Weekend

Hope you all had a great weekend. Our weekend was wonderful! We have been on the go. Yesterday we came back to Charlotte after spending a week with our family. I have a really big family so we were on the go visiting everyone. We still haven't gotten around to see everyone but we covered a lot of ground. Everyone is just wild about Zachary. Most of the time they were fighting over who was going to hold him. He would go from one person to the next and just smile and giggle. Everyone just fell head over heels in love with him. Last night we went to WalMart and bought a walker for him. He absolutely loves it. After he played in his walker for a while last night, I gave him a bath and then tried to get him to go to bed. HA!! He wasn't having it. He was up until midnight and then he finally fell asleep. ;-))

This morning we got up at 7am and went to Sunday School and Church. Zachary was in the nursery during church. They told me that he was an absolute angel. Isn't it crazy?!? I just missed him SO much during that time. I knew he was in good hands though. ;-))) After church we went out to lunch with some friends from church and then came home. Zachary fell asleep in the car and slept for a little while when we got home. My friend Christie came over to visit. While she was here, I cleaned up some and organized some things. It was SO nice to have someone there to watch Zachary while I did a few things around the house. I also rearranged the den and now Zachary and I have a lot more room. We played for a couple of hours this afternoon and then we went for a long walk. We stopped and talked to a lot of our neighbors. We got in a really good walk and about halfway through I noticed that Z was asleep. He was really loving the jogger stroller! It is SO awesome! I love it too!!! We got home tonight and ate dinner and had abath. Now he is in his room in his crib sleeping for the first time. ;-)) He has been sleeping in his pack n play every night but tonight we are trying the crib out. SO far SO good! I am getting ready to do some more cleaning and organizing and then hit the bed. Zachary has a doctor's appt. at 10:30 in the morning so I'll have to be up by at least 9 am. This will be his first doctor's appt. in the U.S.

Other than that, we are going to be really busy this week. I have to order the adoption announcements, send out some thank you notes and start planning Zachary's birthday party. I need to figure out where we are going to have the party and then I need to get invitations out. LOTS to do this week. ;-))))

Hugs to you all!!!

Happy Friday

Zachary and I are still in South Carolina and we are having a wonderful time. Zachary has met lots of his family members but we still have a few more visits to make. I am really enjoying visiting everyone but I am SO tired. Zachary is sleeping very well at night but I am not. Hopefully that will change when we get back home and get in a routine. Also, I desperately need to exercise. It has been a while now and I feel yucky!! Starting Monday I am going on a major health kick! I need to get back to where I was before all of the adoption stress kicked in. It's all over now so I have no excuse. ;-))

Zachary is eating up all of this attention that he's getting from his family. Everyone is just amazed at how well adjusted and advanced he is. He has such a sweet and loving little personality. Also, did I tell you that he absolutely LOVES ceiling fans?! He is so fascinated with them.

Today Zachary and I travelled to Columbia to see one of my dear friends, Shelly, and her husband Scott. We had a wonderful time visiting with them. Zachary just loves Shelly...(and I mean who wouldn't?) and they played and danced around. It was SO cute. I'll post some pictures when I get home from our visits. Zachary is very intelligent too. He tried to outsmart Aunt Shelly today but it didn't work. He was crawling around on the floor and trying to make his way over to the DVD player so he could push some buttons. He was trying to be sneaky about it too. He would push his toy over towards it and when he thought she was looking, he would inch closer and closer. It was SO cute. Aunt Shelly has LOTS of energy so she did a great job of keeping up with him. Meanwhile, mommy was kicked back on the couch! ;-)))

Tomorrow we are heading back to Charlotte. I have mixed emotions about this. Zachary and I are really going to miss our family but we know that we have to get back home. Mommy has things to take care of and Zachary needs to get more acquainted with "home" and his room and all of those toys. We have lots of friends in Charlotte so we're looking forward to spending some time with them too.

Also, next week I have to take Zachary to his first pediatrician appt. He still has a bit of a cough and some congestion so I am anxious to get that checked out. We will post more soon!!

Love and Hugs,
Rebecca and Zachary (aka Z-man)

Hello from South Carolina

Hope everyone is having a good week. Zachary and I have been so busy this week. We went to church last Sunday and Zachary met lots of people. Of course everyone just went on and on about how beautiful he is. He is SUCH a good baby too. I really got lucky. He hardly ever cries, smiles and laughs constantly and just loves everyone he meets. ;-))

After church on Sunday, we left to go home to be with our family for the week. It was the first time that my dad and his wife, my stepdad and the rest of the family had met Zachary. Everyone just fell in love with Zachary. He's such a little charmer. He will let anyone hold him and he loves to play with their ears and mouth. ;-)) He also has a fascination with ceiling fans. It's so cute to watch him just stare at a ceiling fan. Usually it's when one of us is holding him and he leans his head back. Then those sweet little cheeks are just shining!! He is SO irresistable. My family is picking around about who gets to hold him. I told them to just go ahead and start a waiting list. He's so popular. Everyone wants a piece of him. ;-0)

Zachary is so well behaved. We have taken him out to eat numerous times and he is just a little angel. He is sleeping very well at night and has adjusted very well. We have had NO transitional issues at all!!! It's just wonderful. He reaches for me when he is tired of hungry and the rest of the time he is content. I don't think he has experienced any grieving at all. It's like he just knows I'm his mommy and that's all that matters to him. I just love him so much. I can't imagine or even remember for that matter what my life was like before him. It's so wonderful now!!!

Just wanted to give you guys an update. We have been on the go this week. Zachary has met lots of his family this week. We still have some to meet. We will be here until Saturday and then we are heading home. I promise to post some pictures when I get home. My mom's computer is really slow. If I can get to her office tomorrow, I will try to post some pictures then.

