The ever-stretching Guate timeline!

How about 10-15 days from this coming Wednesday instead? Sure, I can wait forever, no problem. Just keep adding on the days & weeks & months & years. Actually, we don't have it SO bad because I just read that a case finally got out of PGN last week after SEVEN YEARS in process! Yes, this family's daughter is now 7 years old and still not home with them.

Anyway...we got a call on vacation last week from the agency CEO saying that their contact was to meet with the "court official" (we still don't really know who this person is) last Wednesday, and that all of our paperwork was in order, and they were set to discuss the case. Our agency felt very confident that they could have good news for us by the end of last Wednesday. Don't get your hopes up here. Thursday afternoon Mr. CEO called to update us on what had happened at the meeting which did take place (!) as scheduled. The new doctor's report was not in the file. The agency is blaming us for pretty much any and all delays from this point forward b/c the say their contact was going to get the case through w/out the doctor report that the judge requested, but since Jason went to the court and mentioned the doctor report, it is all our fault that the doctor report now needs to be included. Whatever!

Back to the missing report...our attorney did not like how the doctor worded the explanation that Ali's b-mom is deaf and mute b/c he stated it so it seemed like therefore she cannot communicate with anyone. Our attorney wants it to state that yes, she is deaf and mute (still!) but can communicate through hand gestures, etc. I guess. Our attorney re-wrote the report and needs the doctor to sign it. The doctor is out of town. Of course he is! When all we need is his stinkin' signature, he goes out of town. I almost bust out laughing when Mr. CEO told me this. The doctor will be back in GC this Tuesday, and our attorney hopes to have the report signed and in our file at the court on Wednesday. We have been told that the 10-15 days that they all keep "promising" will now begin again on Wednesday. Big sigh. Vacation was wonderful. Now back to reality.

With each passing day that this drags on, it gets more and more likely that our two missing girls would really need to be picked up in their respective countries AT THE SAME TIME! That is not how we want this all to play out, but none of it has gone how we wanted it to so why should it start now?!!?

As for Chloe's process, we hope to hear word about our Log-In-Date any day now, and we're not giving up hope that she could be home before the Olympics. The back-up plan, in case Ali does get approved for adoption and I am either in Guatemala picking her up or just returned home with her, is that Jason will go to China (I got to go last time after all) with hopefully his sister and possibly Kern kid #1 too. Time will tell.

10-15 Days?!?!?!

There could be a resolution coming from the judge in the near future. Information is at least matching up for once: the agency, the attorney, and what the court staff told J last week are all saying the same thing. I don't know if three separate entities have EVER all said the same thing in this Guate process 'til now. They all claim that we should have a resolution from the judge in 10-15 business days from last Friday or this past Monday. Yesterday the agency said we were on day 5 of those 10-15 days. J's birthday will be day 14 so what a great b-day present that'd be if the resolution is YES we can have Ali. Before anyone gets her hopes up too high though, please remember that we have seen over two years of empty promises from these people. It would not surprise us one bit if a zero was added to the end of the 15 day estimate.

On another note, we have had a really nice week with Cindy, a high school student from Guangdong Province, PRC. I can only hope our kids turn out as well as this 17 year old has. She is easy going, smart, sweet, funny, and quiet. (Okay, I know getting any of ours to turn out quiet might be a stretch.) She'll be back in Shenzhen for the summer, so we are planning on meeting in Guangzhou when we go pick up Chloe. Unless we don't get to go til after the Olympics b/c by then Cindy will be back in St. Johnsbury, VT for her senior year. Just another reason to keep hoping that we get to travel for Chloe before the Olympics. It would be so nice for all of us and especially the kids to see a familar face in China.

It's April vacation this week, so we are headed to Maine. That'll make it'll much easier to get from day 6 to day 10 of the 10-15 days. After that, maybe I'll have news to post.

New Ali pic from agency

The agency received our check and sent some pictures of Ali today. Sort of ironic that we get new pics right after J was there taking hundreds of photos of her. I love to see her any ol' time though! And she's wearing her big cousin E's hand-me-down dress. (They spelled her name wrong too.)

