AUBURN - He wore a tiny sweater with a U.S. flag stitched on it. And the mere sight of him brought a huge cheer from the throng awaiting his arrival at Hancock Airport in Syracuse.
With a helping hand from mom, proud papa Robert Barker displays Christian Luis to the huge crowd of friends and relatives waiting to meet the addition to the family at Syracuse's Hancock airport Sunday. Jeff Costello / Staff Photographer
Christian Luis Barker, age 6 months, had arrived to spend his life, and his first Christmas, in the United States under the roof offered by his new parents in Auburn.
This will be our best Christmas ever, said the proud mother, Jennifer Barker, after bringing the baby home to Densmore Avenue after a six-month wait, a five-day trip to Guatemala City and an exhausting flight, just in time for the holidays. Christian is our biggest blessing. We're grateful he is ours.We feel so fortunate that he is here at all.
Married nine years, Jennifer and Robert Barker had tried adopting domestically through Catholic Charities of Rochester but grew disillusioned after two years of waiting. Robert, a chef at Lasca's restaurant, searched on the Web and began working with Wasatch of Utah, an international adoption agency.
In September, their Wasatch caseworker traveled to Guatemala to shoot a video of Christian for the Barkers. Jennifer Barker, a Spanish teacher at Moravia Correctional Facility, easily translated it to family members. Christian was in good health, and his foster parents were the mother and daughter of the doctor caring for him.
Christian was born June 27. His mother, a farm hand who could not afford to keep him, placed a thumbprint on the adoption papers giving consent and, indirectly, stating her hope that her baby would have a better life in the United States. Half of Guatemala's workers hold jobs in agriculture, and 60 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, the CIA reports in its World Factbook. The economy still suffers from a 36-year guerrilla war, which led to the deaths of more than 100,000 people and created some 1 million refugees before a peace agreement in 1996.
Over-population is one of the economic hardships in a devoutly Catholic nation where birth control is shunned, in accord with church philosophy. It makes the country a provider of babies to U.S. families eager to adopt. As the Barkers waited for their baby at the U.S. embassy in Guatemala City, they were among 30 couples on the same mission. All were trying to retrieve their new children and leave before a two-week embassy shutdown brought on by the holidays.
In Syracuse on Sunday night, a crowd of 50 family and friends gathered in the airport waiting area. Paternal grandparents Jim and Sue Barker spoke animatedly about their fifth grandchild. Wearing matching Christian's Grampa and Grandma sweatshirts, they couldn't wait for Christian to enter through a set of electric doors.
This is a blessing for all of us, a wonderful Christmas present, Sue Barker said.
For Jennifer's parents, Joseph and Caroline Valentino, Christian is their first grandchild.
Joe Valentino, a teacher at St. Joseph's' School in Auburn, unfurled brightly colored posters welcoming Christian. They were created by St. Joseph's students from grades four through seven. The students were excited for me, they took such care making these posters, Valentino said.
Christian's transfer went smoothly, Jennifer couldn't be more pleased with how they've been treated, Caroline Valentino said. She said Christian was a little fussy on the plane ride back to Miami, but other than that, he's been a perfect baby.
Jennifer's grandparents, Jen and John Galiso, were waiting for their third great-grandchild to arrive. There's plenty of love in this family to go around, John Galisano said. He's going to be very happy here.
Jennifer and Robert Barker began their trip to Guatemala at 5 a.m. Dec. 18 via Syracuse, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Miami and Costa Rica, reaching Guatemala City at 8 p.m. They stayed in the Marriot Hotel, walking distance to the embassy. After the paperwork was completed, the happy couple were able to hold their new son.
At 5:17 p.m. Sunday, the wait for the rest of the family members ended. Christians' beaming parents carried him through the doors to cheers and hugs. Christian, whose U.S.-flag sweater matched his father's, looked overwhelmed at first but adjusted to the crowd in his orbit.
What a chunk of change this kid is, Grampa Barker said of Christian's sturdy 20 pounds. In the video he looked smaller and you couldn't really see how much hair he had, Barker said. He's such a healthy baby.
