Baby no more

In less than a week our baby girl, Ana Lucia Alejandra, will turn 3 years old. Unbelievable.

All five of our children have a beautiful story of the first time I met them. I met two of my children in a hospital operating room as the doctor lifted them from my body during a c-section delivery. One son I met in the lobby of a hotel in Guatemala City. Another son I met sitting poolside at a hotel in Antigua, Guatemala. I met our baby girl in Villa Nueva, Guatemala at her foster mother's home. She was just six days old.

In November 2005, Katie (our oldest daughter) traveled with me to Guatemala. Katie turned 11 the previous June, and one of her birthday presents was a trip to Guatemala with Mom. At that time I traveled to Guatemala several times/year to do some work for an adoption agency. I would visit the children in process of being adopted and take photos and video for the waiting families. It is one of the coolest jobs I have ever had. Over several days I would see anywhere from 40 - 70 children. This involved:

*asking specific questions through my translator, collecting medical updates, and taking notes to report back to the agency and adopting families

*delivering care packages from the adopting families

*meeting the foster mothers

*cuddling and loving on all those kids

These trips were definitely my favorite part of that job!

This particular trip was special for two reasons. First, Katie accompanied me and was my right-hand assistant. She loved holding the babies and seeing more of the real Guatemala. Secondly, our family had started the process for our 3rd adoption, and I was hand-delivering our paperwork to the agency staff. We were ready to accept a referral (be matched with a child).

During the trip I received a message from the director of the agency stating there was a newborn baby girl who had been relinquished for adoption. While all of her paperwork was not yet complete, which meant she may not qualify for an international adoption, the director wondered if I would like to see her. You see, we were the next family in line to receive a referral. So if all of the baby's paperwork and medical information was satisfactory she could possibly be matched with our family. I needed only a nanosecond to agree to see the baby. I did not tell Katie that this infant could possibly be placed with our family. I simply told her that we had to see one more baby for the agency. I also was not sure if my translator/driver and the foster mother knew that this baby could possibly be our referral. To everyone around me I was simply seeing the baby for the agency and taking photos/video.

We were taken to the foster home where the baby lived. As we drove through the city and out to Villa Nueva my mind was reeling. I just remember silently praying for composure. I remember thinking to myself "I may be walking into a home and meeting my future daughter".

Arriving at the home, I gathered my cameras and paperwork. Upon being welcomed into the home I was introduced to the foster mother and the birth mother. Sleeping in a carseat sitting on a table was the sweetest little 6-day old newborn baby - Lucia Alejandra Vasquez Juarez. At this moment, time stood still.

I began the process of gathering information which I needed to complete for the agency. I took a few pictures. I couldn't stand it any longer. "May I hold her?" I asked.

I am certain my heart skipped a beat when the baby was placed in my arms. I'll never forget the moment I first held my daughter...before she was my daughter. I was given the opportunity to feed her a bottle - called a pacha in Guatemala. I then took a few more photos and finished the paperwork. I was keenly aware that I could not stay for too long. However, as we finished the meeting and left to return to Guatemala City so many thoughts were running through my head. Everything from "I may never see this baby again" to "she may become our daugter" were haunting me. Admitting that the whole experience was surreal is an understatement.

As we drove back to the city I had a momentary panic. I could not remember the baby's name! Was it Luisa? Was it Lucia? Thank goodness I had written it down in my paperwork.

Once we arrived back at the hotel in Guatemala City, I asked our driver if I could get him a drink or a meal for his drive back home. This kind gentleman also worked for our agency. He asked for only a beverage so Katie went into the hotel to buy one. Pedro wisely waited until Katie was out of our sight then asked me "Aimee, do you think your family would be interested in adopting Lucia?"

The journey had begun. I'll share more throughout the coming birthday week. For now, here is a photo I shot of Katie and Ana Lucia on that precious day.