Hugs and kisses,
Zachary and mommy

HOME SWEET HOME

WE MADE IT HOME LAST NIGHT AROUND 10:30 PM. OUR PLANE WAS AN HOUR LATE LEAVING GUATEMALA AND WE WERE IN IMMIGRATION ABOUT AN HOUR LAST NIGHT BUT WE MADE IT HOME. OUR FRIENDS WERE WAITING ON US WHEN WE CAME OUT OF BAGGAGE CLAIM. I HAVE TO SAY A HUGE, BIG THANK YOU TO MY MOM! SHE HAS BEEN SUCH AN ANGEL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT HER! ZACHARY WAS AN ANGEL ON THE PLANE. WE HAD 7 OTHER FAMILIES ON OUR PLANE BRINGING THEIR BABIES HOME. ZACHARY WAS PLAYING PEEK-A-BOO AND SMILING AT PEOPLE MOST OF THE WAY HOME. HE DID FALL ASLEEP ONE TIME FOR ABOUT 3O MINUTES.

WHEN WE FINALLY LANDED IN CHARLOTTE, THE LINE THROUGH IMMIGRATION WAS LONG. I HAD MY SEALED PACKAGE (WHICH I DID NOT OPEN BY THE WAY). WE HAD TO HAND IT OVER TO THE DHS WORKER ONCE WE REACHED THE WINDOW. HE THEN GAVE US A NUMBER. WE PICKED UP OUR LUGGAGE AND THEN WE WERE ROUTED TO A ROOM WHERE WE WAITED, ALONG WITH THE OTHER FAMILIES, UNTIL THEY REVIEWED OUR PAPERWORK. NUMEROUS FAMILIES MISSED THEIR CONNECTION FLIGHTS DUE TO THIS. NONE OF US EXPECTED THIS BECAUSE OF COURSE OUR AGENCIES DIDN'T INFORM US. ANYWAY, EACH FAMILY WAS CALLED OUT, ONE AT A TIME, AND WE WERE ABLE TO LEAVE. WE WAITED ABOUT 30 ADDITIONAL MINUTES DURING THIS TIME. ONCE THEY CALLED OUR NAME, WE SPOKE TO THE AGENT AT THE DESK AND HE TOLD US THAT ZACHARY WOULD BE AN AMERICAN CITIZEN AS SOON AS HE WALKED THROUGH THE DOORS LEAVING IMMIGRATION IN TO THE AIRPORT!!! ;-))) IT WAS SO AWESOME TO HEAR THOSE WORDS. I KNEW IT WOULD HAPPEN BUT IT WAS STILL NICE TO HEAR IT.

MIKE AND JIM WERE WAITING ON US IN THE BAGGAGE AREA. ZACHARY WAS IN A GOOD MOOD AND SMILING AT EVERYONE. WE TOOK A FEW PICTURES AND THEN LEFT TO COME HOME. WE GOT HERE AND WE WERE DEAD TIRED. WE DID GIVE ZACHARY A BATH, WHICH HE LOVED, AND THEN WE GOT HIM IN BED. HE SLEPT VERY WELL AND ONLY WOKE UP ONCE FOR A BOTTLE. TODAY HE WOKE UP AROUND 9AM, TOOK 2 NAPS DURING THE DAY AND JUST PLAYED AND PLAYED THE REST OF THE TIME. WE HAD NUMEROUS DELIVERIES WHEN WE GOT HOME. HIS PACK N PLAY WAS HERE, HIS NEW MACLAREN STROLLER WAS HERE AND TODAY HIS JOGGING STROLLER ARRIVED!!! HE'S GOT THE LEXUS VERSION OF ALL THREE!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE STROLLERS AND THE PACK N PLAY!!!

THE LITTLE ANGEL IS SLEEPING NOW AND I AM GETTING READY TO HIT THE BED TOO. I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A WONDERFUL WEEKEND. WE WILL POST AGAIN TOMORROW WITH MORE PICTURES.

LOVE AND HUGS,
REBECCA AND ZACHARY

Day 17

Well, this is IT.....our last night in Guatemala before we return to Charlotte. It's hard to believe that I have been here with Zachary for almost three weeks. I miss home SO much! We have had a really good time here...especially since Nana arrived on Monday.

Today we were on the go. We got up this morning and went to breakfast. After that we came back to the room and took a nap....all three of us. We decided not to go to the pool today because it was windy outside and Z still has a little cough in the mornings. So we started packing up our stuff and just kind of stayed around the room waiting on Z's Visa and packet to be delivered. Of course, they were late getting here. They said that it would be delivered by 4pm but it was more like 5pm before they got here. Meanwhile we had arranged a little tour with one of the locals that we had become friends with. He is a server in the restaurant downstairs...a really nice guy and very, very friendly. So he had agreed to take us on a little tour. He picked us up and we went over to the market. We shopped around and ended up getting some good stuff. We were so glad we had Marlon there to negotiate for us. He did a great job!!! I ended up getting a necklace, a nice purse made out of leather and some of the local fabric and Nana got all kinds of stuff. She got some stuff for herself and also some gifts. We had fun there and the market itself was beautiful. They had gorgeous rose gardens, all kinds of trees including palm trees, coffee bushes and other kinds of flowers. After we left there we decided to go have dinner. On the way there, Marlon pointed out some other tourist attractions and at one point he even pulled over on the side of the road so that Nana could jump out and take some pictures. That Nana is a touring NUT!! ;-) We headed on to dinner and ended up at this really cool little restaurant. It was like a Tikki Hut on the inside. It was BEAUTIFUL and the food was AWESOME! I have never been to a restaurant like that before. It was quite a site. So then we were trying to get out of the restaurant and there were more street vendors there. I saw a necklace that I just had to have so Marlon negotiated the price and I ended up getting it for $21. It is absolutely beautiful!!!! Ok, so then we got back to the hotel, Marlon went home and we went inside and got ready for bed. Zachary and Nana played for a bit while I got some things together. Now Zachary is down with his bottle, Nana is in bed watching TV and I am getting ready to go to bed. I am really tired and tomorrow is going to be a long day......but a very exciting day!! I am not the least bit worried about Zachary on the plane. He is SO well behaved and happy that I don't think we'll have a problem at all.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone. Hope all of you who are planning to be at the airport will make it. It will be such a special time!! ;-))) We are flying on US Airways and our plane lands at 7:52 pm. in Charlotte.

Well, for now goodnight, sweet dreams and we will see you all when we get home tomorrow!!!

