So Olivia has had a VERY busy last couple weeks. She is now officially crawling upright on all fours. In fact she crawls on one knee and one foot, as she's thinks she's ready to walk. She is really getting around the house on her own now. She just started pulling herself up and is really good at it already. She stood on her own for a couple seconds (several times in fact) on Christmas Eve and got her first tooth on Christmas Day. She ate her first Swedish Meatballs on Christmas Eve (and loved them) and of course celebrated her first Christmas!
Her doctor appointment today was a success! She's happy, healthy and growing.
She is now to the stage where I can look at her and we just laugh together ...for no real reason! She is a joy to us and to her sisters.
Abigail and Emma especially enjoyed some Grammy time over the past few days. They have been such a delight over the past few weeks, despite both having a flu bug.
Sorry I don't have any pictures to post. I haven't uploaded any in awhile, and likely won't get to it soon, as we've been busy packing to move.
Just wanted to post a quick note!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Crawling & Clapping
My last post was just a couple days ago, at which time Olivia was NOT crawling. But she gave us an official move last night and now we can say, "SHE'S CRAWLING!" She's not up on all fours, but pulls herself along, with her left arm tucked under, just like Abigail did. We called it the WOUNDED SOLDIER crawl. It doesn't matter how she's getting around... when she's intentionally mobile, it's crawling! So we now have a crawling baby in our house. She's still trying to figure out the movement when up on all fours, so we'll see if she really gets up pretty soon.
She also is clapping now. It's so cute. She's been watching us do it lately, and just smiles away. But now she can do it herself too. It seems like she's grown up quite a bit in the last couple weeks. Oh boy! Here we go!
She also is clapping now. It's so cute. She's been watching us do it lately, and just smiles away. But now she can do it herself too. It seems like she's grown up quite a bit in the last couple weeks. Oh boy! Here we go!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Sitting up!
I can hardly believe that Olivia is 8 months old already. We've been home for three months. It seems like we only arrived yesterday and yet in some ways it seems like we've been home forever. Olivia is doing very well. She is now sitting up and is working on crawling, but not quite there yet. She is getting up on her hands and knees, so it should be soon! She STILL doesn't have any teeth, although I thought FOR SURE they would be in by "tomorrow" which I've been thinking since the day we met her. She is eating well and sleeping well. She smiles much more easily now and even giggles sometimes when we look at her.
Abigail & Emma are still LOVING their baby sister and are eager to do whatever they can to help her. They love to make her smile and giggle now, and it is such a joy for me to watch. I KNEW they would be good with their baby sister, but I am continually amazed at HOW MUCH they love her and how good they are with her.
And here's a picture of story time before bed.
Abigail & Emma are still LOVING their baby sister and are eager to do whatever they can to help her. They love to make her smile and giggle now, and it is such a joy for me to watch. I KNEW they would be good with their baby sister, but I am continually amazed at HOW MUCH they love her and how good they are with her.
Here's a picture of them putting barettes in Olivia's hair!
And here's a picture of story time before bed.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Things NOW!
We have been home for eight weeks now. In some ways it feels like forever, and in some ways it feels like we just got here. Abigail and Emma LOVE their new sister and desire so much to help take care of her. They are always willing to get her a toy, say something silly to her to get her to smile or let us know when she needs a bottle or Mommy snuggles. Olivia loves being with her sisters, and will fuss a bit if Abigail and Emma leave the room. She loves to watch them play and she smiles easily for them. It is so sweet to see them all interact with such love for each other.
Olivia is getting bigger and stronger, and has even grown out of some clothes that fit her when we first met her. She seems very tall to me, but that might be because I'm used to munchkin babies. My prediction is that she will weigh as much as her big sister's within nine months. She is rolling over, but isn't crawling yet.... although she's working on getting her bottom up in the air during tummy time, so it will only be a matter of time. She scootches around the floor as she plays, although I don't think she even realizes she's doing it herself. She is working on sitting up by herself too. Her hair is getting long, and I'm trying to find a good style and product for her hair. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to them! Usually she sports a barrette or a headband. I have considered trying to "do" her hair by braiding, rubber bands, etc, but there's something odd to me about a six month old having things like that in her hair. She loves to babble and say, "DaDaDaDa". Too bad she doesn't know what she's saying yet. She is eating solid foods regularly now, and seems to like most all foods we've tried thus far. She is a pretty happy baby, and is fairly content to be with others, although when she's upset, she really wants MOMMY to help her calm down. She sleeps pretty well, but not nearly as well as she did during the first six weeks home. The past couple weeks she's decided it's great to wake in the night... just in time for Mommy to go back to work! She's spoiled me, so I'm not used to getting up with her in the night. Sean has two official Daddy days under his belt now with all three girls all day, and has done GREAT!
We're all working on a new routine now, as I am back to work, pre-school is in session and the summer is coming to a close. Life now seems a bit crazier than it was while I was off work, but we are all doing well and adjusting to our new life together.
