Our Last Adoption Post!

After 4 years, 1 month, 1 week and 3 days our adoption journey has finally come to an end! When we submitted our adoption paperwork and dossier on September 5, 2005, we had no idea that our journey would lead us here...4 years later! But it's like everyone says, when you finally get your child you can't imagine having any other one. He was knit together in his biological mother's womb, but he was created for us. It hasn't been an easy road, but one filled with doubt and impatience and non-understanding. But even when we are filled with doubt, impatience and unfaithfulness, God is certain, patient and faithful. And we are thankful beyond measure that God has given us Cohen.

Since our adoption journey has come to an end, this will be my last post on the adoption blog. From this point on I will post only on my other blog www.samandemilyjackson.blogspot.com. Before signing off though for the last time, I just can't thank everyone enough. To our family and friends who have stuck by us through this, who have walked along side of us in the hardest times, and rejoiced with us during our best times - we could not have made this journey without you. You were our patience when we had none, you were our faithfulness when we doubted, you were the ears we complained to, and you were the shoulders we cried on. We truly could not have done this without your love, support, encouragement and prayers. We love all of you!

Much Love,

Sam, Emily & Cohen

An Unexpected Surprise!

I guess the saying is correct: all you need to do to lose weight is eat less and move more. I didn't have access to a scale the whole time I was in Colombia, so I was a little scared when I stepped on when I got home. The food served at the B&B is exactly healthy. Most meals consisted of a fried meat of some sort and rice and potatoes...very HEAVY and very starchy. But I ate three meals a day and very little snacking. Also, we walked somewhere almost every day. The result: I actually lost about 13 pounds while in Colombia. Hopefully, I won't lose the momentum!

Things I Apparently Need To Re-Learn:

One wouldn't think that being gone from home for a month would result in that difficult of a re-adjustment period. Apparently for me, however, there are quite a few things I need to re-learn. Here are a few:

#1: How to go to the bathroom - after I used the bathroom here at home for the first time after I got back, I threw the potty paper into the waste basket instead of the toilet. (No paper goes in the toilets in Colombia.)

#2 How to brush my teeth - I went to get a glass of filtered water the first time I went to brush my teeth.

#3 How to take a shower - I don't need to let the shower run for five minutes to get hot.

#4 How to make lunch - I went to pop in a Lean Cuisine lunch into the microwave (just as I have every day for like a year) and I couldn't for the life of me remember how long to cook it.

#5 How to get dressed - I looked through every single drawer in our dresser before I found my underwear.

#6 How to use the computer - After a month of typing on my mini computer, I can apparently no longer type on my full size lap top. It's like my fingers are twice their size and I hit all of the wrong keys.

Last Night at the B&B!

While I was busy packing, Cohen had to entertain himself! Poor little feller is so tired, he tries to free his blankie from his crib!


He just loves crawling into small places! But then he gets stuck and can't get out and starts crying!

The Loooong Rode Home

Andres (our driver) picked us up from the hotel at 6:15 a.m. to get to the airport in time for our 9:30 a.m. flight. I was so anxious and nervous the night before that I woke up at 4:15 a.m. and could not go back to sleep, so I got up and started getting ready. I was ready by 4:45 (I had packed everything the night before) so I just sat there in the dark until I got Cohen up at 5:30 a.m. And let me tell you, the kid does NOT like to be woken up! So everything went fine at the Bogota airport (no problems getting him through) and we actually had a really good flight from Bogota to Atlanta. I was able to get a row of three seats for us in the back, so he actually lay down and slept for about 1 1/2 hours (while I watched Land of the Lost :-)

We got into the Atlanta airport about 3:30 p.m. local time. I had to wait about an hour in the immigration line only to be told I had to go to a "special" room to have his papers processed. Well, by that time Cohen was pretty fussy (just sitting in his stroller for an hour) so when we got into the room, I took him out of his stroller and set him on the ground to play. Soon after, this giant (big and tall) African American security guy (who looked about 23) walks in, looks down at the baby and shouts, "Whatch yo' baby doin' on the flo'?" I kind of tried to laugh it off and I said, "Oh, well you know, it's better than the alternative of him screaming." He then says (just as loudly) "Don't you know that flo' is dirty! There's germs all over it...there's swine flu all over the flo'!" Awkward! At any rate, a few minutes later and a few stamps on his papers and *poof* Cohen was officially a U.S. citizen!

