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Sunday, April 18, 2004 11:53 PM CDT

First, we’re happy to let you know that we are flying back tomorrow morning, Monday April 19th, and will get into Toronto Pearson Airport at 7:24 pm We’re taking Delta 1166 from Atlanta.

Our 3-night trip to Cartegena was absolutely wonderful. It was about 90 degrees each day with relatively low humidity. The hotel Santa Clara is a delightful place. We had a room with a balcony overlooking the pool. The architecture is a mix of old and new – some parts of the hotel retain the original walls of the former convent. The colours are a delightfully tropical combination of terracotta, turquoise and warm yellow. Perhaps the most exotic and tranquil area is the charming, shady courtyard in the centre of the hotel that is teaming with birds and plant life and has flagstone paths through it and bronze statues. In the evenings a solo guitarist helps set the mood for dinner al fresco - magical -- you definitely feel you are away from home.

We stayed around the hotel for most of the time as it was just too hot to take Matthew out for any length of time, especially from 10-3. David and I took it in turns to spend an hour or so pool side, while the other watched the baby inside the hotel room. Gone are the days of splashing around together -- at least until the baby is old enough to tolerate the heat and go in the pool himself. On day 2 we got smart and spoke to the hotel about their baby sitting service. We felt comfortable enough to leave our little one with a very sweet girl called Miriam for a few hours in our room. Each time we visited he was fast asleep in his crib, which made us feel v. relaxed and able to enjoy a few hours off.

While he was being baby sat, we took a stroll outside the hotel and did a bit of shopping and filming. We took a taxi to a restaurant we had heard about, but found when we arrived that it was closed. Another restaurant was more than happy to take us (most of the maitre d’s are standing in the door ways enticing you in), and I have to say that the Italian place we found was delightful. We sat outside in their courtyard, complete with fountain and waterfall and had the best pizza and pasta we’ve had in a long time. It was a very romantic setting, and would be lovely in the evening with the candles lit. If anyone reading this goes to Cartegena, the restaurant is called something like Enoco and is about 1 minute from the Saint Teresa hotel – we highly recommend it. We did check out the interior of the Saint Teresa -- nice, but not as nice as the Santa Clara, in our opinion. Matthew has improved ten fold and we think the warm, moist air helped him.

When we got back from our trip the Eatons and Calcagnos had arrived and had received their little boys. Attached on this site is a photo of them all lined up on Betty’s sofa – we call it the “domino effect” – check out the pic. and you’ll see why.

Thursday was a day of rushing to the Canadian embassy to try to sort out the problem with our paper work. We managed to clear up the health document only to discover that another piece of paper that had been sent to them from Immigration and Citizenship in Canada, had mysteriously disappeared. Fortunately, David and I had brought a copy of it and that move probably saved us another week. Then it was on to the US embassy with Annette, where, after about 4.5 hours, we finally received Matthew’s VISA to stop in Atlanta to change planes – and... wait for it..... THAT IS THE FINAL DOCUMENT WE NEED TO COME HOME WITH HIM!

So, to mark the occasion we all went to the Carbon de Palo again for dinner and essentially there was a send off for us.

Saturday and Sunday has essentially been running around getting a few gifts for folks and of course one of two items for ourselves. There are so many tempting things here at such good prices. Tonight, Sunday, we have been having quite a challenge fitting everything in our suitcases, but some how have managed it.

It has been a truly wonderful experience here – one that we will both never forget. We have been so fortunate to be surrounded by such good people – Betty,Annette, Alicia, Jorge, Okenis, etc, and to have had the pleasure of meeting the other couples who have shared Betty’s Place with us during our stay and the most wonderful of journeys.

We will keep this site open and provide updates on Matthew’s progress when we return home. We are dying to see everyone and place Matthew in the arms of his grandmas and grandpa,(Ross and Sue Rea's first grandchild!) his auntie Jen and others who we know will completely flip out when they meet him.

Thank you everyone for following our story and for your support. We have really enjoyed receiving your messages in our guestbook.

Until our return - our best wishes

Angela, David and Matthew.
XX

Sunday, April 18, 2004 11:53 PM CDT

First, we’re happy to let you know that we are flying back tomorrow morning, Monday April 19th, and will get into Toronto Pearson Airport at 7:24 pm We’re taking
Delta 1166 from Atlanta.

Our 3 night trip to Cartegena was absolutely wonderful. It was about 90 degrees each day with relatively low humidity. The hotel Santa Clara is a delightful place. We had a room with a balcony overlooking the pool. The architecture is a mix of old an new – some parts of the hotel retain the original walls of the former convent. The colours are a delightfully tropical combination of terracotta, turquoise and warm yellow. Perhaps the most exotic and tranquil area is the charming, shady courtyard in the centre of the facility that is teaming with birds and plant life and has flagstone paths through it and bronze statues. In the evenings a solo guitarist helps set the mood for dinner al fresco - magical -- you definitely feel you are away from home.

We stayed around the hotel for most of the time as it was just too hot to take Matthew out, especially from 10-3. David and I took it in turns to spend an hour or so pool side, while the other watched the baby inside the hotel room. Gone are the days of splashing around together -- at least until the baby is old enough to tolerate the heat and go in the pool himself. On day 2 we got smart and spoke to the hotel about their baby sitting service. We felt comfortable enough to leave our little one with a very sweet girl called Miriam for a few hours in our room. Each time we visited her he was fast asleep in his crib, which made us feel v. relaxed and able to enjoy a few hours off.

While he was being baby sat, we took a stroll outside the hotel and did a bit of shopping and filming. We took a taxi to a restaurant we had heard about, but found when we arrived that it was closed. Another restaurant was more than happy to take us (most of the maitre d’s are standing in the door ways tempting you in), and I have to say that the Italian place we found was delightful. We sat outside in their courtyard, complete with fountain and waterfall and had the best pizza and pasta we’ve had in a long time. It was a very romantic setting, and would be lovely in the evening with the candles lit. If anyone reading this goes to Cartegena, the restaurant is called something like Enoco and is about 1 minute from the Saint Teresa hotel – we highly recommend it. We did check out the interior of the Saint Teresa -- nice, but not as nice as the Santa Clara, in our opinion. Matthew has improved ten fold and we think the warm, moist air actually helped him.