Olivia is getting bigger and stronger, and has even grown out of some clothes that fit her when we first met her. She seems very tall to me, but that might be because I'm used to munchkin babies. My prediction is that she will weigh as much as her big sister's within nine months. She is rolling over, but isn't crawling yet.... although she's working on getting her bottom up in the air during tummy time, so it will only be a matter of time. She scootches around the floor as she plays, although I don't think she even realizes she's doing it herself. She is working on sitting up by herself too. Her hair is getting long, and I'm trying to find a good style and product for her hair. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to them! Usually she sports a barrette or a headband. I have considered trying to "do" her hair by braiding, rubber bands, etc, but there's something odd to me about a six month old having things like that in her hair. She loves to babble and say, "DaDaDaDa". Too bad she doesn't know what she's saying yet. She is eating solid foods regularly now, and seems to like most all foods we've tried thus far. She is a pretty happy baby, and is fairly content to be with others, although when she's upset, she really wants MOMMY to help her calm down. She sleeps pretty well, but not nearly as well as she did during the first six weeks home. The past couple weeks she's decided it's great to wake in the night... just in time for Mommy to go back to work! She's spoiled me, so I'm not used to getting up with her in the night. Sean has two official Daddy days under his belt now with all three girls all day, and has done GREAT!
We're all working on a new routine now, as I am back to work, pre-school is in session and the summer is coming to a close. Life now seems a bit crazier than it was while I was off work, but we are all doing well and adjusting to our new life together.
Friday, September 24, 2010
The last several days....
We spent the next day caring for Olivia and trying to get to know her. We had our Embassy appointment on Tuesday (sorry, no pics, as cameras were not allowed), which was an exciting day, as we got to see Olivia's Ethiopian visa and hear confirmation that the US is recognizing her adoption, but we had to wait two more days for her visa to be issued to allow her to enter the United States.
We spent Wednesday hanging out with some new friends who live in Ethiopia -Henoch and Theresa. They both were born in Ethiopia, but Theresa grew up in Canada and Henoch went to college in CA. It was so good to spend time with them to get their perspective on Ethiopia from a more American point of view, as they had a pretty good understanding of both cultures. Theresa took us shopping in the morning to pick up a few more items to help us remember Ethiopia and in the afternoon she took us to an orphanage outside of the city which they are trying to support. This orphanage houses 53 children -from toddlers up to teens, and helps to support other children who live elsewhere as well. They have a building consisting of two rooms, one for the boys and one for the girls. Each room has rows of bunk beds. The children are trying to grow their own gardens to help with food. But this orphanage needs help. They have volunteers who care for them when they can. They do not have any permanent full-time care. They are in desperate need of food and a kitchen in which to prepare food. I was told all of these children are adoptable, but their is no focus on finding families for these children, as they first need food to sustain them. These children need help.
Our dear friends Jeff and Bethany are working with Henoch and Theresa to find supporters for this orphanage, to find sponsors for these children, and to find donors to help them be able to build a kitchen. If you are interested in helping these children, please visit theperpetualchange.me for more information and to donate.
The rest of the time we spent loving on Olivia, hanging out with some of the other families in our travel group, going for short walks and packing of course.
Another view from our hotel room. These boys are employed as shoe shiners. They check out every pair of shoes which walks by and even wants to shine shoes which aren't shinable.
A man walking by. I like the view of this picture. We were on the fourth floor, so this is a pretty good zoom.
Nap time.
We received Olivia's passport and visa on Thursday morning and departed for home that night.
We spent Wednesday hanging out with some new friends who live in Ethiopia -Henoch and Theresa. They both were born in Ethiopia, but Theresa grew up in Canada and Henoch went to college in CA. It was so good to spend time with them to get their perspective on Ethiopia from a more American point of view, as they had a pretty good understanding of both cultures. Theresa took us shopping in the morning to pick up a few more items to help us remember Ethiopia and in the afternoon she took us to an orphanage outside of the city which they are trying to support. This orphanage houses 53 children -from toddlers up to teens, and helps to support other children who live elsewhere as well. They have a building consisting of two rooms, one for the boys and one for the girls. Each room has rows of bunk beds. The children are trying to grow their own gardens to help with food. But this orphanage needs help. They have volunteers who care for them when they can. They do not have any permanent full-time care. They are in desperate need of food and a kitchen in which to prepare food. I was told all of these children are adoptable, but their is no focus on finding families for these children, as they first need food to sustain them. These children need help.
Our dear friends Jeff and Bethany are working with Henoch and Theresa to find supporters for this orphanage, to find sponsors for these children, and to find donors to help them be able to build a kitchen. If you are interested in helping these children, please visit theperpetualchange.me for more information and to donate.
The rest of the time we spent loving on Olivia, hanging out with some of the other families in our travel group, going for short walks and packing of course.
This is the view from our hotel room!
Another view from our hotel room. These boys are employed as shoe shiners. They check out every pair of shoes which walks by and even wants to shine shoes which aren't shinable.
A man walking by. I like the view of this picture. We were on the fourth floor, so this is a pretty good zoom.
Nap time.
We received Olivia's passport and visa on Thursday morning and departed for home that night.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Custody!
