History

Monday, April 28, 2008 5:37 PM CST

April
el abril

Well, my goal in December was to update before the summer, and I actually accomplished it! Talk about pressure! Now, for those of you with little children, (my buddies Paula and Kathy), you realize what a huge feat that is! Anyway, lots has been happening throughout the past few months, as is the way with a house run wild with toddlers. On February 8, our beautiful Rafael Andres turned 2 years old. He is filled with endless energy, talks & sings up a storm, and charms everyone that comes his way. Everyday is a new adventure with him, and Otis and I spend most of our day chasing after him and laughing at all of his sweet sayings. He is incredibly good natured, and is a Mama’s boy all the way. He is also a very healthy eater, and loves his food “picante” (spicy!) Don’t even think about serving him something bland. A true Colombian, just the way we like it. He also loves birthday cake frosting. He really doesn’t eat the cake, just the frosting. It’s very funny to watch. He recently has begun toilet training, and is doing well, although I must admit, I’m not strict about it. He says he wants to be like the big boys. I still put diapers on him when he goes to school, but try to monitor him in the evening and part of the days on weekends. I still think it’s going to be awhile, but it’s a start…thanks to him, not me!

One more big event also occured in February--and that is Betty and Rafa's daughter, Natalia, got married. The wedding took place in Cartagena, one of our favorite places in the world! It was virtually impossible for all of us to make the trip during that particular week, so I told Otis he had to go and "represent" our family...and "represent" us he did!!! He was there for 1 week and had the time of his life! I was thinking about everyone the entire week and wished we all could have gone, but was so happy Otis went. He said it was awesome. Betty sent us the DVD last week, so between that and all the pictures he took, I felt like I was there.

On March 26, our beautiful Sergianni turned 4. She is growing up into such a little lady and melts out hearts. We are often startled at the grown up things that come out of her mouth, and all of her complex questions about God, people, the world, rainbows…you name it. Her questions keep us on our toes, that’s for sure. She loved celebrating her birthday with all of her cousins, and wants to know when it will be here again. We combined Easter Sunday and her birthday at our house, since it fell on the same weekend. We had a big Easter egg hunt for all the kids, and it was so fun watching them hunt for their treasures, all while looking smashing in their Easter finery!

In April, we went on vacation to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for 8 days. It was a truly magical week. Our kids had a blast, and were crying when we had to leave (so was I!) Everyone was so magnificent to them, and we all got to practice our Spanish. Rafael loved waking up each day saying ”Buenos Dias” and Sergianni loved saying goodbye to everyone with an ”Adios amigos.” Each day was filled with running on the beach, swimming in the pools and eating all kinds of wonderful, exotic fruits, chips and guacamole, and other Mexican specialties. Both Sergianni and Rafael are swimming fanatics. Sergianni in particular swims for hours without a break. They both were so tired each day by mid-afternoon, they would fall asleep for a 2 hour nap. This was followed by more swimming and sand castle building until the sun went down. Now that we are home, they hound us with questions such as: Why did we ever have to leave, and when is our next vacation to the Caribbean ? Wish I had an easy answer!!!

Our next big event we are getting ready for is our annual Fundraiser/Golf Tournament for FANA in Buffalo. Looking forward to it, as always!!! Hope everyone is doing well, and I will update again in the Summer!

Thursday, December 13, 2007 5:36 PM CST

April
el abril

Well, my goal in December was to update before the summer, and I actually accomplished it! Talk about pressure! Now, for those of you with little children, (my buddies Paula and Kathy), you realize what a huge feat that is! Anyway, lots has been happening throughout the past few months, as is the way with a house run wild with toddlers. On February 8, our beautiful Rafael Andres turned 2 years old. He is filled with endless energy, talks & sings up a storm, and charms everyone that comes his way. Everyday is a new adventure with him, and Otis and I spend most of our day chasing after him and laughing at all of his sweet sayings. He is incredibly good natured, and is a Mama’s boy all the way. He is also a very healthy eater, and loves his food “picante” (spicy!) Don’t even think about serving him something bland. A true Colombian, just the way we like it. He also loves birthday cake frosting. He really doesn’t eat the cake, just the frosting. It’s very funny to watch. He recently has begun toilet training, and is doing well, although I must admit, I’m not strict about it. He says he wants to be like the big boys. I still put diapers on him when he goes to school, but try to monitor him in the evening and part of the days on weekends. I still think it’s going to be awhile, but it’s a start…thanks to him, not me!

On March 26, our beautiful Sergianni turned 4. She is growing up into such a little lady and melts out hearts. We are often startled at the grown up things that come out of her mouth, and all of her complex questions about God, people, the world, rainbows…you name it. Her questions keep us on our toes, that’s for sure. She loved celebrating her birthday with all of her cousins, and wants to know when it will be here again. We combined Easter Sunday and her birthday at our house, since it fell on the same weekend. We had a big Easter egg hunt for all the kids, and it was so fun watching them hunt for their treasures, all while looking smashing in their Easter finery!

In April, we went on vacation to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for 8 days. It was a truly magical week. Our kids had a blast, and were crying when we had to leave (so was I!) Everyone was so magnificent to them, and we all got to practice our Spanish. Rafael loved waking up each day saying ”Buenos Dias” and Sergianni loved saying goodbye to everyone with an ”Adios amigos.” Each day was filled with running on the beach, swimming in the pools and eating all kinds of wonderful, exotic fruits, chips and guacamole, and other Mexican specialties. Both Sergianni and Rafael are swimming fanatics. Sergianni in particular swims for hours without a break. They both were so tired each day by mid-afternoon, they would fall asleep for a 2 hour nap. This was followed by more swimming and sand castle building until the sun went down. Now that we are home, they hound us with questions such as: Why did we ever have to leave, and when is our next vacation to the Caribbean ? Wish I had an easy answer!!!

Our next big event we are getting ready for is our annual Fundraiser/Golf Tournament for FANA in Buffalo. Looking forward to it, as always!!! Hope everyone is doing well, and I will update again in the Summer!

Monday, June 4, 2007 9:38 PM CDT

June
el junio

Hi Everyone,
After 4 months of not updating this website, I decided it was high time—and with chasing 2 kids all over the place, I have to be quick or it won’t get done! As I write this, Otis is downstairs building a train track for Sergianni and Rafael is playing with all of his toys. He’s actually sitting for more than a minute so I can write! Both he and Sergianni continue to amaze us everyday with their love, and are so much fun. Rafael is now 16 months old and has 2 speeds—fast and faster. He is a joy to behold running from one room to the next, while destroying everything in his path! He has such an outgoing personality and loves dancing. I must say he’s a natural like Otis. We call him Happy Feet. He moves just like the penguin in the movie. Otis can’t wait to start teaching him. His vocabulary has also expanded these past few months: squirrel, go outside, Sergi, thank you, tub, train, uh-oh, Mom, Mommy, Daddy, Papa, Nana, doggie, up, uppies, down, eat, uvas (grapes), apple, pizza, me, you, what’s that? si, shoe, ball, mo-mo for Elmo and of course..mine!! He loves to eat and will walk you over to the refrigerator and point to what he wants. He and Sergianni love playing hide and seek behind all the furniture and hiding from us under beds, in the closets and behind chairs. We know most of their hiding places by now. Both of them love taking baths and love nothing more than to pretend they’re swimming. They’ll be able to put all their swimming moves to use this summer in the pools and at the beach.

Since our last update in February, we celebrated Sergianni’s 3rd birthday. It’s hard to believe that 3 years ago this week we were on our way to Colombia to receive her—one of the greatest days and time of our lives. Otis and I had so much fun, we had no desire to leave. I vividly remember when Betty told us we had sentencia. Our first thought was, ‘We can’t go home yet.’ In fact, we didn’t. We decided to stay awhile longer.

In March we went to our membership meeting for FANA. We are now getting ready for our annual Fundraiser/Golf Tournament for FANA next month in Buffalo. We’ve made our reservations and dropped off our donations. It won’t be long now before we can see Mercedes and everyone, and earn money for FANA, our children’s first home!

This summer we will be vacationing at the Jersey Shore. It’s like our 2nd home. We’ve been going since we were little, and now all of us go with our children. Can you imagine 8 children (7 girls and Rafael) 11 and under? We are quite the group! We’ll also be going to the Adirondacks and on any hot weekend you can find us swimming! Hope everyone has a wonderful summer.

Friday, February 23, 2007 12:12 AM CST

February
el febrero

Hi Everyone,

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day!! My 10 year old niece keeps reminding me that I need to update this site as it’s gotten old. OK—here we go! Christmas and New Years were very busy around here. We ushered in the holidays with lots of parties and get- togethers with our family and friends. Sergianni and Rafael had a blast and loved all the Christmas lights and decorations in our house. Most recently, we have been housebound due to the February snowstorm that just doesn’t seem to let up. This week is the first time I can remember in about a month that it hasn’t snowed. The schools were closed last week for a few days which was fun because I was off and got to stay home. Let me tell you---snow days are way more fun as an adult!!! We celebrated Rafael’s birthday last week as well. Our little boy turned 1 on February 8th. He has grown tremendously in the past 2 months. We took him to the Dr. for his 12 month appointment, and he had grown 3 1/2 inches in 8 weeks. I wasn’t surprised, as suddenly, all of his pants were too short. He also completely stopped crawling at 11 months and decided it was time to walk. He is currently running all over the house. His favorite thing in the world is being with Sergianni. They play hide and seek behind all the couches and he glows when she hugs and kisses him. He also cries hard when she leaves in the morning to go to preschool. It breaks your heart.

Rafael adores reading all of his books in his bedroom, and points to them immediately upon awakening. He loves turning each page and being read to. He often sits for 20 to 30 minutes just listening to stories and choosing each book from his bookshelf. His vocabulary consists of mama, dada, mommy, nanni (for Sergianni) stop it (also for Sergianni!!), no, nana, papa and assorted gibberish. He will talk for hours in his own language, which happens to be my personal favorite thing. His favorite food are mandarin oranges and he feeds himself using a spoon. As far changing his diaper is concerned, he is such a wiggler that unless he has a toy or book in his hand, it is virtually impossible to change him. Sergianni was the same way at that age. He also loves running from one mess to the other; the mess he has created! He is definitely in ‘search and destroy mode’ now, and will climb anything and everything—he is quite athletic and well balanced, fortunately. It has been so much fun watching he and Sergianni interact. Although Sergianni is in charge of their relationship, (and she lets him know it!) she is extremely protective of him when others are around.

Sergianni is now completely toilet trained. Although we worked on it for awhile, her interest level was hit or miss, and we always had to do all of the work----until one day in the beginning of January, she woke up and said she needed to use the bathroom. She ran in, and she’s been independent ever since. It was liberating!

As March nears, we look forward to seeing all of our FANA friends at our General Membership meeting, and start planning for our annual fund raiser and golf tournament. It’s such a fun night!

Friday, February 23, 2007 12:12 AM CST

Sunday, December 10, 2006 9:34 PM CST

el diciembre
December

Hola Everyone,
We hope all of you have been having a wonderful holiday season. As for us, things are busy and getting busier!! Our little Rafael continues to charm the masses with his outgoing personality, and Sergianni has taken to the role of big sister like a champ. The 2 of them blend so well, it seems like they’ve been together a lot longer than just 4 months. We had a great Thanksgiving. Two of Otis’ brothers, along with their families were here for the long weekend. Otis’ brothers are so much fun and we reminisced, cooked, ate and laughed the entire 3 days. We had a blast! You can imagine the amount of food that was prepared and football games that were watched. As a bonus, the weather was really warm, and we were able to take the kids on long walks in their strollers and wagons. I don’t ever remember it being that warm in November.

Rafael just turned 10 months old this week. He is really thriving. He scoots around doing his crab crawl, but he only uses one hand. He is as fast as lightening, and you have to really be on him, because he gets to the stairs in no time. He is also the happiest when he holds someone’s hand, and he gets to walk around the house. His balance amazes us. He stands for long periods of time, and will now throw a ball while in a standing position. He adores all the attention he receives from his cousins and tries to join in while they are playing. He’s been drooling a lot this past week and his cheeks are so rosy and hot, so we’re expecting another tooth at any moment. As for Sergianni, she seems so grown up to us. She often asks about everyone in Colombia, especially Jorge Rico and Aunt Betty, and wants to know where they are, and when we are going back. She loves her pre-school program and so do we. We’ve got our routine down and it’s been very smooth. We are so fortunate to have Otis’ mother watching Rafael. He absolutely loves her.

We have some of our house decorated for Christmas and we’re getting our tree this week. There’s nothing better than watching their little faces light up when they see the tree and the lights come on at night. With Rafael being at the age he is, it’ll be back to leaving off the ornaments at the bottom of the tree, just like we did with Sergianni 2 years ago!!

We’d like to wish all of our family and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! Looking forward to seeing everyone in the coming year.

Sunday, December 10, 2006 9:33 PM CST

el diciembre
December

Hola Everyone,
We hope all of you have been having a wonderful holiday season. As for us, things are busy and getting busier!! Our little Rafael continues to charm the masses with his outgoing personality, and Sergianni has taken to the role of big sister like a champ. The 2 of them blend so well, it seems like they’ve been together a lot longer than just 4 months. We had a great Thanksgiving. Two of Otis’ brothers, along with their families were here for the long weekend. Otis’ brothers are so much fun and we reminisced, cooked, ate and laughed the entire 3 days. We had a blast! You can imagine the amount of food that was prepared and football games that were watched. As a bonus, the weather was really warm, and we were able to take the kids on long walks in their strollers and wagons. I don’t ever remember it being that warm in November.

Rafael just turned 10 months old this week. He is really thriving. He scoots around doing his crab crawl, but he only uses one hand. He is as fast as lightening, and you have to really be on him, because he gets to the stairs in no time. He is also the happiest when he holds someone’s hand, and he gets to walk around the house. His balance amazes us. He stands for long periods of time, and will now throw a ball while in a standing position. He adores all the attention he receives from his cousins and tries to join in while they are playing. He’s been drooling a lot this past week and his cheeks are so rosy and hot, so we’re expecting another tooth at any moment. As for Sergianni, she seems so grown up to us. She often asks about everyone in Colombia, especially Jorge Rico and Aunt Betty, and wants to know where they are, and when we are going back. She loves her pre-school program and so do we. We’ve got our routine down and it’s been very smooth. We are so fortunate to have Otis’ mother watching Rafael. He absolutely loves her.

We have some of our house decorated for Christmas and we’re getting our tree this week. There’s nothing better than watching their little faces light up when they see the tree and the lights come on at night. With Rafael being at the age he is, it’ll be back to leaving off the ornaments at the bottom of the tree, just like we did with Sergianni 2 years ago!!

We’d like to wish all of our family and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!!! Looking forward to seeing everyone in the coming year.

Sunday, November 12, 2006 8:43 PM CST

November
el noviembre

Hi Everyone,
It’s been almost 2 months since I arrived home with our beautiful Rafael, and time has gone by quickly!! Rafael’s adjustments to our home, and his new surroundings, have been seamless. He has been such a delight, and continues to charm everyone he meets. He just turned 9 months old, and is not only crawling at warped speed; he climbs up the stairs & stands independently, and walks with assistance. I think he will be walking on his own by Christmas at the latest. He absolutely loves to walk and giggles the entire time. He has 1 tooth with the 2nd one almost grown in too.

I returned to work the 1st week in October, and although it was sad to leave Rafael, my mother-in-law is watching him, so it made the transition back to work pretty easy. Sergianni now attends her pre-school, JCC, full time and loves it. Otis brings her in the morning, and I pick her up on my way home. She is really thriving, and is talking up a storm. She loves her brother and is quite protective of him, but Otis and I are also full time referees, as she is always taking away her toys from him. It won’t be long before he will start fighting for what is rightfully his!! He is getting very strong. Both Otis and I knew we would fall in love with our son, but we didn’t realize how much fun it would be watching both children interact with each other. Our daily routine, although busy and exhausting at times, is a blast. We had a great time getting Sergianni and Rafael ready for Halloween. We went to my parents’ house and met up with the rest of my family to have a pizza party and go trick-or-treating. Unfortunately, we were unable to make it to the FANA Halloween party as both Rafael and Sergianni were sick. This was our 1st FANA event we have ever missed. It was a disappointment, because were looking forward to seeing everyone, especially our former Colombian housemates, the Gelyons and Koellers. We are now getting ready for Thanksgiving, and boy do we have a lot to be thankful for! We will have the holiday here, and I’ll be doing the cooking. Otis’ brother and his family are flying in from NYC, and Otis’ mother will be at our house for the holiday.

We hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and we will update next month!

Sunday, November 12, 2006 8:43 PM CST

Monday, September 18, 2006 8:51 PM CDT

My friend Betty
Mi amiga Betty

Everyone who has walked through the doors of the residence known as Betty’s Place, has had the honor of being taken care of by a woman who refers to herself as a Jewish mother. She is my good friend, Betty Castillo, who proudly hails from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Her eyes lit up the 1st time we met, and I told her I used to work on Ocean Parkway between Ditmas and Avenue F in Brooklyn. We’ve been buddies ever since. Most people know the story of how she married the one and only Rafa Castillo, a Colombian from Cartagena, and had 2 beautiful children, Natalia and Andres, who now reside in NYC. Although not old enough to be most of our mothers, she takes care of us like we were her children during our stay here in Colombia. Betty has lived in Bogota for almost 30 years, but she is a true blue American who loves her NY Russian Jewish roots. I can always hear her voice telling me, “Deb, I’m just a Jewish girl from Brooklyn!“ It makes me laugh! Her stories of Coney Island, the boardwalk, Nathan’s hotdogs, gefilte fish and Brighton Beach are the amongst the funniest. So many of us who come here are excited to be a part of all that Colombia has to offer, and we automatically know we are going to be exposed to so much. I would like to say that this is ALL the result of Betty. For those of us who have stayed in Bogota for the 4 to 5 weeks it generally takes to complete the adoption process, take a minute to think of what our days and weeks would look like without her. I can guarantee one thing, it wouldn’t be anything like it is. How comforting it is to have your fellow American understand what it is we go through, and to never run out of ideas, places of interest, vacation destinations, restaurants or general things to do while we are here. She says she understands all the emotions that go into an international adoption, as she feels she was adopted by Colombia almost 30 years ago. Betty is a typical New Yorker--she has hundreds of contacts, is incredibly resourceful, knows a bargain when she sees one, never wants to stop learning, knows how to tell a story, doesn’t know what the word relax means, LOVES being from Brooklyn, repeat, LOVES being from Brooklyn, and takes it as a compliment when she is told she sounds like she’s from New York. She makes everything she does look so easy, but I know better. Sometimes I must admit, I forget this is her job, a job she tells us she adores, and it shows!! Betty--you are like no other and I love you.

To Betty and Rafa,
You are a dynamic couple and loyal friends. Our family could never repay you for all you have done for us every time we are in Colombia. You take us everywhere, and have exposed us to a world that would have been unknown if not for your generosity. Being here with you is like being with family. We love you from the bottom of our hearts, and as always, look forward to the day that we are together again!!!

Besitos,
Otis Debbie Sergianni and Rafael Andres

Friday, September 15, 2006 9:10 PM CDT

UPDATE!!! Rafael's visa was approved today and we are on our way to the US EMBASSY to pick it up at 4PM. We are booked for our return flight home on Tuesday, September 19th, and will be arriving in Syracuse at 8:20 PM on DELTA. We are very excited to come home and see everyone--I have missed you all!!! We just returned back to Betty's Place from El Corral--our last Colombian lunch together. I am going to Mercedes' house tonight to say good bye, then return to have a tearful good bye with Betty and Rafa.

We Have SENTENCIA
Tenemos SENTENCIA

Thursday morning, Annette, our driver and translator, came over and told me the judge had signed our final documents and we had Sentencia! The only little glitch was that the particular court we are in requires 2 more signatures after that. Fortunately, we received both of them Friday morning, so Rafael is officially ours! This afternoon, we went to the Notary’s office to get copies of his birth certificate, then we quickly drove off to get his passport. The office closes its doors at 3 PM, and we walked in right as they were about to close, but the gentleman let us in. Before our children leave Colombia, they not only need pictures for their passport photo, but also for the US Embassy and the Dr. After taking a few pictures and completing the application, we had his passport in hand in about 15 minutes. It is very fast. The next step is receiving medical clearance, so we have a Dr.s appointment Saturday morning at 9AM. The only thing left to do is apply for Rafael’s visa at the US Embassy on Monday morning. If it is approved in one day, I will be flying home on Tuesday. Sometimes, our State Dept. in Washington DC takes 2 days to approve of visas. If this is the case, I will be home on Wednesday. I will update as soon as we find out the exact date of departure.

Otis, Sergianni and I have had a magnificent time during our stay in Colombia. We have had so much support from all of our family members and friends, and we appreciate everyone’s good wishes and prayers. A special thank you goes out to Jerri Wegner, our fearless leader of FANA Western NY, who works tirelessly in helping all of us receive our children. Thank you Jerri--you are loved! We would not have our beautiful Sergianni and Rafael if not for you and your devotion to FANA. As always, it will be impossible for me to say good bye to everyone in Colombia who has taken such good care of us. How does one say thank you to Mercedes, who has dedicated her life to saving Colombia’s orphans? Or to Betty, who dedicates each day to making our days comfortable, safe and happy? Or to the women at FANA who take care of our babies, day after day after day, with no fanfare? These women are so dedicated, quiet and humble, working in their little corner of the world, only God knows they are there. Otis and I are eternally grateful. It is so difficult saying good bye, I generally just cry my way out. I don’t anticipate this time will be any different.

Our case has taken a couple of weeks longer than anticipated, and it was difficult being separated from Otis and Sergianni for 2 weeks, but it was well worth it, as I will not be traveling home alone next week, but will be accompanied by a prince!!!

Good bye Colombia for now. You will live in our hearts forever!!

Wednesday, September 13, 2006 8:28 PM CDT

Wednesday Evening
La noche de miercoles

Hi Everyone,
Not a lot of news to report regarding our court situation, other than the fact that we’re getting close. Our lawyer called tonight and said we are in the very last part. Hopefully, we’ll be hearing something soon.

Rafael has been improving each day. He’s still on his medication, but is feeling much, much better. He is sleeping through the night again, which is a good sign that he’s back to himself. It seems like almost everyone in the house has gotten sick, except Betty and me. Even our babysitter, Alicia, hasn’t been feeling well.

Last night we met Rocco and his family for dinner at Archie’s pizza, which is down the block from Betty’s Place. It’s not only a great place for pizza and salads for adults, but the kids love it, because they have a supervised area where they make their own individual pizzas. They are all given traditional Chef’s hats and aprons, then they roll out the dough and go through the entire process. They get their pictures taken too, and they all love seeing themselves in their outfits. Colombia’s services for children are top shelf. There are so many stores and restaurants that do this type of thing.

Today, Betty took us to a place called ‘cachivaches‘, which loosely means ‘stuff.’ When she first said the name, I thought she was kidding, but she obviously wasn’t! The 1st floor looks like Pottery Barn, and the 2nd floor is just for Halloween. It’s the strangest combination. Betty told me this one of the stores President Clinton was taken to on his trip to Bogota. Nobody has figured out why he went there, but it is very unique and beautiful! We stopped for cappuccino before getting a cab and heading home.