When we got back from our trip the Eatons and Calcagnos had arrived and had received their little boys. Attached on this site is a photo of them all lined up on Betty’s sofa – we call it the “domino effect” – check out the pic. and you’ll see why.

Thursday was a day of rushing to the Canadian embassy to try to sort out the problem with our paper work. We managed to clear up the health document only to discover that another piece of paper that had been sent to them from Immigration and Citizenship in Canada, had mysteriously disappeared. Fortunately, David and I had brought a copy of it and that move probably saved us another week. Then it was on to the US embassy with Annette, where, after about 4.5 hours, we finally received Matthew’s VISA to stop in Atlanta to change planes – AND THAT IS THE FINAL DOCUMENT WE NEED TO COME HOME WITH HIM!

So, to mark the occasion we all went to the Carbon de Palo again for dinner and essentially a send off for us.

Saturday and Sunday has essentially been running around getting a few gifts for folks and of course one of two items for ourselves. There are so many tempting things here at such good prices. Tonight, Sunday, we have been having quite a challenge fitting everything in our suitcases, but some how have managed it.

It has been a truly wonderful experience here – one that we will both never forget. We have been so fortunate to be surrounded by such good people – Betty,Annette, Alicia, Jorge, Okenis, etc, and to have had the pleasure of meeting the other couples who have shared Betty’s Place with us during our stay and the most wonderful of journeys.

We will keep this site open and provide updates on Matthew’s progress when we return home. We are dying to see everyone and place Matthew in the arms of his grandmas and grandpa,(Ross and Sue Rea's first grandchild!) his auntie Jen and others who we know will completely flip out when they meet him.

Thank you everyone for following our story and for your support. We have really enjoyed receiving your messages in our guestbook.

Until our return - our best wishes

Angela, David and Matthew.
XX

Saturday, April 17, 2004 6:21 PM CDT

Hello! We have surfaced. The lack of writing should indicate how busy we have been over the last few days. We returned from Cartegena on Wed. night and leave for Toronto on Monday. More text to follow on Sunday, including about our trip and the fun we have had with the Canadian Embassy. Heading out shortly with the other couples (4 baby boys in the house now) for an evening of traditional Colombian dance and music. We will add pics also some time tomorrow. Matthew is doing very well - his cough almost gone.

Angela

Sunday, April 11, 2004 6:51 AM CDT

Happy Easter.
Everyone, we are dashing to the airport to catch a plane to Cartegena. We got the all clear from the FANA doctor to go with the baby, afterall! We will be back late Wed.

Angela

Wednesday, April 7, 2004 10:00 PM CDT

Tuesday and Wednesday, posted Wednesday night.


This morning we had a relative sleep-in, what with the baby not being here. We were looking forward to visiting him at FANA and having a tour of the facility. Jonathan and Stacy joined us. It really is a marvelous place – so bright and airy and modern. Elizabeth guided us around and we were able to see everything from human resources, to accounting, the adoption archives, various offices for psychologists and social workers, the lab, the laundry, the childrens showers, where the formula bottles are filled, to the various play areas and classrooms for the children, toddlers and up. As we walked past the boardroom we wondered how many decisions had been made there that have changed lives forever and as we peered through the windows of the nursery we wondered who would be next to receive that momentous phone call and what corners of the world the little ones were destined for.

Betty was with us, and while we were there she delivered cake and ice cream to the older children – a gift from the Gualtieri family of Windsor, Canada. It was a beautiful warm sunny day, and the kids were outside in the grounds of FANA. They all sat down when they were asked to and waited, very patiently we thought, for the cake to be cut and for the moment when a big bowl of ice cream was presented to each of them. Such little darlings. We took pictures and film and will post soon. To Mario and Josie, believe me, your gift was a VERY much appreciated Easter treat.

Afterwards, we spent some time with Matthew, feeding him and holding him and generally agooing at him until he was sleepy – or doing a bang up job faking it so we’d give him a break. He seemed pretty good overall, though the pesky cough is still there. We’ll be so glad when he’s better and we can stop worrying.


Wednesday.

The day started well, with a trip into FANA to bring Matthew home! Apparently he has responded so well to treatment that he is ready to return to Betty’s with us. Elizabeth went over the treatment he has been having and we now have 7 different types of medication to give him. Inhalers (2 types), iron – higher dosage than before, more antibiotics, etc. We have to give him this medication around the clock which means waking him to administer it – oh yes, it’s going to be a lot of fun for all of us, especially him, poor little guy.

We tried the first few things tonight and, let’s just say that his gag reflex is astonishing. He has also become quite adept, at only 3 months, at spotting something unsavoury coming towards him and squirming into the most unusual positions. He can also push whatever fluid he’s been given back out down his chin faster than you can say “ummmm!! Tasty!” ever so convincingly. With one particular medication we decided to give up, it was causing him so much distress and we have a call into Elizabeth tonight to find out what her secret is. We are scheduled to go back into FANA tomorrow at 9 for another visit with the doctor so we don’t have too long to wait to find out that we’re doing something all wrong.

Tonight was Jim and Debbie’s last night at Betty’s before returning home with their 3 children to Kansas City, Missouri. The kids have never flown before and are very excited – Jim and Debbie are not exactly “excited” about the prospect of a long flight with 3 very mobile children who don’t speak English, but will be very glad to get them all to their permanent home where a real sense of family can evolve on their own turf. We had a special dinner at Betty’s with a cake specially made for the children (of which we all partook, mind you). They leave for the airport tomorrow at around 6. Now that Matthew’s back in the house, we will no doubt be up and at ‘em by then.

Tuesday, April 6, 2004 7:39 PM CDT

Monday’s activities, entered on Tuesday.

I will dispense with Saturday and Sunday, which were not terribly eventful – here on after those days will be referred to as “the lost weekend”.