On Sunday we took custody of our precious baby Olivia. It was an exciting and joyous day for the adopting families. All seven families in our travel group were so excited for this day. We started out by filling out some paperwork together as a group for our appointments at the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Tuesday. Then we got some lunch while we waited. We all returned to the Guest House to wait for our special deliveries. Then we waited some more. And finally the van arrived with the nannies and our children. The nannies handed over our precious children and said their good-byes to all the kids. These were kids that they had spent at least two months caring for. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for them to have to say good-bye to these kids -knowing how the kids were pretty scared and unsure of what was in store for them. Remember, for each of these kids, their lives were turning upside down. New parents (of course), but also new clothes, new foods, new scents, new homes, new language, new sights, first airplane rides. These children had to leave absolutely EVERYTHING they knew behind except for memories. This is a part of adoption which makes my heart ache. Adoption is a beautiful thing -an amazing blessing to families who are welcoming children, but it is so heart-breaking for the children to have to suffer so much loss.
Sean having a moment with Olivia!
Nanny saying her good-byes to Olivia for the last time.
Some kisses for baby Olivia!
These are some of the families traveling with us to get our precious children.
After we all loved on and played with our children, we headed back to our hotel -very anxious to change Olivia's clothes into something pink and girly and to play with her.
Nanny handing Olivia over to me.
Sean having a moment with Olivia!
Nanny saying her good-byes to Olivia for the last time.
Some kisses for baby Olivia!
These are some of the families traveling with us to get our precious children.
Daddy and Olivia smiling at each other!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Traveling out of the city
We spent two days of our trip outside of the city, which I must say was one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was so beautiful to see the scenery in the southern area of Ethiopia. We took a five hour van ride to Awassa, and we couldn't capture enough of the scenery. It was just gorgeous....much more what I pictured when I thought of Ethiopia. We saw farm-land, lots of animals -cows, goats, donkeys and chickens. We saw green lush land, fields of crops, gorgeous trees, massive termite hills, fields being plowed with oxen, and children herding animals. We saw grass homes, rolling hills and beautiful people.
We arrived in Awassa and visited the orphanage where Olivia was originally taken by her birth mom. We got a brief tour and were able to see some of the other children who are there still waiting to be matched with their adoptive families. We saw many babies -from just a few days old to older babies and toddlers primarily. When we visited the area where the toddlers were, as they poured out of the room, each one of them greeted us with amazing hugs and kisses. It was just heart-breaking. These children were longing for love. Some of them gave brief hugs and moved on and others held on much longer, with a tight grip. It was overwhelming to me to see these children and see their huge need for a family.
In this picture Esther is standing next to the bed which was Olivia's while she was there, which was just a few days more than a month.
After our tour of the facility, we waited to meet Olivia's birth mom. It was a bit awkward. Afterall, what do you really say to a woman who gave birth to your daughter? Other than, "Thank you for the amazing gift you've given to our family" of course. We had the opportunity, via two interpreters (to cover three languages) to ask her some questions about herself, her family and the brief time she was able to spend with Olivia. It was a bit surreal and a bit impersonal with so many people involved in the conversation, but we were so grateful that she was willing and strong enough to travel to meet us and share information with us, which will be so special to Olivia as she grows up. This was an amazing experience.
After the emotional birth parent meetings, we visited a nearby park, which was a much needed break from the intensity of the day. I was so excited to see monkeys!!! We were able to feed them from our hands and they enjoyed getting on our laps too. I am a huge monkey fan, so this was an especially special treat for me. We also saw the beautiful Lake Awassa, in which the town is named after. We did a bit of shopping before heading to our hotel for the night.
Lake Awassa!
The following day, after purchasing some raw coffee beans, per Sean's special request, we traveled back to the city, another five hour trip through the beautiful southern part of Ethiopia. That evening we were taken to an authentic Ethiopian restaurant which included some live entertainment with singers and dancers.
We arrived in Awassa and visited the orphanage where Olivia was originally taken by her birth mom. We got a brief tour and were able to see some of the other children who are there still waiting to be matched with their adoptive families. We saw many babies -from just a few days old to older babies and toddlers primarily. When we visited the area where the toddlers were, as they poured out of the room, each one of them greeted us with amazing hugs and kisses. It was just heart-breaking. These children were longing for love. Some of them gave brief hugs and moved on and others held on much longer, with a tight grip. It was overwhelming to me to see these children and see their huge need for a family.
This is Esther, who was Olivia's nanny while she was at this orphanage. Look how tall Sean and I look next to her!!!
In this picture Esther is standing next to the bed which was Olivia's while she was there, which was just a few days more than a month.
After our tour of the facility, we waited to meet Olivia's birth mom. It was a bit awkward. Afterall, what do you really say to a woman who gave birth to your daughter? Other than, "Thank you for the amazing gift you've given to our family" of course. We had the opportunity, via two interpreters (to cover three languages) to ask her some questions about herself, her family and the brief time she was able to spend with Olivia. It was a bit surreal and a bit impersonal with so many people involved in the conversation, but we were so grateful that she was willing and strong enough to travel to meet us and share information with us, which will be so special to Olivia as she grows up. This was an amazing experience.
After the emotional birth parent meetings, we visited a nearby park, which was a much needed break from the intensity of the day. I was so excited to see monkeys!!! We were able to feed them from our hands and they enjoyed getting on our laps too. I am a huge monkey fan, so this was an especially special treat for me. We also saw the beautiful Lake Awassa, in which the town is named after. We did a bit of shopping before heading to our hotel for the night.
Lake Awassa!