Bogota has been very sunny and warm for the most part with some rain early in the morning, but today felt like Fall. When we left home for Colombia we were in the middle of the heat wave, but today prepared me for the weather we will have when we finally arrive home.

Monday, September 11, 2006 9:27 PM CDT

Another Day
Un Otro Dia

Hi Everyone,
Well, I am still here in Colombia. I was told today the judge has about 1 week left in which to sign, so we should be coming home at some point next week at the latest. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I have been keeping busy and having a wonderful time with my superb housemates, Nancy and Klaus Koeller, and their children. Saturday afternoon we returned to one of my favorite places, Andres Carnes de Res. It is such a unique restaurant, and one that I never tire of visiting. It’s such a sight for the eyes and ears, and we stayed for over 3 hours. We got home in the early evening and just hung around the house relaxing and talking. Sunday morning we all walked to La Fontana, a beautiful hotel down the street from where we stay. They have a very well known flea market in their courtyard, where all the artists sell their items such as jewelry, music, clothes and paintings. We stayed about an hour and then returned home. Every Sunday morning for about several hours, Bogota closes down a number of its large streets to cars and buses, to allow bicyclists, walkers and roller bladers a chance to own the streets. They call this Ciclovia, and it has become very popular. It made it a much more enjoyable walk to La Fontana, as Bogotá’s traffic situation puts NYC to shame!! The cars are all over the place, and nobody follows traffic lights or signs. You have to really pay attention to the road!

Rafael hasn’t been feeling too well the past few days. His little friend, Christian, whom he spends so much time with in the house had been sick, and he ended up getting the same thing: a runny nose, congestion, coughing and sneezing. He has also had difficulty sleeping. Monday morning I called FANA and I took him in to see the Dr. in the afternoon. She prescribed an antibiotic and saline drops. I noticed he had started to improve on his own today, as his jovial personality is returning. Our little boy is growing so fast. Some of his pajamas are getting snug on him after 1 month, and he moves around so quickly now. He no longer greets me in the morning peering through his crib, but instead stands up completely straight. He is a doll.

The Nail lady came over this morning for us. It is such a luxury to be able to have all these services right in your own place. Nancy and I took turns. Tonight, Miriam The Sweater Lady stopped by, and we checked out a few things. She’ll be returning in a couple of days.
I hope everyone had a nice weekend, and I will update again in a few days!

Saturday, September 9, 2006 9:12 PM CDT

1. Colombia produces more than 50 percent the world’s emeralds, including the two most famous emeralds known as the Devonshire and the Patricia.
2. Emerald production climbed to almost 10 million carats in 2004.
3. Colombia is 3rd in the world for having the greatest number of reptiles.
4. Colombia is 2nd in the world for having the greatest number of amphibious species.
5. The majority of Colombians are practicing Catholics.
6. Thirty cities have a population of 100,000 or more.
7. Colombia is a free market with major commercial and investment ties to the USA.
8. Colombia is the USA’s 5th largest export market.
9. Colombia has more plant and animal species per unit area than any other country in the world.
10. Colombia’s temperature has little variation throughout the year, due to its close proximity to the equator. It has 2 seasons: dry and wet.
11. Almost 85 percent of the population is of mixed race.
12. Bogotá’s Museo del Oro is regarded as the world’s best gold museum. Bogota is also home to 38 universities.
13. Colombia’s Amazon jungle region is about the size of California, and covers 1/3 of Colombia. There are no roads in this area, and transport is by air or river.
14. Although Spanish is the official language, there are approximately 65 indigenous languages and 300 dialects spoken in the country.
15. Colombians are regarded throughout the Spanish speaking world as speaking the most perfect Spanish.

Thursday, September 7, 2006 8:45 PM CDT

Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday
martes miercoles y jueves

Tuesday morning arrived quickly. Otis and Sergianni were picked up at 6AM for their trip to the airport. Otis took home all but one suitcase, Sergianni’s stroller and a large carry on filled to capacity. He had already brought our clothes for Cartagena home on his first trip, so I will only have to bring one suitcase and a carry on when I leave. It was very sad saying good bye, especially to Sergianni, as we have never been apart before, but after almost 5 weeks of traveling and non-stop excitement, it was time for her to get back to her routine. Otis said she looked disoriented when she walked into our house, but quickly got back into the swing of things by the next morning. As expected, she did give him a hard time about getting in her car seat. That’s my girl--feisty! She slept through the night, and also took a long nap on Wednesday while my mother was watching her. I know she is tired. She loved being here so much, she never wanted to miss a thing. Although she began asking where her cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents were, she only said she wanted to go home once. That was when we walked into the building for our Bienestar interview a few weeks ago. I had to laugh. She knows an old, dark looking building when she sees one! She went back to her pre school today and had a great day. I am happy she is home with Otis.

The Koellers---Klaus, Nancy and their son Max from Buffalo arrived late Sunday evening. They received their son Christian on Monday. He is a little doll--he looks like Klaus, his father. They are a wonderful family and we have had such a good time together. Yesterday, all of us walked to Maku, a store that specializes in everything Colombian, and I purchased several items for our silent auction. Since Nancy was in charge of the auction for 2 years, she knows which items sell well. In fact, it was while volunteering at the auction in July that Nancy and I both found out we were waiting for our second child. We talked about it a bit, and here we are together in Colombia. After shopping, we all ate lunch at El Corral and then headed home. Betty was here waiting for us. After about an hour, Betty and I left again and ran a few errands, then checked out Mercedes Salazar, a store that sells unique jewelry.

In the evening, we had to say good bye to the Olsen family from Seattle. It was very sad. They have been so much fun! We did have a good time at dinner though. We learned how to make bandeja paisa, a traditional dish from Medellin. None of us had ever eaten this before and it was fantastic. We all applauded when Okenis walked into the room. She is a master in the kitchen and is so humble and shy, she could barely look at us.

Today was a quiet day. It rained on and off, so we just hung around the house. The Koellers and I are making plans for tomorrow. We called Jorge Rico after dinner to make sure he was available.

Rafael has been a dream. He recognizes us and is so alert and happy. He loves getting in his walker and scooting around the room, and he has gotten quite strong since we received him. He is starting to stand up in his little bathtub and tries to get out. I’m so happy he and Sergianni will have each other forever.

Tuesday, September 5, 2006 9:09 PM CDT

Our visit to the Hogar Margarite
Nuestra visita al Margarita del Hogar

Yesterday morning Otis and I went to the Hogar Margerite at 10AM. For those of you not familiar with this place, it is run by FANA and Mercedes’ oldest daughter, Maria Lucia, who is the Director. She does an amazing job---it runs in the family! The Hogar is a home for mothers who are considering giving up their children for adoption. The majority of our children’s birth mothers have spent at least some time there, either before or after giving birth, although it is not a requirement to do so, nor is there any pressure for the women to give up their babies. A few choose to keep them, although it is not very common. The Hogar has been in existence for 29 years, and I don’t know of any place like it at home. It’s in a very non-descript area, so as not to call attention to it, and it is made up of 3 apartments that were converted into 1 very large dwelling. It can accommodate up to 35 women and their young children, if they have any. The children are picked up by a bus in the morning and attend school at FANA, then return at the end of the day. The look of the Hogar reminds me of my old Brooklyn apartments, with the large, heavy wooden doors and hardwood floors & ceilings. It is sort of old world looking and wonderful. The majority of women that come here are frightened, have no where else to turn, are often disappointed in themselves and afraid someone in their family will find out they are pregnant. Most often it is the 1st time they have received medical care and 3 healthy meals a day. Maria Lucia gave us a tour and showed us the many services that are offered free of charge to everyone who enters. It was really overwhelming what Mercedes and her family have accomplished here. Each day the women can participate in a variety of learning activities such as: cooking classes, Lamaze, learning how to sew, vocational programs and the like. There is a beautiful, little chapel in the residence where a priest says mass, and he is also available to speak to upon request. Most Colombians are practicing Catholics. After our tour, the women were asked if they would like to meet us, participate in a small discussion and ask us any questions they may have. It is strictly voluntary, and no one is pressured to attend. Every woman in the house came. We were very happy. We first went around the room and introduced ourselves to each other. Maria Lucia acted as translator. We told her that we wanted the women to feel comfortable, and to ask anything that is in their heart--nothing is off limits. The 1st comment was from a woman who said she was so happy to see us together as a biracial couple. Everyone nodded and smiled. She then asked us if our children’s skin color were reflections of us, which we happily told her that they are. You must know that almost 85 percent of Colombians are of a mixed race, so this was important to them. Some of the other questions were: Did we keep one of the names that the biological mother gave them? (Yes we did), When will our children be told they are adopted ?(Immediately. Ask Sergianni where she is from and she’ll answer Colombia), Will our children be attending college ?(absolutely!!) How do our parents feel about us adopting from Colombia (Proud!) Will the children know the names of the biological mother ?(without a doubt) Will you please turn off the TV when something negative is on about Colombia?!! We all laughed! The last question was directed toward me. The young woman asked if my parents treat our 2 children the same as their other grandchildren because they are dark. I didn’t have a second to answer, when Otis proudly responded that Sergianni and Rafael are loved and treated equally. He also told them at this point that my sister and brother-in-law adopted 2 Colombian children from FANA, and are also adored. He said that all gifts from my parents, including financial gifts toward college, are the same amount for everyone. The woman burst into a huge smile. I have the most awesome parents in the world! The women said it is very important for them to know that the adoptive parents’ families treat their children the same as a biological family member. We also discussed personal things such as pregnancies etc…anything they wanted, to help them know how courageous they are for making the decision to give up their child. We got up to say good bye and we hugged & kissed and thanked everyone for coming. They said they will ask God to guard us and bless us throughout our lives. There were tears flowing everywhere. As we were leaving the room, they presented each of us with a beautiful handmade gift, which we will hang in Sergianni and Rafael‘s bedrooms. It was such a humbling experience, one that neither Otis nor I will ever forget. We walked out in tears knowing that we are the most fortunate people alive.

Sunday, September 3, 2006 9:41 PM CDT

Return to FANA
Vuevla al FANA

Friday afternoon we returned to FANA and had a pizza and ice cream party for the kids. There were about 15 children altogether and it was a great time. Sergianni and I went to Carulla the day before and had fun buying all the paper products, soda, ice cream and m&m‘s. We ordered 4 large pizzas from Jenos and had them delivered to us at Betty’s before we left. The cafeteria workers at FANA warmed up the slices for everyone when we arrived. As usual, all the children at FANA were so happy and well behaved. They just rip your heart in half. I’ve yet to make it out of there without crying. We made sure we had enough for each of them to have as many slices of pizza and servings of ice cream as they wanted. There were no limits at this party! Afterwards, everyone went outside for awhile on the playground.

On Saturday, we spent the morning and early afternoon with Betty at one of our favorite places, The Metropolitan Club. Afterwards, we met up with Rafa at a birthday party for his brother-in-law. It was the usual group of friends and relatives that we know well and have grown close to. We arrived home at 6:00 and Sergianni had fallen asleep on the couch. We quickly woke her up or she would have been up all night. She was a little out of sorts until she saw the pizza arrive that we ordered for her. The infection on her hands and arms has dramatically improved. Of course, getting her to swallow her medicine 2x daily has been a challenge, as you can imagine! All of her clothes she has worn the past few days have bazooka pink stains everywhere, but we hold the m&m’s in our hands and bribe her. Whoever said children shouldn’t be bribed with candy obviously never had any! After 4 days, she must be getting used to the routine, as today she opened her mouth somewhat willingly while holding out her hand for her m&m’s. It was a good day.

Sunday morning found us at Bagatelle with Rocco, his usual spot. This little ’patisserie’ is beautiful. Half of it is outside with beautiful plants and white market umbrellas, and the other half is inside. They have the most amazing selection of breads, juice, breakfast items, Colombian specialties & pastries, and the décor is beautiful. Rocco always quickly orders a croissant drizzled with chocolate sauce for Sergianni as soon as we sit down. Having 3 young children of his own, he knows exactly what to do! Otis and I have had some of our best times with him, and he is truly one in a million…what a personality! He is always inviting us to go places with him, whether it’s dinner, his home, getting the kids together or going on vacation with he and his family. He is a doll.

Well, we found out while we were at FANA that the Defender of Minors signed our documents on Friday, so we have entered the 3rd and final phase of the court process. All we are waiting for now is the signature of the judge. We’ll keep all of you posted. In the meantime, it’s back to fun in Colombia. We love it here!!

Friday, September 1, 2006 9:38 PM CDT

Brother and Sister
Hermano y Hermana

It has been a joy these past few weeks to watch Sergianni and Rafael get to know each other. Sergianni adores him and tries to imitate everything I do. She has become very motherly, however, at times she is so rough, I have to really be vigilant and watch her! She wants to be with her brother all the time, even when he is sleeping. As for Rafael, he recognizes Sergianni, shrieks when she enters the room and will scream when she leaves. He started doing this about 1 week ago. She insists on taking baths with him and wants to “help” me wash his hair and rinse it. Can’t you just picture that scenario with the water and shampoo flying everywhere?

Sergianni and I have been busy this week. We had plans to go to the Botanical Gardens Wednesday morning, but ended up going later on in the afternoon. When Sergianni awakened in the morning, I noticed several of her fingers and both her palms were very swollen and red. She also had a red line going up both of her forearms and it was very hot. I knew immediately she had a pretty bad infection, and needed to be seen by a Dr. right away. It looked like she had a reaction to a bug bite. I called Betty, and she had Carlos here in 10 minutes to take us to FANA. Carlos is one of Rocco’s drivers and a wonderful person. Sergianni was first seen by Elizabeth the nurse, and then one of FANA’s Dr.’s who confirmed that she had an allergic reaction to a few bug bites. They gave her an anti-histamine while we were there, and then the Dr. prescribed a strong antibiotic. On our way out we saw Mercedes, and Sergianni ran right up to her to show her the infection. I was so happy, but surprised, because she is very shy initially. Mercedes told Sergianni that FANA will always be her home and she was happy we came over so quickly. After we left, Carlos drove us to the store to get our prescriptions. When all of this was over, we continued on our way to the Botanical Gardens, which were beautiful. We spent about 2 hours there and then came home.

The rest of the week we went to a couple of restaurants with Betty and Rafa, and just enjoyed being together. Yesterday we went to Jacques, which is the most amazing French café right in the middle of Bogota. It is a favorite of ours and many others who come to Colombia. It really feels like you’re in France.

Otis returned last night at 9:30 PM and Sergianni went crazy when she saw him walk in our room. (Of course she still wasn’t asleep!) This morning at breakfast, Otis had Rafael in his lap and he didn’t take his eyes off Otis the entire time. He has completely fallen for him. After a busy day at FANA, we returned at 5:30 and dinner was almost ready. We had ajiaco, my very favorite! Making ajiaco is definitely a labor of love. Tonight, Otis is going to build a fire and we’ll just hang around our room. Tomorrow will be here before you know it, and we’re meeting Betty at the Metropolitan Club at 10:00AM, then going to a birthday party with she and Rafa at 3 PM.

We send our love to our family and friends at home!!

Wednesday, August 30, 2006 9:22 PM CDT

Las Mujeres de la casa
The Women of the house

Maria Antonia, Ana and Okenis--these 3 women warm the hearts of everyone who have had the privilege of staying at Betty’s Place while adopting a baby in Colombia! They are the consummate caretakers of all who enter. There is nothing they will not do to help you feel right at home. Imagine for a moment you are here.

Early each morning around 7AM, you can hear the house starting to come alive. Almost everyone is asleep except for our special women. They are setting the table for breakfast, making fresh fruit salad, getting pancake and waffle batter ready, making coffee, squeezing oranges, guavas or pineapples for fresh juice, beating eggs and preparing the kitchen for the day. As people filter into the living room to eat, they lovingly prepare anything anybody requests, and everything is done with a smile. All the children get their favorite meal--Mickey Mouse waffles, and Okenis remains famous for her mile high pancakes, which you can have with bananas if you choose. When breakfast is done, and all of us are making our plans for the day, they finish the dishes and then begin cleaning the entire house. This includes not only our individual bedrooms and bathrooms, but also the hallways, common bathroom, living room and outdoor area. Have any of you ever swept your lawn with a broom to remove dead leaves? I know I haven’t and it’s doubtful I ever will. Well, this is part of their daily routine. The house and courtyard are impeccable. They also mop the kitchen and laundry area at least once each day. It is so clean, that when you drop something on the floor and use a napkin to wipe it up, absolutely no dirt is seen on the napkin. They also answer the phone, let us know when we have messages and watch over our babies like hawks. They are so loving toward our children and love holding them whenever they can. If they see you have your infant in your arms while trying to do something, they swoop in out of nowhere and take them from you until you are done. Why can’t I bring one of them home with me? They also filter and boil the water for our baby bottles and have it ready for us 24 hours a day. This is why we get such a shock when we go home and have to start doing all of these things by ourselves. Reality hits hard and fast once you leave Colombia. As morning turns into afternoon, you begin to smell dinner being prepared; home made soup, marinated fish or meat, vegetables & rice perfectly seasoned and a special dessert such as passion fruit parfaits, a Colombian specialty, and my sister’s favorite. These women can COOK, and absolutely everything is made from scratch. Rafael can’t get enough of their homemade soups, and every night they remind me he needs some of their “sopita.“ I hope they know how much we all love and appreciate what they do for us, and how much we MISS them

Monday, August 28, 2006 9:06 PM CDT

A Weekend in Bogota
Una fin de semana en Bogota

Saturday morning we woke up to another sunny day. Every morning when Sergianni awakens the first 2 things that come out of her mouth are, “Where’s brother?“ and “I want a Mickey Mouse waffle.“ She is so predictable it makes me laugh. I may have to do what my friend Paula Covelli did, and buy a Mickey Mouse waffle maker when we return to the US.

Saturday evening, Betty, Rafa and I went to dinner with a couple from Stanford, CT. who adopted a teenager from Bogota last summer and were here on vacation. They were staying around the block from me, so we caught a cab together and went to Betty and Rafa’s house for appetizers before heading out to dinner at Balzac, one of our favorite restaurants here. It’s located near the Andino shopping center in an area known as the ‘T’. This part of Bogota reminds me a lot of NYC, with the all the clubs and restaurants lining the street, and people dining al fresco. There is always a lot of activity, especially at night. Everyone ordered either seafood or exotic salads. The food was outstanding. Bye the way, the bread in Colombia is exceptional. Everyone that comes here comments on it--I’m not sure what makes it so delicious, but it never fails to deliver! I got back at 11PM and Sergianni greeted me at the door with our trusted babysitter, Alicia. She is so wired she can’t get to sleep at a normal hour. She told me she missed me which made my heart sing. Rafael fell asleep at 7:30, his usual time.

Sunday morning Betty, Sergianni and I were off to breakfast with Rocco, a friend of Betty and Rafas that we were introduced to 2 years ago. We get together with him whenever we’re in Colombia. Rocco is one of our favorite people in the world. He is 100 percent Colombian, looks Italian with a name to match, has a heart of gold, and is very Americanized from living in the States and working in the financial district in NYC for 20 years. His personality matches all of the above!! He has 3 young children, which include twins, and he is awesome. His wife is American. Rocco always takes us to brunch on Sunday at his favorite place. Being with him is one of our Colombian highlights. Otis was disappointed he wasn’t here, but we are meeting him again next Sunday when he returns, and will also be getting our children together for pizza at Archies during the week.

We returned at 11:30 AM and had 1 hour to get ready again, as my friend Peter Hernandez picked us up to spend the day with his family at his house. His children are so sweet. As soon as they saw Sergianni, they took out a Barney video and put it on to make her feel comfortable. I gotta tell ya though...the Colombian version of Barney just isn’t right. I couldn’t stop laughing. First of all, his body is completely out of proportion. The upper half, especially the neck area, is too skinny and square in comparison to the lower half, and his eyes just aren’t normal. He doesn’t look like he’s in sync with ANYTHING, and his entire persona was a riot! He’s also definitely not as suave. I had the BEST laugh!

Peter and his family drove us home at 6PM, and Rafael greeted us with the biggest smile. I really missed him!

Hope everyone had a good weekend.

Saturday, August 26, 2006 3:32 PM CDT

Our third week in Colombia
Nuestra tercera semana en Colombia

We arrived in Colombia 3 weeks ago today. I’m not sure where the time has gone, but I feel like it is flying by. There is so much to see and so many new things to learn…everyday is a new adventure for us! Yesterday my friend Peter Hernandez came by to visit, and we made plans to spend the day with his family on Sunday. Sergianni will be coming with me. She will love his 2 children, they are the sweetest. Rafael will stay here with Alicia.

Sergianni’s having the time of her life. She is a girl on the go and doesn’t know what to do first. She adores Carulla, the grocery store across the street, and asks to go there almost everyday. She even asks to sit in the grocery cart, which always catches me off guard. At home I cannot, repeat cannot, get her in a cart. She won’t even look at them, and this includes the fun carts made for children. She prefers to run up and down the aisle and have me run after her! I haven’t figured out what it is yet about Carulla, but I’ll take it while it lasts.

Friday morning we went shopping and stocked up on formula, baby food and rice cereal for Rafael. I increased his formula to 7 ounces, which seems to satisfy him now. His favorite time of the day is when he gets the pureed soup that our cooks prepare for him. Each night it’s something delicious and healthy made from scratch.

Friday afternoon we all went to FANA to celebrate Paulie Berra’s 3rd birthday. Paulie and his family are from St. Louis and are here adopting their 3rd child. The kids had cake and ice cream and wore Nemo hats. After they devoured the cake, they were running wild around the room, throwing balloons in the air and wanting to get tickle tortured by the adults. There were about 16 children altogether, of which 12 were the older kids who live at FANA. They are so appreciative of everything. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room watching them sing Happy Birthday in both Spanish and English. It was crushing to watch them walk back to their room after the party--no Mommy, no Daddy, nor a home to call their own, while our children walked out the door with us. It stung like a bee. All of us know very well that our children’s 1st home was FANA, and that we see our own children when we look into the eyes of those left behind.

On a final note, we want to wish our niece Natalie a Happy 4th Birthday!!! We hope you had fun at your pool party today. WE ALL LOVE YOU and miss you very much.
Love, Uncle Otis Aunt Debbie Sergianni and Rafael Andres

Thursday, August 24, 2006 10:38 PM CDT

We went to the zoo
Fuimos al zoologico

It has been very busy around here as usual. This morning at 10:30, Jorge Rico picked up Sergianni and I and took us to the zoo. Well, the zoo is really only part of what we saw. This place is called the Jaime Duque Park and Zoo Garden. It’s located in the countryside outside of Bogota. It was started more than 20 years ago by Jaime Duque, who was the first Colombian pilot for AVIANCA, Colombia’s national airline. He is currently 83 years old. This beautiful place can really be divided into 3 parts: the zoo, an amusement park for children, and what looked like a mini version of EPCOT, which showcased the various countries of the world. The zoo features mostly animals native to Colombia, with the exception of the tigers and a few others. It includes the world’s smallest species of monkeys found in the Amazon and many gorgeous and exotic birds. When Jorge went to the site with the parrots and began making his bird calls, the entire population of birds at the zoo went wild. I’m not kidding! He was so realistic, the birds were flying all over the place. Even Sergianni started to laugh. She has taken such a liking to him, that whenever he leaves she asks, “Where’s Jorge ?” The amusement park has all the typical rides we have except there were no lines!! We went on almost everything, but got done fast because we never had to wait. The park’s main attraction is a replica of the Taj Mahal. The top floor is where Jaime Duque lives. It’s huge! Inside is some of the most intricate artwork I have ever seen. Painted on the large circular walls are the varying stages of war that led Colombia to its independence. I was fortunate to have met the artist today. He was in the restaurant we went to for lunch and Jorge immediately introduced me to him. He was so humble and unassuming, and I was in awe of his talent. Sergianni had so much fun she hasn’t stopped talking about it.

