SENTENCIA!!!!

After the signing, Dad, the judge, Kariana and I.


The judge having fun with Kariana.

Martha (replacing Cecilia while she is on vacation) and Kariana.

Papa and Kariana waiting for the judge to come.

Yesterday we finally got "the" call that we have been waiting for for weeks. Sentencia!!! Our agency worker called around noon to let me know that the judge was ready to sign and our appointment was for today (Thursday) at 11 am. You cannot believe the emotions after that phone call. I just wanted to scream and jump and down! Finally!!! Because of the court we were now in, I was told that I needed to bring a cake, Coke, glasses, plates, and forks besides the usual passport and other paperwork. Of course, I had to let Kerry know right away by email. Then, since it was lunch time anyway, Dad and I took off for the grocery store for some lunch and the required party gear. We picked out a yummy chocolate tort cake, a large bottle of Coke, and the rest of the stuff and headed back to the hotel to wait for today! It poured rain all afternoon anyway so we just hung around the hotel. I wanted to post the really good news but I was so afraid I would jinx it that I decided to wait until today when the deed was done.

This morning we were at breakfast when I got a phone call from our agency worker who told me our appointment was moved up to 10 and the driver would be there in 45 minutes. Good thing we were almost ready anyway and getting this show on the road was fine by me! After we got to the courthouse, we were led into the judge’s office. Everyone in the office was coming in to talk to and admire Kariana while we waited for the judge.

The whole “ceremony” was very nice. The judge obviously believed in making the day important. We have heard stories where in other courts, the parents go and sign the papers standing at a counter and don’t even meet the judge. Talk about an anti-climatic moment that is one of the most important in that family’s life. The judge made a little speech about thanking us for adopting her and how today is the day she found her real mom and her real dad. He wrote Kerry and I a letter that is suppose to be from Kariana saying many of those same things. I had to sign his book and promise to send family pictures and updates. Then the whole office had cake and Coke with us and we took pictures. It was very special. Kariana was totally awesome. She slept in the car on the way there and was totally smiling and cooing at everyone in the office. She was really animated when the judge was telling us how lucky we all were. So now she is legally ours! Although I have considered her ours since we first saw her picture, now its legal!

From there, we went to the notary to get the new birth certificate. Usually you apply for the new certificate and pick it up the next day but we were able to get the new birth certificate immediately. Because it was only 12:30 when we were done, Martha decided we should go get the passport right away since they didn’t close until 2 pm. We went there, got her pictures taken, pushed to the front of the line because we had a baby, and had a passport 30 minutes later. Since we now had the passport, Martha went ahead and made the appointment for the U.S. doctor for 4 pm today. After grabbing a quick lunch and hitting the bank, we went to the doctor who said what we already know: she’s perfect! She gained 2 pounds since we got her and is a whopping 15 lbs now. She is a little on the small size, 25th percentile, but otherwise is very healthy. When the doctor was examine her, he stood her up and she somehow managed to both pee and spit up on him AT THE SAME TIME. We all kind of stood there in shock. It was so funny. She hadn’t spit up the entire day and chose that moment to do it.

The day ended up being long and busy but now everything is done except for applying and getting the visa. Unfortunately, you can’t apply for the visa on a Friday so that has to wait until Monday, pick it up on Tuesday, and home on Wednesday. So tomorrow we have off since we crammed everything in today. I’m glad everything is done and ready to go so I can change my flights. Let the countdown begin to the plane ride home!

Kariana was such a trooper all day. She only got a few naps that were about 20 minutes each but she was still happy and go-lucky the entire day. I can’t believe how good she was. She charms people wherever we go, even our drivers were totally taken with her.

Feeling great in Bogota,
Cresta