The following day, after purchasing some raw coffee beans, per Sean's special request, we traveled back to the city, another five hour trip through the beautiful southern part of Ethiopia. That evening we were taken to an authentic Ethiopian restaurant which included some live entertainment with singers and dancers.At the market. The local kids surrounded us. I guess they weren't used to seeing tourists.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The next few days
The next two days we also visited Olivia at the WACAP House, where she had been since June 1. It was fun to hang out with her and try to get to know her a bit. We were also able to witness another family in our travel group meet their child for the first time. It was such an intense time, and it was an honor to share in the experience with them.
In the afternoons we visited the National Museum of Ethiopia and did some shopping to purchase a few souvenirs.
This was Olivia's bed at the WACAP House where she was from June 1 through August 8, 2010.
The door to her room is the first one on the left, and the windows on the left side of the picture are windows into her room. She shared this room with five other babies and two nannies.
We were able to experience a few traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremonies during our time in Ethiopia. This was one of them. The woman in the picture first roasted the beans in the pan and then made the coffee. Ethiopia is known for their coffee.
Entrance to the National Museum of Ethiopia. The cost to enter was approximately $1.80 per person. Things were very cheap in Ethiopia. Meals typically cost us about $3 per person including drinks.
Us with Ato Teklu who is the representative for our Adoption Agency in Ethiopia. He is a very well-respected man in Ethiopia.
The market. The stores are on the right.
Shopping!
In the afternoons we visited the National Museum of Ethiopia and did some shopping to purchase a few souvenirs.
This was Olivia's bed at the WACAP House where she was from June 1 through August 8, 2010.
The door to her room is the first one on the left, and the windows on the left side of the picture are windows into her room. She shared this room with five other babies and two nannies.
We were able to experience a few traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremonies during our time in Ethiopia. This was one of them. The woman in the picture first roasted the beans in the pan and then made the coffee. Ethiopia is known for their coffee.
Entrance to the National Museum of Ethiopia. The cost to enter was approximately $1.80 per person. Things were very cheap in Ethiopia. Meals typically cost us about $3 per person including drinks.
Us with Ato Teklu who is the representative for our Adoption Agency in Ethiopia. He is a very well-respected man in Ethiopia.
The market. The stores are on the right.
Shopping!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Arriving in Ethiopia
We arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday morning. Before departing Cairo, we were pretty well adjusted to the time change (10 hours), but since we had a flight in the middle of the night (3:30am-7:30am), we left our hotel around midnight and hoped to sleep on the plane. Unfortunately we weren’t able to. We departed late, then had to make a stop in Khartoum which we didn’t know about, and they also served us two meals on the flight, which means more interruptions. Who serves a full roast beef meal at 4:30am? Ethiopian Airlines I learned!
We arrived at the airport, got our visas, exchanged money, got our passports checked, got our bags and cleared through security without much hassle. We were exhausted after not really sleeping at all the night before. Our driver arrived after a short wait, but the man arrived in an older Toyota Tercel hatch-back which clearly wasn’t going to hold all four of us, our five suitcases and our carry-ons. So we had to split up. Mom & I went in the first ride. The hatch on the car wouldn't open so he had to put our suitcases into the back through the front door and over the back-seat, and they of course then got stuck. Then the car almost didn’t start. It was almost comical. But all was good. Our destination was only about 15-20 minutes away, but Mom and I saw a lot in our short journey. I was shocked. I was told of the exact things I would see, but nothing could have ever prepared me for actually seeing it with my own eyes. We arrived at the guesthouse and the driver and the guards unloaded our suitcases –again through the front door. Mom and I were taken to our room, which wasn't quite what we thought. We had requested a room with two beds, and our room only had one bed. There was enough room to walk around the bed, but not enough room for our suitcases to be opened. Did I mention there was only one bed... for four adults and later a baby too? The room wasn't in the best condition and the toilet wouldn’t flush. Well we were able to get it to flush, but then it wouldn't stop running, so we finally turned the water off completely. We were a bit surprised. Mom laid down on the bed to rest while I went back to explain we really needed two beds. They were so nice and found some rooms for us at the hotel just down the street, which is owned by the same family. Unfortunately the rooms weren't available until 7pm, but that was OK.
Shortly after Sean and Dave arriving, we were told someone would be arriving in a few minutes to take us and some other families in our travel group to meet our kids, which was wonderful, as we weren't SCHEDULED to meet them until the following day, although I was secretly hoping they would fit us in the schedule a day early.
When we arrived, some of the other two families' kids came out right away and greeted them (2,3,4 yearolds). Then one of the nannies came out holding a baby, which we assumed was Olivia. There was some talk in Amharic, and then the nanny took her back in. They wanted to be sure which child was ours and came back out with her again a minute later. As soon as we saw her face we knew it was her! Of course it was pretty intense moment, but we got to see her up close, touch her and then we got to hold her. It was amazing. It was a bit strange to think that the child we were holding was really ours, chosen by God for our family, since we just met her, but it was a wonderful moment. We spent a couple hours there holding Olivia and playing with the other toddlers.
