Levi Douglas Bradley: Heading home from Guatemala!!

Our Adoption Story

Levi was born on April 21, 2007 in Chinautla, Guatemala, a small town known for pottery. He weighed 6.7 pounds and was 19.7 inches long. He was in private foster care in Guatemala City where he lived for 10 1/2 months with his foster mom, her son and daughter and Isaac, his foster brother. Throughout our difficult adoption journey, Isaac's mom, Nancy and I became very good friends. God placed our boys together and had the perfect plan in place long before we ever realized it. When I was undecided on an adoption agency, I joined an online forum where Nancy provided me with information about her agency and recommended them to us. We decided to sign with the same agency and I emailed Nancy back to let her know. Over a few months we emailed back and forth to learn we were both from TN and lived only 30 minutes apart... we thought wow, it's a small world. Little did we know a few months later we'd both get referrals, earlier than we expected, of 2 beautiful Guatemalan angels. When they turned 2 months old our agency called and decided it was time to tell us that they were in the same foster home together and had been since they were 1 day old. We were amazed they were together. Even more so, God amazed us once again when we learned shortly after that they were born on the same day and were from the same town... no longer a coincidence that was for sure. We were being told by the foster mom how attached they were and acted like brothers. But, Nancy and I got the chance in January '08 to go to visit them and see it for ourselves. It was an amazing time of bonding with our boys that we will never forget. After that trip it seemed when one of us would reach a roadblock in the crazy process of international adoption the other would be delayed with something else. We stayed right together until the very day we picked them both up. We had our US Embassy appts the same day and we flew home through Atlanta on the same flight on March 11, 2008 when they both entered the US as citizens! It was an awesome time for us in the Atlanta Airport when we rec'd the congrats they were official! We've made friends for life with Nancy, Eric, and with Isaac's extended families. We look forward to many years of watching them both grow up so close together. Over the past year, as we went through battle after battle to bring our boys home, Nancy and I both would never think of one without the other in our endless prayers to keep them safe, happy and healthy until they could be home with their forever families. We're finally parents and it's what we've both waited for, for so many years.. our families are finally complete!!!

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Heading home from Guatemala!!

Hey all- just wanted to post and let you all know that we're headed home from Guatemala later today. I should already be in bed but, I have been busy packing our things and making sure I have everything I may need for Levi during our forst part of the flight which is 4 long hours from Guatemala to Atlanta. I am praying Levi will be ok on the flight and not get too upset about it.

Yesterday, we were able to take a tour to Antigua. We visited the Jade Factory, coffee plantation and old church and the market. It was great! We were able to see so much of the country just from the drive that we were so glad we went. Levi did great and was happy and playful all day. He's still doing great with the bonding and not had any troubles there so far.

After we returned from the tour, Levi and Isaac's foster mom came back by the hotel to drop off some documents. She was waiting to see them both but, Isaac had gone with Nancy and Eric to spend a few days in Antigua and then they came back to a different hotel. It was a hard decision to make and I said a prayer about it on the way back from Antigua that if we ran into her and she saw Levi then whatever happened would just have to be and we would deal with that. Well, that is what happened, she saw Steve carrying him in and was actually waiting there for us to return. She knew our tour returned at 3:30pm but, we were actually almost an hour late. She cried some and her son was with her and of course he was a little upset but, they seemed to be adjusting well as we are. Levi cried initially as if he was confused and a little scared. Steve calmed him quickly, I took him and handed him to her. It's like he hugged her, kissed her, she kissed him and then he turned to reach back for me, clinging as I got him hiding his face on my shoulder. It was like that was his goodbye... it broke my heart all over again but, I managed to hold it together and let it be at that. She brought us some Guatemalan gifts and things for the boys and was so happy to be able to give us some things to remember Guatemala by. Through the translator we told her we would call her and let her know how they were once we're home and we would send her some pictures over time. She said it was her prayer that when she saw him to say giidbye forever that her last memories of him would be that he was happy with his new family. She had total peace leaving knowing he would have a better life in the US.
Well, keep us in your prayers as we fly home today and we can't wait for you all to meet our sweet Guatemalan angel! He is awesome and we have enjoyed every minute of this pick up trip and this part of the adoption process as it has come to an end. Life is just beginning in the Bradley house I do believe. He has already brought us so much joy I know we can't even imagine what all he will bring us in the coming months/years. Love you all and thanks in advance for your prayers. Blessings- Tracy and Steve.... official parents in Guatemala

1 comment:

~Isabel said...: You should be almost home by now (if you aren't already!) and i hope that your trip home with little Levi went well! Enjoy being parents....and i hope you'll keep up your blog so i can see photos of Levi as he grows!; March 12, 2008 at 11:08:00 AM EDT