May and June Recap

May and June have been busy months, so here is a picture recap!

May

Vacation in Cancun

 Sailing on the catamaran

 Eating yummy tacos

 Tubing at Xel-Ha with her tia

 Brielle has been working hard at therapy! One of her favorite activities is riding the tricycle

 The best part of summer is spending lots of time on the boat!

 Hosting a rainy memorial day with all our friends

We went up to Dahlongea for my birthday, and got to use our awesome Osprey pack. 

June

 Loving family time in our new house

Friend weekend at the lake. Nora loved swimming! 

Brielle has achieved an important milestone of stacking blocks.  

She also spent her first week at 'Grammy Camp', while Mommy was taking a class to finish her masters.  

 Nothing says summer like pizza and cupcakes at the pool.

 The slip-n-slide is also a new favorite.

Fun Sunday lunch playing with the cousins. So fun to have family live close!

Brielle has made some great progress in the last few months:

• She has taken a few independent steps, and is gaining confidence in her walking everyday. 
• She is getting close to using a fork by herself, and has mastered the spoon.
• She is getting her own adaptive tricycle, so she can ride while we go on our evening walks. Not only will the trike strengthen her legs, but it will also help with brain connectivity.
• She has gotten a body compression suit called Theratogs. It helps calm her system, and also helps with brain connectivity. 
• The biggest victory is that Brielle has started using two 'words'. This is a huge deal because we weren't sure if she would ever understand how sounds can have meaning. She has started saying 'mo' for more, and 'hep' for help. Most people might not be able to understand her words, but we know what she is trying to say!

It is hard to believe that we will have been a family for a whole year in August. Our little girl has amazing progress, and we are so blessed to be her parents. Thanks for your support and prayers!

New Year, New Accomplishments

We kicked off 2015 we an eventful start! We had our first night away from our girl. Every year for 6 years we've spent New Years Eve with friends from college. We had planned to bring Brielle, but my parents kindly offered to come stay the night with her. I was a little nervous because her toddler behavior has increased lately, but of course she was a little angel for her grandparents. It was so nice to have a night away! I can't believe we didn't take a single picture together!

Scott has also started a new job with Ventiv Tech, which he loves! His position is more web development than his previous one, and he commutes 3 days a week to the office. It has been an adjustment to have him gone, but it makes our family time all the more special. Brielle certainly misses her daddy while he is gone!

We had an appointment with the ophthalmologist, and it took 4 hours! She did great, but does have a slight vision problem. We hope to pick out her glasses this week. Then the next day we had her OT evaluation. We are excited to start with some therapies because I know they are going to help her tremendously! The evaluation went well, and right now our concentration is learning how to color better and learning how to stack blocks. We have a PT eval on the 23rd, and then we will start both therapies weekly.

Brielle has been growing and changing all the time! She has gone through so many developmental stages since we got her in August, and she is coming fully into toddlerhood. It is very fun, but also very challenging. She has a lot of opinions, and does not like to be told no! She may not talk but she certainly makes her opinions known.

One of the best things about Brielle when we first got her was that she would eat anything, veggies and all! But with toddlerhood has come picky eating...I'm just thankful she still likes avocado and broccoli.

We also started potty training last week, and its going really well! I'm not sure when we can actually move into big girl panties, but it is really nice to use one or two pull-ups a day instead of multiple diapers.

She consistently signs 'more' or 'all done' when given a choice between eating more or getting down. She is pretty consistent about obeying 'look at mommy', which is a big victory because eye contact has been hard for her. I am hoping she will learn the sign for going potty, but we're still working on it. Food is a much better motivator!

Her laughter is still medicine for my soul! She is a child of big extremes, very happy, very sad, or very mad. We certainly enjoy her, and she pushes us to our limits.

I know 2015 holds great things for our girl! I cannot wait to look back over the year when we get to our gotcha day, and see all the expectations she has exceeded!

Here is a look at our life lately:

Rainy Saturday=Chick Fil A breakfast

Music is still her favorite thing

Long day at the eye doctor

Equals long nap

Love when she still snuggles after nap is supposed to be over 

Flynn is hanging out with us again!