As we were leaving, Betty called and asked if we wanted to join everyone at the Hard Rock Café for dinner. It was perfect timing. As soon as we got back the taxis had arrived. We all went and had a great time with the kids, who were really well behaved! They loved drinking their Shirley Temples and looking at all the fancy guitars and other instruments. We got home around 7PM. It was a great day.

Rafael went to FANA yesterday with 2 of the other children in the house for his 6 month vaccinations. He had 1 shot in each leg. His little thighs are so muscular and strong, and he was kicking up a storm!! His crying didn’t last long though. As soon as it was over he was back to himself. All 3 of the babies fell asleep in the car on the way home.

Thank you to everyone who is following our journal while we are away. We appreciate all of your emails and guestbook entries!!

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 11:49 AM CDT

El lunes y el martes
Monday and Tuesday

Jorge Rico was here at 5:45 AM sharp to take Otis to the airport Monday morning. It was sad to see him leave, but we know he is returning one week from Thursday. It is the longest he has ever been away from Sergianni. He called us from the Atlanta airport to check on Sergianni and Rafael, and also to ask me to make reservations around town at our favorite haunts so we are set up when he returns to Bogota! He called again this morning. Otis has had Colombia in his heart from the 1st time he came here in 2004. I knew he would love it.

Yesterday we all went to Mercedes’ house for lunch. She asked that the older children come too. The children range in age from 2-5. We left our babies here with Alicia. All of the parents were concerned that one of our kids were going to either drop the bone china or crystal glasses on the glass table, or break one of the many non-childproof items on display at her home!! None of us wanted it to be OUR child!! Of course, this was all self-inflicted pressure, as Mercedes is so gracious she wouldn’t care--but we would! You could tell immediately who the 1st time parents were, as they were the ones leisurely enjoying their lunch and conversation with Mercedes and her husband, Arturo. The rest of us with toddlers and 4 and 5 year olds were chasing them all over the place and nervously waiting for them to have a melt down in front of Mercedes when they had to share the toys. Whew!!! Anyway, all went pretty well. The kids played outside for most of the time after lunch, and they were also entertained by Arturo when he made a toy helicopter take off, fly and land. They were mesmerized. Arturo is such a doll!

Rafael continues to grow at a rapid pace. He looks considerably bigger to us than when we received him 2 weeks ago. He is just a joy beyond words. He is so alert and never stops looking at Sergianni when she is near him. As for Sergianni, she has become so protective of him it is almost startling to us. She becomes very upset whenever somebody picks him up that she is not familiar with. In Colombia, it is very normal for the restaurant wait staff or other employees at places of business to make a fuss over babies and put their arms out to hold them. When our waitress in Cartagena did this, Sergianni was almost crying and kept after Otis and I telling us to get her baby back and said, “He’s mine!” How right she is..he is hers and we thank God he is OURS!!!!

Sergianni and I are leaving now to walk to El Corral for lunch and also for chocolate malteadas, then we’ll stop by Carullas to get some basic things before heading back. Hope all is well with all of our family and friends at home. We’ll be keeping you updated!

Sunday, August 20, 2006 4:55 PM CDT

¡ Hace mucho calor!
It's hot!

We returned to Bogota this weekend. It is always so hard to leave the magical city of Cartagena and all the non-stop excitement it offers. Cartagena has a typical Caribbean climate, which remains relatively constant throughout the year. They say that August is the hottest month, but it didn’t feel very different than when were there in February, although there was a much stronger breeze during that time. October and November are the wettest months of the year. The weather was perfect, and were able to witness a large thunderstorm late one night---it was really beautiful!! The days were sunny and hot and the nights were warm. Cartagena is legendary for its beauty and history. It is considered by many to be the most unique city in South America. The people in Cartagena are also amongst the friendliest we have met anywhere. They are so open and welcoming. The heart of Cartagena is definitely the old city. It consists of an inner and outer town, and both are surrounded by large walls. Several impressive fortresses are still standing outside the walled towns with the Colombian flag waving proudly in the wind. As soon as you arrive in Cartagena, one thing is noticeable immediately….the music!!! The type of music that is played here is called Vallenato. It is everywhere---and I do mean everywhere--the beach, the buses, hotels, the street and peoples’ homes. It is energizing. Vallenato is heard not only in Cartagena, but along the entire Colombian coast. It is generally performed by a small band using various unusual instruments that produce its unique sound.

We stayed in the old city at the Santa Clara, which is one of the most beautiful hotels we have ever been to. It recently received the travel award for the best hotel in Latin America. This was our 2nd time there. The grounds are gorgeous, and the area near the restaurant has several toucans and other exotic birds flying around. It looks like a mini jungle with the most beautiful flowers and trees everywhere! The Santa Clara is located in front of the Plaza de San Diego, which has many open air cafes, craft stores and artists selling their creations on the street. There is also a college located on one of the corners. It is a lively gathering place throughout the day and night for students. The horse and carriage rides are in this plaza too. There are so many things to do in Cartagena, but my favorite activity is walking up and down the narrow streets looking at the colorful flowers that tumble down from the thousands of balconies, or sitting in an outdoor café just soaking up the ambience. As we walked around the neighborhoods, my first thought was how different the peoples’ lives are here as compared to ours, and in many, many ways they are. Yet the more we were there, it became obvious that we have a lot more in common than what appears on the surface….mothers and fathers raising young children and always wanting to do what is best for them, people working hard trying to support their families, children playing & going to school and everyone, both young and old, dealing with the everyday struggles of life. Yes, we live differently, but the feelings of love, happiness, pain and sorrow are the same for all of us.

Monday morning Jorge Rico will pick Otis up at 6AM and take him to the airport. Unfortunately, he has to leave and go back to work. He is returning August 31st for 5 days and will take Sergianni home at that point if we have not received Sentencia by then. Her pre school begins right after Labor Day. Otis has been on the quiet side today as it’s always so sad to leave. He is working on his return flight at this moment!

Sunday, August 20, 2006 4:43 PM CDT

¡ Hace mucho calor!
It's hot!

We returned to Bogota this weekend. It is always so hard to leave the magical city of Cartagena and all the non-stop excitement it offers. Cartagena has a typical Caribbean climate, which remains relatively constant throughout the year. They say that August is the hottest month, but it didn’t feel very different than when were there in February, although there was a much stronger breeze during that time. October and November are the wettest months of the year. The weather was perfect, and were able to witness a large thunderstorm late one night---it was really beautiful!! The days were sunny and hot and the nights were warm. Cartagena is legendary for its beauty and history. It is considered by many to be the most unique city in South America. The people in Cartagena are also amongst the friendliest we have met anywhere. They are so open welcoming. The heart of Cartagena is definitely the old city. It consists of an inner and outer town, and both are surrounded by large walls. Several impressive fortresses are still standing outside the walled towns with the Colombian flag waving proudly in the wind. As soon as you arrive in Cartagena, one thing is noticeable immediately….the music!!! The type of music that is played here is called Vallenato. It is everywhere---and I do mean everywhere--the beach, the buses, hotels, the street and peoples’ homes. It is energizing. Vallenato is heard not only in Cartagena, but along the entire Colombian coast. It is generally performed by a small band using various unusual instruments that produce its unique sound.

We stayed in the old city at the Santa Clara, which is one of the most beautiful hotels we have ever been to. It recently received the travel award for the best hotel in Latin America. This was our 2nd time there. The grounds are gorgeous, and the area near the restaurant has several toucans and other exotic birds flying around. It looks like a mini jungle with the most beautiful flowers and trees everywhere! The Santa Clara is located in front of the Plaza de San Diego, which has many open air cafes, craft stores and artists selling their creations on the street. There is also a college located on one of the corners. It is a lively gathering place throughout the day and night for students. The horse and carriage rides are in this plaza too. There are so many things to do in Cartagena, but my favorite activity is walking up and down the narrow streets looking at the colorful flowers that tumble down from the thousands of balconies, or sitting in an outdoor café just soaking up the ambience. As we walked around the neighborhoods, my first thought was how different the peoples’ lives are here as compared to ours, and in many, many ways they are. Yet the more we were there, it became obvious that we have a lot more in common than what appears on the surface….mothers and fathers raising young children and always wanting to do what is best for them, people working hard trying to support their families, children playing & going to school and everyone, both young and old, dealing with the everyday struggles of life. Yes, we live differently, but the feelings of love, happiness, pain and sorrow are the same for all of us.

Monday morning Jorge Rico will pick Otis up at 6AM and take him to the airport. Unfortunately, he has to leave and go back to work. He is returning August 31st for 5 days and will take Sergianni home at that point if we have not received Sentencia by then. Her pre school begins right after Labor Day. Otis has been on the quiet side today as it’s always so sad to leave. He is working on his return flight at this moment!

Sunday, August 20, 2006 4:43 PM CDT

¡ Hace mucho calor!
It's hot!

We returned to Bogota this weekend. It is always so hard to leave the magical city of Cartagena and all the non-stop excitement it offers. Cartagena has a typical Caribbean climate, which remains relatively constant throughout the year. They say that August is the hottest month, but it didn’t feel very different than when were there in February, although there was a much stronger breeze during that time. October and November are the wettest months of the year. The weather was perfect, and were able to witness a large thunderstorm late one night---it was really beautiful!! The days were sunny and hot and the nights were warm. Cartagena is legendary for its beauty and history. It is considered by many to be the most unique city in South America. The people in Cartagena are also amongst the friendliest we have met anywhere. They are so open welcoming. The heart of Cartagena is definitely the old city. It consists of an inner and outer town, and both are surrounded by large walls. Several impressive fortresses are still standing outside the walled towns with the Colombian flag waving proudly in the wind. As soon as you arrive in Cartagena, one thing is noticeable immediately….the music!!! The type of music that is played here is called Vallenato. It is everywhere---and I do mean everywhere--the beach, the buses, hotels, the street and peoples’ homes. It is energizing. Vallenato is heard not only in Cartagena, but along the entire Colombian coast. It is generally performed by a small band using various unusual instruments that produce its unique sound.

We stayed in the old city at the Santa Clara, which is one of the most beautiful hotels we have ever been to. It recently received the travel award for the best hotel in Latin America. This was our 2nd time there. The grounds are gorgeous, and the area near the restaurant has several toucans and other exotic birds flying around. It looks like a mini jungle with the most beautiful flowers and trees everywhere! The Santa Clara is located in front of the Plaza de San Diego, which has many open air cafes, craft stores and artists selling their creations on the street. There is also a college located on one of the corners. It is a lively gathering place throughout the day and night for students. The horse and carriage rides are in this plaza too. There are so many things to do in Cartagena, but my favorite activity is walking up and down the narrow streets looking at the colorful flowers that tumble down from the thousands of balconies, or sitting in an outdoor café just soaking up the ambience. As we walked around the neighborhoods, my first thought was how different the peoples’ lives are here as compared to ours, and in many, many ways they are. Yet the more we were there, it became obvious that we have a lot more in common than what appears on the surface….mothers and fathers raising young children and always wanting to do what is best for them, people working hard trying to support their families, children playing & going to school and everyone, both young and old, dealing with the everyday struggles of life. Yes, we live differently, but the feelings of love, happiness, pain and sorrow are the same for all of us.

Monday morning Jorge Rico will pick Otis up at 6AM and take him to the airport. Unfortunately, he has to leave and go back to work. He is returning August 31st for 5 days and will take Sergianni home at that point if we have not received Sentencia by then. Her pre school begins right after Labor Day. Otis has been on the quiet side today as it’s always so sad to leave. He is working on his return flight at this moment!

Friday, August 18, 2006 10:44 PM CDT

Another day in Cartagena
Un otro dia en Cartagena

Our days spent in Cartagena have been fantastic. Every morning we wake up and are greeted by sunny skies, a magnificent view and 2 little Colombians to make sure we are up bright and early so we don’t miss a thing! Wednesday morning after breakfast we walked around the hotel and took some pictures. It was very hot so we didn’t stay long and decided to go to the pool, where we spent most of the day. Otis had Rafael on his lap in the baby pool in a shaded area, and he was having a blast--kicking his little legs so fast it was hilarious. Later in the afternoon we took a cab to Betty and Rafa’s place at the end of the island. Cartagena is very easy to get around, as basically there is just one main road. We hung out at the beach and then had dinner. Rafa always claims the best cooking comes from Cartagena. I have to say I agree with him. Every time we have a meal here prepared by one of their cooks, it is always amazing. In the evening they served us coconut rice, giant shrimp, stuffed platanos and salad. Sergianni loved the rice and even asked for seconds. Of course, her hunger could also have been due to the fact that I forgot to feed her lunch !! We were in the pool so long, then all of a sudden it was dinnertime---oops!!

Today is Betty and Rafa’s wedding anniversary and also Rafa’s birthday. Betty had a great party at the apartment with Rafa’s sister and brothers, and a few good friends that we have gotten very close to over the past 2 years. It was so much fun getting together with everyone again. The meal was perfect and so was the company. A photographer came over and took many pictures. Rafael fell asleep for a little while, but woke up toward the end of the night with all the music and excitement going on around him. I think he sensed his Daddy dancing with Sergianni and wanted to get in on the action. He is in love with Otis! We were invited to another party in the old city tonight, but had to pass with 2 little ones. When we got back to our hotel, we decided to take a horse and carriage ride around the city before retiring. Sergianni and Rafael stayed awake for most of it, then started dozing toward the end. Cartagena at night defies description--there is music pouring out of every street corner, people dancing, talking, children running and stores open until the last person decides to leave…it’s just a unique, gorgeous place that we will continue coming back to.

One last note--HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! You are the best father and Papa in the entire world. We miss you and love you so much. You are like no other. Love, Debbie Otis Sergianni and your newest grandchild, Rafael !

Wednesday, August 16, 2006 9:45 PM CDT

Vacation in Cartagena
Vacaciones en Cartagena

Hi Everyone,
We arrived in Cartagena yesterday at 1PM. We took Avianca and the flight was perfect. We were picked up at the airport by our hotel van and we arrived at the Santa Clara by 2:00. The weather is sunny and hot, and we love it! As soon as we arrived, I had Otis take Sergianni downstairs to the pool while Rafael slept, so I could get us unpacked and organized. I learned this from my mother when we traveled as young children. She couldn’t wait for my father to take all of us out of the room for a few hours. I couldn’t appreciate it then, but I sure do now. Sergianni is such a fish--she is exactly like the rest of my family. We all swim and spend hours in the pool. After Rafael woke up, we went outside in the plaza area and went to Del Mar, Rafa’s favorite place for pizza. We had the waitress bring pureed soup for our little Rafael which he devoured. There is so much activity in the square that he was mesmerized--people mingling, horse and carriage rides, vendors, music, street musicians and the like. Cartagena is MAGICAL---with its narrow streets, houses painted the colors of the Caribbean, vibrant flowers sweeping over every balcony and pages and pages of history--it’s a place like no other! Last February when we were here, Rafa gave us the entire history which was fascinating…and so was Rafa, as he knows so much about his country. He was born and raised in Cartagena and his grandfather was the mayor.

This morning after breakfast we all went by the pool. Sergianni and I stayed for a good part of the day, while Otis took care of Rafael and made sure he stayed in the shade, then took him to our room to eat and sleep. He has grown so much since we received him last week. We can hardly change his diaper now he wiggles and moves so fast. It is joyous, and we laugh! All day long he smiles and coos and is so curious. He adores Sergianni and stares at her all the time. He also lights up when he hears Otis walk in the room and almost jumps out of my arms toward him.

Tonight we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner then came back to our room. After Rafael went to sleep, the rest of us sat on our balcony and listened to the music that you can hear every night. It is a Latin beat so pure that it lets you know immediately you are not in the States!

Monday, August 14, 2006 9:21 PM CDT

Vamos a Cartagena
We’re going to Cartagena !

Hi Everyone,
We’ll be flying to Cartagena on Tuesday for 5 days, so we are currently packing for our trip tonight. It’s been a little tricky with our baby bottles and all the other things a baby requires, since the new airline restrictions went into effect last week. We’ll just have to go with the flow and do the best we can. I’m used to packing thermoses with very warm water and liquid Tylenol for children, mylecon and saline solution. It does seem a little odd not having all of that with our carry-on luggage. We will be meeting Betty and Rafa there on Wednesday. They’re leaving a day after us. We have a lot of parties and dinners planned already. We are also planning on meeting Sebastian and his mother there this week for dinner one night. If you remember, Sebastian is the young man who presented us with Rafael. He and his mother will be there the same time as us. Speaking of Rafael, he is doing great!! He has slept through the night since we got him, and seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. He started crawling a little more today, and is getting very strong. He loves rolling over on his stomach and seems so pleased with himself after he’s done it. He generally goes to bed by 7:30 and sleeps until 6:30 or 7:00. There’s nothing better than seeing his little head peer through the crib in the morning. He is so sweet we have just completely fallen in love with him. We had our Bienestar interview this morning which lasted about 10 minutes. Most of it was just signing papers and taking pictures after a couple of questions. Everyone was so nice. The woman who was there as the Defender of Minors was the person in the red suit on our homepage yesterday.

Otis and I went back to the Metropolitan Club for a few hours today. We know our way around there so well. It was a lot of fun. When we got home, dinner was being served and Rafa stopped by to see everyone. Right now we’re just finishing up some laundry for our trip, and then we’ll try to get to bed early, although I don’t know why this night should be different than any other night. We haven’t gotten to bed early one night yet!! Not even close. Sergianni also doesn’t want to go to bed. She loves being here so much with all the activity she is afraid she’s going to miss out on something. She is also not used to sleeping in the same room as us, as she has never stayed in our room at home, so she thinks it’s non-stop playtime! She has become so protective of Rafael. She insists on holding his hand whenever we are in the car together, but doesn’t realize her own strength, so Otis and I are always intervening. We may update in Cartagena if our hotel is wireless, otherwise we will update when we return to Bogota!

Sunday, August 13, 2006 10:15 PM CDT

Our Weekend
Nuestra fin de semana

OK--where do I begin? We have been so busy since I last updated 2 days ago. First I’d like to say that we have so many nice families staying at Betty’s Place. The children get along so well, and so do the parents. Everyone has been so kind…the Berras from St. Louis, the Gelyons from Buffalo, a new couple that just arrived Friday from Seattle--Jennifer and Keith, who are getting their first baby from FANA on Monday and a family from Germany who are on their way to Ecuador, and wanted to stop in Bogota first with their daughter who was adopted from FANA 17 years ago. They are friends with our driver Annette, and will be here for just 3 days. They are wonderful people!

On Saturday afternoon, Jorge Rico and Otis went on their annual tour of the southern part of Bogota to gather up many of the children and take them out to lunch. They found the majority of them selling garbage bags on the street to support their families. Otis said it was even tougher to see them this year, as all he could think of was Rafael, and how that could be him. While they were gone, Sergianni and I walked around the corner to al-rawabi for lunch. It’s always so much fun to eat there. When we were finished, Sergianni pointed to Carulla, and said she wanted tropical juice. My first thought was, How do YOU know what tropical juice is? Anyway, off we went to buy tropical juice! In the evening, Betty and Rafa took Otis and I to the Bogota Country Club for dinner. Jorge Diaz picked us up and drove us to their apartment first, where we met a couple of their friends. It is a beautiful club that we are going to take Sergianni to. They have a playground for children that looks like half the size of a football field. This morning, Betty came over early and brought doughnuts for everyone. All the kids were going for anything with sprinkles. At 11:00 AM, Jorge Rico came by to pick us up and brought Otis, Sergianni and I to Andres Carne de Res for lunch. We went to his house to get his wife and daughter so they could join us, but they both had colds so decided to stay home. Andres Carne de Res is a place that cannot be described. It is about 30 minutes from our residence, in a town called Chia. I have been there a couple of times before, but only in the evening when it turns into a club. My first time there was 6 years ago when I was in Colombia with my sister and brother-in-law, when they were here adopting their beautiful daughter, Mariah, and we went at night. The place is loaded with Christmas lights, artwork, neon signs, plants, oddball figurines, trinkets, music, live mariachi bands, beautiful tile everywhere you look and a roof that opens on nice days like today. It’s just the most creative place you could ever imagine. The food is also amazing. We ordered platanos, Colombian potatoes, which are yellow and very small & grilled chicken. The usual Colombian salsas and arepas accompany every meal. What makes this place very special in the day, is that right in the middle of the restaurant, they have a supervised area where the kids can play in a sandbox, get their face painted, make masks, crafts and paint. The young girls that work there are so good with the children. Sergianni had a blast. On our way home she asked about Rafael and said she wanted to see her baby. We wanted to see him too! As for tonight, Otis will make a fire in the fireplace in our room, and we’ll spend the night with our 2 beautiful children.

We hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.

Friday, August 11, 2006 9:50 PM CDT

Hemos estado aqui una semana
We’ve been here one week

Otis, Sergianni and I arrived in Bogota one week ago tonight. How can this be possible? We are getting to know Rafael’s personality and schedule very well after just a few days, and are back on track with baby formula, rice cereal and bottles. We were a little rusty the first day, as Sergianni is almost 2 ½ so we were out of infant mode for awhile. What a pleasure it is to feed, bathe and love our son. He is a delight. Although we know very little about his birth mother, we are certain of one thing; she is a beautiful woman with a very sweet personality and a tremendous spirit, as it has carried over to her child. We could never thank her enough for the selfless decision she made to give Rafael a chance in life--a chance he never would have been able to have, due to the extreme conditions of poverty she has endured. How is it possible thank her?

Today we went to FANA with Sergianni and Rafael, and while we were there speaking with Elizabeth, the nurse, she introduced us to one of Rafael’s caregivers who happened to walk by. When Rafael saw her, he let out a huge shriek and started to reach for her. She congratulated us over and over, and said how beautiful it was to see him with us, and how perfect that Otis is his father. She then said how much she missed him, and how it was like losing a son when she said goodbye to him on Tuesday for the last time. I cried in her arms. How beautiful that she loved him so much. Rafael is a fortunate child to have been at FANA for 6 months. There is no place in the world like it! I often think of Mercedes during my days at home, and what she has accomplished. It is nothing less than miraculous. She feels it is her reason for living, to save as many Colombian children as possible. She is why our group is so dedicated to FANA, and why we continue to put together our annual Golf Tournament and auction to raise money, so that Mercedes and FANA can continue. We love you!!!