Love and hugs,
Rebecca, Zachary and Nana

Day 16

HOLA!! What a happy day for us!!! Zachary's Embassy appointment went very well today. We were in and out of there in about 2 1/2 hours. We were #1 out of about 30 people so you can imagine that some people were there ALL day!! Thank you Lord for giving us the #1 spot today! Zachary was a little angel!! After the Embassy appointment, we came back to our hotel (and got shafted by the taxi cab driver who quoted us one price, then I gave him money and he refused to give me change). Anyway, after a little haggling we let it go. Figured it wasn't worth it. You have to REALLY watch the cab drivers around here. They are notorious for that kind of thing. Once we got back to the hotel, we went to the breakfast buffet. The food was SO good so we just ate and ate and then we decided to skip lunch. We came back to the room and the three of us took a nap. The stupid phone rang and woke us up. Zachary continued to sleep a little longer which is what REALLY mattered. So we all got up a couple of hours later and walked a few blocks to the mall where Nana bought us some ice cream. It was SO yummy!!! We shopped a little bit and found several outfits for Z. He is going to be styling and profiling!! We came on back to the hotel and did a little more shopping. Then we came to the room and tried to get Zachary to take another nap. He was almost completely asleep when Nana had a bright idea to take his bottle out of his mouth because he was sucking air and he proceeded to PITCH A FIT and he was WIDE awake. It was ok though because Nana entertained him for quite a while after that. He was laughing and giggling like crazy. He just adores her. Right now he is on the bed beside her. She is trying to read, meanwhile Zachary is touching her on the face, tapping her book and playing with her hair. He SO loves his Nana.

Before dinner, we decided to go swimming. We had lot so fun! Zachary is such a little water bug. Nana was such a big help. She held Zachary for me while I got in the hot tub and did some swimming. My shoulder was killing me so I thought maybe the heat would help. It started getting cooler so Nana brought Zachary back to the room and I swam a little longer.

After that we decided to go to dinner early. We went to our favorite restaurant downstairs and had a nice dinner. Then we walked back through the lobby and saw some of our friends. They are all leaving tomorrow to go home so we stopped and chatted with them briefly. We got some really cute shots which I will post below.

Will write again tomorrow. We are getting ready to hit the hay! We are SO exhausted!

HUGS!!!!!

PRAISE GOD!! WE ARE DONE!!!!!!!!

The appointment went very well!!! We are finished and the adoption proceedings are finally over!! Nana and I are both beside ourselves and I'm sure back at home Mike and the rest of our family and friends feel the same way! WHAT A RELIEF!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were at the Embassy for about 2 hours. We were #1 but things moved very slowly. We were the first to interview in "Room 10" (which was about the size of a linen closet) and the first to "Window 8" for the final swearing and document execution. Zachary had been asleep but woke up just in time to charm the Embassy worker at the last window. He wished us well and congratulated us!! We were on Cloud 9 once again!!!!!!! Tomorrow Zachary's Visa will be delivered to us between 3:30 and 4:00, at which time we will be free to leave the country. We are flying out on Thursday and will arrive in Charlotte at 7:52 pm.

More to come later this evening, but I just wanted to let you all know that everything went great at the Embassy appointment this morning and now we are finished. Z is asleep, Nana is reading her book and I am getting ready to take a nap too.

LOVE and HUGS,
Rebecca

Day 15

NANA HAS ARRIVED!!!! YEAH!!! We are so happy that she is here in Guatemala with us. She and Zachary instantly hit it off. He went to her and she held him all the way from the airport to the hotel. They are like two peas in a pod! ;-)) He has been happy today and just smiling and laughing. When we first got up this morning, we went down to the breakfast buffet and then we came back to the room and I tried to get Z to nap. He just wasn't having it. I think he knew something was going on and there was no way he was going to bed and miss it! ;-))

We left around 12:40 for the airport. Nana's flight was running a little late. Meanwhile Zachary fell asleep. When we got in the shuttle I had to take him out of his stroller and that's when he woke up. He didn't get his usual two naps today so we could tell that he was really tired tonight.

We went swimming this evening too. First time for Z. He loved it. We had one of those blow up swimmers that he could sit in. He really liked it. Then I took him out and held him in the water. He loved that too. It started getting cooler so we only stayed in about 25 minutes or so and then we came in. Nana had fun swimming in the pool too.

Z and Nana are both in bed now. I am getting ready to hit the bed too. We have to be at the Embassy at 6:30 in the morning for our appt. It shouldn't take us long at all. Our actual appt. is at 7:15 am but we were told that it is better to get there early. We are #1 on the list so it won't take us long at all!!!! ;-)) We will post when we get back!! This is the last thing that we have to do and then on Wednesday we will get the Visa and we will be free to leave the country together!! We are SO excited!!!!!

Tune in tomorrow for more.....

hugs!!!

Day 14

HAPPY 11 MONTH BIRTHDAY ZACHARY!!!!! It's hard to believe that in one more month Zachary will be one year old! Time flies. ;-))) He has been such a good boy today. He is busy charming all of the little baby girls and has the servers in the restaurant downstairs wrapped around his little finger (along with me of course).

We are very excited because Nana will be here in just a few hours!! Yeah! Her flight arrives at 1:16 pm. Zachary and I will be at the airport to greet her and bring her back to the hotel with us. We are very so happy that the day is finally here!!!!!!!! She will be meeting her grandson for the first time. This is going to be SO special!! I'm almost tearing up just thinking about it. We will have someone there to take pictures for us too. ;-))

This morning we woke up about 8:00 am. That was only because Aunt Veronica called over here and invited us to breakfast. ;-)) We should have gotten up and gone with them but we were lazy. About 45 minutes later, we got a phone call from our friend Susan who is here to pick her daughter Evvy up. Little Evvy is SO precious. She just smiles and smiles and her mommy had her dressed in the cutest little yellow outfit. ;-))) Evvy also had her nana and papa with her. I can tell that they are all just thrilled to be here with Evvy and can't wait to take her home with them!!!