Olympics + No News

First, sounds like the CCAA will likely not be issuing travel dates during the Beijing Olympics so we now are torn between hoping that we get to pick up Chloe and be home before the start of summer Olympics on August 8th and hoping that our pick-up trip will be scheduled for late August after all the Olympic hoopla is over. We want to get Chloe home asap, but the prices will be sooooo high right before the Olympics that we might not all get to go. Waiting til after would mean missing Chloe even longer, but maybe the prices will go down a bit so we could all go as planned. Plus who knows what'll happen with a potential Ali pick-up trip.

Which brings me to the no news part of this post. Luis el Paralegal who rode around GC w/ J and Don Driver last Thursday said he'd push for a resolution from the judge last Friday. Oh well. Looks like Luis might not have a whole lot of pull with his boss Judge Porres de Porres. Her secretary told J that we should have a resolution early this week. We shall see. After more than two years, I just can't even believe that "early next week" could possible mean really and truly early the next week. I'm certainly not waiting for the phone to ring.

more new pics

Second day visit w/ Papi.

Not too phased by all the vaccinations she just got at her check-up!

J is home!

J made it home safely today. Landed in Boston just after midnight last night after a rough day in Guate City. He managed to get most of the doctor's paperwork at least lined up after "borrowing" a paralegal from FC #6 and driving him (with the fabulous driver/translator Sergio)all around GC tracking down the doctor and the necessary seal that it seemed for a while that the judge might have invented in her own imagination. That particular paralegal, who must be a young guy b/c J keeps referring to him as the kid, assists Judge Porres de Porres and told J that he'd push for a resolution on our case today. So maybe in Guatemala time that could possibly mean sometime in the next month?!

Meanwhile J had managed to upset the apple cart enough by finding the court and getting stuff done that the CEO of our miserable agency called J and yelled at him for a solid ten minutes. J was so shaken by the ranting phone call that he actually thought he could be in physical danger for awhile there. Luckily he didn't tell me that until he was back in NH safely in the passenger seat of our own car! Nice agency, eh? And they are being paid to hold our hands through an emotionally challenging process when instead they threaten and scare the crap out of their clients. We knew they were a bad one, but sheeesh!

After another long yelling match on the phone today, we think J has managed to smooth the waters with the overly-dramatic CEO. J actually yelled back, which for those of you who know him, almost never happens. So J's charm and diplomacy + a huge chunk of change being overnighted to the misearble agency = civility which might last long enough to complete the case. At least after they can cash that check on Monday, we'll trust them to actually notify us if the judge does issue her resolution. One can only hope. I'm already day dreaming about traveling in early June to bring little A home forever.

J is at the court! (+ new pics)

Jason just called from inside Family Court #6! We really didn't think he'd get there and he still hasn't met the judge, but he is wearing his tie and he is in the courthouse! He only called to get our case # so I don't know what is going there yet or what he's done so far today, but this is at least impressive maneuvering on his part.

He's going back in the morning to meet with the social worker who advises the judge. He might miss his flight if he doesn't give up on waiting around at the court, but if he convinces the judge to let us have Ali a few extra days in Guate would all be worth it. Go J!

More from Guate

J had a nice dinner w/ our attorney. He's about our age and has kids the same age as ours. He is ready for this latest ridiculous request from the judge and J has been working on getting Ali's b-mom to the appropriate doctor via the driver/translator who has been so helpful so far. Attorney Juan said something about knowing one way or the other from this judge in about 15 days. I have no idea where the 15 days came from. probably another instance of telling us what they think we want to hear. But perhaps in April this case can/will be resolved. Check back for more photos later.

Good day/Bad news

J had a great 4 hours with Ali in Guate today. (See pics above.) They played in the Westin's playroom, lunched, and she even went swimming with Daddy despite never having been immersed in any water before. The swimming suit that I took out of #3's drawer to put it into J's bag for this trip was a tad small I guess. Ali is a big 2.5 year old- especially for a Guatemalan. Especially for a gal who's birth mother is 4ft.11in. It was a bikini top and Jason said she is so used to having so many more clothes on that she kept pulling in the top trying to get it cover more of her belly. Sorry, Ali, next time Mami will pack a less revealing swimsuit!

By the end of the visit, A was hugging and kissing J. And J had such an emotionally exhausting day with her and the whole good bye thing that he doen't think he can go through that again this week. So I'm not sure if he'll see her again or not. He has arrabged for her to go to a doctor's appointment tomorrow though.