After we left the WACAP house we were taken to an Italian restaurant for a late lunch. This was one of the hardest times of our trip for me. I was exhausted, emotionally spent, shocked at seeing what I was seeing in the city which was so different from anything I am used to with the falling down buildings, the shacks, the poor people, the beggars, the horrid roads, the alley ways, etc. It was amazing. I thought I was prepared for what we were going to see, but I really wasn’t. I was afraid to eat any food for fear of getting sick and wasn't sure how I could live on bottled water for ten days (we were told what not to eat, but what COULD we eat? Turns out we could eat a lot!), unsure I would be able to handle our accommodations, unimpressed by the restrooms everywhere we had been so far (some which didn't flush, many without TP, lots without running water, soap, paper towels, etc). I was weak and broken. I wasn't sure I could do this, but I KNEW God wanted me right there, right where I was. I knew He had bigger plans for me, and that He had a daughter waiting for me. After lunch we headed outside to wait for our driver to pick us up. We waited and waited and waited. Ooops. He got busy at the office and lost track of time. He arrived over an hour later than he quoted. We were all a bit irritated and exhausted. Several of us fell asleep waiting. We finally got back to the guesthouse, but our rooms at the hotel still weren’t ready so the four of us laid sideways on the bed next to each other to take a MUCH NEEDED nap, but as soon as we laid down we got the giggles. It seemed a bit unreal that we were there and everything seemed so overwhelming and impossible, but yet it was very real. After our naps we were able to check into our new rooms at the hotel, which were in much better condition and MUCH larger than our original one-bed room!
We arrived at the airport, got our visas, exchanged money, got our passports checked, got our bags and cleared through security without much hassle. We were exhausted after not really sleeping at all the night before. Our driver arrived after a short wait, but the man arrived in an older Toyota Tercel hatch-back which clearly wasn’t going to hold all four of us, our five suitcases and our carry-ons. So we had to split up. Mom & I went in the first ride. The hatch on the car wouldn't open so he had to put our suitcases into the back through the front door and over the back-seat, and they of course then got stuck. Then the car almost didn’t start. It was almost comical. But all was good. Our destination was only about 15-20 minutes away, but Mom and I saw a lot in our short journey. I was shocked. I was told of the exact things I would see, but nothing could have ever prepared me for actually seeing it with my own eyes. We arrived at the guesthouse and the driver and the guards unloaded our suitcases –again through the front door. Mom and I were taken to our room, which wasn't quite what we thought. We had requested a room with two beds, and our room only had one bed. There was enough room to walk around the bed, but not enough room for our suitcases to be opened. Did I mention there was only one bed... for four adults and later a baby too? The room wasn't in the best condition and the toilet wouldn’t flush. Well we were able to get it to flush, but then it wouldn't stop running, so we finally turned the water off completely. We were a bit surprised. Mom laid down on the bed to rest while I went back to explain we really needed two beds. They were so nice and found some rooms for us at the hotel just down the street, which is owned by the same family. Unfortunately the rooms weren't available until 7pm, but that was OK.
Shortly after Sean and Dave arriving, we were told someone would be arriving in a few minutes to take us and some other families in our travel group to meet our kids, which was wonderful, as we weren't SCHEDULED to meet them until the following day, although I was secretly hoping they would fit us in the schedule a day early.
When we arrived, some of the other two families' kids came out right away and greeted them (2,3,4 yearolds). Then one of the nannies came out holding a baby, which we assumed was Olivia. There was some talk in Amharic, and then the nanny took her back in. They wanted to be sure which child was ours and came back out with her again a minute later. As soon as we saw her face we knew it was her! Of course it was pretty intense moment, but we got to see her up close, touch her and then we got to hold her. It was amazing. It was a bit strange to think that the child we were holding was really ours, chosen by God for our family, since we just met her, but it was a wonderful moment. We spent a couple hours there holding Olivia and playing with the other toddlers.
After we left the WACAP house we were taken to an Italian restaurant for a late lunch. This was one of the hardest times of our trip for me. I was exhausted, emotionally spent, shocked at seeing what I was seeing in the city which was so different from anything I am used to with the falling down buildings, the shacks, the poor people, the beggars, the horrid roads, the alley ways, etc. It was amazing. I thought I was prepared for what we were going to see, but I really wasn’t. I was afraid to eat any food for fear of getting sick and wasn't sure how I could live on bottled water for ten days (we were told what not to eat, but what COULD we eat? Turns out we could eat a lot!), unsure I would be able to handle our accommodations, unimpressed by the restrooms everywhere we had been so far (some which didn't flush, many without TP, lots without running water, soap, paper towels, etc). I was weak and broken. I wasn't sure I could do this, but I KNEW God wanted me right there, right where I was. I knew He had bigger plans for me, and that He had a daughter waiting for me. After lunch we headed outside to wait for our driver to pick us up. We waited and waited and waited. Ooops. He got busy at the office and lost track of time. He arrived over an hour later than he quoted. We were all a bit irritated and exhausted. Several of us fell asleep waiting. We finally got back to the guesthouse, but our rooms at the hotel still weren’t ready so the four of us laid sideways on the bed next to each other to take a MUCH NEEDED nap, but as soon as we laid down we got the giggles. It seemed a bit unreal that we were there and everything seemed so overwhelming and impossible, but yet it was very real. After our naps we were able to check into our new rooms at the hotel, which were in much better condition and MUCH larger than our original one-bed room!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The part before arriving in Ethiopia
We departed on Friday, July 30 and flew from Portland to Amsterdam.
We had a 12 hour layover, so headed to the city to see a couple things during this time. We took boat ride through the canals.
We flew from Amsterdam to Cairo, Egypt where we spent two days so we could see the pyramids. We actually got ON the pyramids.
