Destination Paradise

Recently, we were granted the honor of an appointment with Clarisol Duque, who is the director of Senator Durbin's Chicago office. Yesterday, I went with Lucas and my mom to meet her. I expected it to be a quick in-and-out type of thing where she would listen to our story for a minute and then assure me that Senator Durbin will support immigration reform. Instead, here's what happened. We waited in the reception area for a couple minutes and then she came out, super friendly, and really excited to meet Lucas. He, by the way, put on such a show, being extra-cute and smiley and charming the whole time. So she led us, not to some little office or cubicle, but to the CONFERENCE ROOM, big, huge corner room there on the 38th floor overlooking the south end of Chicago's Loop and Lake Michigan. Then Ms. Duque sat down, opened a notepad, and said, "So, tell me about your situation." So I did, and she listened intently. She wrote down all the legal codes. She wro...

We've been struggling with possibilities in Canada, as these sluggish economic times make it hard enough to find a job in one's own country, let alone a foreign one. While we're still trying hard to make that option work, we're also stepping up the fight on the homefront to push for legislation that would ultimately allow Carlos to return to the US legally and finally be a regular husband and father. That brings us to American Families United . They recognize that mere Comprehensive Immigration Reform isn't enough unless it includes the families of US citizens that are stuck with ridiculous bans. They've constructed a pretty fantastic waiver reform proposal that has already been placed in the hands of various legislators. We believe that AFU's lobbying efforts are making a difference in the immigration legislation currently being drafted. That's why we're adding our voices to theirs in hopes of some positive change. Our story can be seen on...

Mommy, Grandma, and Grandpa are busy trying to make me proficient at all this stuff, such as sitting by myself... learning to play with my toys... eating from a spoon (even if it is just my milk from Mommy)... playing music... And now, web browsing and blogging. Here's my first blog post from my own fingers: ``pl,p jjnjk n b cc c T V C_ VC_ ñl…– ø … f cdx zzzzx u8nu ,lgv y vg ¸Ωv f n nnmmmn k Everyone's amazed that I can type Greek characters. I'm not telling how I do it.

...We're all here together in Mexico! Here's the photo everyone's been waiting to see: This is actually a screen capture from my parents' computer while they were talking to us on Skype as soon as we got home. Hopefully we'll get a nicer one taken while we're here... Some photos of Carlos getting to know his son: Carlos' dad meeting his first grandchild: Wake up, Daddy!!! I decided the last straw was when, after postponing our trip due to the "swine flu outbreak" in Mexico, I fell ill with a nasty strain of the flu. Ironically, it's very likely that what hit me was the same swine flu, due to the fact that there were a number of confirmed cases in the schools where I was substituting right before getting sick. Just when I thought I was recovering, Lucas started showing signs of it. Fortunately, after a check-up at the doctor and lots of Tylenol, he recovered, but we were nervous for awhile. It's always scary to see your ...

Lucas' Birth Certificate: $14 and 10 days Lucas' Social Security Number: 3 months Mexican Notary Stamp on signed Passport Consent Form from Carlos: $50 and 1 month DHL fee to mail said consent form to the US: $35 and 3 days Lucas' Passport: $85 and 2 ½ weeks Round-trip airfare from Chicago to Mexico for me and the baby: $450 ...Having to postpone our much-anticipated reunion because of a swine flu outbreak? Priceless. I would prefer to think that caution and care are all we need, and that a flu outbreak should not deter me from finally seeing my husband after 7 months, but I've been forced to shelve that approach in favor of extreme wariness. If it wasn't enough that all the health professionals in my life on this side of the border were urging me not to go, now it's being confirmed from the Mexican side. Carlos' father, who is a health professional in the non-alarmist tradition, said we must not come. Apparently hospitals in Monterrey ar...

I'd love to have posted on all the fun and interesting moments that transpired since the last post. Unfortunately, due to my slacker nature, I'm now forced to jump straight to the very important and not so pleasant news that defines my family's reality. Where to begin? As you all know, or for those who don't, last October Carlos and I received the final word from the US Consulate in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico. He is not eligible for a visa to live in the US as my spouse, and he also isn't eligible for the hardship waiver that US citizen spouses usually get to file when their loved one isn't eligible for a visa. All this because of one unfortunate day when he was 16, when he was forced by a parent to seek entry to the US using a relative's US birth certificate instead of the visitor's visa he already possessed. Under immigration law -- INA 212 A 6 C ii to be specific -- a false claim of US citizenship carries a lifetime ban with no waiver. Still, the ...

We've got a month's worth of photos to prove it. Click the photo below to go to the new album: There really will be a new update soon with more details on our little family. Really. :)