And the bad news that came to me via a very insensitive email from the agency while J was enjoying his time w/ his long lost daughter is that the judge has ordered ANOTHER doctor's evaluation on A's birth mom. This will be the fourth doctor to evaluate her and the third fo rthis judge. They have all said the same thing. She is indeed deaf and does not speak but she is menatlly competent and aware of her decision to place this child for adoption. What else can a new doctor determine!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! It is so beyond ridiculous that I cannot really even think about it.

J has taken the bad news in stride and is trying to get the birth mom to a certified doctor while he is there. That'd be a goo dstep since the last 3 doctor eval's took between 3 and 6 months to complete. He was having dinner with our Guate attorney so we'll see how that went when I talk to him next.

J at the Westin

He made it there safely. Went for a swim w/ Jessie's boys. Called the attorney, driver, and foster mom. Packaged the piles of gifts I sent down. Lost at Scrabble against Jessie and her college pal. Ali is coming to the hotel today for some playtime, swimming (if she's not scared to death!), and lunching. We hope to do a video call so I can habla con my sweet girl. Hopefully there'll be pics to post by tonight.

Jason heads to Guate

I think he has everything he needs- all the contact numbers he could possibly need, lots of toys and snacks and clothes for Ali, gifts for her foster mom, cash, passport, and even a tie in case he does get to meet with the judge. It will be so wonderful if he can actually convince someone to DO something about our case while he's there! I'd love to go on an extended pick up trip w/ friend Amy whose baby daughter just got out of PGN. We traveled on a visit trip together 2 years ago, and this is her 2nd adoption since then. (Congrat's, Amy!!)

Meanwhile in China... our agency director posted to say we most likely have a log-in date by now, but it will take some time before they receive notice of the date from China. That makes me feel more confident in saying that w/in 100 days from now we could/should have travel approval to go get Chloe Tao Jiao!!!!

Todavia esperando

No news yet from Family Court #6. The social worker who is supposedly going to help us said maybe this week, maybe next week. But it really depends on the judge's schedule. So we wait some more, todavia esperando, still waiting. I have started packing up Ali's loot for Jason to take to Guate on Sunday. I don't know what he's going to wear while he's there b/c the whole bag will be full of toys and clothes for Ali + gifts for her foster mom.

As for China...starting to wonder about our LID (log in date). Do we get a call from the agency when they receive notice of our LID? Does the CCAA send a letter with a bunch of LID notices or just one batch? How long will it be til we a) get logged in and b) hear about it? Reading the blogs of the Xingfu families who are all in China right now makes me really want to get to Chloe NOW. I cannot wait to see how the timing of all this plays out.

The rest of our crew is doing great. This morning #2 was trying to decide who will sit where at our kitchen table once A&C are home. And #3 is trying to practice staying in her bed all night so when A is home and sharing her room, she can be there all night to comfort her. Here is a photo of an activity that has been keeping #1 occupied lately...

The whole Guatemalan mess

Our case is truly a mess. It is a very long story, but at this point no one knows if the case will ever complete. We put our daughter, Alisson Violeta Garcia Ordonez, on hold on January 26, 2006 and had all of our paperwork in Guatemala by late March 2006. The first few steps seemed to go surprisingly smoothly: DNA done in April 2006, PA (pre-approval from the US Embassy) in May 2006, into PGN (Procuraduria General de la Nacion, aka the adoption court) sometime the last week of May/first week of June 2006. I visited in May 2006 with Jason sister Heather. Then we heard NOTHING until the last week of August 2006 when we first found out that things we not going to go smoothly anymore. PGN requested another interview of the birth mother. She had already been interviewed twice for the Family Court piece.

Our potential daughter's birth mother is deaf and mute and does not know any standard form of sign language either. She was interviewed in PGN in September 2006. That interview left the PGN interviewer/interpreter with the impression that this birth mother wanted her baby back. The birth grandmother (who is the primary caregiver for this now 24 year old daughter) made it VERY clear that they cannot keep the baby. PGN sent two people to the birth family's home a few days later to re-do the interview. This interview went very well and it was supposedly made clear that the birth mother did indeed want to place the child for adoption. We were hoping the first interview report would not stay in our file, but it did.

