Girls DNA Has Arrived in NC

The DNA samples taken last Tuesday have finally arrived at the Labcorp here in North Carolina. As soon as the testing is complete and the results are back at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala we will be able to schedule our appointments and then get them on that plane headed for home.

DNA Authorization

Yesterday the girls were taken to the U.S. Embassy to give DNA samples and Pat at Labcorp sent the DNA paid receipt to Guatemala. Heidi expects the sample to be sent to Labcorp today; Pat is going to let us know as soon as it gets to Labcorp. Possibly the DNA process will be completed and back to the U.S. Embassy by the end of October. If that is the case, we are going to ask for an appointment with the Embassy during the week of November 2.

Continued Drama with Good News

We called our Guatemala facilitator October 15 and she said "I have very good news and bad news"... story line of this entire adoption! We received one birth certificate, but they withheld the second saying that "a copy of a submitted document" was missing (make the damn copy!). Heidi said that she took a fit and they finally offered to try to have it ready if she would return at 5:00 p.m. They did have the birthcertificate when she returned, but they did not give her the Certificate of Adoption that she needed to take to the U.S. Embassy in order to continue with the DNA process. They said that she should return the next day for the Certificate. She did that very early hoping that they would give her the Certificate before noon so that she could get to the U.S. Embassy where the twins were standing in line for the 1/2 hour "open" window. Our facilitator did not get the Certificate of Adoption in time to submit the documentation to the U.S. Embassy during their 1/2 hour "open" window. Now we wait (a loss of 5 more days) until Tuesday (today) to submit the Certificate of Adoption to the U.S. Embassy so that the DNA process can begin.

Elusive Birth Certificates

Well we did not get the girls birth certificates on October 8 or 9--we still do not have the birth certificates. Heidi now says that the files are on the last woman's desk but she is out of the office at a seminar. She does not expect us to get her signature now until Wednesday, October 15. We are really close to my projected October 16 release of the birth certificates. Let's hope that one of us is correct this time.

Thrilled to Be Out; on Pins-and-Needles Waiting for BC

We have been told that we could have the Birth Certificates by October 8 or 9 -- Please, please, please. If so we would be bringing the girls home the first week of November!
We were also told that the girls still weigh 17 pounds and both started walking September 10. Another first missed...

OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT

APPROVED!

We got the word that the girls file was approved today. Next step is that we will be entered into the Civil Registry of Guatemala for the new birth certificates. This should take 17 days or less. Then we can submit paperwork for the 2nd DNA and VISA.

Long Overdue Post...

We have been in Maine and off the computer for a couple of weeks. I will try to provide a comprehendable update here.
The update on August 13 never came. We would call our facilitator daily only to hear things like "still with the 2nd reviewer hope to be at the window tomorrow; call again tomorrow." Finally on August 20 when we called the facilitator (our adoption agency is mute at this point) we were told that the file was picked up, but that it was not approved. Kickout #5! This time the final reviewer did not like that an "n" had been missed and then added by a U.S. Embassy official with his initials verifying the change. The document had to be redone and the birth mother had to be brought back to the city for signature. We were resubmitted on Monday, August 25. Now we wait through the entire process--again. The facilitator pushed the first reviewer as she is leaving this coming Friday. She signed it and now the file sits with the 2nd reviewer. After this signature we have to get through one more reviewer; the reviewer that kicked us out last time. He is known to be difficult. I don't think we will learn anything until next Monday.
We are extremely discouraged, disappointed and angry!