"Cambio de Sentido"

Although I haven't blogged about our adoption process in a long time, there have been many changes. I primarily didn't blog, because things were changing day-to-day. However, we appear to have weathered the storm, for now, so I thought it was the right time to blog once again.

Just to recap, this is what has happened in the last 6 months (the 2-second version). We were adopting from Peru; Peru rejected us; We switched to Ecuador; Peru accepted us back; We proceeded with concurrent adoptions in Peru & Ecuador...

Then, everything reached a screaming halt.

I have thought long and hard about writing this next sentence, but I ultimately concluded that I would, because it really does give the complete and accurate picture of our journey to expand our family... I found out I was pregnant, and several days later miscarried.

The pregnancy sent us into a tail-spin, and dichotomy of emotions..... First, the shock of pregnancy, which likely would have eliminated one of the adoptions. (Adopting 2 children was, for us, akin to being pregnant with twins...) Second, the JOY of being pregnant (biologically)! Third, the shock and grief of the miscarriage, which is simply beyond words. Fourth, the uncertainty about what to do next....

The best advice we received through all of this, came from our adoption agency. Jean, our angel at CHSFS, told us simply that there is 'no rush'. For those of us who know us, we really are borderline impulsive [at least we are able to admit it :) ], and we LOVE to live in the moment. So, this was a lesson in taking a step back---digesting all the information, emotions, grief, fears, and hopes---and not rushing.

By stepping back, we were able to see the whole picture, and really try to investigate & internalize God's plan for us. And quite frankly, we may not 'get' the whole picture right now, but we are trying our very hardest to listen to our hearts and our heads.

And...this is where we are at right now: We are proceeding with the Peruvian adoption, full steam ahead (well, its actually a snail's pace, but at least we are proceeding). We are going to put the Ecuadorian adoption on hold for now, for a myriad of reasons I'm not going to delve into right now, but suffice to say the decision came after much contemplation, soul-searching, and prayer.

**Side Note**: In the midst of all of this chaos, Peru has instructed us to amend our Psychological Report to address some hot topics, such as "Subjects of Frequent Argument", "How We Handle Stressful Situations" (are they trying to be funny?), "Our Social Network", etc etc. We were joking with our Psychologist about these bureaucratic requirements (while admiring his 12-page, stellar response to their inquiries), and he said he can't imagine what Peru could possibly want to know about next. My response: Perhaps they will want a detailed psycho-analysis of our passion for the Brewers, and our general disdain for the Cubs? His response: That, right there, qualifies you to adopt! :)

Amigos, in closing, we are taking things day by day, living in the present, thoroughly enjoying our princesita Marcella, and our Milwaukee Brewers!!!!!!!!!! We hope this blog entry finds you also savoring the present moment, and appreciating this amazing journey called life!