We have had such a great time just being here together as a family. It’s very special, because as soon as you get home, you have to join the real world!! We’ll take this life of fantasy for now.

Thursday, August 10, 2006 11:28 PM CDT

Dos dias despues de Rafael Andres
Two days after Rafael Andres

All is well in Colombia. Rafael continues to amaze us with the seemingly flawless adjustment he has made from FANA to living with us. He remains happy, giggly and very curious. In addition to drinking 6 ounces of formula every 4 hours, he has rice cereal in the morning, pureed fruit in the afternoon and blended vegetable soup in the evening. He is tall and slim, but his thighs are very muscular, and he is quite strong. Otis said to me this morning that between Sergianni and Rafael, we have 2 bulls! Sergianni is blossoming with her new brother. She is so fascinated by him, and wants to “help” me with everything--quote, unquote!! Last night he woke up after we put him down for the night because she wouldn’t stop crying--”Mommy, Daddy, get baby Rafa out of crib--now, now!!” This morning she said, “Where’s brother?--I want brother.” It is heartwarming. Her language seems to have multiplied since we arrived last week. She adores Betty and asks for her everyday before she arrives for our daily routine. She told us yesterday that she likes Aunt Betty’s car. When we asked her why, she responded, “No car seat.” Oh boy, are we in for trouble when we get home!

Our time in Colombia has just flown by, as usual. Too fast, actually! Betty has us hopping…she is without a doubt, The Hostess with the MOSTEST! Yesterday she sent a driver over to pick us up and Otis and I met her at the Metropolitan Club. We have been there a few times before. It is a beautiful country club located high up in the mountains, with an incredible view. It’s so high up you can feel a temperature change. When we arrived, we found out that the restaurant we were going to eat in requires men to wear a jacket and tie. Betty asked the manager if they had a suit coat in Otis’ size, and he said, “Si, claro”…(yes, of course)! You can just picture what happened next. He took out the largest coat he had and we all laughed hysterically when he put it on. The sleeves came up to Otis’ elbows and the length was so short it was hilarious! Otis said, “Forget it, I am not going to embarrass myself!” After we got our composure back, we decided to eat in the other restaurant downstairs, where we had been before. It was great. We had grilled fish and chicken, mango salsas, salads and fresh juice. Everyplace you go in Colombia, whether it’s a restaurant, hair salon, store or a private home, the most freshly squeezed, organic, delicious juice is served, and the flavors are very tropical: papaya, guanabana, mandarin orange, maracuya, guava and many more. Sergianni loves them all.

After lunch we spent the day at the spa. Betty and I had a creamy, fruit concoction put in our hair before we went in the sauna, which made it so soft and it smelled wonderful! We were like jelly when we walked out. Sergianni and Rafael were lovingly watched by Alicia, the greatest nanny, baby whisperer and professor of babies in the world! It doesn’t matter how many she watches, she is always in total control and the children adore her. So do we!

Today we are doing laundry and will take Sergianni out for pizza and a nearby park after lunch. She loves the slide in the courtyard right outside our room. Our driver, Annette, is coming by tomorrow morning at 9:00 to begin the paperwork process while we are here. We thank all of you for following our trip to receive our new son. We have loved hearing from all of you! Goodbye for now, and we will update again soon.

Tuesday, August 8, 2006 10:24 PM CDT

Que divino
He’s divine!

WOW--what a day!! Otis and I woke up very early and got ready for our 9:45 AM pick up to FANA. The nail and hair lady came at 8:00 to help get me ready. Betty was here by 9:30 for pictures and we were out the door. We arrived at FANA and felt instantly at home again. Sergianni was running up and down the stairs, and in and out of Mercedes and Flor’s offices! The day to meet our son had finally arrived! We had to wait awhile for our presentation because Mercedes was being interviewed by a writer for Colombia’s newspaper, El Tiempo. They are writing an article about FANA. She had told us about this when she called a few days ago. After handing in the final pieces of our paperwork, we walked into the Green Room and were given our beautiful baby boy. He is magnificent! The person who presented him to us is a young man by the name of Sebastian, who was adopted at FANA 25 years ago, and who came back for the 1st time with his mother to visit. They live in Paris. He cried so much, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Otis was so moved, the tears kept rolling down his face even as we drove home. Our Rafael Andres was perfect!!! The minute he was placed in my arms, he turned to Sergianni and reached for her. They touched hands and stared at each other for what seemed like forever. She didn’t want to let him go. I must honestly say that I was a little surprised by her protective and loving reaction. I expected her to be rather neutral or very upset that I had him in my arms for so long, but she is fascinated by him. She insisted on giving him his bottle when we got back--which she did, and managed to spray the milk in his eyes and down his neck!! As I tried to get it out of his eyes as quickly as possible, he began to giggle and continued to reach for Sergianni. He laughed and laughed and laughed. In fact, he has done nothing but smile and giggle since we got him. It’s amazing what we have witnessed in just 1 day. Rafael has been in an orphanage for 6 months, yet his disposition with all the new people he has been with has been flawless. He has a deep voice and babbles and tries to speak all the time---and he is loud!!! His voice is awesome! He loves to be kissed and reacts with a huge grin. He has already turned over, and is on all fours pushing himself as though he’s going to crawl! We just adore him. On our way home, Betty held him in the car and he was loving it. We had our driver stop at El Corral before our final destination. We were all starving and emotionally drained and just needed comfort food. The chocolate malteadas were perfect!!

Betty--THANK YOU for all of your love. You made our day extra special, as usual, and what a day to remember!!! Sergianni and Rafael love you and so do we!!

Monday, August 7, 2006 8:41 PM CDT

El domingo y el lunes
Sunday and Monday

Yesterday was a beautiful, really warm and sunny day in Bogota. Otis walked to the gym down the street and worked out in the morning. When he returned, Betty picked us up and we went to Crepes and Waffles for lunch. Since Sergianni already devoured chicken before we left, she just ordered a special ice cream sundae, the Pancho Villa. We let her point to the one she wanted, and her little finger kept returning to that picture. Crepes and Waffles is located in an area called Parque Noventa y Tres (Park 93) and there is a beautiful playground right outside where Sergianni played for about an hour after we ate. Betty then took us to Usaquen to shop at the Flea Market (Mercado de las Pulgas). We bought a few things, met many of Betty’s friends and then drove home.

Today was very relaxing. It started out raining, but the sun came out about 12 noon. We spent most of the morning just doing laundry and getting everything ready for our big day on Tuesday. Otis went to Carullas, the grocery store across the street to get a few things. Carullas is Colombia’s answer to Wegmans! They have everything. About 2PM, Betty called and asked us to meet her at Norbertos. We walked over to get Sergianni’s hair done. She had so much fun. They put the children in little cars while they work on their hair, while playing a favorite video (Sergianni watched Barney in Spanish) and giving the kids candy! What’s not to like! It is such a magical place for kids, it looks like a mini Disney World. When they finished with her hair, they put small stickers on her earlobes to make it look like she had earrings, then finished it off with some glitter in her hair. She loved every minute of it! We then went to dinner at Carbon De Palo, a favorite of ours and everyone else’s who comes to Bogota. There was live music, and they came over to our table and sang. Afterwards, we went to Myriam Khami’s café and had cappuccino. The police and helicopters were out in full force this weekend and Monday, as today is the inauguration of Colombia’s President Uribe, a US educated lawyer. Eleven Latin American Presidents and other dignitaries, including representation from the United States, plan to attend the swearing in ceremony. He was inaugurated for a 2nd term, which is unprecedented. They amended the constitution for him to be able to run again. Colombia has been involved in a civil war for over 40 years with FARC, the country’s leftist rebels, and he has had a lot of success in helping to bring peace to this beautiful country.

We will be updating our site with our presentation pictures tomorrow evening.

Saturday, August 5, 2006 12:33 AM CDT

Estamos aqui
We’re here

We finally arrived in Colombia Saturday at 8:30PM, which is 9:30 PM EST. It was a packed flight filled with Colombians returning to Bogota. Otis and I were clearly one of only 3 or 4 people on the flight that were not from Colombia. It was beautiful to see so many people that looked so much like Sergianni. Colombians have beautiful skin and large, expressive dark eyes. As soon as we boarded, many of them started speaking in Spanish to Sergianni, and one woman looked at her and said, “She’s Colombian.” We proudly said, ‘Yes‘! After getting all of our luggage together, we were greeted outside by Jorge Rico, who is always on time! He drove us to Betty’s Place and we were greeted by some of the couples that have been here with their babies..the Gelyons and the Berras, along with a few others who will be leaving on Monday to return home. When we walked into our room, we felt like we never left. Otis made a fire in the fireplace and we unpacked, then fell instantly to sleep. It was a long, but exciting day, knowing what was in store. This morning, Betty arrived very early and we caught up with each other, while Okenis made us breakfast, and a Mickey Mouse waffle for Sergianni. The staff is currently in the kitchen getting dinner ready for us....arroz con pollo, empanadas and platanos. They are the best! Mercedes called us and said we will receive our son on Tuesday morning at 10:30 AM, since Monday is a holiday. We are READY!! We thanked her for him again, and her response was, “Please don’t thank me, you need to thank God.” We have, and we do everyday!

Sergianni has adjusted very well. She has been playing on the slide in the courtyard outside of our room with the other children, and is having fun just running around exploring new territory. She seemed fascinated by the other babies in the house and got a pillow and sat next to them for a long time. We’ll see how she reacts when she gets her brother and she realizes he’s coming home with us !!

Friday, August 4, 2006 9:49 AM CDT

Un dia tarde
One day late

Well--our trip to Bogota has been delayed a bit. We arrived at the Syracuse airport 2 hours before takeoff to make sure we were ready, but the plane had some mechanical problems and did not leave until over 2 hours after it was scheduled. As a result, we had no chance of making our connecting flight. It reminds us of 2 years ago when we went to get Sergianni. The exact same thing happened on the way there. As Yogi Berra would say, “It’s like déjà vu all over again”!! Anyway, when we finally took off, Sergianni fell asleep immediately for almost the entire flight. It must have been all the non-stop running she did for 4 hours while waiting. I was especially happy as the flight was filled with many of our military men, who all looked so incredibly young, patriotic, handsome and very weary!! Most of them slept the entire flight also, so I was happy I didn’t have a 2 year old carrying on and awakening them!! After speaking with Jerri, we went to dinner at the hotel restaurant La Fiesta, and felt right at home. It looked like all the restaurants in Colombia, and everyone spoke Spanish. Our flight on Friday is scheduled to depart Atlanta at 4:15 PM, with an 8:05 arrival time in Bogota. We requested either Jorge Rico, his wife and brother-in-law Carlos (they come as a package)!! or Guillermo with the van. With all 6 bags filled to capacity, along with our stroller, car seat, laptop, video and camera equipment, back packs and a busy toddler, we are quite the sight! In fact, we have now become the people nobody wants sitting next to them on the plane!! At this point, we probably will be receiving our son on Monday. We will keep everyone updated.

Thank you to all of our family and friends who have either called or emailed us and/or sent presents!! We loved all your messages and also appreciate your generosity. To our friends, The Antonios…yes, as a matter of fact, Otis is planning on going to the Colombian Home Depot!! You know how he loves it there. We laughed and laughed when we read your guestbook entry!!! Sam, we learn so much Spanish from you--thanks!!!!

Wednesday, August 2, 2006 6:47 AM CDT

We’re ready!
¡Estamos listos!

Finally, our day to leave for Bogota is almost here. We will arrive on Thursday, August 3rd in the evening, and will be at FANA on Friday. We have shopped and shopped and shopped some more, set up Rafael’s room, applied for and received our visas,which is always the biggest relief, talked to Betty at least 10 times, spoken to Rafa, called FANA and spoke with Elizabeth, Maria Teresa and Mercedes, faxed the acceptance letter of our referral to FANA, finished up last minute business at our jobs (if that is even possible)! downloaded our I600 form and put it in our travel documents, said good bye to all of Sergianni’s counselors at her summer camp, emailed and spoke to Jerri several times and packed the hundreds of bags all of us take to Colombia, stuffed until the zippers almost break, of course!! We are now just 1 day away from the land of empanadas and finally meeting our beautiful son that God has given us. We cannot wait !! We’ll be updating and posting our pictures as soon as having 2 children 2 and under will allow…probably not until late in the evening! This week we asked Sergianni again if she wanted a brother. She said no, she wanted M&M’s. Go figure!!!

Friday, July 21, 2006 3:38 PM CDT

Un chico
A boy

Hi Everyone,

We received our referral of our little boy at the annual Golf Tournament in Buffalo this past weekend. We still can’t believe it! Even though you know your paperwork is in, and
any day could be that special day, it’s still such a shock when you hear your name being called! My heart was beating so fast I could actually feel it! We have named our son Rafael Andres. For those of you that know Betty & Rafa and their family, you will recognize both of these names, as Rafa’s real name is Rafael and their son’s name is Andres. We love both of them dearly! In fact, I had been thinking about Andres as a middle name for a long time and that was the middle name his birth mother gave him. It’s one of the thousands of coincidences that aren’t really coincidences at all when it comes to FANA and the placement of our children. It’s such a special place, and Otis and I are counting the days until we return. We have spoken to Betty several times already and are making all of our plans!! It will be heaven to return and see everyone; we have missed them all so much.

This past week has been a whirlwind of activity. We have applied for our visas and will be leaving on Thursday, August 3rd. We spoke with Elizabeth, the head nurse at FANA, and she said Rafael is doing great...smiles all the time, loves to eat and is sleeping well. He currently weighs 14 lbs. We took one look at him and just knew he was meant to be in our family! As happy as we are to become his parents, we are even happier for Sergianni to have a brother she can love forever. We will keep you posted with updates.

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to Jerri Wegner for everything you have done for us!! We know we wouldn’t be here without you—you’re an amazing woman! Also thank you to my sister Cheryl and brother-in-law Kyle. We could never thank you enough for all the love and support you have given us, and your generosity is beyond compare. You kept a great secret this weekend, and never let on that we would have our baby by the end of the night! It’s been a blast being in FANA together and we love you guys so much! We now have 4 Colombian children between us!!

Friday July 21, 2006

Hi Everyone,
We received our referral of our little boy at the annual Golf Tournament in Buffalo this past weekend. We still can’t believe it! Even though you know your paperwork is in, and any day could be that special day, it’s still such a shock when you hear your name being called! My heart was beating so fast I could actually feel it! We have named our son Rafael Andres. For those of you that know Betty & Rafa and their family, you will recognize both of these names, as Rafa’s real name is Rafael and their son’s name is Andres. In fact, I had been thinking about Andres as a middle name for a long time and that was one of the name’s his birth mother gave him. It’s one of the thousands of coincidences that aren’t really coincidences at all when it comes to FANA and the placement of our children. It’s such a special place, and Otis and I are counting the days until we return. We have spoken to Betty several times already and are making all of our plans!! It will be heaven to return and see everyone; we have missed them all so much.

This past week has been a whirlwind of activity. We have applied for our visas and will be leaving on Thursday, August 3rd. We spoke with Elizabeth, the head nurse at FANA, and she said Rafael is doing great...smiles all the time, loves to eat and is sleeping well. He currently weighs 14 lbs. We took one look at him and just knew he was meant to be in our family! As happy as we are to become his parents, we are even happier for Sergianni to have a brother she can love forever. We will keep you posted with updates.

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to my sister Cheryl and brother-in-law Kyle. We could never thank you enough for all the love and support you have given us, and your generosity is beyond compare. You kept a great secret this weekend, and never let on that we would have our baby by the end of the weekend! It’s been a blast being in FANA together and we love you guys so much! We now have 4 Colombian children between us!!

Friday, December 30, 2005 11:26 PM CST

Feliz Navidad
Merry Christmas

Hi All,
Yes, we know—it HAS been several months since we’ve updated our site!! It just seems like the days are getting busier and busier with a toddler! Add to that moving into a new house, hosting Thanksgiving and having Christmas get togethers, and we’re pretty wiped out by the end of the day! Sergianni just turned 21 months, so our little baby isn’t so little anymore. She is a full fledged, enthusiastic toddler with running and sprinting skills that continue to improve with each passing day! Our days are spent trying to keep up with all the energy she has packed in that little body! She is growing by leaps and bounds. Shoes that fit just a few weeks ago seem to be tight, and her pant legs all of a sudden got a lot shorter too! She loves looking at her books, and her vocabulary and mimicking skills are also in full swing. She is learning many new words in both Spanish and English and understands directions in both languages as well. Some of her favorite words are: Mommy, Daddy, Nana, Papa, tita (short for galletita, which is cookie in Spanish) ducha (shower in Spanish), agua, Elmo, car, truck, la luna, juice, binky, socks, ojos (eyes in Spanish), sky and last, but certainly not least---that wonderful, all around word--- NO!!!! I try to coax her into saying si, but she just doesn’t seem to enjoy it as much as saying NO! We’ve had a wonderful Christmas holiday. Sergianni just loves all the lights on our tree, and also all the lights we see as we drive around at night. The wonderment of a child is priceless. We also have been able to spend a lot of time with Sergianni’s cousins, who just fawn over her. Of course they all battle for the same toy too. In fact, there can be hundreds of toys all over the room, and no one EVER wants a toy that isn’t being played with!! NO—they must all reach for the only toy someone has in their hands. Naturally, the minute it is put down, no one is interested in it anymore!!! We have had more laughs watching all of this take place! Next week Sergianni will begin going to JCC (the Jewish Community Center) toddler program 2 days per week. They have a wonderful little pre-school for kids 18 months-5 years of age. We feel Sergianni is completely ready to be there and look forward to her beginning on January 5th. I will drop her off on my way to work, and then RUN to pick her up at the end of the day!!! Otis’ mother will continue to watch her the other 3 days.

We hope all of you have been able to spend time with those you love this Christmas season. We wish each of you a very happy new year, and look forward to seeing our FANA family in the coming months!

Cariños,
Debbie Otis and Sergianni

Friday, December 30, 2005 11:05 PM CST

Feliz Navidad
Merry Christmas

Hi All,
Yes, we know—it HAS been several months since we’ve updated our site!! It just seems like the days are getting busier and busier with a toddler! Sergianni just turned 21 months, so our little baby isn’t so little anymore. She is a full fledged, enthusiastic toddler with running and sprinting skills that continue to improve with each passing day! Our days are spent trying to keep up with all the energy she has packed in that little body! She is growing by leaps and bounds. Shoes that fit just a few weeks ago seem to be tight, and her pant legs all of a sudden got a lot shorter too! She loves looking at her books, and her vocabulary and mimicking skills are also in full swing. She is learning many new words in both Spanish and English and understands directions in both languages as well. Some of her favorite words are: Mommy, Daddy, Nana, Papa, tita (short for galletita, which is cookie in Spanish) ducha (shower in Spanish), agua, Elmo, car, truck, la luna, juice, binky, socks, ojos (eyes in Spanish), sky and last, but certainly not least---that wonderful, all around word--- NO!!!! I try to coax her into saying si, but she just doesn’t seem to enjoy it as much as saying NO! We’ve had a wonderful Christmas holiday. Sergianni just loves all the lights on our tree, and also all the lights we see as we drive around at night. The wonderment of a child is priceless. We also have been able to spend a lot of time with Sergianni’s cousins, who just fawn over her. Of course they all battle for the same toy too. In fact, there can be hundreds of toys all over the room, and no one EVER wants a toy that isn’t being played with!! NO—they must all reach for the only toy someone has in their hands. Naturally, the minute it is put down, no one is interested in it anymore!!! We have had more laughs watching all of this take place! Next week Sergianni will begin going to JCC (the Jewish Community Center) toddler program 2 days per week. They have a wonderful little pre-school for kids 18 months-5 years of age. We feel Sergianni is completely ready to be there and look forward to her beginning on January 5th. I will drop her off on my way to work, and then RUN to pick her up at the end of the day!!! Otis’ mother will continue to watch her the other 3 days.

We hope all of you have been able to spend time with those you love this Christmas season. We wish each of you a very happy new year, and look forward to seeing our FANA family in the coming months!

Cariños,
Debbie Otis and Sergianni

Saturday, August 13, 2005 8:37 PM CDT

At the Beach
A la Playa

Hi Everyone,
Well, we have just returned from our yearly family vacation at the Jersey Shore!! We were there with my parents, sister, brothers, all the kids and 2 families who are very close friends of ours. Just about every age group was represented! We have been going to Wildwood Crest, NJ since we were kids, so as soon as we arrive, we feel as though we are at our 2nd home. The weather was very hot and sunny, just like it has been the entire summer. We had a great time going to the beach, swimming in our pool, shopping and going out to eat in Cape May and riding our bikes on the bike path next to the ocean. One of our favorite traditional activities is to go to Raging Waters waterpark on the boardwalk, and spend hours splashing around on the waterslides and hanging out on the Lazy River. There is a fantastic children's section that Sergianni and her cousins just couldn't get enough of. She has taken to water like a fish. Our family is very aquatic, so she is used to being in and around pools, lakes and oceans. After 10 days of non-stop beach activities, it was sad to leave the beautiful shore that we know so well, not to mention all the fun boardwalk food like cheese fries, pizza and ice cream! It was back to salad, fruits and vegetables today..ugh!!! Next weekend my brother's baby is getting baptized, so Sergianni will be together again with all of her cousins. We plan on swimming afterwards and taking the kids for ice cream. We have had such a wonderful summer and hope all of you have found time to do the same. We will be completely moved into our house on August 31st, so we are quite busy with packing and trying to keep things somewhat in order!! Packing with a 1 year old has been challenging--I pack, she unpacks, I repack, she unpacks it again! Hey--and what's wrong with that?!!
Hasta Luego and see everyone soon!

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 7:04 AM CDT

Happy 4th of July
Feliz dia de la Independencia

Hi Everyone,
Wow!! Summer has definitely arrived. We just returned from our Caribbean vacation in St. Lucia Saturday night. We had a blast. The weather was just as we love it..hot, sunny and steamy! Sergianni was in her glory, as she was able to go in the pool and play in the sand all day long. It was hard to leave such a beautiful island. Yesterday we met everyone in our family for a 4th of July picnic and more swimming. We also celebrated 2 of our nieces’ birthdays and my parents’ July 4th anniversary. We are looking forward to seeing our FANA family in a couple of weeks at the Golf Tournament. We’re sure everyone has been busy, like us, preparing for this great fund raising weekend. At the end of July we will be going on our annual Jersey Shore vacation with all of our family and very close friends. We’ve been going since we were kids, and now we bring our own. With 7 children under the age of 9, we are quite BUSY!

Sergianni is now a full fledged walker. She also happens to LOVE the stairs, and I do mean ALL stairs!! We’ll be moving in August to another house in Syracuse, and the 1st thing we must do is buy more safety gates! She has also gotten a few more teeth the past couple of months, and suddenly looks so much older to us.

We hope all of you are having an enjoyable summer. See you soon!!