Well our run of good fortune has come to a bit of a halt. Two things on Monday changed our outlook on when we expect to come home and put our Cartegena trip out of the picture. First, we took Matthew into FANA again this morning to see the doctor as there has been no real improvement in his cough. They decided to keep him in for a few days to be able to better administer treatment and keep him under observation. He has his own room as he may be contagious, and because he is alone he has a nurse to attend to his every need, 24 hours a day. It doesn’t appear to be too serious, but they expect it will take up to two more weeks before his cough clears up, though he will likely come back to Betty’s within a few days.

They are giving him a stronger antibiotic now and continuing with the vapour treatment to ease the congestion. We do not believe there is any cause for alarm, and are actually glad they kept him in, even though we will miss having him with us all the time, as we know he is in the best place to get well. We will go in every day to feed him and spend a few hours there so he doesn’t forget who his mummy and daddy are!

So, Cartegena ………the doctor has advised us against taking him to Cartegena, even if he is actually well enough to go by Sunday. The air conditioning and temp. changes from indoors to outdoors will not be good for him. So, Cartegena will have to wait for another time. We’re disappointed of course, but we didn’t come down here for a holiday, we came for the baby, and we can always come back another time.

The other downer was that there’s a problem with one of our documents at the Canadian Embassy. It seems that the doctor who wrote up the exam report on Matthew should have sent it to Trinidad and Tobago directly via courier, where it gets approved and then sent to the Canadian Embassy in Bogota. Instead, he sent it to the Embassy, which, realizing it had not yet been approved, sent it T&T themselves. This would have been fine, had they not decided to send it by diplomatic pouch, rather than DHL, which can take a month!! So, needless to say there was much wringing of hands and phone calls were made, conversations were had, and bottom line is we hope to have it sorted out by next Wed.

The only other piece of paper we need in order to return to Canada is Matthew’s US visa, so that we can stop in Atlanta to change planes on the way home. We are hoping that we can get that done before Wed, and so, and if we’re really lucky, return to Canada on Saturday next week. If we can’t do it before we get the Canadian paperwork done, then we will likely be delayed another week! Hopefully, if we bring our airline tickets, and the Sentencia to the US embassy, someone there will believe us when we say that Matthew has no intention of looking for a job in the confines of Atlanta airport during the 1.5 hours we’ll be there waiting for our connecting flight to Toronto and really IS en route to his permanent home in Canada!

The final blow on this perfect day, was that David’s Internet connection crashed during the afternoon, rendering him incapable of contacting his office via email and causing him some concern for a few hours about whether or not it would ever be back up again. This gave us a bit of a fright, but it was restored late in the day.

To make us feel better, we headed out to a great steak house with the two other couples and a good time was had by all. We had massive steaks, a Colombian band, and a moment when all the wait staff stopped what they were doing and got up on stage to sing as a group. A lot of fun.

Seriously, it’s difficult to be down for long when we think about what we have – a beautiful son who we’re so thankful for. There are worse places to spend time than at Betty’s being waited on hand and foot, and although we are looking forward to having Matthew in our own home, and introducing him to everyone, we want to make sure that we don’t miss out on anything while we’re here and regret it when we get home. We definitely want to take the cable car up to Montserrate, visit the gold museum and the salt cathedral and I haven’t done nearly enough shopping yet in my opinion! David also got word a few moments ago that Matthew is respondinng well to the new medication. Hmmm, suddenly I’m feeling a lot better.

Angela

Monday, April 5, 2004 1:54 PM CDT

Thursday April 1st's activities, written on Saturday, posted on Monday.


Today we got the shock of our lives when Maria Teresa called us at Betty’s. David picked up the phone and leapt to his feet. “What!!? How did that happen?” My heart shot to my throat as I thought something terrible had happened. But, instead it was fantastic news. We’re not sure how it got done, but we were able to sign Sentencia TODAY. We’re pretty sure this is the all time record as we were only at Bienestar on Tuesday. So, he is ours, legally and it’s no April Fool’s.

When we got the news everything swung into action. Annette materialized as if by magic and whisked us off to the court. The courts are in a converted apartment building in town, and we were assigned number 12. We met our lawyer, Dr. Polo, there and thanked him for doing such a wonderful job in getting things through so quickly. He said that at Easter miracles happen, and we believe him.

It’s funny, but I found myself more emotional about this than I did when I actually received the baby. I think it was signing all the official documents, knowing that they were finalizing everything and seeing our names on his birth certificate as his parents that got to me. We both felt very excited, elated even.

This evening we met up with the other couples around the corner at the new El Corral for Happy Hour, where they had been waiting since 5ish for us. We invited Annette to join us and had dinner there also -- we truly had something worth celebrating tonight.

So, there you have it, great news for us this day.

Friday, April 2nd.

Another whirl wind of activity…... First to the photo place to get passport pictures for Matthew so that he could get a Colombian passport. His first “official” shot is posted on our home page. We think he looks very dapper in his vest and shirt. Taking a picture of a such a small person was a unique experience for me. I had to put my foot up on the bench and sit Matthew on my knee, point him at the photographer, lean back out of the photo frame myself and jiggle him a little to keep his interest. I almost died laughing looking at Matthew’s profile as he stared wide-eyed in some kind of dream-like state at the camera, his head bobbing slightly against my thumb pinned behind his neck. He has no idea, of course, of all the things we have to do in order to bring him home, but we do it gladly of course.

Once we had the pictures, we went on to the passport office and got his passport in a matter of minutes. We will save the Canadian Embassy (final immigration stuff) and the US Embassy, (visitor’s visa as flying home via Atlanta), until early next week, but have to finalize both before Wed, as it’s Holy Week and everything will shut down.

Our Cartegena trip is all paid for and non-refundable so we will be taking that anyway – David in particular needs a holiday and we are both looking forward to it. The good thing here that now Sentencia is out of the way, we are not at risk of having to fly home early from Cartegena to go to court.

