Cutie in the tub! She is so sweet we don't have a bathtub at our new Casa but Nadia loves her bath. She is so fun and such an easy baby. I can't wait for you all to get to meet her SOMEDAY!

Ok, so I look awful but I absloutely love it when she is a snuggie face! She burrows into my armpit and tucks her tush up in the air like a sweetheart! I love it. We think that Nadia is left handed which would not make her, Nana, Papa, Uncle Kristian and especially her mommy sad since we are all LEFTIES too! Nadia said her first word today Bye Bye, I spend so much of my time connecting with others (especially Gavin) via Skype that now she says Bye Bye after I hang up!

Leechee's...werid crazy sweet fruit, it tastes a lot like a grape.

Great fun and momma's making it through this! Lisa, Marisa, and Blair are just a few of the friends we have made here in Antigua. American momma's loving their babies and trying to bring their babies home to the U.S. We are all almost there we can taste the US soil but not there yet.

The party was super fun Ava is the Birthday girl on the far right and Bridget is on the far left.

It is very nice to have Aunt Deb or Deborah here to help us! She is so sweet and is enjoying the weather, amazing gardens, and the new culture!

We loved the way they actually make the kids work a little for the candy with the pinata!

Nadia's first friend's birthday party. We were very excited to be invited to Ava's first birthday party! The babies loved the warm beautiful day and loved being together. We loved Nadia's special dress from Nana that Daddy found in her closet it fit perfectly and we were thankful for a new outfit! Mommy is considering burning several of her outfits when she gets home..hee hee a little tired of her wardrobe down here.

Babies in a bar? Well, it is actually a cafe called Cafe Sky. Nadia and her best friend Baby Bridget enjoyed the big comfy chairs and the mommies enjoyed being out together!

Hermano San Pedro..I learned a couple of weeks ago that the only Saint in all of Central America is buried here in Antigua. Hermano San Pedro. Kind of interesting!

This morning as I woke up I had an uneasiness because I had not yet heard about Nadia's birth certificate. Well, in order to proceed to the next step we have to have her birth certificate with our last name to get her passport...in order to submit her file to the U.S. embassy we have to have a passport. So anyway..I being her about 2 months longer than we anticipated and me really missing my boys so much it hurts. I was really ready to get her new Birth certificate. I went to bible study this morning and as I walked back I realized and received such a peace from God as I realized.."Whatever temporary suffering we are enduring as a family is nothing compared to the lifetime of sadness she would have experienced without a family and we also without her." It seems so logical but it is what will help me get through these next few weeks! The great news is that later this afternoon I was able to reach our attorney and he received her birth certificate. Her name on her new birth certificate is: Laura Meabon Meabon, crazy I know but when the process is all over her name will be Nadia Laurabeth Meabon. So, next week will be filled with a succession of appointments but we still have a few more weeks before we can come home with her.

As you can see Nadia prefers to eat upside down, and it is so funny to watch her legs are almost always crossed..

Nadia does this really sweet thing when you snuggle her she loves to lean into your face right at your forehead. Well this is Aunt Susanne's favorite thing to do with Nadia. So sweet!

Babies in a box! I cannot believe that I have not blogged about baby Bridget yet! She is Nadia's best friend and she is Nadia's best friend because her mommy Marisa is my best friend here. We spend almost each day together. They are two months apart but really great friends already they even steal toys from each other. Nadia now curls her tounge exactly like Bridget "who has been called a baby lizard by more than one person" Bridget now squeals like Nadia. They are so cute together and we will miss them a lot!

Fun Aunt Susanne came all the way from Durham, England to help Nadia and I continue our stay in Guatemala. She accomplished a lot on her stay including:
1. She helped us get out of PGN! Michelle (my sis) says, "it takes an Aunt to get you out" Michelle was in Guate the day Gavin got out of PGN. Which is basically the day she became offically our baby.
2. She became a baby hair stylist. Nadia no longer has the problem of a mullet (no she really had one) now she has pigtails and they are soooo cute.
2. She helped her begin to sign. Nadia loves using her sign language and I am bragging a bit here she is only 9 months!
3. She finished her Christmas shopping...
4. But most of all she ate more of the best brownies in all of Central America then all of my visitors combined.

WE are out of PGN and she is offically ours! Horray..just a few more steps before we can come home. We miss you all and appreciate all of your prayers.
Love,
Melissa, Mike, Gavin, and Nadia

So, Nadia is now 9 months and we are still trapped here in Guatemala. There is a hope for the end but it is still not exactly in sight. We are persevering but really ready to be done with this process. Gavin is doing well in the States and is enjoying: being spoiled and loved by all, at the zoo, going camping, swimming, playing at the park and enjoying his daddy!

These sweet photos were taken the night before Gavin left for the States...he was so sweet and snuggley. It will be so nice to be all together as a family again!

One great thing about staying in the city that weekend was that we had the opportunity to spend time with the Gills. Fun was had by all, Karinna and Nadia loved smiling at each other, Aaron and Gavin giggled a lot, and Melissa, Steve and Keisa had the opportunity to have a lot of great talks!

Moving to the hotel was really sad and difficult but we still made great memories. Gavin enjoyed eating his Mac and Cheese from a coffee mug and was fabulous at washing all of our dishes over and over in the bathroom.

Having Mike here was such a blessing this week. But having him leave was super hard especially since we do not know when he will return to bring us home. But we know this is only a season and we are taking one day at a time!

Hello everyone..sorry for the blog silence. Nadia and I are still in Guatemala and our goal is stay until the end. She is now 9 months! She is doing so well, she squeals for joy all the time. She is sleeping great, sitting up very well, she loves playing in her rana (walker). Gavin is back home in the States and is doing really well too. Mommy misses him so much but he is simply being spoiled by his Gamma's and his Aunt Chelle.