Zachary and I didn't do much until lunch time. Then we went downstairs to the restaurant and we had the buffet. It was awesome! We had baked fish, baked chicken, rice and tomato sauce and pina colada and raspberry sherbert. Zachary ate VERY well at lunch. He had everyone's attention too. He met another little girl at lunch and she and her mommy ended up giving Zachary a toy that they had. They had two so they wanted him to have one. I thought that was very sweet. Then the waiters were all talking to Zachary and holding him. Everyone just loves him. I got some great pictures which I will post.

After that, Zachary and I walked a few blocks to the grocery store so we could get some more bottled water, cereal, milk and cookies. I put all of the groceries in my back pack and it was REALLY heavy. I was so tired by the time we got back here.

Then around 6:30, I went downstairs and had a massage. Veronica and her sister Becky, graciously watched Zachary for me. The massage was supposed to only be for 30 minutes but she ended up being able to do it for an hour. It was awesome. The massages here are a little different than what we are used to in the US. They rub you ALL over....chest and behind. If you are shy, I wouldn't recommend a massage in Guatemala. We all no that I'm not shy so it wasn't a problem for me at all.

So then Zachary and I went to dinner with a few other friends and their babies. The dinner was very good. Zachary behaved like a little angel. ;-))

We came back to our room and I fed him dinner. He ate the whole jar of Cream of Chicken. He really LOVES that stuff!!! I am going to have to stock up on it when I get home. Then I gave him his bottle and now he is OUT. I have to say that getting him to sleep is a BREEZE!! I feel VERY fortunate. I know that is not the case with a lot of babies. I got lucky!!!

Ok, well, guess I'll go take a nice hot bath and then get ready for bed. Hope everyone had a great weekend. Tune in tomorrow for more adventure stories....

Hugs and Kisses, Rebecca and Zachary

Day 13

Today was a good day! Zachary slept through the night last night for the first time since I've been here. He usually wakes up one time...I give him a bottle and he goes back to sleep. We have two double beds in this room and he slept in one...surrounded by pillows and I was in the other. We both got a good night of sleep. This morning we got up and played for a while. Zachary didn't get up until almost 9am. Then we had a surprise visit from Zachary's foster mom. She was in the area and wanted to come by and see Zachary so I told her to come on. They didn't stay very long...maybe about 15 minutes. When she left, she was hugging Zachary goodbye and waving and Zachary was fine. He didn't cry at all. I think he has adjusted very well. I believe that he knows that I am his mommy!!! ;-))) She said that she would like to come by one more time so she'll come by on Tuesday to say goodbye.

Zachary and I went to the restaurant downstairs and had lunch. We had a really great server named Marlon. He just loves Zachary. He spent a lot of time talking to him and playing with him. He even gave him a balloon which made Zachary's day. I had spaghetti at lunch and it was WONDERFUL!!!!! After lunch, we came back to the room and took a nap. Z slept for 3 hours and I slept for two. Good nap!!! Ha! And my friends said that the naps would be over. I don't think so! Z loves to sleep as much as I do.

Lunch was so good that Z and I went back there tonight and I had penne pasta! ;-)) Ok, time to lay off of the pasta. I discovered that there is a gym downstairs so I think I will go work out tomorrow at some point. This is sure to make me feel better. I am having workout withdrawals right about now. The gym here is really nice and they have lots of equipment. I also want a massage but I need to wait until my mom gets here to babysit.

After dinner, Zachary and I went out by the pool for a little while. It is heated and very nice and big. I am hoping that he and I will be able to get in over the next fews days. I want to make sure he is well first though. Otherwise, nana can babysit and I'll go swimming. ;-))

My mom will be here on Monday!! Just one more day!! Zachary and I will ride the hotel shuttle to the airport to pick her up. We can't wait for her to get here.

Ok, and my toe is killing me today!! I hit it when I was trying to keep Z from falling off of the bed. I thought I would go in to ORBIT!! It was throbbing!!! OUCH!!!!

Enough for tonight. I'm ready to catch some zzzzzzzs! Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!

Blessings, Rebecca and Zachary

Day 12

Hola! Once again, this entry is for yesterday. Unfortunately the internet was down and I wasn't able to check email or write my entry for the day.

Well, yesterday we moved to our new home for the next 6 days. YEAH!!! Only 6 days left until we get home!!!!! ;-))) The move wasn't really that bad. I packed the night before while Z was asleep. We got over here and like I said, it's a totally different world even though it's only 2 or 3 blocks away from the Marriott. The hotel itself is much nicer, the rooms are nicer and bigger and even the beds are better. Z slept in his crib for a little while last night and then I put him in a bed by himself...surrounded by big pillows. He slept all night and so did I!! YEAH!!!! Prior to going to sleep there was a birthday party outside by the pool and the music was VERY loud. I was miserable trying to go to sleep but then Z woke up and we had the computer guy in here and well by the time he left, the computer wasn't fixed but the party was over and Z and I went right to sleep.

Our friend Veronica arrived yesterday with her sister and mom. We went downstairs with them to meet with the foster mom and get Meredith. It was very emotional for all. Little Meredith is having a hard time adjusting right now and her mommy, nana and aunt aren't getting much sleep. Please say a special prayer that little Meredith starts adjusting today and is able to stop crying. She is such a little sweetheart and it just breaks my heart to see her crying...not to mention seeing my friend Veronica upset. It is very hard all the way around.

Zachary is up and moving constantly. He loves to be on the go. The problem is that everything he comes in contact with goes in his mouth. That really bothers me. I got some lysol and sprayed everything down. The rotavirus is very bad over here and the last thing we need is for Z to get that...or me for that matter. So I am just trying my best not to let him put things in his mouth without Lysol first. I am terrified of him getting that rotavirus. The sooner we can get out of here and get home, the better it will be, especially for sanitary reasons.

We will be posting again today about our adventures today!!! Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Hugs,
Rebecca and Zachary

Day 11

Hola!! Como esta? Muy bien aqui!

