Click on more for info on joining a Yahoo group specifically designed as a support group for in-process families. This has to be an incredibly stressful time for all of you and any help you can get is a good idea. Public forums and sites like ours do that in part but sometmes the less-public nature of an e-mail group is better. Guatadopt is not involved with this group, we're jjust spreading the word.
Posted on behalf of the group moderator:
This Group is primarily for those in-process in Guatemala. This Group is a safe place for you to vent, share and receive support so you can survive the huge amount of trauma in your life from this adoption! If you are not in-process, please let me know why you are applyng and we will determine on a case-by-case basis whether or not to approve membership.
AGENCY/PROFESSIONALS: Normally, I would not open this group to professionals, but I will leave it up to the members. Your application will be put before the membership prior to approval.
This Group is moderated by a veteran moderator of the Yahoo Post-Adoption Depression Syndrome Group and a local Guatemala Adoption Family group. (I am a homeschooling mom of three children from Guatemala, two adopted in 1999/2000 and one adopted in spite of the 2003 Hague debacle. The picture is one of my sweeties!)
to join, visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EstamosEsperando/
I am in process adopting a little 4 year old girl. I just recieved an OUT but my case is at a stand still due to complications.
Posted by: Mandy at January 28, 2008 02:04 PMAs a parent of two adopted children from Ecuador and GautamalaI would recommend that waiting parents start journaling their frustrations. We did and we were able to see the hand of God at work in helping us in the process of waiting. Once your child comes home you will have a permanent record to share with your child who will likely cherish it as long as he/she lives.
Posted by: Todd at January 28, 2008 03:32 PMI would welcome ideas, experiences, frustrations from others who are in process. My file entered PGN on Nov 6, ko'd twice, the last time on Jan 11. This now means we must get registered with CA, then hope to get resubmitted to PGN, only to wait the 8 weeks again. And all the while, my DD grows, experiences, learns without me. Very frustrating!
Posted by: Carol at January 28, 2008 07:16 PMIt' s very cold outside ( we live in the North East )and last time I could have a full night of sleep was back in october. Not because of the weather conditions but because of the problems with the adoptions in Guatemala. I am not a very religious person but lately when I can not sleep, that happens every night, I talk to the Creator, to the Great Architect. I do not know if He has time to listen to me. Probably He is tired and wants to sleep at night time; or may be He hasn't any time for me, being already busy with the other parents adopting from Guatemala and from other Country in the world. But I do think that if He does not help us we are all in an ocean of problems. It's 20 past mid-night, I go back upstair to trying to sleep, hoping that this coming wednesday will be the great day to finally enter the PGN.
Buena noche y paz a todos.
Vince
Posted by: vince at January 29, 2008 12:32 AMIs anyone able to prescribe Xanax?
Just kidding, but seriously, some medication might be helpful.
Posted by: teri at January 29, 2008 10:33 AMTeri~
A nice bottle of red wine is good therapy too. (Just kidding everyone) :-)
The emotional roller coaster has been rough. I'm starting to become sad when I get pictures of my son because I'm missing so much of his life. I want the smile that is in his pictures to be for me (great...I'm getting choked up AGAIN). Gotta go look for that red wine....
Posted by: Shanski at January 29, 2008 12:51 PMMy husband & I are in the process of adopting 3 sibling children from Guatemala. This has been a very stressful time for us but more for our children. Our oldest just turned 16 this month, which for most would be the cutoff time to be adopted at all, but since there are 2 younger siblings she can still be adopted until the age of 18. We met the kids during 2 separate mission trips and since have traveled back to Guatemala 2 more times to spend time with them. She has access to a computer from time to time and we can catch up with each other through instant messenger. I really cherish the communication we are able to have with older kids but think the hardest part is the number of times she asks when we will be coming to bring her home. It breaks my heart to tell her we have no idea how much longer and I know it would be devastating if they knew how uncertain everything really is. We are in family court now, received pre-approval for 2 of our kids on 1/12 and received the 3rd pre-approval yesterday. While we wait, we continue to pray and make preparations for their homecoming. We know that God will make a way and we are relying on him completely.
Posted by: Kathy at January 29, 2008 02:18 PMKathy,
May I ask what your situation/process is for adopting 3 kids, especially a 16 year old? Are they in an orphanage? How long has your process been? We are in process for our 1st child--pretty standard, thru a great agency. I could imagine us adopting an older child at some point, though, and would be interested in your experience.
thanks,
LeAnn
We have an aweful facilitator in Guatemala and an agency in the US that just doesn't seem to care. Our adoption has been in process for almost 4 years. We have lost one child, then it took another year for us to get "the next available infant". Now our son is 16 months old. We have been in and out of PGN twice. Now we are still waiting to be resubmitted. Our facilitator said our file was resubmitted again but they can not produce the reciept. Does anyone know how to contact PGN directly?
Posted by: Shannon at March 10, 2008 11:36 PM