Saturday, April 9, 2005

Happy Birthday Sergianni
Feliz Cumpleaños Sergianni

Hi Everyone,
We have had another really busy and exciting month. Sergianni celebrated her 1st birthday on March 26 with all of her family. It’s hard to believe our little girl from FANA has reached this milestone. She has grown quite fast, especially this past month. Her top 2 front teeth are coming in, and she is almost ready to walk by herself. She stands alone for several seconds, then tries to take a few independent steps. Since this doesn't get her to her destination fast enough, she drops to her knees, and proceeds to walk on them. It is hilarious to watch. She is extremely curious and busy, and loves to dance, pull cupboards apart, put anything and everything in her mouth, play with cell phones & remote controls and press our computer button OFF! She has also almost completely transitioned to table food. I have a few jars of baby food left which I give her once in awhile. Other than that, she eats everything we do, with her favorites being mandarin oranges, mangoes, papaya, pineapple and guava. She’s a tropical girl at heart. We had her party on Easter Sunday at my parents’ house, with all of her little cousins looking on, watching her every move. They dote on her from the minute they see her until the time they leave. She has many handmaidens! The following weekend we traveled to NYC to celebrate Danny Flynn’s birthday, and also to see Betty. The Flynns received Danny the same day we received Sergianni. They had a large party for him, complete with 2 Colombian bands, (one made up of children) empanadas, salsas, pollo, ensalada, flan and other various ‘postres’. In addition, they ordered Colombian bracelets for each of the children, lovingly made by Jorge Rico, and brought over by Betty. The entire room was recreated to make you feel as though you were in Bogota, including a TV with the Colombian soccer team playing. Many of the children also were wearing the famous yellow soccer uniforms that Jorge stores in his trunk. QUE FIESTA!!! It was an amazing celebration, a true moment in time, and we feel so fortunate to share this special bond with the Flynns. To top it off, Betty arrived to surprise her daughter on her 30th birthday. After Danny’s party, we went to Sammy’s Romanian to celebrate Natalia’s special day. If anyone reading this is familiar with Sammys, (near the corner of Chrystie and Delancy) you’ll know what a riot we had. It’s like the best Jewish wedding you could ever attend, complete with egg creams! It was a loud, music filled affair with non-stop dancing, singing and laughing. We were all completely exhausted the next day. It was wonderful, as usual, to be with Betty and her children, Natalia and Andres.
As for the rest of the news, Otis received the nomination to run for President of the Common Council this week, so he will begin fund raising and campaigning very soon. Needless to say, this is a very busy household!
Thank you to all our family and friends who have asked us, once again, to update our site. How sweet of all of you to show such an interest. We look forward to seeing all of our FANA family soon.

Saturday, February 12, 2005 10:31 PM CST

Feliz Dia del Corazon
Happy Valentine’s Day

Hi Everyone,
It’s been a very busy couple of months, between traveling to NY for Thanksgiving, and celebrating our first Christmas and New Year with Sergianni and our family. It was WONDERFUL. Presents, children, noise, music, chaos and food everywhere you looked! Sergianni has grown so much since December. Her hair has grown in significantly, she has another tooth and she has gotten even taller. She is now crawling at warped speed, and likes nothing more than to pull apart every room she enters. I believe her favorite room is the kitchen, where she enjoys taking out all the pots and pans & Tupperware out of every cupboard, then climbing in. I finally got around to rearranging the lower cupboards so she can have free reign. She also looks like she is about to walk very soon. She not only walks all over the house holding on to people and furniture, but likes to test herself to see how long she can stand up on her own without falling. She has a walker that she received as a Christmas present, and she walks so fast while using it, she usually ends up falling. I can see she is becoming more confident, and definitely more daring! Although she still eats baby food and munches on biter biscuits, she has also entered the wonderful world of adult food. Cheerios, soft, cut-up vegetables, chicken and soft fruit are staples now. She loves sweet mandarin oranges, and will devour as many as you give her, so we’ve got to control the portion. (Darn~~portion control rears its head even at this age)!! She continues to nap 2 times each day. Her morning nap occurs about 2 hours after she has awakened, and the afternoon nap is usually between 3 and 4:30 PM. One nap is for at least an hour, with the one about 2 hours. Her first real illness occurred over the holiday. She had croup, and our pediatrician had us take her immediately to the emergency room for breathing treatments. It was frightening, but after staying there for about 4 hours while she received her treatments, we could see her improvement, and she was released to go home. She absolutely hated having the mask put over her mouth and nose, and protested loudly and consistently with LOUD crying for the full 5 minutes. She didn’t seem to mind the oxygen tube that was held under her nose or the medication too much…just the mask. We had to see her Dr. the next day for a follow up. It took her about 2 weeks to completely get over it, but the severe croup cough began to get better with each passing day, with improvements seen hourly.

Our days with our new daughter have literally flown by. She has grown up so fast. We are so fortunate to have Otis’ mother watch her while we are at work, with my mother providing back up. Sergianni is surrounded by her grandparents (Abuelitos), Aunts &Uncles (Tios and Tias) & cousins and friends (primas and amigos) that simply adore her. She is extremely social, loves to laugh and babbles all day long. The next really exciting event coming up is our return trip to our beloved Colombia on February 19th. We are going to Cartagena with Betty and Rafa for the week. We have all been planning this trip for a couple of months now. We’ll first fly into Bogotá, and stay at Betty’s Place for the weekend, then fly to Cartagena and return to Bogotá for 2 days before heading home. Betty has already emailed and called with our itinerary. It is completely full with trips to the spa, Norberto’s, Rafa’s mother’s Dona Carmen’s house with all the Castillos, Jacques, dinner out and friends over. (I’ve already put our order in for empanadas and ajiaco)! I only know that we will get by on very little sleep for 10 days..just as we did when we went to get Sergianni.

We hope all is well with everyone, and will update our site when we return from Colombia. We look forward to seeing all of our FANA friends at the annual meeting in March.

Saturday, February 12, 2005 10:31 PM CST

Wednesday, December 8, 2004 8:40 PM CST

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano Nuevo
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

As you can see from the picture above, our sweet Colombian hasn’t stopped growing!! This picture was taken at 8 months of age. All is well here. Sergianni has brought our family so much happiness. She is so fun and playful & loves to eat! We haven’t come across any baby food yet that she hasn’t devoured. We traveled to New York City for Thanksgiving to be with Otis’ family. I don’t think she was put down for more than a few minutes the entire weekend. She was passed from one family member to the next, and loved every minute of it. Each passing day her bedtime got later and later. As you can imagine, she protested on Monday when things were back to normal. She also didn’t want to sit and play with her toys by herself like she usually does! She was climbing all over us to pick her up! She got back into the swing of things after a couple of days, and she is now napping again at least twice a day for her usual hour to hour and a half. Bedtime is generally between 9 and 9:30, and she sleeps through the night until about 8:30 AM. She currently has one little tooth, and what looks like one more on the way any day now. She is getting good at crawling, although she doesn’t seem to be too interested in it, other than to retrieve an object. She would much rather pull herself up and stand either against the furniture or a person. She has definitely found her voice, and will let you know when she wants your attention. She grunted so much the other day; she ended up with a really hoarse voice. She’s just like me. I lose my voice very quickly! Her favorite activity though by far is jumping. She will literally jump up and down for 15 or 20 minutes non-stop while in her exersaucer, or while holding on to her. By the look on her face, she seems so pleased with herself. Her other favorite activity is bath time. She loves splashing around and biting every rubber ducky within arms’ reach. Sergianni also loves her car seat and traveling. It doesn’t take her long to fall asleep once the car starts moving. I take her to the stores a lot now to check out all the Christmas lights and they mesmerize her. This week we had our first significant snowfall, and she couldn’t stop staring up at the sky. I have also taken her to my Spanish class a couple of times, which I believe she finds ‘muy interesante’! Of course..it’s her “idioma nativo”~~her native language!! This holiday season we will be home spending time with our family. She loves being around all of her cousins, which by the way, there are 6 girls, of which she is the youngest. We don’t have any boys in that generation yet. Looks like another trip to Colombia is in our future to possibly change that!

Wednesday, October 6, 2004 10:36 PM CDT

Three Months Since Colombia
Tres Meses Desde Colombia

WOW---We cannot believe we have been home from our beloved Colombia for 3 months. Where has the time gone? Each day has been an adventure watching Sergianni grow, and grow and grow! We took her to the doctor last month (she was 5 ½ months at that visit) and she was 30 inches tall and weighed 19 pounds…the size of a 1-year-old! She is now eating rice cereal for breakfast, and baby food vegetables, in addition to her formula. As tall as she is, she looks absolutely lost in her high chair. She gets so excited when she hears the microwave and the sound of us preparing her bottle. She knows it’s time to eat. We feel so incredibly fortunate that God chose her for us. She is easygoing, social and loves to be around our family and friends. Since we both come from large families, she is used to being held by a lot of people and seems unfazed by it. She continues to sleep through the night, and still takes 3 or 4 naps during the day of at least an hour apiece. The rest of the day is spent playing, going for long walks, shopping, running errands and changing outfits. We’ve had a wonderful summer. In July we went to the 15th annual FANA Golf Tournament fundraiser in Buffalo, where our group raised over $200, 000 for the orphanage in Bogota. In August, we went on our yearly family vacation to the Jersey Shore, and last week Otis and I went to Montreal with her. She’s a great traveler. One of the highlights of our summer was meeting up with Betty and Rafa in New York City! We had a blast. We went to the Flynn’s home for brunch, and Betty and Rafa’s 2 children were also there with us. We didn’t want the day to end. After exchanging presents, kisses and hugs, we discussed our plans to go to Cartagena with them, hopefully in February. As always, it was so hard to say good bye. Otis has fallen in love with Colombia and its people, just like I did, and always talks about how he cannot wait to return to see everybody, and work at FANA . As you can see, our hearts never left.
I have been on leave from work since the middle of June and will be returning on October 12th. Although it will be very difficult to leave Sergianni, Otis’ mother will be watching her for us, which is a great feeling. Next weekend we’ll be going to Buffalo for the FANA Halloween party. It’s always so much fun seeing everyone, and the kids have a great time together. The following weekend we will return to NY to visit Otis’ family.

Much love to all of you who have shown such an interest in this website. It is for you that I have updated our journal entry and added new photos. Thank you!!

Monday, July 12, 2004 9:10 PM CDT

Hemos Vuelto
We’ve Returned

Saturday morning we awakened at 4:00 AM to finish packing, as Jorge Rico, Jorge Diaz & Wilfred would be picking us up at 5:30. Due to our surprise party that kept going the night before, we never finished. My friend Peter came over at 5:15 to hang out for the last time for awhile, and to say goodbye. It was very difficult to stay focused, as I knew it was hasta luego for a long time. We arrived at the airport at 6:30, and true to form, Jorge Rico kicked into high gear, showing us which line we belonged in, getting us our departure tax exemption for Sergianni and the like. He is like no other. As we were in line to purchase Sergianni’s ticket, he took her and held her to make it easier for us. That man is as good as gold. The El Dorado airport in Bogota is very busy at all times of the day. When they say get to the airport 3 hours before scheduled takeoff time, they mean it. After we completed all of our transactions, they walked us to the exit gate and we said goodbye. It was extremely emotional. My heart couldn’t take it anymore, especially after our Colombian send off last night!! I cried a good portion of the way home everytime I thought about leaving Sergianni’s birthplace, and all the beautiful people that we love, especially my buddy’s, Betty and Rafa. Fortunately, the day was uneventful; our flights were on time and Sergianni slept most of the way. We arrived home at 10:30 PM as scheduled, to many family members and friends. A VERY special thank you to all those who were there to welcome us home. It was so late, and we really appreciate that you came. We even had a FANA Dad from Australia who is attending the golf tournament in Buffalo this coming weekend. He’s staying with one of the FANA families in Syracuse and came to the airport. How’s that for a welcome from Down Under? The first 2 people to run to us were our nieces from Colombia, Natalie and Mariah !!! They were so beautiful and we missed them so much. By the time we got our luggage and finished talking to everyone, we got home about 12:30AM. The following day, everyone in my family got together to celebrate. It feels so good to be with our family again, we are very close…but I must admit, we’re feeling a little blue for Bogota and somewhat out of sorts. We’ve been on a month long vacation with endless pampering! Betty called Sunday morning to see that we arrived home safely. Thank you, Betty…you are loved and missed more than you know!! I miss your daily phone calls to make our plans for the day!! I’ve asked Otis to please purchase a bell and ring it for me at dinnertime so I don’t feel so far away. So far, no bell. On a good note, I have finally surfaced from the laundry room!

To Sergianni—We are happy beyond words to have you here with us. We look at you and cannot believe our good fortune that you are our daughter! We feel like teenagers again, walking around the house just staring at you.

So many people have asked us where we came up with her name…For the record, it was the name of one of my former students whom I taught (and loved) when I was teaching children with learning disabilities in NY several years ago. My students were all from Haiti, and I was used to hearing all kinds of different names. When I heard the name Sergianni, I remember thinking at that moment, that if I ever had a daughter, that would be her name. To be honest, I have never thought about another name, nor have I ever looked through books for baby names. Many interests come and go throughout the years, but my love for that name never faltered.

So Colombia, until we meet again…YOU WILL LIVE IN OUR HEARTS XXOO

Saturday, July 10, 2004 0:09 AM CDT

Una Carta de Gracias
A Letter of Thanks

Well, we cannot believe this is our last night in Colombia. We ended our trip here by taking 13 of FANA’s older kids to see Spiderman today. We were supposed to see Shrek 2, but FANA changed it to Spiderman due to scheduling purposes. The kids had so much fun munching on popcorn and chocolate and so did we. It was heart wrenching to say good bye. They’re so appreciative of anything and everything!!

Otis and I have so much to be thankful for, and we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all you who have helped us throughout this process.

First, and foremost, we’d like to thank God for choosing Sergianni for us. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be her parents. We will raise her to believe in you and put you first in her life.

Mercedes de Martinez—Mercedes is the Foundress of FANA. She has totally dedicated her life to saving the orphans of Colombia, and has found homes for more than 12,500 children. Whenever she is thanked for choosing a child so perfectly for a family, she takes no credit at all. Her answer is always the same, “Es la mano del Dios” …It’s the hand of God. Thank you Mercedes for your faith and dedication, and for accepting us as adoptive parents. We are eternally grateful.

Jerri Wegner—Director extraordinaire of FANA in Western, NY. Jerri, we are so fortunate to be a part of your group. Thank you for all the encouraging phone calls and emails. We are fully aware that if it weren’t for you, we would NOT BE HERE TODAY. You are loved and respected!!!!

Betty and Rafa—Where do I begin? How were we ever so fortunate to meet you? We can never adequately thank you for all the love you’ve shown us during our stay in Bogota. You are more than close friends, you are our family. Thank you for including us in your family parties and the special love you’ve shown us and Sergianni. We will be counting the days until we meet again this summer in NY. You are loved more than you’ll ever know! Saying goodbye to you again is an impossible task. WE LOVE YOU POR SIEMPRE!!!

Niccy, Okenis and Alicia—We can never thank you enough for taking such good care of us. We are leaving your country totally spoiled….the food, the service, the care! We trust each of you implicitly. You will live in our hearts forever.

Our Drivers—WOW!! You never cease to amaze us with your loyalty, punctuality, love of a good time and love for your country & your people. Thank you for sharing it with us. You will never be forgotten.

Our Translator, Annette—Our wonderful, sweet Annette. You speak so many languages, so beautifully. We loved spending time with you and had so many laughs. Thank you for all the translations, direction and Spanish lessons. We won’t forget our lunch date with you either. It’s hard to say good bye…we love you.

Maggie, Katie, Clarissa and Sarah—AKA The Spice Girls. You’ve enriched our lives. Thank you for all the attention and love you gave Sergianni. She loves you. We’ll miss our days spent laughing and shopping with you, and our nights hanging out at the dinner table. We’ll never forget you !!

Our Parents, Brothers, Sister, Brother-In-Law and Sister-In-Laws—Thank you for your unending love and support in our lives. We love you more than words can say. It’s truly impossible to thank you for everything you’ve done for us. Thank you also for loving and accepting Sergianni, Mariah and Natalie just like the rest of your grandchildren and nieces. They are the most fortunate children in the world to have all of you, and so are we!!

Our Friends—So often the type of excitement and loyalty you have shown toward a new baby is seen only by family members. We thank you for supporting us and are blessed to call you our friends. We love each and every one of you in a very special way.

My Spanish Teacher, Cecilia—Oh Cecilia, muchas gracias!!! You know how much I love you, don’t you? Thank you for everything you have taught me throughout the past 2 ½ years I have been in your class. Because of you, I am able to communicate, shop, email and get myself in and out of trouble en espanol. I hope to make you proud of me when I return. I do NOT want to wear the dunce cap!! Te quiero mucho por siempre!!!

Sergianni—El amor de nuestra vida..the love of our life. You are loved beyond words. We promise to be there for you everyday of your life, and make sure you keep your beautiful Colombian heritage alive!! We are totally dedicated to you.

Well, I started this journal early this evening, and nearly finished it 4 hours ago. I was so happy because I had so much to do tonight to get ready to leave…but, at about 7:30 PM, Betty stopped by our room and asked us to come out for a minute, as Rafa stopped by to say good bye. Betty and I had already had a good cry a few minutes before. What happened next was the shock of our lives!! We walked into the living room to find a Colombian band that Rafa and Betty had hired to serenade us goodbye. It was like the TV show, This Is Your Life. One by one, all of our friends marched into the room to the music….Jorge Rico and his wife, Jorge Diaz and Wilfred, another substitute driver, Juan Manuel, Peter, Betty, Rafa, our attorney Dr. Polo and his daughter Daniela, Niccy, Okenis, Alicia and the rest of the people in the house that we have grown to love. They had planned this and kept it a secret. We were totally surprised. In fact, as we sat down on the couch, Otis and I were totally speechless at the same time for the 1st time in our lives. It turned into a HUGE 3 hour fiesta of Colombian music, dancing, laughing and crying. This band rocked!! I think the last time I cried this hard was the last time I was here and had to say goodbye.

Colombia—We love you!!!

Friday, July 9, 2004 11:20 PM CDT

Una Carta de Gracias
A Letter of Thanks

Well, we cannot believe this is our last night in Colombia. We ended our trip here by taking 13 of FANA’s older kids to see Spiderman today. We were supposed to see Shrek 2, but FANA changed it to Spiderman due to scheduling purposes. The kids had so much fun munching on popcorn and chocolate and so did we. It was heart wrenching to say good bye. They’re so appreciative of anything and everything!!

Otis and I have so much to be thankful for, and we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all you who have helped us throughout this process.

First, and foremost, we’d like to thank God for choosing Sergianni for us. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be her parents. We will raise her to believe in you and put you first in her life.

Mercedes de Martinez—Mercedes is the Foundress of FANA. She has totally dedicated her life to saving the orphans of Colombia, and has found homes for more than 12,500 children. Whenever she is thanked for choosing a child so perfectly for a family, she takes no credit at all. Her answer is always the same, “Es la mano del Dios” …It’s the hand of God. Thank you Mercedes for your faith and dedication, and for accepting us as adoptive parents. We are eternally grateful.

Jerri Wegner—Director extraordinaire of FANA in Western, NY. Jerri, we are so fortunate to be a part of your group. Thank you for all the encouraging phone calls and emails. We are fully aware that if it weren’t for you, we would NOT BE HERE TODAY. You are loved and respected!!!!

Betty and Rafa—Where do I begin? How were we ever so fortunate to meet you? We can never adequately thank you for all the love you’ve shown us during our stay in Bogota. You are more than close friends, you are our family. Thank you for including us in your family parties and the special love you’ve shown us and Sergianni. We will be counting the days until we meet again this summer in NY. You are loved more than you’ll ever know! Saying goodbye to you again is an impossible task.

Niccy, Okenis and Alicia—We can never thank you enough for taking such good care of us. We are leaving your country totally spoiled….the food, the service, the care! We trust each of you implicitly. You will live in our hearts forever.

Our Drivers—WOW!! You never cease to amaze us with your loyalty, punctuality, love of a good time and love for your country & your people. Thank you for sharing it with us. You will never be forgotten.

Our Parents, Brothers, Sister, Brother-In-Law and Sister-In-Laws—Thank you for your unending love and support in our lives. We love you more than words can say. It’s truly impossible to thank you for everything you’ve done for us. Thank you also for loving and accepting Sergianni, Mariah and Natalie just like the rest of your grandchildren and nieces. They are the most fortunate children in the world to have all of you, and so are we!!

Our Friends—So often the type of excitement and loyalty you have shown toward a new baby is seen only by family members. We thank you for supporting us and are blessed to call you our friends. We love each and every one of you in a very special way.

My Spanish Teacher, Cecilia—Oh Cecilia, muchas gracias!!! You know how much I love you, don’t you? Thank you for everything you have taught me throughout the past 2 ½ years I have been in your class. Because of you, I am able to communicate shop, email and get myself in and out of trouble en espanol. I hope to make you proud of me when I return. I do NOT want to wear the dunce cap!! Te quiero mucho por siempre!!!

Sergianni—El amor de nuestra vida..the love of our life. You are loved beyond words. We promise to be there for you everyday of your life, and make sure you keep your beautiful Colombian heritage alive!! We are totally dedicated to you.

Well, I started this journal early this evening, and nearly finished it 4 hours ago. I was so happy because I had so much to do tonight to get ready to leave…but, at about 7:30 PM, Betty stopped by our room and asked us to come out for a minute, as Rafa stopped by to say good bye. Betty and I had already had a good cry a few minutes before. What happened next was the shock of our lives!! We walked into the living room to find a Colombian band that Rafa and Betty had hired to serenade us goodbye. It was like the TV show, This Is Your Life. One by one, all of our friends marched into the room to the music….Jorge Rico and his wife, Jorge Diaz and Wilfred, another substitute driver, Juan Manuel, Peter, Betty, Rafa, our attorney Dr. Polo and his daughter Daniela, Niccy, Okenis, Alicia and the rest of the people in the house that we have grown to love. They had planned this and kept it a secret. We were totally surprised. In fact, as we sat down on the couch, Otis and I were totally speechless at the same time for the 1st time in our lives. It turned into a HUGE 3 hour fiesta of Colombian music, dancing, laughing and crying. This band rocked!! I think the last time I cried this hard was the last time I was here and had to say goodbye.

Colombia—We love you!!!

Friday, July 9, 2004 0:10 AM CDT

Ayer, Anoche y Hoy
Yesterday, Last Night and Today

Yesterday morning, Annette picked us up and took us to the US Embassy to apply for Sergianni’s visa. We arrived very early as it gets busy quickly. All went well, and Otis returned to pick it up later in the afternoon. I came home and fell asleep for 3 hours! Otis and I have been on such a whirlwind vacation from early in the morning until late at night, running here and there every single day for the past month, that it finally caught up with me. When I awakened, Betty and I got ready to take our teenagers out to dinner at Crepes and Waffles. We refer to them as The Spice Girls, as there are 4 of them, and we think the name fits them perfectly. While we were at dinner with the girls, Otis took the drivers, Niccy, Okenis and Alicia out to dinner at Carbon De Palo. As you may have seen from yesterday’s pictures, Otis had them all dancing by the end of the night.

