Destination Paradise

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. :)

Kinda haven't posted in awhile. Been a little busy with this adorable little guy: We've been collecting photos of Lucas on his own Picasa account. See them here: http://picasaweb.google.com/LucasSalvatoreG More update action coming soon!

Lucas was finally born on December 23 at 6:22 am. He was 7 lbs 10 oz, 20 in of perfection! He is in fabulous health, and he and Amy were able to leave the hospital on Christmas Eve in time to spend the holiday with family. Carlos was able to watch the birth via Webcam, and is so proud of his new son. He even managed to capture some of Lucas' first moments on video: Here are some other photos of the baby with proud family members: With Grandpa With Amy's cousin Carly and Grandma Look at all that hair! More photos and updates to come...

Oops. It's been over a month since I was in Mexico and I still haven't posted most of the photos. I'll add them in a second. An update on immigration: our amazing attorney is now filing a separate appeal that will go to a completely different office. So she's basically working from two angles, and if either is successful, we're looking at a brand new chance! So we just need prayers that we'll get quick and favorable responses. Now, back to the trip. Aside from the absolute insanity of our experience with immigration, we had a good time together. Here are some highlights: Carlos bought me a slice of German Chocolate Cake for my birthday! Baby G and I both enjoyed it. We went to this huge market/strip mall, "Los Cabacitos". Several food vendors make stuff that's so good, this place is known all over the city. These gorditas are one example: picadillo con papas (ground beef with potatoes) is the top one, and calabacitas (squ...

OK, a week has passed since the last post, and a LOT has happened since then. First of all, I said goodbye to Carlos (and our home in Mexico), knowing full well that the next time I see him, I'll be introducing him to our newborn baby! That's a sad and happy thought at the same time. The GOOD news is that the next time I see him, Lord willing, we will be meeting up in the lovely city of Windsor, Ontario, Canada! That's right. With the help of my wonderful parents, and possibly even joined by my brother and sister-in-law, we will be driving through Michigan into Canada shortly after the baby's born. Carlos will fly one of the direct flights from Mexico to Canada and then travel to Windsor to meet up with us for several days so that he can meet his new baby. After that, he'll ideally stick around for a short while scouting out the city of Toronto, which we dream of as our future home. You've read correctly. Our days in Mexico are coming to an end. It...

The official decision was not in our favor at all, but we are not willing to accept it as final. This is far from over, everybody! However, our immediate concern is for the baby, who has been through a lot already. So for now, our main focus is to finish a healthy pregnancy and also come up with a plan for right after the birth (which is still happening in the US) where the three of us are together in one healthy, sanitary place. As of right now, Mexico is not it. So we will need to get hustling on something of any nature in Canada, ideally for late December or January. It is insane to think that's possible, but we're going to try. In the meantime, we're working on the great advice we've received from family and friends all over the place. There are plenty of people to contact, angles to work, and believe me when I say we will work all of them. The reason we refuse to give up is simply the injustice of this situation, and not just the injustice of separating...

Well, sadly, our year-long immigration adventure has experienced a violent and devastating collision with the reality of immigration law. After nearly 11 months, two humiliating Mexican jobs, thousands of dollars, 9 international flights, endless hopes and dreams, and tons of prayers, we are left empty-handed. As things stand right now, Carlos is banned from entering the US for life, and there is no opportunity for a waiver. This was always a possibility, sort of the worst-case scenario, but this is now our only scenario. We're pursuing a few unlikely leads, but it seems like it's time to start planning for a future that doesn't include the US. Still, all of your prayers really made a difference in how this day played out. Here are some ways: We were blessed by the presence of a friend from the immigration forum who was with us for the whole thing and helped us keep cool heads and think quickly. After the interview, Carlos returned to the hotel in record time, allowi...