[SCA-AE] A Brief OT Announcement

[William Freskyn Murray]

My apologies for this off topic announcement, and to
those who get it multiple times, but it's the quickest
way to get word out to our SCAdian friends who are
keeping up with our adoption.

At times throughout this process we thought we would
never be making this announcement, but at 3:30 this
afternoon our coordinator called Stephanie (Kiersey)
to say that our file has been approved by PGN and WE
ARE OUT!!!

In a nutshell the Guatemalan government has approved
our case and here is what is left until we are on a
plane home with OUR SON:

The adoption decree is issued and signed by us and the
birth mother (in our case our lawyer signs because he
has power of attorney for us and he may have POA for
the birth mom too so this step could be done!).

The adoption decree is taken to Atilian where Nicholas
was born and given to the birth registry folk, they
issue a new birth certificate listing us as his
parents.

The adoption decree and new birth certificate are
taken to the Guatemalan government and he is given a
passport.

All of this is taken to the US Embassy and they
authorize a second DNA test to be done (to ensure it's
the same baby that was tested back in September).

Once DNA match is confirmed the Embassy orders a final
medical exam (which involves the doctor going "LOOK! 
A BABY!!!").

Once he is deemed healthy they look in their little
book of appointments and we get the next one that is
open, we will likely only have a few days notice to
when our appointment is to catch a flight to Guatemala
City.

ON AVERAGE from out of PGN to Embassy appointment is 5
to 7 weeks which would put us right around the end of
July.  Some areas are taking longer to issue birth
certificates and as with everything in this process
the variables all involve how quickly paperwork gets
processed.  Over 200 cases have been released in the
last 10 days so all of them will be getting to the
Embassy around the same time as us.  If the stars
align we could be there in 3 weeks or it could still
be 3 months.... the important thing is that WE WERE
APPROVED!  Now it's just waiting on paperwork to
shuffle (the sweetest sound on earth next to my wife
calling me at 3:30 in tears and saying "happy Fathers
Day Papa!").

To everyone who has listened to us vent, offered a
shoulder, kept us in your prayers, etc THANK YOU!  It
is highly unlikely that we will be at Pennsic this
year as we will either be freshly back, in GC or
getting ready to go... but we may day trip to come
down and see as many people as possible depending on
when we travel.  We are not going to bring him into a
totally foreign environment then take him to live in a
pavilion for a week.

Nicholas' DAD!!!


SKA William Freskyn Murray
MKA Will Carson
squire to Baron Sir Bedawyr of Avaricum
foster squire to Viscount Syr Alexander Caithnes of Wyk
Chieftain of the Tribe of Tuatha Firen
Baron of the Court of Aethelmearc
soon to be father of Nicholas www.carsonsadopt.com