Another major milestone, and one we had both been particularly looking forward to, was also accomplished today. We met with Flor at FANA this afternoon, where she spent about an hour with us discussing Matthew’s social history. We are pleasantly surprised with the amount of information available in Matthew’s particular case, and will share what we know with our little one, when he is ready.

Wednesday, March 31, 2004 9:21 PM CST

This morning, began in earnest for us all at about 12:15 a.m. The little guy was up, up and away at full throttle for about 2 fun-packed hours. We met his usual needs - fed him, changed him, rocked him, pleeeeeeaded with him, but there was no abating our little guy. We think it was a combination of the procedure Elizabeth performed to loosen up the goo in his chest, and the epic nap he and I enjoyed the afternoon before. We were up again around 6:30 - and are pleased to report that Matthew guzzled down 5 oz, as he had done before at midnight - the wee piggie - there's no stopping him now and we feel this indicates he's settled in. Lesson learned here re: the nap, but what kind of person could awaken a sleeping baby? OK, ME!

The highlight of the day -- as for most of it David and I looked like we'd wandered off the set of Revenge of the Zombies Part Deux -- was a visit from Elizabeth to perform her magical procedure on Matthew. This time we were allowed to watch. I have to say our little guy is a real trooper. First of all we had to rudely awaken him from a perfectly decent nap - then strap on to him an itty bitty face mask and send warm, medicinal vapours up his nose, whether he liked it or not, for about 10 whole minutes. Then Elizabeth expertly flipped him over to pat his back, then flipped him back to pat his chest, then back again to give him a massage. Hardly a peep from the little guy, although during the worst parts (I'm leaving a bit out here out of respect for the more sensitive among you) he gave us the very self-controlled, soft "boo boo boo" that he murmurs when he's trying hard not to cry - heart-wrenchingly sweet to witness.

We learned today that there's certainly nothing wrong with his reflexes, as just moments after saline drops were put up his nose he shot them back out across the room a la The Exorcist. What a guy! Seriously, I felt so proud of him for not making a fuss, despite being sleepy and not very well - so incredibly endearing. We love him so much.

Elizabeth left, and he went right back to sleep, like the sweetheart he is, and hopefully he will think it was just a bad dream. What he doesn't know, poor innocent, is that there's at least 2 more days of this. But we do believe it's working and that Elizabeth knows best.

Another key highlight of the day is that Betty booked our trip to Cartegena! YES!! 5 nights at the Santa Clara, a converted convent inside the walls of the old city. We leave early on Easter Sunday and are really looking forward to what will be a bona fide holiday for all of us. Here is the link to the hotel's website.

http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/fichehotel/gb/sof/resort/1871/fiche_hotel.shtml

Tonight we had home-made empanadas with a delicious piquant salsa and enjoyed them outside in the courtyard of Betty's,as it was such a beautiful evening.

This is such a rotten old life... I feel completely cheated! Let's see, no making the bed or cleaning in general, delicious home-cooked meals, a fantastic baby sitter a phone call away, a very efficient social secretary, a driver/translator, a very attractive masseur -- who makes house calls ;) a beautiful baby who's just SO GOOD --- AND! a husband who dives in to dirty diapers like they're old friends. Frankly, I'm tired of it and want to come home.

Angela

Tuesday, March 30, 2004 6:16 PM CST

Today was our big day!!! All of the other immigration and administrative tasks were really precursors to our Bienestar (Colombian government adoption agency) interview. Once you complete this interview, your case starts to flow (or trickle, depending on how things get assigned) through the Colombian courts. We got Matthew dressed in his best outfit for the event, and man, was he smokin' hot! He exhibited all of the class and style of Cary Grant, the cool of Jack Nicholson and the rugged charm of Humphrey Bogart. Women were falling at his feet, literally! Angie looked pretty good too in a soft green ensemble - more than presentable to govenment officials. I was a distant third, and quite frankly, had to beg to be let along for the ride.

When we arrived at Bienestar at 7:30 a.m., we ran into the Aussie couple we'd met at the FANA baby care class. They went in first and took about 20 minutes, then came out, tears streaming down their faces! Even the interpreter was crying! I'm kidding!!! everything went fine and we went in next. Fortunately, our very tall, handsome and charming lawyer, Dr. Polo, showed up and joined us. He has a good relationship with the Bienestar interviewer, who herself is very glamourous, and between Annette and Dr. Polo, the interview was a snap. We were asked the basic questions that Jerri preps you for and within about 15 minutes, we were on our way. Oh yeah, there was one small hitch when the interviewer pondered whether such an unattractive man (that would be me) should be allowed to have such a beautiful child, but thankfully Angela's good looks saved the day. I knew I should have worn cream!

After the Bienestar interview, we went back to FANA to have Matthew checked out - despite about 4 different types of medicine and vitamins, his cough is not getting better and his congestion is still noticeable at night. We stripped the young lad out of his finery, exposing the perfection that is our little guy and put him on the doctor's table. Then, without warning, the perfection soiled the doctor's table before we could slap down a diaper! At least he missed my tie. As retribution, the doctor took Matthew away for about 20 minutes and performed some procedures on him that parents are not allowed to watch. Elizabeth says that three more days of this procedure should cure the young lad. I hope so.

We got home and told told JD and Stacey, whose interview is tomorrow, that it was a sheer nightmare and that the interviewer tore us to shreds. The look on their faces was priceless, but I couldn't carry it on for too long...Angie was coming.

After lunch, I caught up on some work and Angie had a nap. The little guy napped as well, so all was right with the world. Another great dinner later and a little typing, and this world traveller is ready to hit the hay! Besides, Jim, Debbie and the kids are about ready to dive into Winnie the Pooh goes Spanish, and I know that I do not have the brights to tackle that at this point in the day.

Until next time...
David.

Monday, March 29, 2004 7:26 PM CST

Sunday, entered on Monday.