The best part was taking the camels across the desert to see the pyramids.
We also went on a dinner cruise on the Nile River.Friday, September 3, 2010
We're Back!
Well we made it back. In fact we've been back from our amazing, emotional journey for three weeks. I apologize we weren't able to post on here once we arrived in Ethiopia. We couldn't get onto any blogs. In addition email was a bit unpredictable, but facebook seemed to work well. Those of you who are friends with me on facebook were able to share in our journey as we tried to post there fairly often.
The idea of updating our blog has been daunting, as I feel like I left so many of you hanging for over a month. Where to start? .....I'll share a few highlights and an update.
We met our daughter one month ago today -on August 3. It was such an amazing experience. This is the first time we held our daughter.
We couldn't even begin to describe in words how intense meeting was, but Olivia took it like a champ. She was so calm and cool. She cried for just a bit when Sean first held her, but soon was fine. She seemed to snuggle right in, although she didn't show much expression in the initial days.
We were able to visit her for a few hours on each of three separate days. During these times we held her and played with some of the other kids at the WACAP house.
I'll try to post a bit more on our trip later.
For now, just wanted to let you know that we're home and adjusting. Olivia is a very easy baby. She cries when she's hungry and tired, but otherwise is pretty low-key. She now likes to smile a lot, is getting really good at holding things in her hands and is working on her leg muscles by putting some pressure when we stand her up. At her five month doctor visit she weighed in at 13 pounds, 14 ounces and 26 inches long. She seems very long to me, but I am used to shorter kiddos!!! She loves both of her sisters, tummy time and Mommy snuggles. She loves it when Daddy holds her up in the air. She is a drool monster, so is probably working on getting some teeth, but doesn't have any yet, and she rolls over both from her front to her back and her back to her front.
Abigail & Emma both LOVE her and very much enjoy helping her anytime she makes a sound. They like to make her smile and let me know when she's hungry. Both of the older girls are just amazing with her.
We had two weeks off of work together before Sean went back to work. We tried to make that time together very special for Abigail & Emma. We attended a family reunion in WA the day after we arrived home, we had visitors including Sean's mom from OH (who took care of Abigail and Emma while we were gone), my Dad and step-mom from AZ, and Sean's sister Heidi from NY. We went camping with some amazing friends for four days less than a week after returning home. It was so great to be away from the house and all the things we were needing to get done. We made a trip to the zoo (two times actually), attended a baseball game with some great friends from church and spent a wonderful afternoon playing at Sean's aunt & uncle's house. We also went to the coast for two days where we played on the beach and swam in a pool. It was an amazing couple weeks and so fun to have a more carefree time with the family together. Olivia of course was a trooper through it all.
Sean is now back to work, but I am still off work for a few more weeks, which is WONDERFUL, especially since I still have so many things on my TO DO list to get done. Thank you to my dear long-time friend Edie for helping me to stay accountable -by encouraging me to update my blog, edit our pics, put together the baby announcements, plan our WELCOME HOME OLIVIA Open House, update my status on FB, and schedule a time to make some meals to put in the freezer for the coming weeks. This has really helped! Thank you also to our amazing Sunday School class at SEC for bringing us meals. This has been a wonderful blessing to our family!
Here are a couple more pictures of my Mom and step-dad holding Olivia while we were in Ethiopia.
The idea of updating our blog has been daunting, as I feel like I left so many of you hanging for over a month. Where to start? .....I'll share a few highlights and an update.
We met our daughter one month ago today -on August 3. It was such an amazing experience. This is the first time we held our daughter.
We couldn't even begin to describe in words how intense meeting was, but Olivia took it like a champ. She was so calm and cool. She cried for just a bit when Sean first held her, but soon was fine. She seemed to snuggle right in, although she didn't show much expression in the initial days.We were able to visit her for a few hours on each of three separate days. During these times we held her and played with some of the other kids at the WACAP house.
I'll try to post a bit more on our trip later.
For now, just wanted to let you know that we're home and adjusting. Olivia is a very easy baby. She cries when she's hungry and tired, but otherwise is pretty low-key. She now likes to smile a lot, is getting really good at holding things in her hands and is working on her leg muscles by putting some pressure when we stand her up. At her five month doctor visit she weighed in at 13 pounds, 14 ounces and 26 inches long. She seems very long to me, but I am used to shorter kiddos!!! She loves both of her sisters, tummy time and Mommy snuggles. She loves it when Daddy holds her up in the air. She is a drool monster, so is probably working on getting some teeth, but doesn't have any yet, and she rolls over both from her front to her back and her back to her front.
Abigail & Emma both LOVE her and very much enjoy helping her anytime she makes a sound. They like to make her smile and let me know when she's hungry. Both of the older girls are just amazing with her.
We had two weeks off of work together before Sean went back to work. We tried to make that time together very special for Abigail & Emma. We attended a family reunion in WA the day after we arrived home, we had visitors including Sean's mom from OH (who took care of Abigail and Emma while we were gone), my Dad and step-mom from AZ, and Sean's sister Heidi from NY. We went camping with some amazing friends for four days less than a week after returning home. It was so great to be away from the house and all the things we were needing to get done. We made a trip to the zoo (two times actually), attended a baseball game with some great friends from church and spent a wonderful afternoon playing at Sean's aunt & uncle's house. We also went to the coast for two days where we played on the beach and swam in a pool. It was an amazing couple weeks and so fun to have a more carefree time with the family together. Olivia of course was a trooper through it all.
