We decided to start our family in 2005 and found European Adoption Consultants through friends. Our friends have two little boys from Guatemala, so we knew that EAC was an agency that showed results. We started our paperwork in February of that year, and once we got started the time went by so fast. The staff at EAC helped us along the way, with even the smallest of detail. Everything was as simplistic as we could have hoped for. We used the sample letters, and followed their directives. Our home study was completed in August and we were able to submit our dossier in November. Our EAC representative, Marti called on December 2nd with our referral. She gave us his birth name, height, weight, and a brief medical along with a description of him from his pictures. We were both in tears and could not wait for the Fed Ex man to get here the next morning with our pictures and papers of the little boy we came to know as Jacob Antonio James Totten. He was only 2 weeks old in his pictures and we already knew he was to be our son. We could see from the pictures that he had a wonderful foster mother who loved him very much. Now we just had to wait for our pink slip and date to travel.
We received the travel dates in April 2006. EAC went through all the paperwork with us for the traveling part of our trip. They hooked us up with a travel agency who made all the arrangements for the hotel as well as transportation to and from the airport. All we had to do was to show up! Once we were at the hotel we checked out the hospitality room and found some families already there picking up their children, we could not wait for the next morning when our foster mom was to bring this little bundle to us. On his Grandma's birthday, April 10th we met our son Jacob and his foster mother Elvia. She had taken such wonderful care of him, he was her first foster child. Jacob was 5 months and one week old. We weren't quite sure what to do with this little guy that came into our lives. He adapted just fine to us, he didn't mind one bit waking us up at night if he couldn't sleep or crying to let us know he needed a diaper change. He communicated quite well for a child that could not speak our language.
Our time in Guatemala seemed to go by so fast and there was nothing to worry or concern ourselves with, EAC did it all for us. The 4 days we had in country were nice. However we both contracted a little stomach virus while there but Jacob took good care of us and got us home safely. Aside from the day we had Jacob in our arms for the first time, our favorite part of the trip was going to the open air market, such beautiful colors flowing absolutely every where you looked. We shopped until they made us leave to go back to the hotel.
We were so excited to get him home for Easter and we could not wait to show him off to all of our family and friends. He is such a wonderful little boy who smiles all the time.
Once we were home with Jacob we knew we would be going back to Guatemala to bring home another son or daughter. Just after Jacob’s first birthday we started our paperwork again. We received our referral on June 14th 2007 and again the delivery man could not get to our home fast enough that next morning! Another baby boy!! This little man will be known as Avery Cruz James Totten. His baby pictures looked so much like Jacob's that we were convinced they had to be related some how already.
There is not a day that goes by that we don't thank God for them both and the women who gave birth to them as well as the women who cared for them until we could bring them home. Jacob is now 2 years old and is always on the go, running and playing all the time. We can not wait to travel again to Guatemala to bring home Avery. God has defiantly blessed us with not just one, but two of the most wonderful blessings in the world.
A special thanks to EAC for helping us to build our family of four, we hope someday to make it a six pack!!
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