Today, our teenagers asked Betty and I if we would take them shopping for prom dresses, since clothes are generally less expensive in Colombia. Three of the girls purchased a dress for their prom next year. Afterwards, they went to Norbertos to have their hair cut and highlighted, and of course, to be entertained! While they were there, they ran into Otis, and they all walked home together.

Tonight, my friend Peter picked us up and we went to his house for dinner. His wife and children are as sweet as he is. Peter has a room dedicated to all forms of martial arts. Otis was fascinated by his skill level and commitment to aikido. We always have so much fun together, and tonight was no different. We hated to leave, but we needed to get back at a reasonable time for Alicia, our babysitter.

Sergianni is wonderful. She continues to sleep through the night, and is such a happy baby. It seems hard to believe that we’ve been here for 3 ½ weeks. It has gone by so fast! Too fast! Tomorrow is our last day in Colombia, and I feel sad tonight. Saying good bye is never easy. As always, we have a full day planned for tomorrow. We are taking 15 of the older kids from FANA to see Shrek 2. It’s going to be great!!

Good night…..

Friday, July 9, 2004 0:03 AM CDT

Wednesday, July 7, 2004 10:42 PM CDT

Las Mujeres de la Casa
The Women of the House

This journal entry is lovingly dedicated to the women who work at Betty’s Place, day in and day out, and who take such good care of us and our babies.

Okenis-- Don’t you just love her name? Well, I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this special woman. I met Okenis 4 years ago, and she is as sweet and beautiful today as she was then. She was born in Cartagena, Colombia, but has lived in Bogota, and worked at Betty’s Place for several years now. People born in Cartagena are called Costanos (from the coast), and they are considered to be the best cooks in Colombia. I can attest to that! Okenis is a master in the kitchen. Rafa says NO ONE cooks arroz con pollo like Okenis. Although famous and loved for her mile high pancakes, empanadas, desserts and other specialties, I love her heart the most, and the person that she is. She appreciates everything, and any gift she is given always ends with a hug and lots of tears.

Niccy-- I met Niccy a couple of years ago when I came to Bogota for the second time. At that time, she didn’t speak any English. She recently spent time in the US, and to my surprise, greeted me at the door speaking English! She has become fluent. Niccy is also from Cartagena, so she is masterful in the kitchen as well. She makes a passion fruit dessert that my sister is still raving about to this day. I don’t know how she does it, it’s magnificent! Did I mention her Chinese rice? It’s better than any Chinese restaurant I’ve ever been to…and I can’t forget her arepas con queso, Mickey Mouse pancakes for the kids, various salsas, empanadas and fish. The list keeps going!! An amazing woman!!

In addition to cooking our meals, cleaning our rooms, answering calls, taking our messages and keeping everything in order, Okenis and Niccy always have 2 large containers filled with cooled water that has been filtered and boiled, ready for us to use to fill our baby bottles. They also fold our laundry if they see it in the dryer, and ring a bell to let us know when dinner is ready. Boy, am I in for a rude awakening when I get home!!

Alicia---babysitter, baby nurse, woman extraordinaire. I can honestly say I have never met anyone like her. Alicia is the woman we call when we need a babysitter, day or night, which around here, is daily! She is the epitome of “Service with a Smile.” Alicia ADORES our babies, and they equally adore her. I have seen her interact with them on so many occasions, and she never tires of speaking and playing with the children, no matter what their age. She is the woman you want to have in your child’s life on a regular basis. Colic just doesn’t exist when she is around. Whether it’s watching one or several, all the children are fed, played with and rocked gently to sleep. She has one son who is 14 years old. A sweeter, more mature, handsome and well mannered child you will never find!! He’s a great student, and wants to be a doctor.

Okenis, Niccy and Alicia--We love you with all our hearts and are in awe of all your talents. Thank you for all you’ve done for us!!!

Tuesday, July 6, 2004 10:49 PM CDT

Los Pasados Dos Dias
The Past Two Days

Hi Everyone,
We hope all of you had a great holiday weekend. All is well here. Yesterday, we spent time with the new family of 7, helping them get acquainted with Betty’s Place and Bogota. The 5 children were so excited to be here, they were running around in the courtyard, hugging and kissing us and jumping up and down on the beds etc… At one point, we all just smiled at each other and realized we had lost control. They’re having so much fun, and so are we!

In the afternoon, Jorge Rico and Otis took 10 children out to lunch at Archie’s, a pizza place in Bogota, near our residence. Jorge knows these particular children from working with them on the street; trying to teach them English, encouraging them to go to school, and just generally helping them in any way he can. After lunch, Otis took the kids in the children’s play area at the restaurant so they could show off their dance moves. He videotaped them, and one was better than the next!! They were just amazing! Additionally, Jorge and Otis spoke with them about school and reviewed their report cards. All the kids said they will study hard and try to make something out of their life. With a person like Jorge Rico giving regular attention to these kids, the chances of some of them making it is pretty good. They have such difficult lives.

Last night, my friend Peter Hernandez came over with his wife and 2 children to visit, and to make plans for Otis and I to get together with them. My sister and I met Peter 4 years ago when he came to Betty’s Place to give us salsa lessons, and we have remained good friends ever since. He is also a personal trainer and teaches aikido (He’s a 3rd degree black belt). Otis is going to his aikido class Thursday night, and then we’re going to his house for dinner. The Colombians are so giving and warm. The first thing they always say is, “Mi casa es su casa.”….My house is your house…and they mean it.

Today we got Sergianni’s passport and took her to the Doctor so she could receive medical clearance to leave the country. Her Pediatrician did his residency in New Orleans, and was reminiscing with us about how much he loves the US. Tomorrow we’re going to the US Embassy to apply for her visa.

We confirmed our return flights today. We’ll be arriving in Syracuse on Saturday night, July 10th at 10:25 PM (Delta).

Hasta Manana…..Until tomorrow

Sunday, July 4, 2004 11:24 PM CDT

4 de julio—Feliz Dia de la Independencia !
Happy 4th of July!

We’d first like congratulate my brother Jack who got married yesterday to his fiancée, Roseann. We love you both, and our hearts were with you. Also, Happy Anniversary to my parents who were married on the 4th of July, 47 years ago, and a Happy 4th of July birthday to our niece, Mariah. We love you!!

This morning we met a friend of Betty and Rafas for brunch at a great little restaurant called Bagatelle. Betty walked in with her stars and stripes scarf, red sweater and blue pants. She looked at me and said, “So much for keeping a low profile”! We laughed because she tells everyone to keep low profiles while they’re here, and don’t do anything that screams American. Oh well, you can take the girl out of Brooklyn, but you can’t take Brooklyn out of the girl! We stayed for awhile, and then headed back home to begin preparing the house for our 4th of July picnic. Betty wouldn’t miss this day to celebrate. We decorated the house in red, white and blue streamers and American flags, and ate on USA emblazoned plates. We had a traditional cookout with hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken, potato chips and potato salad. Otis also bought shrimp, and did all the cooking too. We had an assortment of desserts, along with red, white and blue Hershey’s kisses, and our background music was Motown. Everyone wore something American. Betty gave Otis a shirt from the US Embassy, and for me, a knit vest with our flag on the front. Sergianni wore her stars and stripes onesie. We were all pretty tired by the end of the day, but couldn’t go to bed, as we had recently found out that an American couple who just adopted 5 children (all biological siblings) from Cucuta, Colombia, would be arriving in the evening! They have completed all of their paperwork, and needed to come to Bogota to apply for their visas and passports before heading back to the US. This couple, originally from New Jersey, now live in Kansas City. They were so happy to see all of us, as they were in an area of Colombia that is extremely dangerous. It’s part of the Red Zone, and is considered off limits by the US Embassy. When they walked in, they hugged everyone and said it was the best 4th of July they ever had. Their children are 5 of the most beautiful and engaging kids I have ever met. Honestly, I was mesmerized by them. They range in age from 3 ½ - 9 (3 girls and 2 boys). They all sat on the couch as Betty introduced them to all of us. I cannot imagine how they must have felt, with new surroundings, new parents and all these strangers looking at them. After listening to Betty, we brought them to the dining room and fed them, and then helped their parents, Edwin and Lisa, get them to bed. It’s going to be really fun to have all of them here. What an awesome couple.

We hope all of you are having a great holiday weekend. Happy 4th of July….we’ll update on Tuesday, as I think we’ll have our hands full tomorrow getting our new family settled!

Saturday, July 3, 2004 10:40 PM CDT

Betty--Mujer Especial, Amiga Especial
Betty--Special Woman, Special Friend

BETTY—Just the name conjures up so many images in my mind…beautiful, funny, smart, sweet, motherly, happy, witty, loves to laugh. Some of you have had the good fortune to get to know her through FANA, yet many of you only know her through this website. I would like to dedicate this journal entry to the woman I met 4 years ago in Bogota, and who has remained one of my closest friends to this day. Betty was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY…Sheepshead Bay to be exact. She’s one of the proudest New Yorkers and Americans I have ever met. True Red, White and Blue to the core! She moved to Colombia many years ago when she married her handsome and intelligent husband, Rafa, who is Colombian. They raised 2 awesome children, Natalia and Andres.

So many of our friends and family members have emailed us and commented how they cannot believe all the activity and excitement that takes place while we are in Bogota. Neither can we ! This occurs because of one person, and one person ONLY… Betty!! If it weren’t for her, our experience here and the experience of so many other couples would be entirely different. There is simply no one like her!! Make no mistake, Betty is the person who SINGLE HANDEDLY coordinates everyone’s daily schedule and gets them on their way, calls the drivers and baby sitter, advises families where the best shopping, restaurants and other points of interest are, makes reservations for dinner, translates continuously throughout the day, books side trips to places such as Cartagena, does all the grocery shopping and meal planning, plays with and cares for our babies, orders pastries for special occasions, makes sure everyone is feeling well, and is always available. She calls her drivers regularly when we’re with them to make sure we have reached our destination safely, and she lets you know she is just a phone call away. Her days, and most of her evenings are spent at “Betty’s Place.” Yes—this is her place. With six bedrooms and private baths for every room, a cozy living room with a computer, books and movies for everyone’s use, a dining room, courtyard and internet hook up in every room, along with televisions that carry CNN, the Super Bowl and the World Series, this place is all Betty!! We have become so used to the top notch care we receive when we’re in Bogota; it’s easy to forget how complex her job is. Betty makes it look easy, but I know better. In addition to all I have mentioned, she also served in the capacity as Vice President of the American Women’s Club at the US Embassy for 2 years. I have never met anyone who knows more people in my life. How many of you have Nail, Hair, Sweater, Bead and Rosary Ladies come to your house? I know I don’t!! There is nothing she wouldn’t do for anyone to help make their trip more enjoyable.

Betty—Thank you so much for all you have done for Otis, Sergianni and I during the past 3 ½ weeks. We’ve had a blast! This is like home to us. I couldn’t wait for Otis to stay here…I knew he would love it as much as I do! I can’t even think about saying goodbye. Thank you also for inviting us to your beautiful home, and those of your family members. You and Rafa are the consummate hosts. Lastly, thank you for your friendship throughout the past 4 years. You’re one in a million, and I love you.

Your amiga,
Debbie

Friday, July 2, 2004 10:37 PM CDT

Las Noticias Buenas—Sentencia
Good News—Sentencia

This morning I had an appointment at 9:00 to get my hair cut and highlighted at Norbertos. Norberto is very well known around Bogota. It’s considered THE place to go and get your haircut. Otis had his haircut there last week, and it was perfect. He has many famous and international clients. His salon is huge, with employees buzzing all over the place. Now, for those of you who don’t know Norberto, and I realize that’s the majority, I’ll try to give you a visual. He’s extremely flamboyant, artistic, loud and dramatic. Think Andy Warhol on speed conducting an orchestra! When he cuts your hair, he has another stylist next to him getting your hair prepped exactly the way he wants it. Then, he comes in and snips away, all while flailing his scissors in a circular and up and down motion, and speaking extremely rapidly in Spanish. This procedure is repeated several times until he is satisfied. He must have been very satisfied, because he was screaming, “Hollywood, Hollywood”!! I could hardly contain myself, and immediately thought of all my brothers and my brother-in-law Kyle, who would have totally lost it!!! It was so much fun to watch… I like Norberto a lot! Otis came with me to hang out, but I asked them if they had a “masajista,” (a massage therapist) for him while he was waiting. Of course they did! Norberto has everything. In fact, they wait on you hand and foot, bringing you freshly squeezed jugo de mango, papaya or naranja, café, tea, chocolates and the like (all on a silver platter). I was about an hour into my cut, when Betty called to see how I was doing. About 20 minutes later I looked up and she was standing next to me. She said she needed to speak to Otis and I together. I honestly never gave Sentencia a thought, as I was so engrossed in the entertainment around me. We left Norbertos about an hour later and met our attorney, Dr. Polo, at court to sign our documents. We were in Court #3. Afterwards, he came back to Betty’s Place where we took pictures and talked. He is so engaging. He was also my sister and brother-in-law’s attorney, and he always asks about how they’re doing and how their 2 daughters are. He’s a doll. What started out as a quiet day (relatively speaking, of course) ended up being extremely busy, and as always, fun. Since Monday is a religious holiday in Colombia, we will begin the rest of the paperwork process on Tuesday. We will probably fly home on Saturday. We’ll keep you posted.

We all planned on going to Carbon de Palo for dinner tonight, but Otis and I decided to stay home with Sergianni instead. She went to the Doctor at FANA today because she was so congested, and hadn’t improved. She is now on medication and seems to be doing better.

Much love to everyone….

Friday, July 2, 2004 10:35 PM CDT

Friday, July 2, 2004 10:17 PM CDT

Las Noticias Buenas—Sentencia
Good News—Sentencia

This morning I had an appointment at 9:00 to get my hair cut and highlighted at Norbertos. Norberto is very well known around Bogota. It’s considered THE place to go and get your haircut. Otis had his haircut there last week, and it was perfect. He has many famous and international clients. His salon is huge, with employees buzzing all over the place. Now, for those of you who don’t know Norberto, and I realize that’s the majority, I’ll try to give you a visual. He’s extremely flamboyant, artistic, loud and dramatic. Think Andy Warhol on speed conducting an orchestra! When he cuts your hair, he has another stylist next to him getting your hair prepped exactly the way he wants it. Then, he comes in and snips away, all while flailing his scissors in a circular and up and down motion, and speaking extremely rapidly in Spanish. This procedure is repeated several times until he is satisfied. He must have been very satisfied, because he was screaming, “Hollywood, Hollywood”!! I could hardly contain myself, and immediately thought of all my brothers and my brother-in-law Kyle, who would have totally lost it!!! It was so much fun to watch… I like Norberto a lot! Otis came with me to hang out, but I asked them if they had a “masajista,” (a massage therapist) for him while he was waiting. Of course they did! Norberto has everything. In fact, they wait on you hand and foot, bringing you freshly squeezed jugo de mango, papaya or naranja, café, tea, chocolates and the like (all on a silver platter). I was about an hour into my cut, when Betty called to see how I was doing. About 20 minutes later I looked up and she was standing next to me. She said she needed to speak to Otis and I together. I honestly never gave Sentencia a thought, as I was so engrossed in the entertainment around me. We went upstairs to the massage room and Betty knocked on the door and told the masajista she needed a minute in the room alone with us. She looked at Betty and seemed totally confused. We walked in as Otis was lying on the table with a towel around him almost sound asleep, with earphones on listening to music. I pulled the right earphone off and Betty said, “You guys are signing today…Debbie, please hold his towel down”!! We could not stop laughing, and Betty said she wished we had a video camera, as this was absolutely crazy. After we stopped laughing, Otis finally realized what was going on. He was so relaxed, he was in oblivion. We left Norbertos about an hour later and met our attorney, Dr. Polo, at court to sign our documents. We were in Court #3. Afterwards, he came back to Betty’s Place where we took pictures and talked. He is so engaging. He was also my sister and brother-in-law’s attorney, and he always asks about how they’re doing and how their 2 daughters are. He’s a doll. What started out as a quiet day (relatively speaking, of course) ended up being extremely busy, and as always, fun. Since Monday is a religious holiday in Colombia, we will begin the rest of the paperwork process on Tuesday. We will probably fly home on Saturday. We’ll keep you posted.

We all planned on going to Carbon de Palo for dinner tonight, but Otis and I decided to stay home with Sergianni instead. She went to the Doctor at FANA today because she was so congested, and hadn’t improved. She is now on medication and seems to be doing better.

Much love to everyone….

Friday, July 2, 2004 10:15 PM CDT

Las Noticias Buenas—Sentencia
Good News—Sentencia

This morning I had an appointment at 9:00 to get my hair cut and highlighted at Norbertos. Norberto is very well known around Bogota. It’s considered THE place to go and get your haircut. Otis had his haircut there last week, and it was perfect. He has many famous and international clients. His salon is huge, with employees buzzing all over the place. Now, for those of you who don’t know Norberto, and I realize that’s the majority, I’ll try to give you a visual. He’s extremely flamboyant, artistic, loud and dramatic. Think Andy Warhol on speed conducting an orchestra! When he cuts your hair, he has another stylist next to him getting your hair prepped exactly the way he wants it. Then, he comes in and snips away, all while flailing his scissors in a circular and up and down motion, and speaking extremely rapidly in Spanish. This procedure is repeated several times until he is satisfied. He must have been very satisfied, because he was screaming, “Hollywood, Hollywood”!! I could hardly contain myself, and immediately thought of all my brothers and my brother-in-law Kyle, who would have totally lost it!!! It was so much fun to watch… I like Norberto a lot! Otis came with me to hang out, but I asked them if they had a “masajista,” (a massage therapist) for him while he was waiting. Of course they did! Norberto has everything. In fact, they wait on you hand and foot, bringing you freshly squeezed jugo de mango, papaya or naranja, café, tea, chocolates and the like (all on a silver platter). I was about an hour into my cut, when Betty called to see how I was doing. About 20 minutes later I looked up and she was standing next to me. She said she needed to speak to Otis and I together. I honestly never gave Sentencia a thought, as I was so engrossed in the entertainment around me. We went upstairs to the massage room and Betty knocked on the door and told the masajista she needed a minute in the room alone with us. She looked at Betty and seemed totally confused. We walked in as Otis was lying on the table with a towel around him almost sound asleep, with earphones on listening to music. I pulled the right earphone off and Betty said, “You guys are signing today…Debbie, please hold his towel down”!! We could not stop laughing, and Betty said she wished we had a video camera, as this was absolutely crazy. After we stopped laughing, Otis finally realized what was going on. He was so relaxed, he was in oblivion. We left Norbertos about an hour later and met our attorney, Dr. Polo, at court to sign our documents. We were in Court #3. Afterwards, he came back to Betty’s Place where we took pictures and talked. He is so engaging. He was also my sister and brother-in-law’s attorney, and he always asks about how they’re doing and how their 2 daughters are. He’s a doll. What started out as a quiet day (relatively speaking, of course) ended up being extremely busy, and as always, fun. Since Monday is a religious holiday in Colombia, we will begin the rest of the paperwork process on Tuesday. We will probably fly home on Saturday. We’ll keep you posted.

We all planned on going to Carbon de Palo for dinner tonight, but Otis and I decided to stay home with Sergianni instead. She went to the Doctor at FANA today because she was so congested, and hadn’t improved. She is now on medication and seems to be doing better.

Much love to everyone….

Thursday, July 1, 2004 10:16 PM CDT

VIVA Colombia!
Long Live Colombia!

There was a giddy feeling all over Bogota today, as the Latin American Soccer Championship between Colombia and Argentina was being played tonight in a part of Colombia called Manizales, Caldas. The excitement is equal to that of our Super Bowl, except they don’t clean out the grocery stores here like we do!! Everywhere we went, people were talking about the game, while restaurants and cafes were getting prepared for the onslaught of people who would be watching it together in their establishments. The streets became eerily empty as the day progressed. Rafa came over to watch it with us and was laughing because he said Sergianni was totally mesmerized by the game. Hey, she’s Colombian!! It was a close match, with Colombia coming out victorious! They won 2-1 in sudden death overtime. It was very nerve wracking. Colombia will now play the winner of the European Soccer Championship in Tokyo, Japan in a few months. Immediately after their win, the streets were filled with screaming people waving their flags, playing music and dancing salsa. The partying will go on all night. It’s right outside Betty’s Place. It was really exciting to be a part of it. In keeping with tradition, we had a typical Colombian dinner, which included our favorites—empanadas! In fact, Niccy and Okenis gave me an empanada cooking lesson in the afternoon. They make it look so easy. We’ll see what happens when I get home and I’m on my own!

Last night, Mary Lawler (from New Jersey), her daughter, Katie and her daughter’s friend, Clarissa, arrived at Betty’s Place. Katie was adopted from FANA exactly 16 years ago. She has returned to Bogota to see her birthplace and to volunteer at FANA. Her mother is staying through Monday, but Katie and Clarissa will remain for 2 weeks. They are awesome kids…so loving, friendly and talented. What a great addition to the Residence!! We’re really happy they’re here.

Today, Annette (our translator) picked Otis and I up and took us out to lunch at a really fun, Italian restaurant in a part of Bogota called Usaquen. It’s very artistic, and reminds me of Santa Fe, New Mexico, with its unique and colorful restaurants, cafes and stores. We stayed for a long time and chatted about everything. Annette is so intelligent and interesting! She was born in Germany and moved to Colombia when she was a child. She speaks 4 languages; Spanish, English, French and German. Afterwards, we went shopping with her, and then headed back home.

\Hasta Manana…See you tomorrow !!!

Thursday, July 1, 2004 0:09 AM CDT

Nuestro Dia en el Club Metropolitano y tambien Montserrate
Our Day at the Metropolitan Club and also Montserrate

Yesterday began at about 6:00 AM when Sergianni woke up and was ready to eat. We just cannot believe that she is sleeping through the night! Maybe this is pretty normal for a 3 month old, but we certainly were planning on waking up at least once or twice per night to feed her. Alicia came over in the early afternoon to baby sit while we spent the day getting pampered at the Metropolitan Club. This particular club is located at the end of a long, winding path surrounded by massive trees, high in the mountains. We all ate lunch together in the common area, then Otis went to the men’s side, while we were in the women’s area for the next few hours. We each had 1 hour massages, manicures or pedicures, and then the women finished up with hair appointments. In between massages, we spent time in the Turkish baths, dry sauna and relaxation/reading area. We were so relaxed; we were like jell-o by the time we walked out of there. Otis has been asking Betty to book our appointments again for next week.

This morning, Jorge Rico picked us up at 10:30 AM to go to Montserrate. Montserrate is located 10,000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains, overlooking the entire city of Bogota. When you reach the top, you have a spectacular view. We took the funicular up, which takes about 3 minutes. It’s a red cable car that goes up a ski-type lift that holds about 50 people. The main attraction here is a beautiful church, where many miracles have occurred, and also the Stations of the Cross. Masses are held 7 days a week. It is a very famous pilgramage in South America, where people come on Sunday mornings, and also on Holy days such as Good Friday and Easter. Crowds of people line up extremely early in the morning to walk up the hundreds of steps to the top, some on their knees, to pray and ask God for a miracle in their life. There is an area inside the church that has hundreds, maybe thousands of stone carved marble acknowledgements and prayers of thanks to God. It is very cool at the top of the mountain, so wear a jacket !! After we left, we ate lunch at a restaurant called Fulanitos, located in La Candelaria, which is the central historical district in Bogota. This area is made up of very narrow, cobble stone streets, with rows and rows of colorful buildings. It looks like an old European town, and is so pretty.