As for Christian's parents, they were just happy to be home.
It feels wonderful to be home, but it was a perfect trip, Jennifer said.
Christian headed to his new room, decorated and filled to the brim with all things Winnie the Pooh, just in time for his first Christmas.
This will be our best Christmas ever, said the proud mother, Jennifer Barker, after bringing the baby home to Densmore Avenue after a six-month wait, a five-day trip to Guatemala City and an exhausting flight, just in time for the holidays. Christian is our biggest blessing. We're grateful he is ours.We feel so fortunate that he is here at all.
Married nine years, Jennifer and Robert Barker had tried adopting domestically through Catholic Charities of Rochester but grew disillusioned after two years of waiting. Robert, a chef at Lasca's restaurant, searched on the Web and began working with Wasatch of Utah, an international adoption agency.
In September, their Wasatch caseworker traveled to Guatemala to shoot a video of Christian for the Barkers. Jennifer Barker, a Spanish teacher at Moravia Correctional Facility, easily translated it to family members. Christian was in good health, and his foster parents were the mother and daughter of the doctor caring for him.
Christian was born June 27. His mother, a farm hand who could not afford to keep him, placed a thumbprint on the adoption papers giving consent and, indirectly, stating her hope that her baby would have a better life in the United States. Half of Guatemala's workers hold jobs in agriculture, and 60 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, the CIA reports in its World Factbook. The economy still suffers from a 36-year guerrilla war, which led to the deaths of more than 100,000 people and created some 1 million refugees before a peace agreement in 1996.
Over-population is one of the economic hardships in a devoutly Catholic nation where birth control is shunned, in accord with church philosophy. It makes the country a provider of babies to U.S. families eager to adopt. As the Barkers waited for their baby at the U.S. embassy in Guatemala City, they were among 30 couples on the same mission. All were trying to retrieve their new children and leave before a two-week embassy shutdown brought on by the holidays.
In Syracuse on Sunday night, a crowd of 50 family and friends gathered in the airport waiting area. Paternal grandparents Jim and Sue Barker spoke animatedly about their fifth grandchild. Wearing matching Christian's Grampa and Grandma sweatshirts, they couldn't wait for Christian to enter through a set of electric doors.
This is a blessing for all of us, a wonderful Christmas present, Sue Barker said.
For Jennifer's parents, Joseph and Caroline Valentino, Christian is their first grandchild.
Joe Valentino, a teacher at St. Joseph's' School in Auburn, unfurled brightly colored posters welcoming Christian. They were created by St. Joseph's students from grades four through seven. The students were excited for me, they took such care making these posters, Valentino said.
Christian's transfer went smoothly, Jennifer couldn't be more pleased with how they've been treated, Caroline Valentino said. She said Christian was a little fussy on the plane ride back to Miami, but other than that, he's been a perfect baby.
Jennifer's grandparents, Jen and John Galiso, were waiting for their third great-grandchild to arrive. There's plenty of love in this family to go around, John Galisano said. He's going to be very happy here.
Jennifer and Robert Barker began their trip to Guatemala at 5 a.m. Dec. 18 via Syracuse, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Miami and Costa Rica, reaching Guatemala City at 8 p.m. They stayed in the Marriot Hotel, walking distance to the embassy. After the paperwork was completed, the happy couple were able to hold their new son.
At 5:17 p.m. Sunday, the wait for the rest of the family members ended. Christians' beaming parents carried him through the doors to cheers and hugs. Christian, whose U.S.-flag sweater matched his father's, looked overwhelmed at first but adjusted to the crowd in his orbit.
What a chunk of change this kid is, Grampa Barker said of Christian's sturdy 20 pounds. In the video he looked smaller and you couldn't really see how much hair he had, Barker said. He's such a healthy baby.
As for Christian's parents, they were just happy to be home.
It feels wonderful to be home, but it was a perfect trip, Jennifer said.
Christian headed to his new room, decorated and filled to the brim with all things Winnie the Pooh, just in time for his first Christmas.
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