She loves her doggies more than they love her. 

Working on our coloring skills

Nothing like a playset inside with Mommy, Brielle and Coalie

I can't believe week 7 has come and gone!

I know when we left the states we told everyone we'd be gone for 8-9 weeks, but I had no idea how long that would actually feel! We have truly loved our time on Bogota, but so much has happened at home. We are ready to get home and catch up! We are praying that our week 8 update will be the final one!

Each day of the week has gone pretty much the same. We spend a lot of time playing at the apartment, go jogging on a nice path we found, watch Baby Einstein (her new favorite!), and just spend time together. It has been nice seeing how our lives will kind of be at home. 

A few highlights from the week:

Tuesday: We went to Jeno's pizza for the half off lunch, and were literally the only people in the restaurant! We even let Brielle go (halfway) down the big slide by herself, which she loved! That girl has no fear.

Wednesday: In the evening we met our new friends Sam and Brian at Usaquen Square to find a place for dinner. The third story of the mall is a Plaza de Andres. (By the same company as Andres Carne de Res). They have all these different stations to order your food, like a cafeteria. Scott opted for a hamburger, while Brielle and I had aprepas. Sam confessed that she did not believe Brielle could eat her entire aprea covered in chicken, but she put it down and asked for more! We had a great time hanging out, and getting coffee after dinner.

She is LOVING her Five Little Monkeys book!

 Putting on Daddy's shoes all by herself!

Friday: We were really hoping for Sentenica because we have gotten all the other necessary signatures. But the secretary didn't come in, so no luck. We decided we needed to get out of the house, so we took our work (Scott) and Kindle (Allyson) the the Juan Valdez coffee shop. Its one of the few places with fast internet. Brielle took along her new favorite book, 5 Little Monkeys, which has entertained her for countless hours this week. We were just sitting and chatting, when I heard someone speaking English! So I started peaking over at the family, and as they were leaving Scott realized one of their kids was adopted. Then the dad turned around, and was like "Hey, are you all Americans?" It was truly God's providence that led us all to meet up! They are from our same agency and spending their last week or so in Bogota to get all their paperwork finished. We have found that our little area is pretty safe to walk around in the evening, so we decided to do dinner out at El Corral Gourmet. It was sooo good! They have their burgers divided by country, I had a Thai burger, and Scott had something from Europe.

We got a little dressed up in hope of Sentencia!

Dinner at El Corral

Saturday: We went with the Wood family (that we met Friday) to Simon Bolivar park. We had lots of fun. The kids played on the playground, and we had meat and corn on a stick for lunch. Their oldest daughter, Eden, was great with Brielle, and all the kids loved pushing her in the stroller. Luis made her laugh the most with all his sound effects! As we were leaving it started POURING rain. It was the first long rain shower we've had in Bogota, and the first one we've been caught in!

Sunday: During the past week I connected with a family who is here in Bogota for the adoption of their 6 month old. We met with them at Al Aguas Patos today for brunch. It has all kinds of french toast. You choose your bread, and then the toppings. Scott and I both ordered pan dulces, which turned out to be more like dessert. It was delicious though! We had a great time meeting Michelle and Chris, we just we could have connected with them earlier! Then we went to the makert with Sam and Brian. We got a few more souvenirs, and some beautiful serving spoons that we've been eyeing the whole time. Then of course we had to get ice cream at Crepes and Waffles!

Our most exciting breakthrough this week was Saturday when we got home from the park. Brielle normally has a snack around 5:00 because we don't eat dinner until closer to 7. I went over to the kitchen to fix a cup of coffee. She saw me in the kitchen, scooted over, and signed 'more' to me! That is really the first time she has told us she was hungry without screaming!

Tomorrow morning we are headed to the courthouse at 7:00am. We are so hoping that with us their the judge will sign our Sentencia! Please pray for that! We have flights booked for Saturday, so if all goes well this is our last weekend in Bogota. We will miss our friends we have made here, but it will be so nice to get home!

