Hanging Out in Guatemala & Turning 1 Today!

We've been pretty busy for the last few days. Yesterday we had our 7:15 am Embassy appointment. That was a lovely time, 2 1/2 hours in a hot, crowded government office waiting to undergo 2, three minute interviews. Emmy was nuts and quite the handful. Aidan was fine as long as Dave was holding him.

He definitely was not liking me the last 2 days. When Dave would try to hand him to me he would thrash backwards and burst into tears! My guess is it's because he knows I'm the replacement for his foster mother. I've been feeding him so he knows who butters the bread around here, but I'm more than happy to let him feel safe with Dave.

After the Embassy we came back and went to the pool (per Emmy's every ten minute request). We went to a crepe restaurant for dinner. Emmy had noodles so she was happy. We got back to the room and at one point we were all four sitting on the bed, laughing and playing...a dream come true.

Today has been much better. Aidan has been grinning and really interacting with us. During breakfast as I was feeding him, he was grinning at me and letting me look him in the eye. My heart melts.

While we were eating the waiter asked how old Emmy was and she told him "Tres". Then he asked Aidan's age and I told him today was his birthday. A little while later out came all the wait staff with a piece of Tres-Leches cake with a candle and they sang him Happy Birthday in english and spanish! Another moment to remember.

While Aidan napped today, Emmy and Dave spent some quality time in the "Baby Lounge" together playing games. Mommy may have dozed off a few minutes herself. Then we went down to the pool. There was a Marimba band playing (today is Guatemala's Labor Day holiday). It was really fun. We put Aidan in his swim trunks at let him get in the water. He liked it but did not the hat I brought for him.

We were going to go to the zoo today but decided to stay around here because we felt like Aidan needed to see the doctor. He has a cold and we wanted to make sure it wasn't getting down in his chest. The doctor gave him a good exam and said his lungs are definitely clear (we were probably just hearing snot-rattle) and he had no fever. He gave us a prescription for some medicine to help his congestion on the plane if we need it.

Yesterday, our foster mother came back to the hotel. She brought a friend who spoke a little english with her. When they called from the lobby I got very nervous that she was coming to see Aidan. We had made some head-way with his adjustment and I didn't know what to do. Dave told me just to trust my instincts when I went to the lobby and do what I thought was best.

When I got down there I could tell right away that she was just worried and needed to be reassured that he was okay. She also wanted to make sure that we understood how important it was to her to see pictures of his new life to "give comfort to her heart". I promised her again to send pictures regularly. I told her that he was sad but eating and sleeping well. She seemed okay when they left but I don't think she'll really be okay until I send those first pictures.