WE ARE OUT!!!!!!!!

You heard me right, we are OUT of PGN!!!!!!!

After a few days of ups and downs (long story for another time) we received THE call from our agency stating "You can breathe easy now, Mayra (our lawyer) has the approved file in hand."

Just to clarify - OUT from PGN means that our entire paperwork (from the very beginning) has been accepted, reviewed and APPROVED by the Guatemalan government. This part of the process is the most excruciating wait. With no rhyme or reason as to how or when they review the paperwork, and knock cases out for minor and petty details (remember back in September we survived a knock-out), PGN can either make or break the stamina and endurance of adoptive families. Many have endured and still continue to endure literally months to years of waiting to get OUT of PGN. Please continue to remember these families in your prayers. Believe me, they need it more than I could ever express to you. Waiting to hear you are OUT of PGN is indescribable and can bring you to such low levels of despair. So, to all my PGN buddies out there - Sending you hugs and encouragement to keep your hearts and mind focused on what life will be like when you are holding you little ones. Please! Don't let PGN (or any other part of this crazy process) replace the joy and excitement that we OWE to our children.

Our agency has told us to expect to travel within 3 to 5 weeks. We should know a more definitive date as the time gets closer. Here is what needs to happen now:

Final Adoption Decree signed
(Birth mothers 4th and final signature)
A new Birth Certificate is requested and entered into the Civil Registry
A 2nd DNA test is done (to ensure that Anthony has been the same baby all along)
Passport for Anthony is issued (needed to come home to the U.S.)
United States Embassy in Guatemala issues a pink slip with the date and time we are to appear

As you can imagine, each one of these steps could take days or weeks. Typically, the longest part of all of the above will be waiting for the 2nd DNA results. They are taken and then sent to Labcorp. in the states and then sent back to Guatemala. We are also mindful that January is a very transitional month for Guatemala - they have a new President taking office on the 14th and post-holiday vacations for all government workers seems to be planned. So, we wait more. Just a LITTLE more this time.

But for the first time since we began this journey, I can finally say with ABSOLUTE confidence - ANTHONY IS COMING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!