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Samuel Javier Antonio In love He predestined us to be adopted as His children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will. -Ephesians 1:5 
WE ARE COMING HOME!!!
Born: February 4, 2003 Weight: 6 lbs. 4 oz. Length: 19 inches At the Annual FANA Membership Meeting on March 29th Matt and Katie Giansante, our buddy couple, surprised us with the news of our son!!! What an awesome night that was!
Journal
Tuesday, May 20, 2003 9:51 PM CDT NEW PHOTOS!!!
The first photo pictures me feeding Sammy just a few hours after we brought him home from FANA. His hands were clenched shut for almost a day or so until he eventually felt more at home. By the following Wednesday he was at ease and throwing orders around in his own baby-talk.
The second photo shows the beautiful flowers that Colombia has to offer. It was a Mother's Day surprise. Next to Holland, Colombia exports more flowers than any other country in the world.
The third picture depicts Barb holding Samuel for the very first time at FANA. He was presented to us in the famous Green Room on April 21, 2003. It was an amazing experience!
Now an update on the Antonio's misadventures in Colombia :). Yesterday, Monday, was a very busy day for us. All three of us were taxied by Maria Teresa, another driver filling in for Annette, to the American Embassy at 8:30am. I had consummed a large glass of orange juice, a deep bowl of sliced watermellon and two cups of coffee for breakfast-- so you can imagine how I reacted upon finding almost a mile-long line of people waiting at the gate. I immediately took a deep breath and asked Maria Teresa for the bathroom. She told me they were inside the Embassy. After a wait that seemed like an endless eternity, I bolted for the restroom and rescued my weeping bladder. For a minute there I thought I might have to swear Sammy in as a US citizen crossing my legs!
After the clerk checked over our documents, Maria Teresa brought us back to Betty's. I had to return later at 3pm with Annette in order to pick up Sammy's visa. Once Sammy touches American soil, he becomes a US citizen!!! We are sooooooo excited!
After this final step of the process, Annette was kind enough to drive me to the Continental office-- one last try at switching to an earlier flight. Unfortunately, the Continental associate informed me that there was only ONE seat available on a Tuesday flight to Buffalo. I asked him if both my wife and my son could sit on my lap for the price of one ticket. He just looked at me as if I was a crazy or something. I told him I wasn't crazy, just cheap.
Today Barb and I went shopping--oh joy! (I get more excited picking out my socks in the morning!). Anyways, we scaled the entire Unicentro Mall in search of the perfect gold chain for Barb's emerald. We found a very nice one at Casa Estrella department store.
We also had lunch at a very good Lebanese restaurant (No, this is not a place just for gay women--LOL) around the corner from Betty's. Barb ordered tabule, tahini and humous. I polished off the specialty of the house-- Camel brains....mmmmmm yummy! After the meal I had a chance to speak with the owner who is actually from the Middle East. I asked him why there are no Walmarts in Iraq. He replied "because there is a Target on every corner". Ohhhhh come on! That was a good one!
Barb spent much of the afternoon packing while I worked on my hopelessly tasteless jokes. Mark and Debby invited us to join them at Carbon de Palo for one last steak-out. The steaks there are unbelievable! It is a very relaxed atmosphere and very slow paced. Mark had an interesting experience in the bathroom-- he mistakenly washed his hands with mouthwash and cleaned his face with Clorox bleach! You'll have to ask him for the details. I'm not one to gossip or exaggerate....LOL
The cab ride home was an experience (as it always is!). Apparently, instead of stealing your stereo, Colombians break into cabs to steal all the passenger seat head-rests! Consequently, poor Mark, who sat in the front of the taxi, resembled a bobble on the commute home!
Sammy had a poor night sleep on Sunday, however last night slept much better. Sunday he woke up crying about every two hours. We think too much gas brought this on. Sammy has had a consistent "gas" problem for a few weeks now. (The BAD news is that the "gas" keeps our poor little guy up at night. The GOOD news is I finally have someone to "frame" when Barb gives me those disgusted looks... LOL)
Last night he slept nine hours straight through. We were glad that he felt better. Sometimes when he cries in the middle of the night, Barb or I will lay him on the bed to check his diaper. No lie.... as soon as we lay him down, he looks up at us with a mischievious grin on his face as if communicating "Ah, you suckers!!!" I think our son loves to see us running around tending to his needs-- it gives him a good chuckle! He has "a little" of his dad in him after all.
We are very grateful for all your love and support over this very long process- pursuing adoption, the actual process and our pilgrimage to FANA. Your prayers have meant a lot to Barbara and me. We especially want to thank God for His divine providence. We have learned through this experience that there is a reason for everything. We are greatful that the Lord has blessed us with the means to provide a loving home to a beautiful child. And we are also grateful for His gift of grace. Without His free undeserved gift of adoption into His heavenly family, we would be nothing. We give all the glory to a God that is so tolerant and patient that He even overlooks my corny jokes.
We want to thank Mercedes for starting it all, Jerri for keeping the torch lit, Betty for tending to our needs, Annette for guiding us through the legal process, Alicia for carrying for Sammy when we couldn't take him outside the residence, Leydis and Okenis for filling our tummies with the best Colombian food ever, and Elizabeth the head nurse at FANA for loving our son the first two months of his life. There are many others but the list would run too long for this website. We have/will thank these other key-players in person. We are very gratfeul for the opportunity to be part of the FANA family. God is using FANA to do some very extraordinary things.
Hey, don't forget to get out there and plant some trees on Arbour day! Yes, Arbour day! I just can't contain myself!!! Hold onto to your hats Dave & Shari Anderson, we're off to the attic to fetch all our Arbour day decorations!
OK..... it's late!
See you at the airport on Thursday at 9:40 pm!!!
The Antonio's
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Hospital Information: FANA (Fundacion para la Adoptacion de la ninez abandonada)
Santa fe de Bogota, Colombia
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