Sean is now back to work, but I am still off work for a few more weeks, which is WONDERFUL, especially since I still have so many things on my TO DO list to get done. Thank you to my dear long-time friend Edie for helping me to stay accountable -by encouraging me to update my blog, edit our pics, put together the baby announcements, plan our WELCOME HOME OLIVIA Open House, update my status on FB, and schedule a time to make some meals to put in the freezer for the coming weeks. This has really helped! Thank you also to our amazing Sunday School class at SEC for bringing us meals. This has been a wonderful blessing to our family!
Here are a couple more pictures of my Mom and step-dad holding Olivia while we were in Ethiopia.
Monday, August 2, 2010
So far....
We departed on Friday, and after spending 2 1/2 extra hours on the airplane in Portland before even taking off, we flew to Amsterdam. We didn't sleep much on the plane, so were a bit tired when we arrived in Amsterdam on Saturday at 10:30am, since it was 1:30am to our bodies. After getting out of the airport, we took a taxi to the downtown area and found a restaurant for lunch. We walked around the town a bit and took a boat ride on the canal to see more of the town. It was beautiful. We headed back to the airport earlier than anticipated, since we wanted to nap a bit and didn't have the energy to explore any more. We all got a quick 30 minute nap in before boarding our plane to Cairo at 9pm. We were all able to sleep a bit more on the plane and arrived in Cairo at 2:30am on Sunday. After getting our visas and flying through security we found a tour guide who was eager to set us up with some sight-seeing for that day and also made arrangements for us to get to our hotel. We arrived to the hotel and all took showers before falling into bed around 6am -our first beds since Thursday night.
We woke up around 10am on Sunday, got some breakfast and began our touring of Cairo. We were hooked up with an English speaking tour guide, a Muslim woman, who was very nice! First stop -to see the Pyramids. We chose to take camels (and horses) through the desert and viewed the Pyramids. Our guide was great and made sure to get some really good pics of all of us. We were even able to touch one of the pyramids! We saw the sphinx and then headed back. It was supposed to be around 100 degrees that day, although I never saw a thermometer to confirm. We were all troopers. Even Mom, who doesn't handle the heat, did great! We were promptly taken to a perfume shop where they tried to sell us perfumes we didn't want, and then to a paper making store where they tried to sell us art we weren't interested in. We then continued to a restaurant buffet where we were the only ones there and the food had probably been sitting there too long. Again -we were all troopers, ate the food and so far no one has been sick. We were hoping to get back to our hotel to take showers and wash off the smell of camels, but somehow didn't have time. So we hung out for awhile before heading to take a dinner cruise on the Nile River which included two shows -one with a woman belly dancer and the other with a man dressed in a skirt who spun around in circles for about 10 minutes straight without falling down. It sounds pretty strange, but was interesting! The weather at night is about 80 degrees, so we sat outside on the deck of the boat after the show and enjoyed the scenery of the city.
We actually got a full night's sleep, in our beds last night. In fact we slept for about 10 hours straight, which was amazing. We only got up to get some breakfast and then came back to our rooms to relax. Today we are keeping things pretty calm and don't have much planned. We hope to be caught up and adjusted to the 10 hour time change before heading to Ethiopia late tonight. Our flight leaves at 3:30am, so we probably won't sleep much tonight.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning we arrive in Ethiopia around 7:30am. We aren't scheduled to meet Olivia until Wednesday, although I am secretly hoping they allow us to meet her earlier than scheduled. Otherwise we will do some sight-seeing.
The internet connection here in Cairo is great, in our room, free and pretty quick. I don't anticipate it will be like that in Ethiopia, but we'll try to get online as often as we can to post updates.
Thank you to all who are praying for our trip. We certainly feel your prayers. Everything has run smooth so far, we're all in decent moods, catching up on sleep, healthy, excited and anxious! Please continue to pray for A & E who are at home with Grandma. It sounds like they're having a good time together, but that the girls are missing us. Please pray for patience, endurance and understanding for Grandma too. And of course, please pray for Olivia and her care-givers. Pray for Olivia's precious little heart as her life is about to turn upside down again. Please pray for her transition.
Loves to all of you.
We woke up around 10am on Sunday, got some breakfast and began our touring of Cairo. We were hooked up with an English speaking tour guide, a Muslim woman, who was very nice! First stop -to see the Pyramids. We chose to take camels (and horses) through the desert and viewed the Pyramids. Our guide was great and made sure to get some really good pics of all of us. We were even able to touch one of the pyramids! We saw the sphinx and then headed back. It was supposed to be around 100 degrees that day, although I never saw a thermometer to confirm. We were all troopers. Even Mom, who doesn't handle the heat, did great! We were promptly taken to a perfume shop where they tried to sell us perfumes we didn't want, and then to a paper making store where they tried to sell us art we weren't interested in. We then continued to a restaurant buffet where we were the only ones there and the food had probably been sitting there too long. Again -we were all troopers, ate the food and so far no one has been sick. We were hoping to get back to our hotel to take showers and wash off the smell of camels, but somehow didn't have time. So we hung out for awhile before heading to take a dinner cruise on the Nile River which included two shows -one with a woman belly dancer and the other with a man dressed in a skirt who spun around in circles for about 10 minutes straight without falling down. It sounds pretty strange, but was interesting! The weather at night is about 80 degrees, so we sat outside on the deck of the boat after the show and enjoyed the scenery of the city.