Ok, the plan for Sunday was that Angela would take care of Matthew while I'd crack into a pile of work that had been building up before I left. Angela held up her end of the bargain, however I only managed to chip a little off of the pile as a result of a nasty little parasite that decided to make a home in my stomach and let me know that it was there. I am pretty careful about the things that I eat down here (I NEVER eat any unpackaged beef jerky that the street vendors sell that they cannot PROVE is less than 6 months old), so I am not sure where it came from. By about noon I was in pretty bad shape. Then, Betty showed up and suggested that we get an over-the-counter drug called Cipro that would do the trick quickly - apparently, it is used to wipe out anthrax - like using a howitzer to take out a balsa wood model aircraft. By 2:00 pm I had my first dose of this wonder drug and after spending most of the day in bed, I was feeling better by the evening.

Matthew was in pretty good form, and is drinking a lot more formula now - either we are getting better at feeding him or he is getting more used to his surroundings. He is looking healthy, although his cough seems to be persisting and he still sounds congested at night. We will take him to the doctor in a couple of days if he does not improve with the new medicine. We thought that we might boost Matthew's spirits and buy him a Colombian soccer outfit and soccer ball, but the little ingrate has still not thanked us for it - if he doesn't show some gratitude within the next day, I am going to return the gear and buy some Heineken!

That is it for me for now - still a little wiped.

David (over to you for continuation Angie...)

At dinner, we had a cake for JD's 33rd birthday. After singing Happy Birthday in English, Betty had the girls sing it again in Spanish - one of many moments to treasure down here, which we're very appreciative of. Betty brought out the party hats, hence the new picture on the home page of Nicholas and Matthew being utterly cute - as you know, Matthew was born on New Year's Eve and so we expect he is at heart a real party animal - let's just give him a few years and we'll see how cute mummy and daddy find it then!

Monday:
The day began the usual way, with our wireless alarm clock AKA Matthew going off around 6:30. I've looked for the snooze button, but this particular model doesn't seem to have one. Thank God Okenis has the coffee going by 7ish. We'd actually had another pretty good night - only up the once, and down again without too much fuss. Our major activity today was going out without the babies with Stacy and JD to the new El Corral and having lunch al fresco. For those who've been to the El Corral burger joint, this is a new, more upscale version - very chic in appearance, with a great menu, just a few minutes walk from Betty's. On the way back we called in at Macoos? a great place for Colombian art - we spotted a few things that we will likely come back for, including mobiles you can hang from the ceiling that are made up of the cutest little Colombian dolls, or birds, or houses, etc. - a great memento for the little one.

We picked Matthew up from Alicia upon return, fed him and he and I had a nap to end all naps and didn't wake 'til dinner time. David and I are eating way too much here and have decided that we really do have to make a change otherwise there will be severe excess baggage charges on the return trip. Trouble is, Okenis serves up consistently delicious meals, always with a hearty soup to start, and then some kind of too-die-for cake or pudding afterwards. We think we are eating about 2-3 times as much as we did back home and it HAS TO STOP! Maybe manana?

Betty has industrial scales which I will visit in private - I have a feeling it will groan "ok, one at a time please".

I think Matthew is starting to recognize his mummy. I think there are similarities among Elizabeth, Alicia and me - longish, lightish hair and I'm not sure if he knows who is who. But I did a couple of hours of serious play time with him yesterday - got him on his back so there was no escape. Basically, I was "in his face" quite literally going "Mama! Mama!" until the little guy couldn't take it any more - just kidding, he adores to play, kicks his legs frantically, dribbles with glee and - I know you will find this difficult to believe, but remember how intelligent I told you he is - well, I am sure he imitates what we're saying e.g. he says "hi" back to us, but has not yet mastered "good morning". He is quite adept at communicating in his own language - e.g. abooo, agooo, etc. However, none of these words appear in the Berlitz Latin American Spanish phrase book we have, so it must be some form of olde world Spanish dialect that he was introduced to at FANA.

He continues to be fascinated with his hands, now realizing that they are actually an extension of his body and it is funny to watch him go momentarily crossed-eyed as he holds them up to his face to inspect them further.

Thank you all for your good wishes and keep them coming! One of our favourite things to do, outside of playing with Matthew and eating Okenis' pancakes is checking our guest book several times a day - so don't be shy!

Angela

Sunday, March 28, 2004 7:51 PM CST

Saturday's activities, entered on Sunday evening.

Today was meant for lazing around, and that's what we did, big time. With no appointments (official or of the massage variety) we lolled about as only we know how to do.

We are both amazed at how Matthew is progressing in terms of development. A week ago he was not the least bit interested in the Bush/Kerry campaigns and NOW, well we just can't tear him away from CNN. Not only has his interest in current affairs reached an all-time high, but you should see what he can do with his rattle!! Grasp it AND hold it AND wave it around for a full 5 seconds! So far, only daddy and I have witnessed this feat, as, oddly, he seems rather too humble to perform it for an audience and some have even questioned our dear lad's ability!! The nerve!

The weather today was again very pleasant and mild - so David and I went for a stroll with Stacy and JD. We put both the babies in Snuggly-type carriers on the men. As we headed out with them we laughed at how today we were surely NOT going to blend in with the locals as you don't see too many Colombian men wandering around with a baby on their chest. Sure enough within minutes a fellow North American who has lived in Bogota for the last 9 months spotted us at 50 paces and stopped to greet us and immediately told us what he expected we would most want to know - the location of the best bars in town! So much for incognito.

We avoided the main drag and the pollution and took the babies along the canal that runs a block or two from Betty's and leads to a small park. It was very peaceful. We snapped a couple of photos with the mountains in the background - very exotic, as is the vegetation, some of which is in full bloom right now. I don't know what they are, but there are trees with huge clumps of bright yellow flowers hanging so heavilyy that the branches are almost bending under their weight. As well, bushes are ablaze with vivid purple blossoms.

This evening, after an early dinner at Betty's Place, the adults headed over to Betty and Rafa's home for drinks. They have a great view overlooking Bogota which twinkled below us. Betty and Rafa were in characteristically good form and are exceptional hosts. JD's birthday is tomorrow and in honour of the occasion, at the stroke of midnight Rafa cracked a bottle of of champagne - well of course, then the REAL fun began but I am under a strict Non-Disclosure Agreement and so cannot elaborate further - well, not until Sentencia!

