No, I'm not pregnant (and at 54 and menopausal that would be pretty much a miracle), and unfortunately hubby is not going to agree to start another adoption. I also didn't win the lottery so I can't donate a few million to the orphans of Guatemala.

But, no less earth shaking in my world: Ella has a Guatemalan born cousin and is finally going to meet him in two days! Last year, September 2006, my wonderful niece and her equally wonderful husband finally got to bring their adorable little boy home from Guatemala. It was a long bumpy road for them, and the whole extended family let out a huge sigh of relief when he was home in their arms.

I was incredibly excited... more

It is 10:45 AM and I’m sitting here wishing I was blogging about Guatemalan President Oscar Berger’s press release. Apparently today is the day he is going to officially announce his stand on in process adoption cases and clarify some of the cloudier issues I’ve been discussing.

Whether or not Senor Berger decides to endorse the grandfathering amendment to the Ortega Clause which should be voted on after the elections in early November is not life or death to the amendment, but it is very important to many of us in the adoption world. Senor Berger and his wife Wendy have not... more

I’ve written about Ella’s sleeping issues off and on in my blogs. Tonight while lying beside her in our bed waiting for her to fall asleep, I reflected on how my personal experience co-sleeping with Ella has evolved in the last five months.

A little history here: Ella slept with her foster mother for the first seven months of her life. I completely supported this. Some adoptive parents buy portable beds for the foster mothers in Guatemala so their children will learn to sleep alone. I liked to think of Ella lying close to her foster mother and feeling safe.

When we brought... more

A few days ago I blogged about a rumor that Oscar Berger would support grandfathering cases in the system before the Hague is implemented. No official announcement has been made to date, but according to the JCICS (Joint Council on International Children’s Services) we can anticipate one on October 19th. Guatadopt reported today that “President Berger publicly... more

Guess what? UNICEF New York is “protecting” the Executive Director Ann Veneman from our annoying phone calls by not transferring calls to her or to her voicemail. In order to get through to her, Kevin on guatadopt has an innovative idea as well as guidelines for what to say when you do get through. Kudos to Kevin!

Here are his recommendations:

To leave a message on the voice mail of the Executive Director you should:

1. dial the switchboard 212-326-7000 2. Listen to the recording, and choose 1 to use the "dial a name feature" 3. Type in 8363626# (which are the... more

Until tonight, I was totally unaware that October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. Thanks to Coley and Rebecca I've been enlightened. In addition to lighting a candle or quietly remembering our personal losses alone, we have a national and apparently even international day when we don’t feel so insolated in our pain.

Until now, I have been extremely private about my losses which include miscarriages and two stillborn children. All these... more

In yesterday’s blog, I reported that apparently Oscar Berger had decided to support the amendment to the Ortega Bill that would grandfather adoptions in process. Although this bill still has to pass congress, it was a decent thing for the president to do, especially in light of the horrific article his vice president wrote claiming that some children are adopted for their organs. I’ve yet... more

Photo: Oscar Berger and friend (Google Images)

I can’t reveal my sources, but today I heard that the president of Guatemala, Oscar Berger, has finally agreed to support an amendment to the recently approved adoption law allowing in process adoptions to continue under the current laws. If this is indeed fact and not fiction, hurrah and it is about time! As I’ve mentioned in several previous blogs, this amendment should be voted on after the November elections. Let me insert a caveat: governments are predictably unpredictable and it could be later or perhaps even... more

Not unlike many SAHM (stay at home mothers) I love getting out and having fun with Ella. Nothing beats a change of venue for a toddler and a weary toddler’s mom.

Once a week for the last year Ella and I have been participating in Kindermusik, a musical program for children with their parents. I understand that although the materials for these programs are similar nation wide, the success of these classes varies depending on the teacher’s patience and enthusiasm. With a teacher who fits this position like a glove, our classes have been... more

Recently I’ve seen several posts on web groups questioning the effect and effectiveness of signing petitions and writing letters protesting some of the harmful changes in the Guatemalan adoption process.

We need only look at the progress made in the last couple weeks to answer this question. The US Department of State has already posted a revised statement supporting grandfathering all adoptions in process before the Hague is implemented in Guatemala.

UNICEF Guatemala has almost come out with... more