It's not exactly progress, but it's something...

We heard from our agency contact. Yesterday she received the authorization to perform Catalina's DNA test. Unfortunately, there was a mishap with Gus's paperwork. The birth certificate that they submitted was not an original, so our agency's facilitator will have to obtain an original from the birthplace in Escuintla, Guatemala. I have no idea how long that will take and the agency didn't have any guesses, either. So, until the Embassy receives and approves the appropriate documents, both of the DNA tests are on hold. If you're keeping track, that's one month and 15 days without any significant progress on our case. I have the patience of a three-year-old when it comes to things like this, so you can imagine how much I am enjoying this wait.

Several people have asked about the timeline for bringing the kiddos home. When we were in Guatemala, the facilitator told us that if absolutely nothing goes wrong, we could have them home by the end of September. But, if you read the previous paragraph, you get a sense for how likely that's gonna be...not so much. So, we're expecting anywhere from October to December. They really need to be home before Halloween because Aunt Julie has vowed to make Catalina a spectacularly-girly and fabulous costume, and I don't want little Cat to miss out on that.

More soon. If you talk to me this weekend, remind me to be patient and keep the faith. I'm faltering slightly at this point.