After the two interviews in September 2006, our file went into the investigation department within PGN. It exited that department without being completely rejected which was good. Then I guess back to regular PGN it went only to be kicked out again at the end of November with the requirement of sending the birth mother to the "doctor of the supreme court" for a mental evaluation to determine whether or not she is capable of making this adoption decision. It took from the end of November 2006 until March 2007 for our attorney to get the court order to even schedule this evaluation with the court psychiatrist (or psychologist?). The "make it or break it" doctor appointment finally occurred on March 27, 2007.

We heard that the doctor's evaluation went exactly as we had hoped it would. He received answers from the birth mother that showed she is mentally competent and knows that she is intentionally giving her baby up for adoption because she cannot raise her. We thought the report would be written, we'd go back into PGN, and hopefully someday get out approved. All five of us went to visit Ali since things seemed to be looking up in this adoption. She was seventeen months old and experienced MAJOR separation anxiety to be away from her foster mom. That was April 2007.

While we were in Guatemala on that visit we received news that the doctor's report for which we'd waited all those months did not state directly that he found the birth mother to be mentally competent to make this adoption decision. Then "they" (I don't know who "they" are) requested that the original social worker who wrote her report on this birth family, etc. a year earlier write another report or letter stating that this birth mother cannot raise this child and is knowingly giving her up for adoption. That was completed and we re-entered PGN in May 2007 with that social worker's letter. We were hopeful once again. After just a few weeks, PGN permanently rejected the case stating that it needed to be resolved by a Family Court judge. The case went into Family Court #6 on June 19, 2007. The judge requested a new report by an "expert doctor" and asked that the doctor evaluate the birth mother in the courtroom. Our attorney could not locate an expert doctor who was willing to appear in court. Our attorney convinced the judge to allow that the expert doctor evaluate the birth mother outside of her courtroom and submit the report for her consideration instead. All the report from the expert doctor states is that yes, the birth mother is indeed deaf and does not speak. The judge has had our file complete with the report she requested from the expert doctor since July 2007, and we again heard nothing for months. The case was once again going nowhere.

At this point we decided to jump ship. Ali didn't know us, and if she did happen to remember us, she might remember that she didn't like us very much. We really wanted to adopt a baby and felt like at some point we had to say enough is enough and try another avenue to bring home a baby sister. Decolores was very understanding about our decision and said they'd send along some official paperwork to end the never-ending process. We signed on with Homeland Adoption Services to adopt a waiting child from China through their new Xingfu pilot prgram with the CCAA (China Center of Adoptive Affairs). We received a referral right away for a baby girl and proceeded to send her info to two pediatricians who specialize in international adoptions and offer evaluations of referral information. We got busy paperchasing for a China dossier. (Much harder BTW than a Guatemalan dossier!)

Then when we were wrapping up our China dossier, we found out from DeColores that actually our Guatemalan attorney could not remove us from the process. The file was stuck in Family Court #6 and our attorney could not take our names off the case because of where it was in the process. Plus, Guatemalan adoptions had shut down by this point so if we had removed ourselves from the case at that time, Ali would no longer be grandfathered in under the old system and would most likely never be adopted, or at least not for a very long time. So...what the heck were we supposed to do?!?!?

The adoptions supervisor at our homestudy agency was very supportive. She said she'd help us try to get both girls home if that is what we wanted to do. We let it all sink in for awhile. But we didn't think we really could adopt both girls because of China's policies. We thought we'd lose the referral for our daughter in China when we told her agency we were still in process in Guatemala. It took some build up to get ready to make that phone call. Turned out that they too were very supportive about not letting either child go. They also let us know that China had changed their policy of only allowing one adoption per family at a time. Families are now able to pursue another adoption from another country while they are in process with an adoption in China. I think the timing of how close together these two could be might still be a problem for the CCAA, but we'll figure that out if it becomes an issue. We still don't know if Ali will ever come home or who might come home first.

Once we realized that we really are trying to bring both Ali and Chloe home we started working toward getting Ali home again. We found out what had been happening in Guatemala in the meantime. In December 2007, the judge requested that another doctor evaluate the birth mother and submit a report because the doctor who completed this step in July was educated in the United States rather than in Guatemala. Vidian (birth mom) was evaluated, the report was written and submitted, and then the doctor was required to appear before the judge to answer any questions about his report. He was then required to return to the court two weeks later to sign something. This was all completed in January 2008.