Sergianni is doing great. We’re really getting to know her personality and what makes her tick. So far, she is easy going, and without a doubt--- a music lover !! Her 2 favorite songs seem to be Edelweiss from the Sound of Music, and Getting to Know You from The King and I. I sing them to her everyday and night, and she giggles & starts to make sounds.(La Cucaracha also has the same affect) !! She has been such a joy…we are forever grateful.

Good night to all and thank you for your kind words and interest in our new daughter.

Tuesday, June 29, 2004 10:58 PM CDT

Nuestros Conductores
Our Drivers

Today, I’d like to introduce to all of you our drivers that truly ‘make it happen’ while we are in Colombia. Without a doubt, Betty is the mover and shaker of this place. However, without her 3 trusted drivers, we would never experience all that Bogota has to offer, and all the extra special things she plans for us. The following drivers are all equally wonderful, each with distinct personalities and styles… so, in no particular order, please meet our loyal friends:

Guillermo With The Van The only person I know, in Colombia or the United States, whose vehicle has become part of his name !! He is one of the few people who own a van in Bogota. I personally asked Betty to send him to the airport when we arrived because of the ridiculous amount of luggage we had! He is sweet, quiet, grandfatherly, patient and very loyal. He’s always on time, and because he doesn’t speak much English, he tends to drive you to your destination without a lot of talking. However, if he is driving a large group of people, and someone begins speaking a little Spanish to him, he opens up quickly, and will point out many interesting attractions. In fact, he is known to point out the same points of interest both coming and going! Guillermo With The Van—a Winner!

Jorge Diaz and Wilfred The greatest father and son duo in Colombia. Jorge and Wilfred are part of a very close, loving family. Jorge is also the owner of one of the few cars in Colombia that actually have seatbelts in the back seat! He is loyal, punctual and will ALWAYS greet you with a huge, warm smile. Jorge often brings his amazing son Wilfred with him (during times when he’s not in school). Although Jorge doesn’t speak English, Wilfred is getting quite proficient ! Their aim is to please, and make sure you feel safe and happy during your stay. They are proud of their country, and like to give a few history and geography lessons along the way. Both are intelligent, protective, FUN and love our babies. Jorge’s older son and daughter-in-law are going to make him a grandfather for the first time. When I am with them, I feel as though I’m part of their family. Lucky me!

Jorge Rico Most famous for driving a 1973 neon green Dodge Dart...AKA ‘The Green Hornet.’ A prouder Colombian you will NOT find !! Jorge will tell you he is a self made man that came from the streets, who taught himself to speak English and Norwegian. I personally think he has the enterprising spirit of an American! Do you need an authentic soccer uniform ? No problem !! What, you need a Colombian soccer ball to go with that uniform ? Hey, they’re in the trunk, How about a Colombian/American beaded bracelet ? Got that too!. If you go anyplace with this man, you better be ready to rock’n’roll...he’s in constant motion ! Get a good nights rest, as this will not be a leisurely drive. Jorge is a master at taking you off the beaten track, showing you a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and correcting your pitiful Spanish, all while making sure you are having a great time. He’s a born teacher and one of the nicest people you will ever meet. His enthusiasm for his country, his people…ALL people is unequaled. ANY food that he has left over, he will jump out of his car and give to the nearest person begging on the street. He does this day in and day out, everyday of his life ! An afternoon spent with this man is like no other…you will surely take a nap when you get home !

In summary…When I’m too tired to try to even think or speak in Spanish, and just need to get to my destination quickly, it’s always Guillermo With The Van. If I want to feel like I’m part of a family, laugh, learn a little more Spanish, and get into conversations about families and life in general, it’s always Wilfred with his father, Jorge. If I want to be energized, have my Spanish corrected and need a little R&R , there’s only one way to go…Jorge Rico !!

Monday, June 28, 2004 10:39 PM CDT

Un Dia Muy Ocupado
A Very Busy Day

Just like every other day in Colombia, Betty, being ‘The Host With The Most’, had a full schedule lined up for us. Of course, you can choose to do as little or as much as you want. After kissing and squeezing Sergianni all morning, (I’m preparing her for my mother) !!! Betty, Shari and I were picked up by Guillermo with the van, and he took us to FANA, where we had lunch with Mercedes, Flor, Marina and Mercedes’ beautiful daughter, Elena. We stayed for a few hours and attended 2 presentations. Both couples were from France--one received a boy, and the other a girl. As always, it brought back so many memories and was extremely emotional. A young girl who was adopted from FANA 16 years ago came back to visit, and presented both couples with their babies. Her name is Maggie, and she is staying with Betty and Rafa. She and her family are very good friends with the Wegners in Buffalo, and everyone at FANA. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as we watched her bring the infants to their parents.

Otis needed to stay at Betty’s Place and catch up with email, phone calls and work related issues. He took a break in the afternoon, and asked Jorge Diaz and his son, Wilfred, to drive him to a Home Depot type store to buy a few things for our room. Otis is a Home Depot junkie, so he had a good time. Afterwards, he stopped at Archie’s and brought back pizza for the drivers, Okenis, Niccy and Alicia, (our baby nurse who watches the children when we’re gone). My good friend Kathy Calcagno has a better name for Alicia—she calls her the magician! How true. Alicia is so loving and attentive toward them. She could have 6 babies in front of her, and they are all mesmerized by her sweet nature. So are we.

Tonight before dinner, Otis got a fire going in the fireplace, while the rest of us sang Broadway show tunes to Sergianni and Daniel (Shari and Pat Flynn’s baby). We covered songs from The King and I, The Sound of Music, West Side Story and My Fair Lady, amongst others. Sergianni was practically singing by the end of the session, with bubbles coming out of her mouth while her legs were going a mile a minute. She was literally giggling (maybe AT us)?? The women at FANA told Otis and I that she loves Colombian music, and would smile and start kicking her legs as soon as they turned it on. It was a memorable night. Betty’s husband, Rafa, stopped by for awhile. The babies just adore him. He’s a great man, and is like an “Abuelito” to them. Plus, he’s so handsome and always smells great !
Tomorrow, Jorge Rico will be taking Otis and I to FANA in the morning. Afterwards, we’re meeting Betty at 12 noon at the Metropolitan Club for massages, manicures, pedicures and the works !

Good night and much love to all of you…

Monday, June 28, 2004 10:31 PM CDT

Sunday, June 27, 2004 10:53 PM CDT

Nuestra Fin de Semana al Hotel Tocarema
Our Weekend at the Hotel Tocarema

Hi Everyone,
We’d first like to thank all of you who have sent such beautiful messages to our website. We read them everyday to Sergianni and let her know who they’re from, how we know each of you, and also that they are written from various parts of the US, Canada and Tokyo, Japan, where very close friends of ours currently live.

We arrived back in Bogota about 2:00 this afternoon. We wanted to leave early so we wouldn’t get caught in all the weekend traffic returning to the city. This thought process comes from years of being indoctrinated while living in Brooklyn and other parts of NYC, and returning from the Jersey Shore on Sunday!! If you leave a little bit later than you should, you would get caught in a traffic jam for several miserable hours. Ditto for Bogota! Our weekend was amazing. I dare not use the word vacation, as I feel we have been on vacation ever since we arrived here 2 weeks ago! The Hotel Tocarema is located in a very small town in Colombia called Girardot. It’s about 2 ½ hours south of Bogota. The hotel and the drive there have been approved by the US Embassy as a safe zone. You can feel the change in temperature the closer you get to the equator. The scenery was also magnificent…rolling green hills dotted with little homes, banana trees, palm trees, small, open air markets selling crafts, fresh fruits & juices, and the most colorful foliage we have ever witnessed. Because of the temperate climate and volcanic soil, everything grows easily and massive in Colombia. The vegetable and fruit stands are so amazing; you just cannot drive by them without stopping to buy something. Our driver was Jorge Diaz, along with his dynamic and handsome son, Wilfred. They are 2 of the 3 or 4 very trusted drivers that work with the families that stay at Betty’s Place. Although Jorge doesn’t speak English, his son does, and we received geography and Spanish lessons both coming and going. Even when Wilfred struggles with English words, he is so polite and charming; it’s a treat to be around.

After checking in and eating lunch at the resort with Jorge and Wilfred; Otis, Sergianni and I were on our own. We were clearly the only English speakers there, including all of the employees. I had to concentrate on every word that was spoken, which really helped me improve. Let me politely add that I had NO help from my Bronx born husband, who loves to tell everyone about how he grew up with so many Spanish speaking friends, and that his school was like the United Nations!! Anyway, the weather was extremely warm and sunny with palm trees swaying in the breeze all day, Caribbean music playing and happy, smiling children on summer vacation. The large free form swimming pool with the water spray in the middle was the centerpiece of the resort. While I was watching everyone swim, I realized at that moment that my days of being the first one in and last one out had come to a screeching and immediate halt, not to mention the swim up bar---you know, the kind that you order food and pina coladas from while sitting in the pool ? Over! And you know what? It was the best, just hanging out with Sergianni splashing her little feet. My family and I are all alike in the water. We’re fish…..and believe me, they’ve been waiting for this day to come!!
My favorite part of the weekend was dressing Sergianni in her bathing suit and resort wear. The 1st day I changed her 4 times, the poor thing. She was so patient. The other highlight was the Miss Colombia Pageant was being held at the hotel. The only time we saw them was on Friday afternoon when many of them went to the restaurant to eat. I left Sergianni with Otis and I ran upstairs to get our camera to take pictures of them. When I came downstairs, there was a mob scene of all the contestants oohing and ahhing over Sergianni. They passed her around and asked if they could get their pictures taken with “la nina bonita”. I know Otis was wishing he could change places with her !!!

When we arrived home, Otis took Jorge and Wilfred to the El Corral for burgers and shakes. I stayed here and fed Sergianni. Tonight, after having dinner with Niccy, we spent the rest of the evening unpacking. Our little girl is fast asleep. Tomorrow will be here so fast !! Goodnight to all and we love you.

Debbie

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 11:01 PM CDT

Bogota—Una ciudad como no otra
Bogota—A city like no other

Bogota, Colombia is located high in the Andes Mountains at nearly 9000 feet above sea level. It is the city with the 3rd highest elevation in the world (the 1st is La Paz, Bolivia, followed by Quito, Ecuador) and is located in the northern part of South America. Bogota is Colombia’s largest city, with a population of 6.4 million people. It also happens to be one of South America’s largest growing metropolitan cities. It borders the Caribbean Sea between Panama and Venezuela, and the Northern Pacific Ocean between Ecuador and Panama. Santa Fe de Bogota, as it is officially known, is a city of extreme contrasts….high rise buildings stand next to very old, colonial churches, and beautiful new universities, clubs, movie theaters and restaurants sit next to old, rambling towns. It is also a city of extreme wealth and poverty. Santa Fe de Bogota was founded in 1538. After its independence from Spain in 1824, its name was shortened to Bogota. The original name was recently reinstated. With an average daily temperature of 65 degrees, Bogota feels like sunny, Spring days. Their nights are much cooler. The city receives an average of 42 inches of rainfall per year. Most of this takes place in the Spring and Fall months.

Bogota is divided into 7 zones, each having their own personality:

• Zona 1 Norte--The most modern and upscale with the best shopping, restaurants, commercial centers and nightlife.
• Zona 2 Nortoccidente--Bogota is growing out in this direction.
• Zona 3 Occidente--Industrial areas, parks and the El Dorado Airport
• Zona 4 Sur--Industrial zones and large labor barrios (neighborhoods).
• Zona 5 Centro--The center of the city and the most important for commercial, governmental, financial and cultural affairs.
• Zona 6--All the surrounding areas.
• Zona 7—Other cities.

The Andes Mountains (Las Montanas de Andes) provide a beautiful backdrop wherever you go. The most famous peak of the mountains is Montserrat, which rests at 10,000 feet above sea level. It is a favorite destination of both tourists and residents, who go there for ‘la vista’, holy water and its famous religious site. The church here is claimed to be a place of miracles. You can reach the top by climbing literally hundreds of stairs, or by the funicular, a cable car, which gets you there in a snap.

Most of the older streets are named carreras, which run north and south, and calles, which run east and west. Many of the newer streets are called avenidas. Unfortunately, due to the civil unrest within the country for approximately 40 years, and its reputation for drugs, it is not a popular place for tourism. We realize there is so much to see and learn from Bogota, and feel fortunate we’ve had the opportunity to travel here, the birthplace of Sergianni.

Tonight we were invited to Marina de Tono’s house for cocktails. She works at FANA, and is a sweetheart !! Afterwards, we went to dinner at Harry Sassons, (a Thai restaurant). Tomorrow, Otis, Sergianni and I are going to the Tocarena Hotel Girardot, a beautiful resort south of Bogota, where the weather is hot and sunny. We will return on Sunday afternoon. We’ll be bringing our laptop, but we’re not sure if this resort has internet service. If not, we’ll be in touch again when we return. Wishing everyone a nice weekend !!

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 10:45 PM CDT

Bogota—Una ciudad como no otra
Bogota—A city like no other

Bogota, Colombia is located high in the Andes Mountains at nearly 9000 feet above sea level. It is the city with 3rd highest elevation in the world (the 1st is La Paz, Bolivia, followed by Quito, Ecuador) and is located in the northern part of South America. Bogota is Colombia’s largest city, with a population of 6.4 million people. It also happens to be one of South America’s largest growing metropolitan cities. It borders the Caribbean Sea between Panama and Venezuela, and the Northern Pacific Ocean between Ecuador and Panama. Santa Fe de Bogota, as it is officially known, is a city of extreme contrasts….high rise buildings stand next to very old, colonial churches, and beautiful new universities, clubs, movie theaters and restaurants sit next to old, rambling towns. It is also a city of extreme wealth and poverty. Santa Fe de Bogota was founded in 1538. After its independence from Spain in 1824, its name was shortened to Bogota. The original name was recently reinstated. With an average daily temperature of 65 degrees, Bogota feels like sunny, Spring days. Their nights are much cooler. The city receives an average of 42 inches of rainfall per year. Most of this takes place in the Spring and Fall months.

Bogota is divided into 7 zones, each having their own personality:

• Zona 1 Norte--The most modern and upscale with the best shopping, restaurants, commercial centers and nightlife.
• Zona 2 Nortoccidente--Bogota is growing out in this direction.
• Zona 3 Occidente--Industrial areas, parks and the El Dorado Airport
• Zona 4 Sur--Industrial zones and large labor barrios (neighborhoods).
• Zona 5 Centro--The center of the city and the most important for commercial, governmental, financial and cultural affairs.
• Zona 6--All the surrounding areas.
• Zona 7—Other cities.

The Andes Mountains (Las Montanas de Andes) provide a beautiful backdrop wherever you go. The most famous peak of the mountains is Montserrat, which rests at 10,000 feet above sea level. It is a favorite destination of both tourists and residents, who go there for ‘la vista’, holy water and its famous religious site. The church here is claimed to be a place of miracles. You can reach the top by climbing literally hundreds of stairs, or by the funicular, a cable car, which gets you there in a snap.

Most of the older streets are named carreras, which run north and south, and calles, which run east and west. Many of the newer streets are called avenidas. Unfortunately, due to the civil unrest within the country for approximately 40 years, and its reputation for drugs, it is not a popular place for tourism. We realize there is so much to see and learn from Bogota, and feel fortunate we’ve had the opportunity to travel here, the birthplace of Sergianni.

Tonight we were invited to Marina de Tono’s house for cocktails. She works at FANA, and is a sweetheart !! Afterwards, we went to dinner at Harry Sassons, (a Thai restaurant). Tomorrow, Otis, Sergianni and I are going to the Tocarena Hotel Girardot, a beautiful resort south of Bogota, where the weather is hot and sunny. We will return on Sunday afternoon. We’ll be bringing our laptop, but we’re not sure if this resort has internet service. If not, we’ll be in touch again when we return. Wishing everyone a nice weekend !!

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 7:30 AM CDT

La cena a la casa de Betty y Rafa
Dinner at Betty and Rafa’s house

Hi Family and Friends,
We had another busy day filled with so many highlights. For those of you that have been here, you know the pattern. For those of you that have not been here, it’s quite typical. Each day is an adventure. This morning at 10:00, we had a tour of FANA. We visited everything from the administrative offices, cafeteria, pharmacy and school, to the playground, labs, social work area and the rooms that our babies were in until we adopted them last week. As is always the case with me, I begin crying as soon as I walk in the building, and cannot stop until I leave. It’s such a beautiful, bright, happy place filled with so many people who love our children. Yet, to see so many children waiting for homes, many of them older, is heartbreaking. At 3:30, we had our Bienestar interview, which was a breeze. We were there with our translator and driver, Annette, and our lawyer, Dr. Polo. They asked a few simple questions which Annette translated, and that was it. We were in and out in a matter of 5 minutes.

Betty, Rafa, Otis and I were trying to make arrangements to go to Cartagena together this week. Due to some changes in plans, we decided not to go. Unfortunately, this was after Betty spent the better part of the day working out travel plans. Right as Otis and I were about to purchase our tickets, the travel agent said she needed to inform us that we would have to be inoculated for yellow fever before we get on the plane ! Rafa and Betty had never heard of this before, and Otis and I said no way...we would never subject Sergianni to this. We only wish she mentioned this initially !

Tonight we all went to Betty and Rafa’s house for dinner…and what a dinner it was. Niccy and Okenis prepared a very traditional Colombian meal…arroz con pollo, fried platanitos, guacamole and everyone’s favorites, empanadas with cilantro sauce. Dessert was cake, brownies, ice cream and fresh strawberries. I thought of all my brothers and brother-in-laws, who would have definitely eaten them out of house and home. Their apartment overlooking the city of Bogota is second to none. “La vista”—the view, is magnificent !! The night ends as it always does when I’m there, with Betty putting on New York, New York (Frank Sinatra’s version) and Soldier Boy by the Shirelles. Guillermo with the van drove us there and back. We hope all of you at home are doing well. We love and miss you !

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 0:04 AM CDT

La cena a la casa de Betty y Rafa
Dinner at Betty and Rafa’s house

Hi Family and Friends,
We had another busy day filled with so many highlights. For those of you that have been here, you know the pattern. For those of you that have not been here, it’s quite typical. Each day is an adventure. This morning at 10:00, we had a tour of FANA. We visited everything from the administrative offices, cafeteria, pharmacy and school, to the playground, labs, social work area and the rooms that our babies were in until we adopted them last week. As is always the case with me, I begin crying as soon as I walk in the building, and cannot stop until I leave. It’s such a beautiful, bright, happy place filled with so many people who love our children. Yet, to see so many children waiting for homes, many of them older, is heartbreaking. At 3:30, we had our Bienestar interview, which was a breeze. We were there with our translator and driver, Annette, and our lawyer, Dr. Polo. They asked a few simple questions which Annette translated, and that was it. We were in and out in a matter of 5 minutes.

Betty, Rafa, Otis and I were trying to make arrangements to go to Cartagena together this week. Due to some changes in plans, we decided not to go. Unfortunately, this was after Betty spent the better part of the day working out travel plans. Right as Otis and I were about to purchase our tickets, the travel agent said she needed to inform us that we would have to be inoculated for yellow fever before we get on the plane ! Rafa and Betty had never heard of this before, and Otis and I said no way...we would never subject Sergianni to this. We only wish she mentioned this initially !

Tonight we all went to Betty and Rafa’s house for dinner…and what a dinner it was. Niccy and Okenis prepared a very traditional Colombian meal…arroz con pollo, fried platanitos, guacamole and everyone’s favorites, empanadas with cilantro sauce. Dessert was cake, brownies, ice cream and fresh strawberries. I thought of all my brothers and brother-in-laws, who would have definitely eaten them out of house and home. Their apartment overlooking the city of Bogota is second to none. “La vista”—the view, is magnificent !! The night ends as it always does when I’m there, with Betty putting on putting on New York, New York (Frank Sinatra’s version) and Soldier Boy by the Shirelles. Guillermo with the van drove us there and back. We hope all of you at home are doing well. We love and miss you !

Monday, June 21, 2004 10:22 PM CDT

Feliz Dia del Padre (Un Dia Tarde)
Happy Father’s Day (One Day Late)

Sunday started out in what seemed like all the rest of the days in Bogota…one that is filled with excitement, anticipation, travel, diapers, bottles and learning about new things. This day, however, was not like all the rest. It was Father’s Day—specifically Otis’ first Father’s Day. Sergianni’s 1st present to him was sleeping through the night ! Thank you, sweetheart ! Her 2nd present was greeting him with a huge “Buenos Dias” smile when she awakened. Her eyes always follow Otis around the room as he walks. I chose a special white outfit for her to wear, one that was purchased at FANA. As always, Betty had a full day planned for us. While we were eating breakfast that was so lovingly prepared by Okenis, Betty stopped by with doughnuts wishing everyone a Happy Father’s Day. Then, at 2:00, we drove to a restaurant called Café Renault. Sergianni was so interested in looking at all the sights, taking everything in, that Betty said, “She’s a Yenta” !! Café Renault is one of the restaurants in Bogota that is located around the perimeter of a beautiful park called El Parque Noventa y Tres (Park 93). The entire front of the restaurant is glass, so you can look out at all the activity that is taking place. Many families go there on the weekends. Sergianni fell asleep while we were eating. After lunch, we went to a Father’s Day Celebration at Betty’s sister-in-law’s house. We arrived to a full casa of friends and relatives, including Dona Carmen, who is Rafa Castillo’s 94 year old mother. She is the true matriarch of that family. She’s extremely loved and well cared for, and loves nothing more than to hold all of the babies. We never left their house until late at night. This was a true Colombian fiesta !

Today was warm and very sunny. I took Sergianni outside in the courtyard at Betty’s Place. She loved the fresh air and smiled non-stop until the warm breeze lulled her to sleep. I personally couldn’t take my eyes off of all the magnificent flowers. Speaking of flowers, they are all gorgeous and larger than life in Colombia. The colors are so vivid and bright. We all went to Crepes and Waffles for lunch, and decided to eat outside in the courtyard. It was too nice to stay inside. We stayed there for what seemed like hours just talking and catching up with each other. We also stopped at a flea market to purchase some Colombian jewelry. Oh, and one more thing..The Nail Lady stopped by for manicures. Otis took my appointment as I was rushing around trying to get ready. His nails look great !

Buenas….

Saturday, June 19, 2004 10:06 AM CDT

Las Mujeres de FANA
The Women of FANA

(Written by Otis)

Today is Friday, June 18, 2004 in the year of our Lord, greetings to my extended FANA family and friends. Today’s journal entry is dedicated to the women of FANA, who work so tirelessly to save the infants of Colombia, and help to make whole so many lives of waiting couples in the U.S. as well as many other nations across the globe. I apologize beforehand if I do not give the proper acknowledgement to all of the women who are involved in this great work.
My first acknowledgement goes to Jerri Wegner. In March of 2003, I heard her give a keynote address at FANA’s annual meeting. The comments she made in her speech flamed the passions of my heart to get involved with FANA, even if I never received a child to adopt from this organization. She gets it! She understands the plight of people that are suffering. As long as God gives me health, I will assist Jerri in her work. Thank you, Jerri.