My Spanish is getting better. I actually had a short conversation with someone in Spanish today and I don't think she had a clue that I'm not fluent in Spanish. ;-))

So today was a good day. Zachary and I are definitely building a very strong bond. Today he wanted to be held A LOT!!! He reached for me over and over again. I don't know if he is grieving or just not feeling well today. He woke up around 7:30 and then went back to sleep for about 2 hours a little later. He played on the floor with his toys and was climbing on everything. It was very interesting to watch him. When he would move from the chair to the desk, we was very careful so he wouldn't fall. It was neat to watch him focus on trying to balance himself. Again, he crawled over to the full length mirror and I heard him over there just laughing and laughing. I went over to see him and he just smiled from ear to ear.

We went to the store this morning and got a few more things. Ever since I got sick at La Vista I have avoided it like the plague. I have been eating a lot of cereal...some McDonalds and some wafers. This evening Zachary and I went off to the little cafe' that I was telling you about yesterday. I had some coffee and we shared a strawberry and ice cream dessert. He was also crying for my coffee so I let him taste it and would you believe, he loved it!!!! It was decaf so I guess it was ok for him to try.

He didn't eat very well today. He had about 5 bottles but only about 6 bites of his cereal. I finally gave up. He was whiney tonight and nothing really pleased him so I didn't want to force it on him. I rocked him to sleep and he is catching zzzzzzs right now as we speak.

Tomorrow we are going to check in to the Westin. We will be leaving here around lunch time. I am VERY excited about getting a change of scenery. The area around the Westin is SO nice. OH and also, my friend Veronica and her mom and sister will be here tomorrow.

Ok, guess I need to get some rest now. I was up at 3:30 am on the internet continuing my research of strollers. I finally found the ONE!!! It's a Maclaren and it's awesome...brown with burnt orange interior. It is the MAC DADDY OF STROLLERS...with 5 adjustable seat position, a leg rest and extension and an awesome sunshade, etc. ;-)))

Hope everyone has a great FRIDAY!!!!

HUGS!!

Day 10

Greetings! Today has been such a wonderful day!!!! Probably our best day so far! Zachary's cough is so much better. He is still taking his breathing treatments but I can tell a drastic improvement in him. I am also feeling better. My should still hurts but not as bad. My toe, well it's there. I just try not to touch it or bump it...and my stomach is much better too. I got some medicine from the pharmacy tonight recommend by someone from the forum. If I get sick again I'll have this magic little pill to take.

This morning Zachary woke me up around 6:30 or so. I'm actually getting used to it now and it's not so bad. I gave him a bottle about an hour after that and he went back to sleep for another 2 hours...ha, and so did I. Stacy if you are reading this, I know it just kills you that I am actually getting some sleep!! haha Anyway, then I got up and he woke up too. I gave him a bath and got him dressed. I put this big blanket on the floor and let Zachary crawl around and play with his toys. He was all over the place. He can easily pull himself up... and loves, loves, loves to see himself in the mirror. It's so precious to watch. After that we got ready and met Pam, Del and Nora downstairs and ventured out into the city. We went towards the Westin hotel...about 2 blocks away and then we visited the mall. A lady (very persistent too I might add) was selling some really cute Guatemalan blankets on the street. She wanted $40. I told her no way. I finally got her down to 20 Quetzals. I felt like that was a real deal! So we got to the mall and I had something to eat...not sure what...but it was from a taco place. It was pretty good but I didn't eat much of it. I'm too afraid of getting sick again. I haven't been eating much so hey, maybe I will lose a few lbs. So we walked around the mall for a while, bought some new shoes for Zachary and Pam and Del bought some for Nora. Then we shopped around a little more and finally around 4:30 we headed back to the hotel. We knew the traffic would get bad around 5:00 so we didn't want to get tangled up in all of that. Oh and by the way, we walked the whole way. Not all that far...probably about 6 blocks or so one way. The problem was that with this stroller I have (you know the one that only has back wheels), I had a hard time pushing it over the roads for the first few blocks. They are so rought that you need an all terrain stroller to get over them. It was amazing how much better the streets were once we got near the Westin. It's like a different city over there. Everything is much nicer, a higher class of people, lots of nice restaurants and good places to shop. Luckily, I ran out of money so I didn't shop much and I forgot my credit card. Good thing! I'm sure when my mom gets here we'll go back to the mall. So then we came back here and Zachary and I left to go to the pharmacy and get more formula for him. After that we went to this little cafe that I have been wanting to try. We had a peach and strawberry dessert with whipped cream. He absolutely loved it and so did I. I also had a cup of coffee which was really delicious. While we were there, we met this couple and their baby girl. We ended up making friends with them and they invited us to join them. So we did and we talked for about an hour and a half. They are a very nice couple and their little girl is just precious. She and Zachary really like each other. I told Zachary to watch out....Kaili will get very jealous. ;-)) So we exchanged email addresses and decided to see each other again before we head back to the US. We took some pictures there, which I will add to the slideshow, and then we left and came back to the hotel. We chatted with some friends downstairs and then we came to our room and stayed in for the rest of the night. Z got on the floor and played for a couple of hours and watched a few cartoons while I washed out some clothes and straightened up the room. Oh and I also caught up on my emails and downloaded some pictures. I fed him his dinner around 9pm. He did SO good eating tonight. I sat him in a chair and sat in front of him. He ate also the entire jar of his mixed vegetables. I was SO proud of him. ;-)) Then I gave him a bottle and he was OUT. I think he will sleep well tonight. He has to be exhausted after all we did today. Well, that's about it. We have been on the go today and really enjoyed ourselves. Tomorrow I'm not sure what we'll be doing but I'm thinking about exploring another area of the city. We'll see.

Hugs! Tune in tomorrow for more.

Day 9

Well, I am posting this a day late. Last night I was feelng terrible so when I put Zachary down with his bottle I also laid down. Well, enough said. That was the end of that.

Yesterday I was sick with food poisoning all day. I believe it was something that I ate off of the buffet in La Vista downstairs. It messed me up. I didn't leave the room but twice yesteryday and for very brief periods of time. It was really miserable.

Last night Zachary and Nora had a play date. They were SO cute together. Nora is Pam and Del's daughter and our babies had the same foster mom. They are just like brother and sister. If one is playing with a toy the other one wants it. It's so cute to watch. They are both precious little angels.

