PGN

Here's the next step the in the adoption process.

Once you have Pre-Approval and are out of Family Court you enter PGN. (ok - for those of you who like accuracy, you can actually enter PGN without Pre-Approval, but we won't go there)

PGN is like our Attorney General's office. There are a bunch a reviewers that review all kinds of files. (international adoption, things like our CPS files, etc.) It's the reviewer's job to look through all of our paperwork (the stuff we pulled together for our dossier, and any other documents that have been created through the process) and look for anything that looks suspicious. If they see anything that they don't like, they can kick you out (or also known as issuing a previo). Sometimes these previos are things that need to be fixed on the Guatemala side, sometimes they are things we need to fix - many times they are very small nit-picky things. Sometimes the reviewer will kick you out when the find one thing, you fix it, and then get resubmitted.

At that point you start all over again. The next reviewer (because you may not end up with the same one) starts reviewing and may come across something else to kick you out - and you start again. The best thing is to get through the review stage without any kick outs. This is why it's so important to pay attention to every little item in your dossier.

Once the file has been approved by the reviewer, it goes to the head of PGN for his final sign off. This used to be a formality, but the new PGN director takes his job very seriously and likes to look through every file. This has added weeks (like around 4-8) to this process.

Once head PGN man signs off on the file, it goes to the computer lady who logs the file and then it's ready for your attorney to pick it up. (but your attorney isn't told - they just have to go to the window and check and see if any of their cases have been released)

We have now been in PGN for almost 6 weeks. We haven't heard anything. I'm hoping we didn't get a kick out on the Guatemala side - since that makes us start all over again for the wait.

Also, word on the street (or I should say, internet) is that head PGN guy is now on vacation (or out on business) until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. (Friday is a holiday in Guatemala) This means that PGN outs may be slow this week and probably next week. This isn't good for us!!

Keep praying for my patience. I haven't been having a good week.