Funny thing, time

It's amazing to me how fast time flies and yet how slow it seems to go at the same time. My pregnancy time is FLYING by, whereas the adoption time seems to be dragging on forever. I am now in the single digits of weeks left in my pregnancy. I've got just about 8 weeks left. Here is a pic of me from last week.

Now...some GREAT news! We have finally exited Family Court, received Pre-Approval from the US Embassy and entered PGN which is basically this:

1. After receiving Pre-Approval (PA) the lawyer submits a petition for approval of the adoption case to a notarial officer of the Attorney Generals office (Procuraduria General de la Nación or PGN). (A Notary in Guatemala is an attorney with additional powers, not simply someone who certifies signatures as in the US.)
2. Notary in PGN reviews all the documents (sometimes requesting that some be re-done because of minor spelling errors, expired notary seals, etc. - however our agency is very picky about how paperwork is completed and there are few kick-outs) and almost always approves the adoption. The PGN may at their discretion investigate aspects of the case if they wish and as a result of that and other variations, time in this step (as in many steps) can vary widely. Our agency is currently averaging anywhere from a couple weeks to a few months. We know people that have gotten their OUT - approval from PGN - in two weeks (or less) and some who are still in after 3 months. It really just depends on whose desk you get placed on.
3. PGN issues its approval for the adoption to proceed. Once we get our OUT, the US Embassy will then perform a second DNA test on Gabriel to make sure he is the same baby they tested at the beginning of the process and then we will be issued our appointment date for the pick-up (called PINK because the appointment slip is pink). The appointment is usually anywhere from 6-8 weeks after OUT.

Please be praying that we will get our OUT in a very short amount of time. I'm crossing all crossables that we will get ours in two weeks. However, that will make the Embassy appointment around the time I'm due, but I have faith that God will allow Zach to witness the birth of our baby girl.


We are making progress on the nursery also. Above is a pic of one of the walls. Didn't Zach do a great job? I'm not showing the anything with the murals until they are all finished though. You'll just have to wait! I will give you a hint though: we are going with a prince/princess theme. Zach has done a great job so far and he has even designed some murals to go on the wall. He is gone this week (he'll be home tomorrow - thank goodness) and while he's away he's working on the last one - for above baby girls crib. We have only penciled them on the wall so far with a projector we checked out from the library (who knew they had those to check out - my husband is brilliant for thinking of it!). Now just to figure out colors. That is the hard part.

Our cribs got here the day before Zach left, so they are still sitting in our entryway, making maneuvering difficult, but the dogs and I are managing. Now just to get all the other necessities so that we'll be prepared for the kiddos. Must buy diapers too. I keep forgetting the coupons Mom sent me (thanks, again!) when I go to Walmart. Maybe I'll do that today and get myself out of the house.

Not really too much else going on. I hope everyone is doing well! We love you all!