Not much more to tell about yesterday. Zachary and I took several naps throughout the day. I had put a blanket on the floor for him to crawl on so he played and played and was all over the place. I expect that he will be walking in another month or two, if that long.

Day 8

Well, this morning was a complete fiasco. I was very stressed out because Zachary's foster mom was not taking us to his medical appointment and I had no paperwork and no idea where to go. Apparently the agency told her that "Her work with Zachary was done because Rebecca is here now and he is her responsibility." Ok, well that's true and all well and good, however, don't just leave me out in the cold people. Throw me a bone or something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I ended up showing out a little bit and was very firm with the attorney's office here and in Kentucky. Things ended up working out and Zachary passed his medical exam with flying colors!! YEAH!!!!!!!!! Apparently the agency realized what happened and I received two phone calls, one from the agency here and one from the agency in the US, apologizing profusely for what had happened and all of the problems I had. Apparently my conversation with them this morning was the wake up call they needed. I'm just glad it all worked out.

Today Zachary and I took a 2 1/2 hour nap. It was awesome and we both really needed it. After our nap, we went out walking few a few blocks with our friend, Pam and Del and their little girl Nora. We went to the grocery store so that I could get a few things, one of which was laundry detergent. I filled the bathtub up with water tonight and washed out some clothes. I had to get creative about where to hang them to dry. I told one of Z's strollers out on the balcony and put clothes on hangers and hung them from his stroller. Seems to be working well. I hope they dry by tomorrow. I'll let you know. I can tell you this though. I would have had a really hard time making it back in the old days when people washed clothes out by hand all of the time. Geez.....it wouldn't have been good for me. I must be spoiled. ;-))

He was not feeling well tonight at all. He got sick and was throwing up after dinner. Maybe I fed him the wrong foods, I don't know. I wasn't feeling so good myself so maybe it was something that we ate. Anyway, he went to sleep around 8:30 pm and I am hoping that he sleeps through the night. I rocked him to sleep because he was crying a lot tonight. Seems like he just really wanted to be close to me...very clingy. I like that though. ;-))))

Tonight I got our room organized....clothes in drawers, junk picked up, etc. I feel SO much better!!!! It's amazing how good a little organization can make you feel. Tonight I took a really hot bath while Z was asleep. It helped my neck and shoulders to feel better. I think maybe tomorrow I will sign up for one of the $20 massages. I could probably use that right about now.

OK, hope everyone had a great day!!

Love and hugs.....

Day 7

Well, this one is going to be short and sweet. I am still thoroughly exhausted. Zachary got me up before 6 am today and neither of us got a nap today. He is asleep in his crib right now. Yes, you heard me right, he is in a crib. Today we moved to the Marriott. We left our friends to come here. We are very grateful to our friends for letting us stay with them. They are SUCH nice people and were so very sweet and kind to us! We love them and will never forget them.

Tomorrow Zachary and I have to get up bright and early to go to his doctor's appointment at the Embassy. We need to be there before 8am so we will be getting up at 6am. Since no one from our agency is bothering to take us or even tell us exactly where we need to go, we are going to have to find a way over there and wing it as far as exactly where we have to go to see the doctor. Should be interesting but I'm sure we can handle it. After the doctor's appointment the only left that we will have to do is go to the final Embassy appt. on the 17th. YEAH!!

Hope everyone has a good night and we'll right again tomorrow!

Love and hugs.....

Day 6

Today we had a little more excitement. I gave Lucy some piano lessons and taught her how to play her scales. She practiced for hours. Meanwhile, Zachary was in his jumper, jumping and laughing like crazy. Then we got ready and went to the Cemetary to put flowers on the graves of Lucy's grandfathers. We left there and went to Pizza Hut! YIPPEE YAHOO!!! I love American food. I order a large double pepperoni pizza and only ate two pieces. I can live off of that for the next two days. ;-)) They we went shopping and I bought more stuff to eat and some stuff for Zachary. I also bought two kinds of medicine for him...for his congestion and cough. He is getting better. Bless his little heart. He has been smiling and laughing most of the day. He has his moments of course....when he cries but for the most part he is just a happy boy. He is getting where he is really attached to me. He reaches for me and cries when I go out of the room. I don't know if that's good or bad.

Ok, so several of you have asked about the differences in Guatemala as compared to the US. Well, first off, there are no speed limits here. They can drive as fast or slow as they want. They LOVE horns here too. I think James blew the horn about 50 times tonight in a 10 mile radius. He drives crazy like me so I was loving it. And he doesn't just beep once, he holds the horn down.

Next, some of the communities here are gated. I pictured a black rought iron fence where you would use an access card. NOT! There is an attendant at the gate (if you call it a gate....one single, raising board (like at a RR Xing) and there is someone there manually raising it as people come in. They really need access cards. It would be SO much easier but hey, then lots of people would be out of a job.

For those of you coming here...if you don't stay in a hotel, you should know that you do not flush paper down the toilets here. That is very different. I had never heard of that. I told my mom about it and being the world traveller that she is, said that she had heard of it and explained the reason. So anyway, I learned the hard way about this. Maybe more info. than you wanted to know.

Another interesting thing, you can get antibiotics here without a prescription. How strange is that?! BUT , you can't get Robitussin without a prescription. I have never heard of such. Oh well, I'll just wait and call Zachary's doctor tomorrow and get him to call some in for me.

Here there are MANY MANY flies and mosquitos. The houses are very open here. It is very drafty. The house that I am staying in is nice..it is small but nice and very clean. They are very clean people. The houses are connected like condos. I have not seen any stand alone houses. Therefore, you can hear a lot going on next door. The houses are made out of concrete blocks...and painted. Like I said, they are nice and very safe. Yesterday when they left for Easter festivities, I started worrying about if something happened how I would get out. We were locked in here because they lock their doors from the outside. Luckily, we didn't have to deal with that.

I know there are more differences, I just can't think of them right now. I guess I am just past exhaustion at this point. I haven't slept much at all this week. I hope tonight that will change but I'm not holding my breath.