All evening David and I were on tenterhooks as we knew the FANA AGM was tonight in Buffalo and we had our fingers crossed that there would be a referral. We were so pleased to find out on Sunday morning that there were actually 2, and are looking forward to seeing both couples in Bogota, after Holy Week we expect.

Angela

Saturday, March 27, 2004 5:19 AM CST

Ok, Thursday morning and let's just say that they aren't bags under our eyes but suitcases. The little guy seems to be getting a bit more fussy (nice euphemism for "my baby is trying to kill me over an extended period of time"). I just hope that we are not a couple of drooling messes at our Bienestar interview this coming Tuesday morning. Removing tongue from cheek for a moment, one thing that keeps us rolling along are the encouraging messages from everybody - thanks so much for the support. We really are enjoying ourselves and recognize how lucky we are to have such a wonderful little boy and great network of people down here to help us out.

Tongue back in cheek. This was our first day without some activity, so we took advantage and both got our hair cut at this excellent shop called Norberto's. I reconnected with work and looked after the little guy while Angela received a massage from Peter, the best masseuse in town according to Betty. Peter was excellent according to Angela, however what Betty did not explain is that he looks like a movie star, is a personal trainer as well, and costs about $15 for an hour. Hmmmm - just what a tired, slightly overweight husband wants! In the meantime, Alicia pumped another 45 gallons of formula into Matthew. He is a challenge to feed, but she seems to do better than we do - I guess about 2000 babies' worth of experience has to stand for something. We are thinking of smuggling Alicia back to Toronto in our suitcases.

Jim and Debbie are continuing to enjoy their three kids, however the only time that everyone truly understands each other is when Betty is around to interpret. The kids move at the speed of light and talk twice as fast. Strangely, if Matthew is asleep when the three of them erupt into the living room, he doesn't wake up!

This evening another FANA couple (Stacey and Jonathan) arrived at Betty's. They are from Minnesota and are first-time parents like us - they seem very nice and have that deer-caught-in-headlight look that we must have had on our first night. Have a good sleep folks, it will be your last for a while!

Friday morning, and we are off to our baby class at FANA to find out how badly we have been disrupting Matthew's life for the past week. There were two other couples in our class - one from Australia and another (two pediatricians!) from Germany. We watched a film for about an hour, then Elizabeth answered some questions and walked us through the proper way to bath a baby. Sure enough, we were doing it all wrong - I mean, who knew that throwing him into a shower stall with a bar of industrial soap and shouting "Go to it!" wasn't right??? After our class, we went up to the green room where Stacey and Jonathan ("JD") were receiving their baby Nicholas. He is a beautiful baby with a wicked head of hair that resembles that of Jack Lord, or maybe Sib Hassien, drummer from the band Boston (an obscure reference I know, but if you have the classic 1976 debut album by the band, take a look at the back of the cover and you will know what I mean).

Back at Betty's that afternoon - it was Matthew's finest hour - an entire afternoon of a colic-like behaviour. Nicholas was also in fine form and the Jim and Deb's trio burned them out all afternoon as well. By the time dinner rolled around, the kids were settling down and the parents looked like they just came off a weekend-long keg party. Deb was a little rough in particular, because as we later figured out, one of her kids gave her a glass of water from the tap! Time for an early night for all...

New pictures coming to a PC near you.

David - dad in training.

Thursday, March 25, 2004 8:16 PM CST

(Entered on Thursday -- for Wed and Thursdays activities.)

WEDNESDAY: This morning we passed another major milestone in bringing Matthew home - getting his immigration/VISA approved by the Canadian Embassy. It was a breeze. Annette was with us of course, and we were in and out in about 30 minutes with Matthew asleep for most of it.

Afterwards we went directly to FANA to see the doctor. Matthew's cough is not improving and we have been worried that it may develop into something more serious. Sure enough the doctor told us it IS in his chest and has prescribed some additional medicine. Now the little guy is getting vitamin drops, iron drops and two types medicine for his cough. Daddy administers most of it, and all goes down without complaint except for the iron - if anyone has ever chewed an iron tablet out of curiosity (ok, I did once) you'll know why. Fortunately the iron is only once a day and we try to follow it up with a drop of formula to take the edge off it. There's no sign of fever and we are keeping a close eye on him of course.

This time at FANA, I was able to take more of it in, not being so consumed with anticipation. What a wonderful facility. So bright and airy and modern. We ran into Elizabeth and Maria Teresa while we were there who made a fuss of Matthew and told us that our baby class will be on Friday. Oh yes! -- we are very pleased that Matthew has put on a pound since March 2 - now 11lbs 3 oz - a very respectable gain, despite the cough and some of the difficulty with feeding. Clearly we're doing something right!

This evening we had another riotous evening with the 3 new Colombian children in the household. They are so completely enchanting - so talkative and outgoing. They speak only Spanish of course and Auntie Betty is doing a great job interpreting the key items and we are all helping to convert certain nouns and greetings to English. Dinner time is a blast. I only wish I knew what they were saying, especially when one of them talks so enthusiastically to me - I am doing a lot of smiling, and "Holas" and reaching for my phrase book, but by the time I have a sentence sorted, they have run off to something more interesting in another room. All their personalities are unravelling to us, despite the challenge of different languages . And it is a privilege to watch them interact with their new mummy and daddy. I wish I had captured on tape Andres zooming around in his new Superman PJs on the first night.

Tonight the lawyer who is representing us called round and we spent a little while talking to him with Betty obliging as interpreter. We were very impressed with the fact that Dr. Pollo took the trouble to meet with us and stayed so long and feel we are in excellent hands. He was clearly thoroughly familiar with our file and was very interested in hearing about Toronto and why we had selected to adopt from Colombia. He anticipates no complications with our case. We have been told that we have our Bienestar interview on Tuesday next week.

