Excited...but worried

Mom and I are leaving tomorrow morning to see Emma. We are so excited and can barely contain ourselves! (This is evident by the amount of stuff I am trying to cram in suit cases!)For those of you who have never experienced being away from your child and only getting to take things to her every 6 to 8 weeks, you have no idea what it is like to have to organize and plan to get everything you want your little one to have inside 2 suitcases. It is VERY challenging! There are many things I would love for Emma to have but haven't been able to figure out a way to get BIG things to her!

As excited I am about going to see Emma and being able to be there with her when she celebrates her 6 months birthday, I am troubled by the current state of Guatemala adoptions and new information that is currently coming to the public. The Department of State has issued a new warning that has most adopting parents very worried. They are saying that they are unsure what will happen after December 31st for children who are not home. They have also quoted they are not sure what will happen with pending cases. This is very disheartening for everyone, like Rob and I, who entered this adoption under "good faith" believing that pending cases WILL be grandfathered in and completed. Possibly I have been comforted by my love for Emma and my false believe that things would be fine and we were far enough along that we wouldn't be as effected by what was about to happen as Guatemala struggles with Hague and UNICEF. I believed that we could expect more and more delays but that Emma wasn't in danger of not coming home because we were so far into the process. I am forcing myself to focus on this trip and not worry about this new warning and new statements that are being issued....but I have to say it is terribly hard. I am so frightened that this little girl that I have know since she was 5 days old and held in my arms at 11 days old, might fall through the cracks and get trapped while two governments loose sight of what is really important...the BEAUTIFUL children in Guatemala who are desperate for opportunities that thousands of families throughout the world can offer them.

Please keep saying your prayers that God helps all these innocent little ones who are going to be affected by the Dec 31st deadline. If Emma is home before this Dec 31st cut off, of course we will be overjoyed and thankful, but it doesn't help me with the much bigger picture and the ones that are left behind. There are many adoptive parents who will not be out of PGN and about to bring their babies homes---these babies are going to be stuck. There is a real chance that babies will be caught in a holding state for months and months. It isn't fair and it isn't the right thing to happen.