Ok, it's off to bed for me. I will take more pictures tomorrow and send some over. Hopefully I will get some pics of Zachary and me together. ;0)

Love and hugs,
Rebecca and Zachary

Que hora es?

Almost by bedtime. ;-)) Today has been a good day! Again, we haven't left the house. Zachary's cough is getting better. There have been SO many celebrations going on here for Easter. Holy week is celebrated Thursday and Friday all day. Lucy participated in some of the festivities today. We were watching tv tonight and she showed me what she did at the celebration. She was one of about 10 people carrying what looked like a float in the procession. Where in the US our floats are on wheels, here they are carried by various people. It is a beautiful celebration. On tv you can see all of the lights and beautiful statutes of Jesus and Mary. Of course, everything they say is in Spanish so I can only pick up on a word now and then. The family that we are staying with is very religious. They pray before every meal, have pictures of Jesus and Mary all through the house and are very close. It is a nice environment to be in. I believe that the festivities are over after today. I'm not positive about that.

Tomorrow we are going shopping again. I want to do my shopping now while I have people to take me to the good shopping places. I still have a few more gotcha gifts to get for Zachary.

This afternoon Zachary and I both took a nap for about two hours. He woke me up just laughing and laughing. I opened my eyes and he was right in my face smiling. What a honey bun!!! Tonight I paid for that nap. He did not want to go to sleep. America usually just puts him down with a bottle and he goes straight to sleep. Tonight I put him down with a bottle and kept checking on him. Finally the last time I checked on him he was up on a pillow smiling at me. Kind of like he was saying "I'm not going to sleep yet mommy". Bless his little heart. He was fighting sleep tonight but being stubborn. Finally he gave in with ANOTHER bottle. The boy loves to drink. He had at least two bottles of water today, one of orange drink (like OJ) and Four bottles. He is such a healthy baby. Oh and I am going through about 7 diapers a day...about what I expected. ;-))

Tomorrow should be more adventurous than today was. ;-)) I do enjoy just being here with Zachary...playing with him and kissing him. He got in his jumper today that hangs from the door and was jumping all over the place. That thing is a lifesaver I'm telling you. He just loves it. He jumps up and down and just smiles and laughs. He actually wore himself out one time and was falling asleep while still in the jumper.

Ok, happy Friday to everyone. Hope your weekend is relaxing and wonderful!

Hugs...

Que pasa amigos?

Today has been pretty low-key and uneventful. Zachary and I stayed in the house all day. I didn't want to take him outside because of his bronchitis. Our foster family has been at church for hours and hours and we have been here. It is very quiet and Zachary is asleep. I am getting ready to be shortly myself. I really believe that he is getting better. He isn't coughing as much so I'm very thankful for that.

Tomorrow we will probably stay around here again and not really go out. I am going to get one of them to pick up some antibiotics for me so I can get started on them. My throat and ears seem to hurt worse at night. I noticed that Zachary kept touching his ears tonight so I guess it's the same for him. He drank a couple of bottles of water today and 4 bottles of milk along with a bottle of orange juice. He also ate a little baby food. He is so independent. He doesn't really like the bottle when he sees me drinking out of a cup or water bottle. He would rather drink out of that too. ;-)

When I get back home my Spanish should be pretty good. I am really catching on and remembering some of what I learned in high school (believe it or not). It is nice to be able to communicate with them. I am just thankful that Lucy speaks English otherwise I would be lost. This morning I was speaking some Spanish to them and they loved it. They thought it was great that I was interested in learning. Also, they showed me some photo albums from when they were all younger. It was very cool to look at that stuff. James and Nora have been married for 20 years. They are only 4 years older than I am. They are such a happy family. Yesterday when we were out, I noticed several times that they were holding hands. So sweet!!!!!

Ok, I will go for now. Buenos Noches!

Day 3

Hola from Guatemala. Today was a very good day. I have to say that once I again I am thoroughly exhausted. Zachary was awake and laughing at 3am this morning and then had a coughing spell. I did't get much sleep at all. I was on the computer at 4am and really didn't get back to sleep. We had to get up at 7:30 because we were going on a day trip. That was very nice. The downside was that it took a LONG time to get there. We went to see the Mayan ruins in Decpan near Quimaldenango. We were all over the place. It was very interesting to visit this archealogical site and to see how people lived there over 1,000 years ago. These were the first settlers in Guatemala. We took pictures which I will post. It was a great trip. We also got to see the place where they used to do animal and human sacrifices to God and pray for certain things like health, food and all of the things that they needed. While we were there, I bought a few "gotcha gifts" for Zachary. They were very inexpensive but nice. I bought a little drum for him which is really cool.

We went to a nice restaurant. I was SO hungry...to the point that I was dizzy. I don't even know what time we had dinner. I didn't eat it all because my little man kept wanting me to feed him and then when he was done, he decided that I was too. ;-)) We did have some split pea and mushroom soup and he absolutely LOVED it!!! I think he ate half of the bowl.

Tonight he is having a hard time going to sleep. He slept most of the way back and since they really don't use car seats here, I was holding him the whole time. My arms are VERY tired. He got some good sleep though. Tonight I hope he will be able to sleep. Since he is sick I know he needs lots of sleep...and Nana reminded me of this today.

I am feeling like I may be getting Zachary's bronchitis. My throat and ears are hurting. I am ticked at my agency. They should have told me that Zachary has bronchitis. I would have brought some antibiotics for myself too. Oh well, we'll figure out something.

Ok, did I mention to you guys that my child is a BED HOG!! WOW WEE. He leaves one little place for me to sleep so I am clinging to the edge all night. ;-)))

OK, I will write more tomorrow and post some pictures tonight.

Love and hugs,
Rebecca

A few "first time" moments today

Hola from Mixco, Guatemala! Today Zachary and I got to experience some of our "first times". We went grocery shopping today for the first time. That was fun. He was a little angel. Of course, I had lots of help. Four other people that were more than willing to hold him if he even thought about crying.

We are having a great time. My "friends" are treating me like royalty. They have really been good to me...and they just adore Zachary. I am getting to experience first hand what life is like over here. So far, I'm really liking it. It is different but hey, it's always good to get a taste of what it's like in other places.

