We bought our tickets! Hope that is ok since we kind of skipped over a few steps. We will leave January 5 and arrive the next morning in Bogota, Colombia. We will get Benjamin when we arrive that morning. I know there sure won't be a whole lot of sleep during the flight! The anticipation is growing each day. My mom started a countdown chart on her calendar! I thought I better do that too! We are at 16 days and counting! I like to say days instead of weeks...it seems so much closer.
As we prepare to meet Benjamin for the first time, my dreams are filled with images of our new family. I imagine what his little voice will sound like, or how he will grip my shoulders as I hold him, I imagine him riding his little tractor Grandpa Kuseske has already bought him. I find myself staring at every single little baby or toddler I see. I notice babies and toddlers everywhere. We are preparing as much as we are able to prepare. The nursery is ready to go even though I have clothes strewn all over the floor due to packing! I must wrap the packing up - I know I will shuffle the clothes from suitcase to suitcase - good thing it is a direct flight. They won't lose our luggage then, right? The car seat? Check. The diapers? Check. The high chair? Check. Cute little outfit to dress him in the first day we meet him? Check.
We have also found the perfect bed and breakfast to stay in once we arrive in Bogota. We can't wait to stay there. Our meals are included in the cost of bed and breakfast. We have access to a washer and dryer at the B & B which will be great for the clothing (although they don't use the dryer much). They will take us on tours of Bogota. Matt thinks the best part is that they have unlimited coffee and fruit.
The Preparation Timeline
We are preparing to leave for Bogota, Colombia! We are busy buying clothes, bottles, nuks, blankets, socks, diapers, formula and books! We still are pinching ourselves when we realize what we are doing.
Is this really happening? It seems like we have been patiently waiting (and I not too patiently) for him to come into our lives. We are thankful this Thanksgiving for family. We are thankful God has chosen us to have a family. We are thankful for friends. We are thankful for the great love of others who have already given us baby clothes and toys. We are thankful for God's love.
We still have some paperwork to go through before we meet Benjamin.
Before travel happens we still have to wait for approval from the US government.
1. We complete a form called the DS 0230. The US tells the embassy in Colombia our paperwork on the US side is ready.
2. The embassy in Colombia tells the adoption committee in Colombia we have approval to travel into Colombia for the adoption.
3. The adoption committee in Colombia tells FANA, our Colombian orphanage, we have approval.
4. The Colombian orphanage calls our adoption agency in Washington DC.
5. The adoption agency tells us the date we travel to Colombia - which is now January 6!
6. We buy our tickets - already bought!
7. We go to the Colombia Consulate in Houston - where we will travel to get our Colombian visas. The Colombian Consul knows me well :) I spent half a day crying in his office begging him to help me get a Colombian Passport. The good news is he wants to adopt from Colombia now. Guess who will be helping him with the adoption paperwork :)
8. We travel to our good old friend the Colombian Consul to get our visas, which takes three days. Then we leave!!!!!!!
9. Then we spend time with Benjamin.
10. Then the Colombian courts open January 12.
11. We have an interview with the Colombian Adoption committee and FANA.
12. We go to Colombian court to finalize the adoption with the lawyer.
13. We get a visa from the US Embassy for Benjamin and we come home to Houston!!!
I know what you are thinking...you gotta do what? We have grown and will continue to grow through this process. Looking at his picture the very first time, I didn't even remember the mounds of paperwork or the many paper cuts. I just said, "That is our son. When can we leave?"
