorite series.

When dawn came on Monday it was hard to believe the trip was essentially over. We packed, ate and headed back to Nashville. The trip will go down as one of my favorite vacations so far. No plan. No stress. Lot's of time with my family uninterrupted. Perfect.

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.

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.

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!