Our interrupted sleep is finally getting to us, we can't keep our eyes open much past 10, which can be a challenge of course if you-know-who is still awake and wants to play. We have found that he really enjoys lying around naked! I think it must be the sense of freedom - but whenever we dress him he laughs non-stop with all four limbs going like crazy. Bath time is also a hoot. He always gives us his trademark ever so slightly concerned little look as we lower him in, with his bottom lip quivering just a hint, but as soon as he realizes there's no danger, he is splashing and cooing on his little sponge like there's no manana!


THURSDAY:
I did the 4 a.m. boogie with Matthew this morning - while daddy slept - I think he is all pooped out (my attempt at a little diaper humour). And yes, I also changed him! I fed him, a whole 3 oz. -- loads at that hour for him, and rocked him back to sleep in the rocker downstairs overlooking the garden. I did all this without so much as a whimper from him, and had him back down in his crib within 45 minutes. A record! Daddy was up at around 6:45 doing pretty much a repeat performance - and so another day begins.

Tuesday, March 23, 2004 4:05 PM CST

Ok, dad is back and this time he is going to be brief and there will be none of that soppy stuff.

We have finally scanned in some pictures (limited to three at a time, so we will be rotating them every couple of days).

Monday was Rafa's re-birthday party and Betty was kind enough to invite us. Rafa turned one in the re-birth phase of his life. Betty and Rafa were wonderful hosts and made sure to introduce us to some fabulous friends of theirs that did not mind speaking a little english. If Angela and I had to rely on making conversation in spanish, we would have asked for a glass of water, asked where the bathroom was and then said good night and thank you...it would have been a brief!

Monday night and Matthew had not "done his business" for a few days, so we are starting to get a little bit concerned, although Alicia indicated that we should not really worry until tomorrow night.

Tuesday now, and our first step in the official paperwork cycle has begun. Annette, our driver and translator and all-around guardian angel took us to get our power of attorney done for the lawyer that will be representing us in court.

Got back - Alicia had pumped some water into Matthew and within about an hour of her departure, dear old dad got to change his second nasty diaper (three days worth). Mama is conspicuously missing again (imagine this sentence spoken in a very flat tone of voice).

Jim and Debbie have just arrived with their three new kids (Paula - 9, Marina - 8 and Andres - 4) - they are a bundle of energy - the house dynamic has now changed dramatically - very exciting - I had better hide Matthew!!!

Until tomorrow...

David.

Monday, March 22, 2004 7:24 AM CST

(Journal entered on Monday, describing Sunday's activities.)

Hola! It's Mama! Papa is doing what he does best lately - playing with Matthew who LOVES to sit in his swing. David has taken to fatherhood like a duck to water. He's a natural. He loves to clown around with Matthew who smiles and laughs so easily - he's such a joy. Right now they are playing their favourite game. Matthew gets so excited when David "goo-goos" at him that he waves his arms around franticly with glee. Then David waves HIS arms around franticly and Matthew laughs and waves his around all the more, and so it goes on. Very funny to watch.

We emerged this morning on Day 3 somewhat sleep deprived, but who's complaining? After dos toastas Francescas each and several cups of Colombian coffee, we were ready for another day of adventure and surprises. We decided that this particular day of adventure would commence with a bit of lounging around in Betty's family room for an hour or so watching the Return of the Pink Panther, while cuddling Matthew and gazing, awestruck, at him and of course, attending to his every need.

At around 11, Alicia, our sitter/come-nurse/extraordinarily-gifted-with-babies lady arrived so that we could go out for a few hours and explore Bogota. We feel completely comfortable leaving Matthew with Alicia, she is so good with him, and, frankly, she is doing a better job with him than we are at this early stage in our experience.

This was to be my first time outside , not actually in a car, but wandering around, since we went to FANA to get Matthew and I have been so curious about the neighbourhood hearing so many sounds from the busy street below our room, including the latin music that has drifted to us on Friday and Saturday nights. When we stepped outside Betty's we were bathed in sunlight - it was a beautiful dry warmth, about 23 celcius with a cool breeze. After our long, cold Toronto winter - it was so nice to be out in short sleeves and sandals.

Betty's Place, as anyone who's been here will attest to, is in a very good, safe part of Bogota, I think in the north end. It has a great supermarket right across the street which is open 24 hours and is surrounded by many shops, many of which are upscale designer stores. The city is really quite cosmopolitan. As it was a long weekend, or maybe just because it was Sunday, the main street was closed to traffic so the locals could take to their bikes and skates and enjoy a day of exercise. As we strolled around we passed a Catholic church and had hoped to have mass there,but we realized it had begun some time ago and was already standing-room only with people spilling out on the steps in front of it. A few minutes later, we found another mass underway,in the local mall of all places. The priest was high up on the second level with the congregation all around him and below. Being the good Catholic girl I am, I of course said a prayer and a heartfelt thank you for giving us Matthew.

Betty had shown us La Fontana hotel in her tour with us the other day and told us of a market held there every Sunday so of course we had to take a look. There were vendors selling in the courtyard, everything from purses and wallets to chess sets, amber jewellery and carvings. We saw some very cute wooden letters painted Colombian style and were keen to buy, but the lady did not seem prepared to haggle. We're not sure if haggling is simply not done at that bazaar, or if she spotted us for the "Americanos" we are and was driving a hard bargain. Under David's advice, we walked, but we will be back next week after some haggling practice at Betty's. Of course we had picked 7 letters - no prizes for guessing which ones, but they will look very nice on his bedroom door back home in Oakville.

We had a delicious buffet lunch at La Fontana and maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was the altitude, or perhaps a mix of both, but I was sitting there opposite David and felt suddenly so incredibly HAPPY! I remember thinking to myself - this is exactly the life I wanted - I have a wonderful husband, a beautiful healthy baby, great family and friends, great everything - we really do have a lot to be thankful for - and I know I will never take it for granted.

Back at Betty's later that afternoon we heard that a couple was coming in from Missouri that night who were not with FANA, and who were adopting 3 children from through another local agency. Two girls 9 and 8 and a little boy of 4. This couple, James and Debbie, have already raised 5 children, and clearly enjoyed it so much that they want to start over again. They are extremely nice and we are getting to know them, and as we are of course now Bogota veterens we are telling them everything we know. We are very excited to meet their new family, who we'll see on Tuesday, as Monday is St. Joseph's holiday.