After we got through immigration and customs I found a place for us to sit down so Cohen could get out of his stroller. I set Cohen down on the ground and unbelievably he just took off in a full crawl!!! Now, just the day before, Cohen was still doing his army scoot thing where he'd kick up his legs like a frog and then go flat on his stomach between each crawl "step." So you can imagine my surprise when I set him down, and he takes off crawling just like he's been doing it all along! I thought it was hysterical that as soon as he became and U.S. citizen and stepped onto U.S. soil, he started crawling!!! :-)

So we were supposed to have a five hour layover in Atlanta, but as most of you know, our flight home from Atlanta was delayed quite a bit due to bad weather. It was supposed to leave at 8:33 p.m. but we didn't get off the ground until after 10:00 p.m.! Cohen had a total meltdown at the terminal gate around 8:30 because he was hungry and tired. I took him screaming and crying into a Starbucks, thinking I was going to have to try to talk them into giving me hot water, but one look at him and they were ready to give me practically anything to get him out of there!

We finally got on the plane and Cohen was still very fussy. He was so tired, he was having trouble letting himself fall asleep...he would nod off but then wake up and start crying. At one point the lady in front of me (who appeared to be a bit Bohemian) turned around and gave me a cotton ball soaked with Lavender oil. She said it would soothe and calm him. Well, I tucked the cotton ball between him and me on my chest, and the next thing I knew, I could barely keep my eyes open! I guess it worked, because he fell asleep soon after!

Finally, we landed in Indy around 11:30 p.m. and were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a big group of friends and family! It was so good to see everybody after such a long day! Thanks for coming so late to the airport! I can't believe we're finally home! We can't thank you all enough for all of your prayers and support, especially with the difficulties of the last few days!

Preparing for take off - Safety First!

That's surely my kid! Love the Sky Mall!

Nap time!

Ahhh, we've landed in Atlanta and are through customs and immigration! When we went through the security check point, they made me take Cohen's shoes off too! Of course, he promptly removed his socks!

Us standing between the Colombian and American flags! (That's the Colombian flag second from the left - gold, blue and red striped.)

Hanging at the terminal gate.


I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PICTURE! Thanks to everyone who welcomed us at the airport! From left to right: Robyn, Russ, Shannon, Michele, Sam, Em, Ann, Dan, Aaron, Kristen, and Shelli - we love you guys!

First time in a car seat! Sleepy baby!

ALL DONE!!!

This morning at 9:00 a.m. I got a call from the Embassy saying that Cohen's visa was finally ready! A little ironic, I thought, considering it was finished a half an hour before my original flight was to leave! Oh well. David (our interpreter) said that it would only take about 45 minutes to an hour, so I decided to leave Cohen at the hotel while I went to get the visa. There's a family here from Cicero (just 3 miles from our house!) who are adopting three siblings, and there's another family here from Spain who are adopting a baby girl just one week younger than Cohen. Well, I was a little nervous about leaving him, but the Cicero family said they'd watch him and Elisa (the Spanish mom) said she'd keep an eye on him too. Well, we were at the embassy for a little longer than expected and then I needed to stop by a store to try to find a cheap umbrella stroller. I could kick myself for not bringing ours, but when I thought it would be me AND mom carrying him around the airport it didn't seem that daunting. But now that I'm bringing him home myself, I was really worried about lugging his chubby, non-walking self around the airport for that long! (The little feller weighs 25 pounds!) So by the time I got back to the hotel, about two hours had passed, and I was a little nervous about how Cohen would be doing. Well, I needn't have worried...when I came in the door, practically every adult in the house was hovering over him and playing with him! The Cicero family, the Spanish family, some of the ladies who work here...this kid is going to be spoiled rotten!!! :-)
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At any rate, I have all of the documents I need to leave the country and enter the U.S. with Cohen. So barring an earthquake, mudslide, or some other act of God (nothing would surprise me at this point!) we will be coming home tomorrow after being in Colombia for 4 weeks and 1 day! For those of you who have been asking, here's my flight info: We leave Bogota at 9:30 a.m. on Delta #444 arriving in Atlanta at 3:38 p.m. local time. We leave ATL on Delta #5980 at 8:33 p.m. and arrive in Indy at 10:08 p.m. If we get through immigration in time, I'm going to see if I can get on stand-by for the flight that leaves for Indy at 6:30 p.m. Right now it's full though, so I probably won't be able to get on it. But if it does work out, it would put us in Indy around 8:30 p.m.

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Once again thanks for all of you who I know have been praying without ceasing for us! It's been a long journey (4 years, 1 month, 1 week and 3 days...but who's counting!) and we really appreciate everyone who has walked along side of us! We are so grateful for all of your support and encouragement! Hope to see you all soon!

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Cohen holding his Colombian passport and visa!

Finally! The visa packet!!!

Miscellaneous Pics!

Playing in the back yard of the B&B

On top of Monserrate

At a nearby park

I promise the kid does like me! Every picture I have of the two of us, he's got this same sour look on his face! Sam says it's because I'm the only one who can make him laugh for pictures. I guess...but I still wish I had a picture of him smiling with me!

This picture was taken on 10/8/09...the day we officially adopted Cohen!