The next woman who deserves the greatest acknowledgement is the CEO and Foundress of FANA, Mercedes de Martinez. In the past 10 years of my professional life, I have met President George W. Bush, President William Clinton, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and I addressed the Palestinian Delegations lead by President Arafat. However, when I met this giant, yet humble woman, I was blown away, I was speechless…and for those of you who know me, I am never at a loss for words. To list her many accomplishments I would need to write a book. But the story is told on the walls of FANA, by the many nations which are represented. FANA’s reach is truly GLOBAL. Thus, being part of FANA, we have family connections all over the globe. I do not believe a Nobel Peace Prize is out of the realm of reason. Thank you, Mercedes.
The Residence, better known as Betty’s Place, is run by a remarkable woman and my home girl from New York City, Betty Castillo. What an intelligent, funny, and I do mean funny woman. Words cannot describe her. You must spend time with her to get her true essence. What can I say about the Residence? My wife and I have vacationed in 5 star hotels. “Betty, you beat them all, for service, style, food, and hospitality.” Thank you for your service and love and dedication to the orphans of Colombia.

The true heroes are the female staff members who care for our children. These are the women whose faces and names we soon forget, and especially those individuals who don’t work directly with us. Much praise goes out to the drivers, health care workers, day care workers and teachers, for their tireless dedication to FANA and waiting couples. God acknowledges all of the kindnesses you show to his beautiful orphaned children. Keep up your great work.

To my wife, Deborah Anne Reale and my soul mate. Watching you interact with Sergianni has been a true joy. I can truly say that I love you more today than when I met you in 1991. This week I feel like I am 20 years young {I will allow you to use your romantic imagination, but keep it clean, this site is rated “G”}. Thank you for being my wife, and I look forward to raising Sergianni with you.

TO THE MOTHERS WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR CHILDREN A CHANCE AT LIFE; YOU ARE THE BRAVEST, MOST COURAGEOUS INDIVIDUALS ON THE PLANET. YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER WAY OUT, BUT YOU CHOSE LIFE FOR YOUR CHILDREN. I BELIEVE GOD WILL SHOW YOU THE WISDOM OF YOUR CHOICE. Thank you and GOD bless you!

Last, but certainly not the least, Sergianni, I am wild about you! Each day since I received your picture from our buddy couple, Cheryl and Kyle Storie, you have consistently been on my mind. I dedicate the rest of my life to you. Thank you women of FANA.

Friday, June 18, 2004 10:42 PM CDT

Las Mujeres de FANA
The Women of FANA

(Written by Otis)

Today is Friday, June 18, 2004 in the year of our Lord, greetings to my extended FANA family and friends. Today’s journal entry is dedicated to the women of FANA, who work so tirelessly to save the infants of Colombia, and help to make whole so many lives of waiting couples in the U.S. as well as many other nations across the globe. I apologize beforehand if I do not give the proper acknowledgement to all of the women who are involved in this great work.
My first acknowledgement goes to Jerri Wagner. In March of 2003, I heard her give a keynote address at FANA’s annual meeting. The comments she made in her speech flamed the passions of my heart to get involved with FANA, even if I never received a child to adopt from this organization. She gets it! She understands the plight of people that are suffering. As long as God gives me health, I will assist Jerri in her work. Thank you, Jerri.

The next woman who deserves the greatest acknowledgement is the CEO and Foundress of FANA, Mercedes de Martinez. In the past 10 years of my professional life, I have met President George W. Bush, President William Clinton, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and I addressed the Palestinian Delegations lead by President Arafat. However, when I met this giant, yet humble woman, I was blown away, I was speechless…and for those of you who know me, I am never at a loss for words. To list her many accomplishments I would need to write a book. But the story is told on the walls of FANA, by the many nations which are represented. FANA’s reach is truly GLOBAL. Thus, being part of FANA, we have family connections all over the globe. I do not believe a Nobel Peace Prize is out of the realm of reason. Thank you, Mercedes.
The Residence, better known as Betty’s Place, is run by a remarkable woman and my home girl from New York City, Betty Castillo. What an intelligent, funny, and I do mean funny woman. Words cannot describe her. You must spend time with her to get her true essence. What can I say about the Residence? My wife and I have vacationed in 5 star hotels. “Betty, you beat them all, for service, style, food, and hospitality.” Thank you for your service and love and dedication to the orphans of Colombia.

The true heroes are the female staff members who care for our children. These are the women whose faces and names we soon forget, and especially those individuals who don’t work directly with us. Much praise goes out to the drivers, health care workers, day care workers and teachers, for their tireless dedication to FANA and waiting couples. God acknowledges all of the kindnesses you show to his beautiful orphaned children. Keep up your great work.

To my wife, Deborah Anne Reale and my soul mate. Watching you interact with Sergianni has been a true joy. I can truly say that I love you more today than when I met you in 1991. This week I feel like I am 20 years young {I will allow you to use your romantic imagination, but keep it clean, this site is rated “G”}. Thank you for being my wife, and I look forward to raising Sergianni with you.

TO THE MOTHERS WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR CHILDREN A CHANCE AT LIFE; YOU ARE THE BRAVEST, MOST COURAGEOUS INDIVIDUALS ON THE PLANET. YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER WAY OUT, BUT YOU CHOSE LIFE FOR YOUR CHILDREN. I BELIEVE GOD WILL SHOW YOU THE WISDOM OF YOUR CHOICE. Thank you and GOD bless you!

Last, but certainly not the least, Sergianni, I am wild about you! Each day since I received your picture from our buddy couple, Cheryl and Kyle Storie, you have consistently been on my mind. I dedicate the rest of my life to you. Thank you women of FANA.

Friday, June 18, 2004 10:17 PM CDT

Las Mujeres de FANA
The Women of FANA

(Written by Otis)

Today is Friday, June 18, 2004 in the year of our Lord, greetings to my extended FANA family and friends. Today’s journal entry is dedicated to the women of FANA, who work so tirelessly to save the infants of Colombia, and help to make whole so many lives of waiting couples in the U.S. as well as many other nations across the globe. I apologize beforehand if I do not give the proper acknowledgement to all of the women who are involved in this great work.
My first acknowledgement goes to Jerri Wagner. In March of 2003, I heard her give a keynote address at FANA’s annual meeting. The comments she made in her speech flamed the passions of my heart to get involved with FANA, even if I never received a child to adopt from this organization. She gets it! She understands the plight of people that are suffering. As long as God gives me health, I will assist Jerri in her work. Thank you, Jerri.

The next woman who deserves the greatest acknowledgement is the CEO and Foundress of FANA, Mercedes de Martinez. In the past 10 years of my professional life, I have met President George W. Bush, President William Clinton, Mayor Rudolph J
Giuliani and I addressed the Palestinian Delegations lead by President Arafat. However, when I met this giant, yet humble woman, I was blown away, I was speechless…and for those of you who know me, I am never at a loss for words. To list her many accomplishments I would need to write a book. But the story is told on the walls of FANA, by the many nations which are represented. FANA’s reach is truly GLOBAL. Thus, being part of FANA, we have family connections all over the globe. I do not believe a Nobel Peace Prize is out of the realm of reason. Thank you, Mercedes.
The Residence, better known as Betty’s Place, is run by a remarkable woman and my home girl from New York City, Betty Castillo. What an intelligent, funny, and I do mean funny woman. Words cannot describe her. You must spend time with her to get her true essence. What can I say about the Residence? My wife and I have vacationed in 5 star hotels. “Betty, you beat them all, for service, style, food, and hospitality.” Thank you for your service and love and dedication to the orphans of Colombia.

The true heroes are the female staff members who care for our children. These are the women whose faces and names we soon forget, and especially those individuals who don’t work directly with us. Much praise goes out to the drivers, health care workers, day care workers and teachers, for their tireless dedication to FANA and waiting couples. God acknowledges all of the kindnesses you show to his beautiful orphaned children. Keep up your great work.

To my wife, Deborah Anne Reale and my soul mate. Watching you interact with Sergianni has been a true joy. I can truly say that I love you more today than when I met you in 1991. This week I feel like I am 20 years young {I will allow you to use your romantic imagination, but keep it clean, this site is rated “G”}. Thank you for being my wife, and I look forward to raising Sergianni with you.

TO THE MOTHERS WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR CHILDREN A CHANCE AT LIFE; YOU ARE THE BRAVEST, MOST COURAGEOUS INDIVIDUALS ON THE PLANET. YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER WAY OUT, BUT YOU CHOSE LIFE FOR YOUR CHILDREN. I BELIEVE GOD WILL SHOW YOU THE WISDOM OF YOUR CHOICE. Thank you and GOD bless you!

Last, but certainly not the least, Sergianni, I am wild about you! Each day since I received your picture from our buddy couple, Cheryl and Kyle Storie, you have consistently been on my mind. I dedicate the rest of my life to you. Thank you women of FANA.

Thursday, June 17, 2004 11:13 PM CDT

El Clima de Hoy---Frio
Today’s Temperature—Cold

We woke up this morning to some sunshine, but it quickly turned cloudy and quite chilly. It is nearing the end of the rainy season in Bogota, so this is to be expected. The weather certainly didn’t put a damper on the spirit of everyone in the house. We went about our day taking care of our girl and catching up with laundry, washing bottles and just hanging out in the kitchen jibber jabbering with the Flynns and Betty while Okenis made us fresh mint tea. We laid out a lot of our plans for the weekend. I would like to say that Betty, my sweet friend of 4 years who runs Betty’s Place, is one of the most amazing people around. Enough cannot be said about how accommodating, loving, intelligent and fun she is. She is truly the host with the most, and she LOVES all of the children as if they were her own…and the children adore her too. Yet, she will only happily describe herself as a Jewish girl from Brooklyn. She’s hilarious. This afternoon ‘The Sweater Lady’ came over with all of her handmade sweaters & dresses, and unique Colombian clothing. As usual, her bag seemed bottomless as all the items were spread across the table by her trusted assistant ! We purchased some Colombian outfits. Tomorrow ‘The Rosary Lady’ is coming over with her unique, handmade rosaries that someone in the house was interested in looking at. I am not kidding !! I could never make this stuff up !! I’m telling you--this could ONLY take place in Colombia with Betty ! All those that have stayed here would agree !

Sergianni is doing great. She’s becoming more comfortable with her new surroundings. She is sleeping, eating and smiling…and so are we ! Tonight around 7:30, we all went out to dinner at Carbon de Palo. It’s a steakhouse with Colombian entertainment. The name of the restaurant comes from the type of coal that is used to give the steak its unique flavor. Between the food, singing, dancing and music going on, it’s a sight for all the senses. We arrived home at nearly 10PM and our little one was sound asleep under the watchful eye of Niccy. Tomorrow will be here before we know it. We look forward to all that the new day will bring. We are forever grateful !!

Wednesday, June 16, 2004 11:01 PM CDT

Un Otro Dia Bonito En Bogota !
Another Beautiful Day In Bogota !

We’d like to thank all of you have called and/or written to us since we arrived in Colombia. We appreciate all of your calls, emails and guestbook notes !! Our first night with Sergianni was pretty amazing. Otis and I slept lightly on and off throughout the night…just waiting for her to cry for her bottle. Hour after hour went by, and not a sound was heard. We kept looking at each other, then getting up and checking her to make sure all was well. As the morning light approached, we realized that she slept through the entire night! The words of my mother replayed over and over in my head...“Never wake a baby for its feeding at NIGHT..only in the day, as you don’t want them to get their days and nights mixed…and also—feed on demand !!” We were amazed. How could this happen…especially since it was her first night out of the orphanage ? We certainly don’t expect this to be a pattern yet, but were happy nevertheless. After returning from the Notary with our driver, Annette, we all went out to lunch at al-rawabi..the Lebanese Restaurant that has become famous for Fred Hammett’s favorite pizza. (Fred, check out the photo page). Afterwards, Betty drove Otis and I to check out a gym nearby and to get us setup if we want to work out, and then we were off to run errands. A few hours ago, Betty’s handsome husband Rafa, and our attorney, Dr. Polo came over. It was like an old homecoming. Dr. Polo was my sister’s attorney, and I have met him several times before, but hadn’t seen him in a couple of years. Yesterday morning as I was TRYING to sleep, Otis ‘googled’ Colombia for interesting facts and woke me up with…Did you know that Colombia has this and did you know that Colombia has that ? After about the 10th Colombian fact, I was wide awake, and we thought, what a great way to educate and inform our family and friends about all the beautiful sides to a country, that unfortunately, is mostly known throughout the US and beyond for its sale of drugs..(which, by the way, are mostly purchased by Americans…NOT Colombians). Most Colombians are just trying to survive !! So—in honor of our daughter’s beautiful country, we wanted to share with you some undiscovered secrets of Colombia. We invite you to pass them on whenever you hear someone speaking negatively about this amazing country !!
• Since 1930, Colombia has experienced over 70 years of economic growth. It’s the only country in the world to do that.
• Colombia is the 5th largest provider of crude oil, and the largest provider of coal to the US.
• Ranks 4th in the world for palm oil production, drinking water supplies and nickel.
• World’s 3rd largest producer of bananas.
• Last year, 84% of the flowers imported to the US came from Colombia.
• The Neuroscience Director of NASA is Colombian Rodolfo Llinas.
• Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the most read novelist in the world !
• One of the most promising studies on Malaria was conducted by Colombian Scientists, and their study was donated to the World Health Organization.
• Painter and Sculptor Fernando Botero has exhibited his work at the Champs-Elysee in Paris, Central Park in NY, St. Mark’s Square in Venice and Paseo de Recoletos in Madrid.
• Most of you drink Colombian coffee daily !!

Wednesday, June 16, 2004 10:59 PM CDT

Un Otro Dia Bonito En Bogota !
Another Beautiful Day In Bogota !

We’d like to thank all of you have called and/or written to us since we arrived in Colombia. We appreciate all of your calls, emails and guestbook notes !! Our first night with Sergianni was pretty amazing. Otis and I slept lightly on and off throughout the night…just waiting for her to cry for her bottle. Hour after hour went by, and not a sound was heard. We kept looking at each other, then getting up and checking her to make sure all was well. As the morning light approached, we realized that she slept through the entire night! The words of my mother replayed over and over in my head...“Never wake a baby for its feeding at NIGHT..only in the day, as you don’t want them to get their days and nights mixed…and also—feed on demand !!” We were amazed. How could this happen…especially since it was her first night out of the orphanage ? We certainly don’t expect this to be a pattern yet, but were happy nevertheless. After returning from the Notary with our driver, Annette, we all went out to lunch at al-rawabi..the Lebanese Restaurant that has become famous for Fred Hammett’s favorite pizza. (Fred, check out the photo page). Afterwards, Betty drove Otis and I to check out a gym nearby and to get us setup if we want to work out, and then we were off to run errands. A few hours ago, Betty’s handsome husband Rafa, and our attorney, Dr. Polo came over. It was like an old homecoming. Dr. Polo was my sister’s attorney, and I have met him several times before, but hadn’t seen him in a couple of years. Yesterday morning as I was TRYING to sleep, Otis ‘googled’ Colombia for interesting facts and woke me up with…Did you know that Colombia has this and did you know that Colombia has that ? After about the 10th Colombian fact, I was wide awake, and we thought, what a great way to educate and inform our family and friends about all the beautiful sides to a country, that unfortunately, is mostly known throughout the US and beyond for its sale of drugs..(which, by the way, are mostly purchased by Americans…NOT Colombians). Most Colombians are just trying to survive !! So—in honor of our daughter’s beautiful country, we wanted to share with you some undiscovered secrets of Colombia. We invite you to pass them on whenever you hear someone speaking negatively about this amazing country !!
• Since 1930, Colombia has experienced over 70 years of economic growth. It’s the only country in the world to do that.
• Colombia is the 5th largest provider of crude oil, and the largest provider of coal to the US.
• Ranks 4th in the world for palm oil production, drinking water supplies and nickel.
• World’s 3rd largest producer of bananas.
• Last year, 84% of the flowers imported to the US came from Colombia.
• The Neuroscience Director of NASA is Colombian Rodolfo Llinas.
• Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the most read novelist in the world !
• One of the most promising studies on Malaria was conducted by Colombian Scientists, and their study was donated to the World Health Organization.
• Painter and Sculptor Fernando Botero has exhibited his work at the Champs-Elysee in Paris, Central Park in NY, St. mark’s Square in Venice and Paseo de Recoletos in Madrid.
• Most of you drink Colombian coffee daily !!

Wednesday, June 16, 2004 10:22 PM CDT

Un Otro Dia Bonito En Bogota !
Another Beautiful Day In Bogota !

We’d like to thank all of you have called and/or written to us since we arrived in Colombia. We appreciate all of your calls, emails and guestbook notes !! Our first night with Sergianni was pretty amazing. Otis and I slept lightly on and off throughout the night…just waiting for her to cry for her bottle. Hour after hour went by, and not a sound was heard. We kept looking at each other, then getting up and checking her to make sure all was well. As the morning light approached, we realized that she slept through the entire night! The words of my mother replayed over and over in my head...“Never wake a baby for its feeding at NIGHT..only in the day, as you don’t want them to get their days and nights mixed…and also—feed on demand !!” We were amazed. How could this happen…especially since it was her first night out of the orphanage ? We certainly don’t expect this to be a pattern yet, but were happy nevertheless. After returning from the Notary with our driver, Annette, we all went out to lunch at al-rawabi..the Lebanese Restaurant that has become famous for Fred Hammett’s favorite pizza. (Fred, check out the photo page). Afterwards, Betty drove Otis and I to check out a gym nearby and to get us setup if we want to work out, and then we were off to run errands. A few hours ago, Betty’s handsome husband Rafa, and our attorney, Dr. Polo came over. It was like an old homecoming. Dr. Polo was my sister’s attorney, and I have met him several times before, but hadn’t seen him in a couple of years. Yesterday morning as I was TRYING to sleep, Otis ‘googled’ Colombia for interesting facts and woke me up with…Did you know that Colombia has this and did you know that Colombia has that ? After about the 10th Colombian fact, I was wide awake, and we thought, what a great way to educate and inform our family and friends about all the beautiful sides to a country, that unfortunately, is mostly known throughout the US and beyond for its sale of drugs..(which, by the way, are mostly purchased by Americans…NOT Colombians). Most Colombians are just trying to survive !! So—in honor of our daughter’s beautiful country, we wanted to share with you some undiscovered secrets of Colombia. We invite you to pass them on whenever you hear someone speaking negatively about this amazing country !!
• Since 1930, Colombia has experienced over 70 years of economic growth. It’s the only country in the world to do that.
• Colombia is the 5th largest provider of crude oil, and the largest provider of coal to the US.
• Ranks 4th in the world for palm oil production, drinking water supplies and nickel.
• World’s 3rd largest producer of bananas.
• Last year, 84% of the flowers imported to the US came from Colombia.
• The Neuroscience Director of NASA is Colombian Rodolfo Llinas.
• Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the most read novelist in the world !
• One of the most promising studies on Malaria was conducted by Colombian Scientists, and their study was donated to the World Health Organization.
• Painter and Sculptor Fernando Botero has exhibited his work at the Champs-Elysee in Paris, Central Park in NY, St. mark’s Square in Venice and Paseo de Recoletos in Madrid.

Tuesday, June 15

EL DIA DE PRESENTACION !!
PRESENTATION DAY !!

Our day to meet our daughter has finally arrived. We know that all of our FANA family members know exactly the emotions we felt today. Although we didn’t fall asleep until after 1:30 AM, we were both wide awake very early this morning (typical for Otis who barely sleeps, NOT typical for me)! Betty brought the “Hair Lady” over for me before we left. She was great. Betty has all these interesting people come to the Residence for us, and they all have names such as, “The Hair Lady, The Nail Lady” etc… I am not joking…it’s the truth !! You get waited on hand and foot here ! We left Betty’s Place at 11:00 AM and went to FANA. After meeting with Elizabeth, the head nurse, and giving our presentation outfit to Marina to dress Sergianni, we waited about 20 minutes (but what seemed like longer), to meet her. Yes, we had butterflies ! The Flynn family from NYC received their son today too. He is beautiful !! (They are also staying at Betty’s Place). We were in the green room together, and took pictures of each other’s presentation. We were honored to have my buddy Betty present us with our daughter. The sight of seeing her walk in the room, along with Mercedes and Flor, and hand our little angel to us was overwhelming. My heart was so full of happiness I thought it might burst ! She was even more beautiful and sweet in person than in her picture…..and true to form, like a typical FANA baby, she was perfectly well behaved, curious and serene. It is impossible to put our emotions into words, but we felt so fortunate and blessed by God that He chose her for us. We are immensely thankful to Him. We could also never repay Mercedes and Jerri for making this dream come true. After we left FANA, we returned to Betty’s Place for lunch, then went to the store to buy Sergianni’s formula. We spent the afternoon with the Flynns, Shari and Pat (who also have an adorable 7 year old son Alex) just hanging out. It’s a perfect match---Shari and I talk babies and Bogotá; Otis and Pat talk Jeter and A-Rod ! They are both Yankee fanatics. Pat lives in NY now, and Otis grew up down the street from Yankee Stadium. Tonight, we had Okenis and Niccy’s famous empanadas. Is there anything these 2 beautiful Colombianas cannot do ? I have missed both of them so much. Otis feels like he knows them, as each time I have been here, I return talking about them non-stop. Mujeres especiales !!!! Well, tomorrow we will be meeting with Annette, our driver, at 11:00 to go to the notary, and spend the rest of the day doting on Sergianni. Thank you to everyone who called us tonight !! You kept Niccy very busy running back and forth to get us !! See all of you tomorrow. Much love xxoo

Friday, May 28, 2004 7:44 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,
Last night we received the shock of our lives, when my sister, brother-in-law and beautiful niece (Cheryl, Kyle and Mariah Storie) arrived at our house at 11:30 P.M. with the news of our new baby ! It was pure joy, laughter, screaming, tears and complete disbelief ! As you might imagine, not much has changed in the past 24 hours ! Hopefully tomorrow we will begin to come out of our fog. We are currently working on completing our documents as quickly as possible, so we can go to Bogota and meet our daughter. We will be leaving in about 2 weeks. We learned yesterday that her birth name is Linda Isabel. We wanted to keep one of her given names, so we chose Linda, as this is also the name of Otis' mother. We are also very happy that our 2 beautiful nieces from Colombia (Mariah and Natalie Storie) will now have a cousin from FANA too. We'd like to thank God for giving us this miracle in our lives, and for his His infinite knowledge, and thank you, once again, to our family and friends, and to our special group of friends in the February 2003 group. We will be anxiously waiting to hear word of YOUR referral, and hope it is soon so we can be together in Bogota. We look forward to sharing our adventure with you.

Debbie and Otis

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