I would ask that you guys all say prayers for Zachary. He has bronchitis very bad right now and is taking breathing treatments and on antibiotics. I know that the Embassy doctor will not release him to travel if he isn't better. I am worried about that so please say a special prayer that he will get better very soon. He has a terrible cough but even despite that, he is so sweet and happy!!

Tonight we were at the mall and the song "I never knew love like this before" came on. I was singing to Zachary so I started singing that song. I had tears in my eyes because that is so true. Before I saw him for the first time, I had no idea what about this kind of love. Now I do and it is so special. There is just nothing else like it!!

Ok, so here is a culture shock for me. Tonight I went in the bedroom to get some clothes out for us to wash and there was a GIANT roach on the floor. I almost freaked!! I chased him out and then followed him and GOT him!! I was cringing the whole time. YIKES!!! I hope I can sleep tonight. I bet you a million dollars I will dream about roach bugs!! ughhhhhhhhhhhh I hate them!! The only good thing is that they are as scared of us as we are of them. ;-) Here the houses are much more open to the outside than ours are in the US. They are very nice houses just more exposure to outside so bugs can get in. Please say ANOTHER prayer that I won't see another one!!!!

Tomorrow we are going touring. They are going to take me around to different places so I can take pictures and learn about the history of Guatemala. I am really looking forward to this. I am truly getting a first hand experience about life in Guatemala. Everyone here has been so nice to me...and they just love Zachary. I am touched by all of the kindness and hospitality. I can't wait to one day share all of this with Zachary. I know it will be so special to both of us.

Today I got to see Nora. She is another baby that has been living with Zachary at the foster mom's house. She is so beautiful and sweet. Her parents, Pam and Dale, are coming down this Friday for the pick-up trip. Nora is finally going home!! Yeah!!! She is such a doll. She and Zachary have a special bond and I know that they are really going to miss each other. We will have to make sure that they keep in touch with each other.

OK, I will call it a day now. I am thoroughly exhausted. I have a feeling that I will need lots of rest for tomorrow. I will write again when we get back tomorrow evening.

For now, Buenos Noches from Guatemala!!!

Love and Hugs,
Zachary and mommy

The dream has come true

I am here!!! Zachary and I have been together since 3:00 today! I didn't sleep very much last night. I was just too excited. I finally struck the last thing off of my TO DO list this morning. I am really glad that I got everything done. I haven't really been eating much the last few days so I really wan't feeling all that great. It was an absolute fiasco at the airport this morning. WOW....the lines were really long and it took forever just to get to the gate. Then I was almost late. I think I was the LAST person to board. Geez...plus I hadn't had anything to eat and ran out of time to get something. I have had a major headache all day. I'm hoping that once I get some sleep tonight it will go away. We have already tried to get Zachary to sleep tonight but he wasn't having it. I think he was too afraid that he would miss something. I am getting ready to try again...mainly because I am a walking zombie right now.

And a BIG YEAH to my friend Laura who got out of PGN today after 9 months!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I have to go. I promise to post pictures very soon.

Love, Rebecca and Zachary

"Leaving on a Jet Plane..."

AND I AM COMING BACK...THIS TIME ZACHARY WILL BE WITH ME!!!! YIPPEE YAHOOOOOOO!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR ME TO LEAVE. IN A LITTLE MORE THAN 24 HOURS, I WILL HAVE ZACHARY IN MY ARMS FOREVER!!! THANK YOU LORD!!! I AM JUST BESIDE MYSELF TODAY...WITH EXCITEMENT! I AM SO HYPER AND FULL OF ENERGY. I HAVE GOTTEN SO MUCH DONE THIS WEEKEND...BUT I HAVE A LOT MORE TO DO TODAY. I WANT EVERYTHING PERFECT WHEN I LEAVE HERE AND BELIEVE ME IT WILL BE, EVEN IF I HAVE TO STAY UP UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

MIKE IS GOING TO TAKE ME TO THE AIRPORT IN THE MORNING. MY FRIEND JIM WAS GOING TO TAKE ME BUT MIKE SAID THAT HE REALLY WANTED TO.

OH AND SOME SAD NEWS TODAY. LAST NIGHT MIKE WAS OVER AT MY HOUSE HELPING ME DO SOME THINGS AROUND THE HOUSE, IN THE MEANTIME SOMEONE BROKE IN AND VANDALIZED HIS HOUSE. THEY TOOK A KNIFE AND CUT UP HIS NEW LEATHER COUCH, LOVESEAT, OTHER CHAIRS, COMFORTER, SHEETS, STOLE 2 BLANK CHECKS, KNOCKED OVER HIS AQUARIUM AND VARIOUS OTHER THINGS IN THE HOUSE. THE POLICE THINK IT WAS PROBABLY KIDS THAT DID THIS. THEY DIDN'T STEAL ANYTHING BUT CHANGE (ABOUT $60). MOSTLY THEY JUST DAMAGED THINGS IN HIS HOUSE (WHICH BY THE WAY IS USUALLY IMMACULATE.) MIKE HAS A REAL DECORATING TALENT. ANYWAY, THANK GOODNESS HIS KITTY KAT HID. SHE IS FINE SO WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THAT. HE IS TAKING IT ALL PRETTY WELL NOW BUT IS VERY TIRED FROM TRYING TO CLEAN THE MESS UP. PLEASE SAY A PRAYER FOR HIM TO GET THROUGH ALL OF THIS. HE AND I KNOW IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE...SO WE ARE BOTH JUST THANKFUL THAT NO ONE WAS HURT IN ALL OF THIS CRAZINESS.

OK, ENOUGH OF THE SAD STUFF...THIS IS A VERY HAPPY DAY FOR ME! MY LAST DAY AS A SINGLE PERSON. AFTER TODAY I'LL BE A SINGLE PARENT, OFFICIALLY!!! ;-)))) I CAN'T WAIT!

I WILL BE EMAILING AND UPDATING MY BLOG WHILE I'M IN GUATEMALA SO CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES.

LOVE AND HUGS, REBECCA