CJs Daddy

Before getting OUT, it had been a while since we’ve accomplished a big important step in this process. Now, somehow we’ve accomplished several steps in a matter of 7 days. Today we found out we are Orange!

What the heck does that mean? Well Orange is sortof a pre-pink, a relatively new step in the Guatemala adoption world. It means the US Embassy has our file and has issued authorization for Carmen’s 2nd DNA test. This step is necessary to prove that Carmen remains Carmen, meaning no funny business has taken place since the first test. Once the lab verifies this and notifies the Embassy, they will issue “Pink” which literally means they sign us up for an appointment and say, “come on down”!!! It should take about a week to 10 days from now to learn the exact dates of our trip to bring home Carmen, which will be 1-2 weeks from that point. Thus, about 3 weeks till our appointment, 4 tops!. One nifty feature of Pink: it literally arrives via e-mail - ala E-Pink.

It also means we’ve breezed past a few other biggies. Carmen’s natural mom signed the final paperwork, her home-town issued a new birth certificate with our name (commentary withheld for later), and the Guatemalan gov’t has issued her a passport - which is very cool if you think about it. At this point, it’s all in the hands of the embassy and the lab testing her DNA. Things are going bonkers around here now - the red head can’t say or do hardly anything without trembling, crying, laughing, or gasping.

Bottom line - all of this means Carmen is officially our daughter! We are her legal parents at this very moment! Of course, we’ve got all kinds of paperwork signed that allow certain people in Guatemala to continue to act on our behalf, but you get the idea.

I’ve got another FAQ in the works, outlining what exactly will happen while we’re in Guatemala and shortly after we bring Carmen home. But right now, I’m just plumb tuckered. It’s a shame I don’t expect a wink of sleep tonight.

Oh - one more thing. What’s with the $100? That’s the amount charged to our card this morning that first clued us in that the DNA authorization had taken place. Once we saw that, we knew all of the prior steps had to have been completed.

That hundred bucks was literally the signal that I am now officially what I’ve felt I have been in my heart for many months.

What I’ve longed to be since that day in October of 2006 when the Read Head and I first dreamt of a little black haired - brown eyed girl from Guatemala.

What I’ve longed to be since I first heard about a baby from a tiny village in Southern Guatemala who might need a home.

What I’ve longed to be since I first saw her on N’s lap in the lobby of a hotel with my wife next to me and our dear friend capturing the moment in moving pictures.

What I’ve longed to be since I watched her stare at red hair and green eyes like she’d never seen anything quite so amazing.

What I’ve longed to be since I first held her with one hand on her butt and one behind her head.

What I’ve longed to be since I so expertly removed a stinky diaper from under her, and replaced it with a new one.

What I’ve longed to be since I first zerberted her chubby cheeks and belly button.

What I’ve longed to be while experiencing the struggles of my fellow adoptive parents as we held (and continue to hold) steadfast to the belief that God does great things for us no matter how bleak things may seem.

What I’ve longed to be.

I am…

CJ’s Daddy.

Posted on February 14th, 2008 by CJs Daddy
Filed under: Adoption, CJ, Guatemala, Thoughts