Guatemala Newsletter - Current Newsletter

Wasatch International Adoptions
Guatemala Newsletter and Update
January 2007

Dear Subscribers,

Happy New Year and welcome to another edition of our Guatemala Newsletter. We have several items of interest this month including an article explaining “Mongolian spots” or “Mongolian blue spots” that some of your children from Guatemala may have. Some families did not know or were concerned about these spots when they first noticed them on their child and so we thought some information on that subject would be helpful.

Karla Padilla has again contributed a great article on “getting ready to go pick up your child” which all parents getting ready to travel will find very helpful. As the time draws close, many parents panic or become overly excited and Karla’s list will be just the thing to keep posted on your refrigerator or other well-seen spot!

Congratulations to the Hardin Family who have received a referral of a wonderful little boy and the Jordan Family who have received a referral for a beautiful, new daughter.

In this issue Wasatch sadly says good-bye to Shannon Cox, our Guatemala referral specialist. Shannon has been a huge asset to Wasatch for many years and we will miss her command of the Spanish language as well as her help with our Haiti program. Shannon has three small children and has decided she needs to spend more time with them as well as focusing on her humanitarian project, Haitian Roots. For more information about this program, please go to http://www.haitianroots.com Please don’t worry however as our wonderful Chareyl Moyes is still here and continuing her hard work with families on dossiers and referrals and we will have a Spanish speaking member on staff soon. Dianne Squires, assistant director, is also helping in dossier preparation.

If any family adopting from Guatemala has a suggestion as to a subject you would like to see addressed in future newsletters, please free to contact Kathy Junk at wiaa.org. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Kathy Junk – Inquiries Specialist
Chareyl Moyes – Program Manage
Dianne Squires – Program Manager

Medical Encyclopedia: Mongolian blue spots

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001472.htm

Alternative names

Mongolian spots; Congenital dermal melanocytosis; Dermal melanocytosis

Definition

Mongolian spots are flat bluish or bluish-gray skin markings that commonly appear at birth or shortly thereafter.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Mongolian blue spots are common among darker-skinned races, such as Asian, East Indian, and African. They are flat, pigmented lesions with unclear borders and irregular shape. They appear commonly at the base of the spine, on the buttocks and back. They may also can appear as high as the shoulders and elsewhere. Mongolian spots are benign skin markings and are not associated with any conditions or illnesses.

Occasionally, Mongolian blue spots are mistaken for bruises and questions about child abuse arise. It is important to recognize that Mongolian blue spots are birthmarks, NOT bruises.

Symptoms

• Bluish or blue-gray spots on the back, buttocks, base of spine, or elsewhere
• Bruise-like coloration
• Pigmented area has normal skin texture
• May cover a large area of back

Other

• More likely in darker-skinned races
• Generally disappears by puberty

Signs and tests

Examination of the skin is sufficient to determine that the spots are Mongolian blue spots. No testing is necessary.

Treatment

No treatment is necessary or recommended.

Expectations (prognosis)

The bluish discoloration often fades in a few years and is almost always gone by adolescence.

Complications

There are no complications.

Calling your health care provider

• All birthmarks should be examined by the health care provider during a routine newborn examination.

Guatemala Trivia
By Karla W. Padilla

DID YOU KNOW?

• Guatemala’s main exports are
  coffee, sugar, and bananas

• Guatemala has 22 departments
  

• Guatemala City is the largest city in Central America

Don’t Wait, Prepare Now!
By Karla W. Padilla

Now that we have been home for a little over a month and we have started to settle in, I have been reflecting on our adoption experience and thinking about what went well and what we could have done differently. I have to say that besides one glitch and the wait through PGN, we had a good adoptive experience. One thing that I would do differently is preparing for our trip AHEAD of time. Some of you may be like Duane and I who thought we had plenty of time to prepare or that we could not get ready until we had our travel date. Now, I realize that there were things we could have done earlier that would have alleviated some stress that we brought on ourselves by waiting until the last minute. The wait through PGN may be long, but once you are out, things move quickly and before you know it you are on a plane to Guatemala to pick-up your beautiful child or children. Once you receive your travel date you will have the challenge of booking airline tickets and finding room accommodations (we were not able to get a room for our first night in Guatemala until the day before we left, the whole city was booked). Below are some suggestions on how to prepare ahead of time in order to avoid some unnecessary stress. On behalf of the Padilla family we wish you happy travels!

1. Currency - Decide how much money you would like to spend. Will you be using cash, credit card, or traveler’s checks? If you are wanting to use traveler’s checks make sure you get them with plenty of time and that you sign them on the correct spot. This will help avoid problems when you try to use them, we speak from experience.
2. Loose Money – Have enough small bills for tipping. The people in Guatemala are extremely service oriented and you will definitely be inclined to tip well. You will also need money to pay airport taxes when leaving Guatemala.
3. Medical Supplies – You can start purchasing these supplies ahead of time. There is a list of the things you will need in your WIA adoption book.
4. Children’s Supplies – You may not know your child’s or children’s exact sizes, but you can purchase items in various sizes. You can also purchase items such as formula, bottles, bibs, wipes, toys, etc. ahead of time and you can review what you have and purchase other items as you remember. By waiting until the last minute you may forget some of the essentials.
5. Car Seat – Have the car seat installed in your vehicle ahead of time. This will help when you return so you are not trying to figure out how to put it in when you are at the airport, especially during the winter months.
6. Snugli - I suggest taking a Snugli or something similar instead of an umbrella stroller. I felt the Snugli helped AnaValeska and I bond quickly because she was always close to me, instead of sitting away from me in the stroller. It was the best feeling when she would lay her little head on my chest. The Snugli also served as a type of car seat.
7. Laptop – We took our lap top to help us update our website each day and to stay in touch with family and friends. It was nice to have the convenience in our hotel room instead of having to go to the hotel’s business center. It also served as our DVD player on the plane. What a life saver!
8. Have all of Your Documents in One Central Location – Ensure that you have all of your documents in one central location and that you know where to find them with ease, this includes your passports.
9. Make Copies of Documents to Leave with Someone - Be sure to make document copies ahead of time and to leave specific instructions. You never know when you will need them.
10. Traveling with Other Children – If you are traveling with other children you can pack their “entertainment,” items ahead of time (i.e., CD player, books, small travel games, stuffed animal etc.). By doing it ahead of time you will not forget anything important that may cause trauma later. Also, be sure to have plenty of snacks. We had a huge plane delay and the snacks helped us all.
11. Baby Shower – If someone offers to give you a baby shower before you leave, take them up on it! You may think you do not have time for one, but in the end it will pay off. It is amazing how many things you need that you do not realize until you are going up and down the aisles of the store. Having a baby shower before you leave can help you save some money and get some of the necessary items.