MY GUATEMALA TRIP

THE LAWYER AND ILSE WITH ME AND MAYA
MAYA GETTING READY FOR BED
MAYA GRACE
MAYA AND ANGELENA
MAYA
WHAT CAN SAY BUT AWESOME??!?!?!!!

MY TRIP STARTED OCTOBER 16, 2006. I FLEW FROM ALBUQUERQUE TO DALLAS LOVE'S FIELD. MY FRIEND ELLIE PICKED ME UP THERE AND THEN WE WENT TO DFW TO CATCH OUR FLIGHT TO GUATEMALA CITY. ELLIE WAS GOING TO BRING HER DAUGHTER HOME (EVERYTHING WENT GREAT FOR THEM). I WAS FILLED WITH ANTICIPATION AND FEAR. I WAS VERY EXCITED. MY FLIGHT WAS VERY SMOOTH. I ARRIVED IN GUATEMALA AT 7:30PM. ELLIE'S FRIEND PICKED US UP AT THE AIRPORT AND DROVE US TO THE GRAND TIKAL (NOT VERY BABY FRIENDLY IN MY OPINION). IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL HOTEL BUT NOT SET UP FOR BABIES. I REALLY NEEDED SLEEP HOWEVER AT THIS POINT I WAS WAY TOO EXCITED ABOUT MEETING MAYA. THEY WERE GOING TO BRING HER TO ME AT 9 AM TUESDAY MORNING. I GOT EARLY THAT MORNING TO PREPARE MYSELF. I GOT A CALL FROM ILSE SAYING THAT THEY WOULD BE THERE AT 9 WITH MY DAUGHTER. I WAS IN TEARS. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. I WENT TO THE LOBBY ABOUT 15 MINUTES EARLY (TYPICAL ME). ILSE ARRIVED FIRST. SHE IS AN ANGEL. I FEEL SO GOOD THAT SHE IS ASSISTING WITH MY CASE AND CHECKING ON MAYA. SHE AND HER HUSBAND ARE GREAT CHRISTIAN PEOPLE. I AM THANKFUL TO HAVE THEM IN MY LIFE. WELL, THEN WALKED IN THE 2 LADIES HOLDING A BUNDLE OF JOY WRAPPED IN A BLANKET THAT I HAD SENT. I KNEW THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS SOMEWHERE UNDER THAT BLANKET. MY HEART STARTIN RACING. I WILL NEVER FORGET WHEN THE FOSTER MOM GAVE HER TO ME AND SAID "THIS IS YOUR DAUGHTER". THE TEARS COMES FLOWING. WE SAT IN THE LOBBY FOR AWHILE TALKING ABOUT MY CASE AND MAYA'S SCHEDULE. I FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS 10 DAY POST CHICKEN POX BREAK-OUT. THAT REALLY FREAKED SOME PEOPLE OUT. I GUESS IF YOU DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE MEDICAL FIELD, YOU WOULD BE FREAKED OUT. BUT ME BEING A NURSE, IT DIDN'T BOTHER ME. I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY FELT THE SAME. I ALSO GOT TO MEET THE LAWYER WITH MY CASE. HE IS SO NICE ALSO. I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE SUCH A GREAT TEAM WORKING FOR ME TO GET MAYA HOME. THEN CAME 3 DAYS OF EATING, SLEEPING, POOPING, PLAYING, AND THE BIG FASHION SHOW WITH PHOTO SHOOT. SHE REALLY DIDN'T MIND ME CHANGING HER CLOTHES SO OFTEN. I HAD TO MAKE UP FOR THE PAST 2 AND 1/2 MONTHS. THEN CAME THE TIME TO GIVE HER BACK. I KNEW THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE HARD BUT I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE AS HARD AS IT WAS. I GUESS I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE FIRST REFERRAL (OH, BY THE WAY THE LAWYER SAID THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE BIRTHMOM CHANGING HER MIND). THAT WAS A GREAT STRESS REDUCER. THE FOSTER FAMILY WAS SUPPOSE TO PICK HER UP AT 5PM. THE NEVER CAME. I CALLED ILSE AND CHUCK AT 6:30 PM. THE FOSTER FAMILY THOUGHT IT WAS THE NEXT DAY. SO, I GOT TO KEEP HER UNTIL 8 PM. THE DAUGHTER OF THE FOSTERMOM CAME TO GET HER. SHE IS SO SWEET AND KIND. SHE ASSURED ME THAT SHE WOULD TELL MAYA EVERYDAY HOW MUCH I LOVED HER AND MISSED HER. SHE SAID THAT SHE WOULD BE PRAYING THAT THE PROCESS WENT FAST. I THEN GAVE MAYA BACK AND MY HEART WAS LOST AND BROKEN. SO, NOW I AM COUNTING THE DAYS UNTIL I HAVE MY LITTLE ANGEL IN MY ARMS AGAIN. I WOULD NOT TRADE THIS EXPERIENCE FOR ANYTHING IN THE WORLD.