We spent the rest of the evening in various activities that centred around Matthew - feeding, changing, playing, cooing. We think he is a highly intelligent baby who is trying to communicate with us in Spanish. Does anyone know if "agooooo" means "what the heck are you doing to me, you crazy people?!" We are absolutely falling in love with him. I look down at his little face as I hold him and just cannot believe he is ours. He is so delightful, never cries for more than a minute and only if something is going on that he's not enjoying, and as soon as it's over, he's back to smiling and agooing! I will never forget stepping out of FANA with Matthew wrapped up in his best blanket and getting into Annette's car and simply driving away with my two leading men into our new life.

Saturday, March 20, 2004 9:16 PM CST

Day #2 with Matthew - beginning at the midnight hour. Despite a bit of a cold and some congestion, he slept like a baby (imagine that). We, on the other hand, did not. I am certain that all new parents become immediately endowed with a sense of superhuman sensory perception that allows them to hear things that only a doctor with a nuclear-powered stethoscope should be able to hear. In this instance, it was the "non-normal-breathing" sounds that Matthew made throughout the night. We were not going to risk anything going wrong on the first night with us after two and a half months of great FANA care!

We made it downstairs for another great breakfast this morning. We were not too concerned that Matthew did not eat much during the night as he was still getting used to his environment, however we were a little worried because he had not yet soiled himself in that "special" sort of way. That is, of course, until the well-timed phone call that Angela made to her mother happened to coincide with the first waft of my son. It was a bittersweet mixture of emotions for me - Angela of course was quite please with the situation. All I have to say on the subject is...I didn't know that it came in that colour!

Betty came over and took us out around the neighbourhood for a drive so that we would know where to stroll during the upcoming weeks. She dropped us in front of Jacques, her favourite little bakery and cafe, and had us place an order. We could tell that the baker thoroughly enjoyed our extensive use of the Spanish language as she smiled and chuckled at us the whole time. As MacArthur once said, "I will return...next time with my little translation book so I can order the nice looking pastries".

This evening we had another fantastic meal, settled in to watch a movie and just marvelled at our son. We were pleased that he seemed to be eating a healthy amount again. Oh well - off to bed I guess after I play the evil father and drop some medicine down Matthew's throat. Let's see if I can just turn down the bat-hearing a notch tonight.

The adventure continues....

David.

Friday, March 19, 2004 6:36 PM CST

The day started like any other. Angela and I bundled up four large suitcases that each seemed to hold a small aircraft carrier and two carry-ons that weighed much less, maybe as much as a Brama bull, and hopped on a flight to Bogota, Colombia. We flew Delta from Toronto to Atlanta and then on to Bogota and cannot say enough about the service. We cleared immigration without a hitch and Jorge (a regular driver for and good friend of Betty's) was waiting for us in a classic lime green 1973 Dodge Dart - definitely a good start to our time in Colombia. Jorge gave us a brief history lesson on the city and its transit system. He knows the region like the back of his hand and we will be sure to call on him as our journey continues.

Jorge dropped us off at Betty's around 9:30 and we were excited but pretty wiped out. The residence is a very good size and has everything you need, short of a mariachi band (that is not exactly true, we can sometimes hear mariachi bands). We are currently the only family here, but we understand that another family will be joining us next week. The rooms are great, each with a crib, lots of closet space and internet access. We spoke with Betty on the phone and then crashed - despite the excitement about the following day, the travel and the altitude had pretty much taken their toll.

Morning on March 19th, Angela and I could hardly believe that this day had come. We went down and had a fantastic "Okenis-made" breakfast and met up with Betty. She is truly one of a kind (although I suspect that there are a few people down here that we will be saying that about over the next few weeks - it doesn't make it any less true though). After learning a little bit about the dos and don'ts of Bogota living followed by a colourful chat about computer viruses and hackers, we got dressed in our finery in preparation for the momentus occasion. Angela looked stunning in her cream pantsuit and I looked like any one of a thousand Wall Street bankers - I guess we know who the baby will gravitate to!

We then met Annette who will be our designated driver, guide, interpreter and expert on the Colombian adoption process vis a vis the courts. Annette speaks about 37 languages, knows kung fu, once studied under Bob Fosse, taught law at Harvard and does taxes for the elderly in Bogota. All kidding aside, she, like Betty, is also a godsend and is another key person that is making the experience so wonderful.

We arrived at FANA shortly after noon. The facilities lived up to every description that people have given and then some. We were shuffled into the "green room" which has as almost as many pictures of babies and families in it as the walls of Betty's dining room. We met Maria Teresa, Flor and Elizabeth and waited for a short while until Mercedes arrived. Everybody was incredibly nice, despite the fact that they have been through this about 12,500 times already! I guess it never gets boring being a part of the biggest event in most families' lives.

After the anticipation had built for a while, Mercedes arrived and within about 10 minutes, the most beautiful baby that we had ever seen was brought to the room. There is nothing that we can put into words to describe the feeling of having our baby presented to us. It surpassed all of our expectations - he was simply the most beautiful creature that we had ever seen! And as predicted up above, he immediately began bonding with Angela - he could not take his eyes off her and was smiling and making cute noises for her. I am wearing cream next time.

To skip forward a little bit, we got back to Betty's place and had some lunch and napped during the afternoon. We have since fed Matthew, changed his diapers, eaten dinner and set up this website. He still has not cried or been fussy at all! We cannot believe our good fortune and can truly say that the remaining court dates and formalities mean nothing to us now. Every passing moment we become more and more attached to Matthew, if that is possible. To those couples who are waiting, of which we were one up until two weeks ago, it all becomes worthwhile in an instant. The joy overcomes any other feeling that you had before, and the people that help you along the way are just making the experience that much more special.

More to come, and pictures, over the next couple of days...I might even let Angela get a word in next time.

The proud father,
David Rea.

Friday, March 19, 2004 6:25 PM CST

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