Bogota, Week 5

We were assigned a new court last week, 15. It is supposed to be a better court, and our attorney is predicting that we get Sentencia by Friday. Please pray that this is true! Once we get Sentencia we should be home in about a week. Here's a recap of our last week:

Saturday: This was my favorite tour thus far! We went hiking at the Guatavita Lagoon with the Sanjines family. The hike took about an hour, and it rained almost the whole time. We still had so much fun, and the kids did awesome. Brielle LOVED being out in nature. She just giggled and giggled. I wish I could put up our better group picture, but can't show her face yet. Then we toured the historical town of Guatavita. It is all white stucco with the traditional hispanic tiles. It turned into a beautiful day, and we had lots of fun walking around. We even toured the bull fighting arena!

Sunday: We had a normal Sunday going to church, and then Jen and I got to shop at the market without any kids! Thanks Scott & Nick! Then they came over to our apartment for some last minute swimming. Great way to end our weekend!

Monday: We had a quiet morning, and I started getting things ready to move to a new apartment (again). We ate lunch at the Sanjines apartment. Nick made awesome empanadas! Brielle loves playing with their girls, and they are so sweet to entertain her. We are getting her to say 'mamama' more consistently, so now she just needs to understand that momma is me!

Tuesday: It was half price at Jeno's pizza, so we went there for lunch. This time we went down the slide with Brielle. She loved it! I can't wait to take her on kiddy rides at home.

Wednesday: Today was moving day, so we finished packing up our apartment. Someone had already leased it starting the 19th, so we found a new place to finish the rest of our time. We move in our bags, and then went to the airport to get Gramma! After a long time waiting on her bag we headed back to the apartment to unpack and grocery shop.

Thursday: This was our 4th wedding anniversary, and I honestly am so happy to be spending it with our daughter! I made crepes for breakfast because we did that on our first wedding anniversary. We had a final lunch with Nick & Jen, and some other friends from church. Then we hung out at their apartment for a bit. It was so hard to say goodbye, but we are already making plans to do some hiking together this fall! Our time spent in Bogota was so much better because of the awesome friends God placed in our path. Then we cooked steak and shrimp for dinner, and ended with a quiet night at home. We're planning to go see the Maze Runner this weekend since Gramma is here to babysit!

Gonna miss these cuties! 

(I can finally put up their picture, since their adoption is finalized)

Friday: We spent the morning at our new place playing with Gramma. Then we had lunch at Crepes and Waffles again. It is definitely one of our favorites here! We played at a nearby park in the afternoon until the rain came.

Saturday: We woke up to more rain, so we called our favorite tour guide, Rene, to see if he had any suggestions for the day. We ended up touring the historical part of Bogota called La Candelaria, and the Simon Bolivar plaza. The rain let up and the clouds cleared, so we took the cable car up to Monserrate. It was a beautiful view, and the sun decided to come out. We walked the stations of the cross and went in the cathedral. It is amazing to see the sprawling city of Bogota, but even more beautiful were the mountains on the other side of Monserrate. Then we took the train called the Funicular down the mountain.

Update on Brielle: She is continuing to do well, and showing more improvement every day! I had not idea how much a three year old can eat; she gets close to the same portions as Scott. She has gained weight over the last five weeks, and developed the typical 'toddler tummy'. I love it! She loves to be tickled, ride in the Ergo, play crazy games with Daddy, read books with Mommy. She is pulling up more and more, and walking around using the rolling suitcase. She is making more babbling noises. The people who have seen her over the past couple weeks comment how much she's changed and how well she is doing, which is so encouraging to us.

Again, please pray for Sentencia this week! We cannot wait to get home and settle into our regular lives. We have scheduled her first appointment with the adoption doctor at the end of October, so we'd love some time to settle in before we begin any medical treatments. Thanks for all the continued support!

A fun week!

We had a great week with lots of outings! No news on the legal side of the process. We're still waiting for the judge to accept our case in court 13. Please pray we hear something this week!

Tuesday-We spent the day packing up to move to our new apartment. We enjoyed staying at Zuetana, but our new place has a kids play room and pool! We went to Jeno's pizza for lunch with the Sanjines family, Elizabeth and her kids, and Wendy and Karen. It was our last time to see Wendy and Karen since they were able to go home a few days after. She had been here 12 weeks!