Our case was registered with the new Central Authority (CNA) on adoptions in Guatemala on February 11, 2008 despite the fact that this is perhaps not legally necessary since the case is no longer a notarial case but rather a judicial case. However, just to be safe, the case was registered, albeit with an incorrect start date on the form, so it should be legally grandfathered under the old adoption system. Then we heard that there was a typo on the most recent doctor's paperwork which caused another delay, but we think it was fixed in February. Also, supposedly the judge did not know how to proceed because she did not know how the CNA was handling adoptions now. The officer (?) of the court explained to her that this case would be processed under the old laws because it was from last year (actually from two years ago!).

Another very interesting fact about our case is that our daughter's now almost 5 year old biological sister was also relinquished but 5 months AFTER our daughter was. We considered adopting her as well back then in April of 2006 when the agency found out about her. We decided it was better that good friends of ours, who had also hoped to adopt from Latin America someday, bring her into their family instead. Their case had NO problems whatsoever and she's been home in the states since April 2007. So, the daughter who was given up at birth, never known by the birth mother, is hung up in process because our reviewer thought she wanted her back while the daughter she knew, cared for, and hopefully loved for 3 years was never thought to be wanted back?! This birth mother so clearly does not want our daughter back nor can she care for her. It has been over two years and she has made no attempt to get this child back. She knows where the child is since she is being fostered by her former employer's friend, so she would know where to go if she wanted to take the child back.

So we continue to wait for some forward movement from the judge in Guatemala while we wait for our dossier to be officially logged in and approved in China. We are certain that we will bring home our baby sister from China and perhaps we will be able to bring Ali home from Guatemala as well. FIVE kids! Then we are done. I promise. Despite rumblings from our other three about needing a baby brother too.

My apologies for the length of this explanation. Like I said, it is a long story.

Interesting Doings in FC#6

Originally posted/written on March 25, 2008

China: still no word on whether or not our dossier has left the USA yet.

Guate: We have procured some inside help at Family Court #6. One of our agency's facilitator's mothers works in FC #6 and spent today trying to get information on our case. She plans to go at 8:30 tomorrow (Tuesday a.m.) and try to get to in to speak with the judge in person. We are FedEx-ing a letter once again stating our desire to adopt Ali and how the birth family's situation is grim to the point of putting Ali in danger should she ever be returned to them. They have also moved three hours away from where they used to live which to me does not make it look like the birth mother wants to take Ali back. We have never believed that she does, but that one stinky reviewer in PGN seemed to think so back in September 2006 thank you oh so much. This agency contact is hopefully going to push for some sort of resolution from the judge maybe even this week??? AND try to explain that any resolution other than Ali coming home to us is not in the best interest of the child. We shall see. I hate to get my hopes up at this point about anything but it is SO hard not too.

J is leaving for Guatemala in early April and our attorney says he is trying to set up a meeting with the judge while J is there. J will also meet Ali and her foster mom at the pediatrician for Ali to have a long overdue well-check. Hopefully Ali and FM Magda will spend a day at the hotel w/ J swimming, eating, playing. J might even go to their house in Amatitlan for part of a day.
So perhaps we will know more tomorrow afternoon or later this week. And we should at least know if our dossier has been sent to China yet. If it gets logged in in March or the first week of April, I suppose there is a chance we could travel before the end of summer. But again, I hate to get my hopes up.

DTC?

Originally written/posted March 20, 2008.

So, where are we with these adoptions? Still waiting for our Guatemalan judge, Judge Irma Yolanda Porres de Porres, to issue her resolution. She can probably find a zillion more ways to delay having to rule on this case. Or she could decide the moment she returns from Holy Week vacation. No one knows. I emailed Adoption Supervisors, our agency, and our attorney on Tuesday and have not heard back from any of them.

On the China front, we should be DTC tomorrow! That means our dossier should be mailed from the agency in NY to their office in Nanjing, China tomorrow. That is an exciting date, but a better measure of "how much longer" will come from our Log In Date (LID) which is the official date the dossier is logged in to the system at the CCAA in Beijing. Once it arrievs in Nanjing it will be checked over again, translated, and sent on to Beijing. Sometimes there might be weeks between the DTC date and the LID date. I've also seen it only take a few days. Next step LOSC (Letter of Seeking Confirmation) sent from CCAA. We sign and send back I think. Then TA (Travel Approval). Then CA (Consulate Appointment) is issued and we book our flights. Looks like timeframe from LID to TA is around 90-100 days. That could mean a pick-up trip for Miss Chloe Tao Jiao as early as August! I'm thinking October just to be safe. But before the big int'l trade fair hits China in October. Hopefully tomorrow we'll hear from our China agency that our dossier is in the mail.

