My documents were submitted to the Guatemalan consulate on 2/5/2003. Iris, the Agency Director, immediately contacted me – that very day – about a potential baby. It was hard to believe that the process was truly beginning. I was excited and nervous all at once.
I received Alice’s referral picture on 2/10/2003.
She was one day old in the picture.
6 lbs., 8 oz., Length 43 cm.
Initially, I couldn’t open those precious first pictures. They were sent in a format I didn’t recognize and my computer would not open them automatically. I was going crazy! I sat at my work desk frantically trying to figure out what to do. I finally sent them to my friend Christy, who is much more tech-savvy than I am. She was able to save them to a format I could open. Technically, Christy was the first to see the pictures of my baby. You could tell her excitement from the high-pitched “Oh!” she exclaimed over the phone.
When I opened those first pictures, I just couldn’t get over it. This little baby was going to be my daughter. She looked healthy and had a full head of dark hair. I just cried. Some of my coworkers huddled around my desk … and they couldn’t believe it either.
I was nervous to share those first pictures because the referral wasn’t “official.” Luckily, nine days later, on 2/19/2003, I received permission to be excited. All of the paperwork was submitted and approved, and Alice was really going to be mine —
the referral was official. Relieved, I started to send her pictures to everyone. Family and friends were all very excited, and couldn’t get over how wonderful and healthy she looked in the photos.
While I still had months to wait for the actual adoption to be finalized, the referral was the official start of the process.
Next up…her name.
Finding Abilities 