Wednesday-We moved into our new apartment, got unpacked, and played upstairs in the play room. Brielle now has her own room, which is allowing her to sleep much better. Normally 10-12 hours a night! She loves having more space to move around too.

Thursday-We decided to meet Nick & Jen & kids at El Rodeo for lunch. We ended up walking a ways to get there, after taking the bus, and then walking all the way home. I'll never trust Google maps for a correct walking distance again...But El Rodeo was really fun! They had a trampoline and a merry-go-round that Brielle loved! I'm thinking we might get her a small one for a jumping handle for at home.

Friday-We just spent the day at home. She slept in until 9! We played in the apartment in the morning, I did some grocery shopping while she napped, and then we went to the pool for the first time! It was quite an experience! Everyone has to wear swim caps, and you have to shower before and after swimming. There is a pool attendant checking the whole time. She SCREAMED about being in a bathing suit (she doesn't like her arms showing), and SCREAMED about being put in the shower. But then she loved swimming, and she is a natural at it. She loves to put her whole face in the water. She kicks her legs well, and is starting to paddle her arms. She may be swimming before we know it! They also have a baby pool where she can play independently.

Saturday-We got up early and went to the Museo del Ninos with the Sanjines family (Nick & Jen). It was really neat. They take you on a guided tour. We played in the clubhouse, did some chocolate painting, learned about teeth, and toured the airplane. Then we walked over to Simon Bolivar park for lunch and playing. Lots of fun! Brielle went swimming for a bit when we got home, and we had some fun with spaghetti for dinner. Then she was asleep by 8:00 after a fun day with no nap!

The waiting...

The time that every adoptive family dreads...the time when all you can do is wait. Your baby is waiting for you, and you would literally leave tomorrow to go get her, but government approval stands in your way. Ugh. There is nothing fun or easy about it, but it is part of the journey. I like to keep the blog positive, but I want to keep it real too. And the waiting is very real, and I am really over it.

We are hoping that the process should begin moving again next week, but I'll save that update for then. For now I want to document what the past few months have been like. There are times when it has been very hard. Mother's day. Every time someone asks for an update and I say nothing. When I realize a month has gone by since I got the last picture of her.

But there are times that are good. Scott and I have been cherishing our moments together as a couple before we are a family. Dinners with friends. Walks in the evenings. Weekends at the lake. Most days go by without me compulsively checking my email every 20 minutes for an update.

What it really comes down to is that God is faithful through it all. He is the same today as he was yesterday, and He will be the same when we finally get to meet our girl. And He has to be enough for me. I cannot be a good wife or mother until I bury that truth deep in my heart. God is the only one who can fulfill me, not motherhood. In order to be the best mother I can be I have to be a servant of Christ. That is what He has been teaching me. And most days I still fail pretty bad, but I trust that God is working in me everyday.

So as our waiting season is (hopefully) coming to a close I want to put this lesson into writing. I must be filled with Christ to serve my husband and my daughter. That must be the priority.

Pictures & Fundraising

No forward progress to report in the paperwork department, but we are praying for FBI fingerprint clearance before December. We appreciate any prayers to speed that us!

Last Saturday we took pictures with our friend, Jordyn, who is an awesome photographer. She took some pictures for us to help us document this important part of our lives. Then she and Scott did portraits for several different families. She is especially awesome because she is donating half of the proceeds to the adoption! Here are some of our pictures:

Scott and I were looking through our funds after a convicting sermon on Sunday, and we just have to glorify God for all He has done in our adoption process. As of September 18th we had completely drained our funds that we had saved because we had to pay for our homestudy. Our next big payment will be when we submit our dossier, and we are praying that will be before the end of 2013. At times I felt like we would never be able to raise that money before Christmas, but God's timing is always right. We have currently raised all of the funds that we need for the dossier payment!!!! Next we will work on raising money for our attorney fees in Colombia, all our travel costs, and the cost of our post-adoption visits. I finally feel like our trip is in sight, still in the distance, but at least in sight. We cannot wait to meet our little girl! I can't wait to spend Christmas 2014 as a family of 3!