Timeline to Chloe

Timeline to Chloe Tao Jiao

Friday, September 21, 2007: application sent to Homeland Adoption Services(HAS)
Friday, September 21, 2007: offered referral of Xi Tao Jiao
Friday October 26, 2007: received updated info on Tao Jiao
Friday November 2, 2007: decided to accept referral of Tao Jiao
Friday November 2, 2007: named her Chloe Tao Jiao
Thursday November 8, 2007: FedExed LOI paperwork to HAS
Friday November 9, 2007: HAS sent LOI to China
November 2007: USCIS changed immigration approval to China
Monday December 31, 2007: PA received for Miss Chloe Tao Jiao!!
February 2008: Home study finally completed
March 7, 2008: last piece of dossier sent to Concord
March 19, 2008: Dossier delivered to HAS
March 27, 2008: notified that dossier was sent and should be in China

Timeline to Ali

Timeline to Ali

January 26, 2006 -- saw her picture & called Decolores Adoptions, agency who held her file January 27, 2006 -- put Alisson “on hold” and began home study & dossier preparation
February 1, 2006 -- returned POA & referral documents to agency
February 10, 2006 -- home study completed, filed I-600A, fingerprinted in Manchester
February 21, 2006 -- received updated pictures of Alisson at 3 months old
February 23, 2006 -- BCIS approval arrived (797C)
February 27, 2006 -- 797C faxed to Decolores who then sent to Guatemala
March 4, 2006 -- dossier completes w/ exception of FBI fingerprint cards
March 7, 2006 -- dossier received by Decolores and sent to Guatemala
March 14, 2006 -- authenticated FBI cards received by Decolores
March 17, 2006 -- Second Name Affidavit authenticated & received by Decolores
March 27, 2006 -- DNA authorization received!!
April 5, 2006 -- DNA sample taken
April 10, 2006 -- Social Worker interview/appointment
April 20, 2006 -- DNA report & picture received in the mail
May 8, 2006 -- PA issued from Embassy
May 9, 2006 -- PA picked up by attorney
June 1, 2006 -- notified that we are in PGN (maybe went in Mon. May 29th??)
Aug. ??, 2006(last week of Aug.) -- notified that pgn requested an interview of b-mom w/ their own translator
Sept. 18, 2006 -- interview occurred
Sept. 26/27?? -- 2nd interview/home visit occurred
Sept. 29 ??? -- sent to the investigation dept.
Nov.30/06 -- notified that we made it out of investigation BUT reviewer in pgn has requested that the birth mom be evaluated by the “doctor of the supreme court” to determine her mental capabilities
Mid-Dec. -- Dr. office told attorney’s employee that a court order was required to make the appointment
Dec. 21 -- court order for Dr. appt. ready in FC waiting for judge to return from vacation to sign it
March 27, 2007 Doctor evaluation occured
April 23-27 2nd visit trip (Ali was 17 mo. old!)
April 25 -- notified that Dr. report did not say what they needed it to say so requesting another sw report
May 29, 2007 -- resubmitted to PGN
June 11, 2007 -- booted permanently by PGN
June 19, 2007 -- submitted to Family Court #6 for final decision on this adoption
July 16, 2007 -- heard that the FC judge wants Attorney Juan to present an "expert doctor" to evaluate Vidian again. Juan cannot find this expert.
July 30, 2007 -- Heard that Juan got the okay to have the expert doctor evaluate Vidian outside of court and submit report to court.
Aug. ??, 2007 (1st week of Aug.?) -- Juan submitted file again with expert doctor's report that stated, yes, Vidian is deaf and does not speak.
December 2007 -- Dr.'s report was rejected b/c the dr.'s degree was from the USA. New doctor w/ medical training in Guate found and ready to re-do the report. Waiting for appointment date to do so.
January 11, 2008 -- new doctor appeared in court to answer questions of the judge
January 18, 2008 -- doctor returned to court to sign official documents
February 10, 2008 -- registration with the new CNA (Central Authority)
March 19,2008 -- New I-600A sent to USCIS to approval to be returned to Guatemala
March 20, 2008 -- New 797C cabled to Guatemala City for Ali's immigration approval