We actually got a full night's sleep, in our beds last night. In fact we slept for about 10 hours straight, which was amazing. We only got up to get some breakfast and then came back to our rooms to relax. Today we are keeping things pretty calm and don't have much planned. We hope to be caught up and adjusted to the 10 hour time change before heading to Ethiopia late tonight. Our flight leaves at 3:30am, so we probably won't sleep much tonight.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning we arrive in Ethiopia around 7:30am. We aren't scheduled to meet Olivia until Wednesday, although I am secretly hoping they allow us to meet her earlier than scheduled. Otherwise we will do some sight-seeing.
The internet connection here in Cairo is great, in our room, free and pretty quick. I don't anticipate it will be like that in Ethiopia, but we'll try to get online as often as we can to post updates.
Thank you to all who are praying for our trip. We certainly feel your prayers. Everything has run smooth so far, we're all in decent moods, catching up on sleep, healthy, excited and anxious! Please continue to pray for A & E who are at home with Grandma. It sounds like they're having a good time together, but that the girls are missing us. Please pray for patience, endurance and understanding for Grandma too. And of course, please pray for Olivia and her care-givers. Pray for Olivia's precious little heart as her life is about to turn upside down again. Please pray for her transition.
Loves to all of you.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Our Itinerary
Here's our itinerary for the two weeks we're gone. Feel free to pray for us during these times.
Friday, 7/30 -Depart PDX, 10 hour flight to Amsterdam + 9 hour time change.
Saturday 7/31 -12.5 hour layover in Amsterdam including a bit of sight-seeing maybe. Depart to Cairo, Egypt at noon PDT. Arrive Cairo 4:20pm PDT.
Sunday, 8/1 -Cairo, visit the pyramids and do a bit of sight-seeing.
Monday, 8/2 -Depart Cairo 5:35pm PDT and arrive in Ethiopia 9:25pm PDT.
Tuesday, 8/3 -Sight-seeing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. MAYBE meet Olivia
Wednesday 8/4 -Meet Olivia!!!!!
Thursday 8/5 -Spend morning with Olivia and sight-seeing in the afternoon.
Friday 8/6 & Saturday 8/7 -Travel to birth area, visit original orphanage, meet her birth mom!!!!
Sunday, 8/8 -TAKE CUSTODY!!!!
Monday, 8/9 -Bonding time
Tuesday, 8/10 -Embassy appointment
Wednesday 8/11 -Bonding time
Thursday 8/12 -Obtain her visa and depart for home 12:50pm PDT. Arrive Amsterdam 8:45pm PDT.
Friday 8/13 -Depart Amsterdam 1:10am PDT. Arrive PDX 11:40am!
Friday, 7/30 -Depart PDX, 10 hour flight to Amsterdam + 9 hour time change.
Saturday 7/31 -12.5 hour layover in Amsterdam including a bit of sight-seeing maybe. Depart to Cairo, Egypt at noon PDT. Arrive Cairo 4:20pm PDT.
Sunday, 8/1 -Cairo, visit the pyramids and do a bit of sight-seeing.
Monday, 8/2 -Depart Cairo 5:35pm PDT and arrive in Ethiopia 9:25pm PDT.
Tuesday, 8/3 -Sight-seeing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. MAYBE meet Olivia
Wednesday 8/4 -Meet Olivia!!!!!
Thursday 8/5 -Spend morning with Olivia and sight-seeing in the afternoon.
Friday 8/6 & Saturday 8/7 -Travel to birth area, visit original orphanage, meet her birth mom!!!!
Sunday, 8/8 -TAKE CUSTODY!!!!
Monday, 8/9 -Bonding time
Tuesday, 8/10 -Embassy appointment
Wednesday 8/11 -Bonding time
Thursday 8/12 -Obtain her visa and depart for home 12:50pm PDT. Arrive Amsterdam 8:45pm PDT.
Friday 8/13 -Depart Amsterdam 1:10am PDT. Arrive PDX 11:40am!
Monday, July 26, 2010
3.5 days and counting...
We depart in 3.5 days -on Friday. I can hardly believe the time is FINALLY almost here.
We spent Saturday night getting packed, and are all packed -except for a few last minute type things. Our suitcases are under weight, which is pretty impressive. We did much better than anticipated!
I am feeling the pressure to finish up some things around the house and get things all organized for Grandma to take care of A&E while we are gone. The girls are excited, but getting a bit anxious for us to be away. They understand that Daddy & Mommy are leaving on an airplane to go to Ethiopia to bring Baby Sister home, but they don't understand how long we'll be gone. I think they are anticipating us being gone for a few hours -like on a work day. We have some fun things for Grandma to read to them and show them each day so they can hear what we'll be doing each day. Please pray for them regardless. I know they will be fine, but they will miss us a lot too.
Please continue to pray for Olivia and for the nannies who care for her. Pray for a smooth transition for Olivia as her life is about to turn upside down -different people, different sights, different smells, different sounds, different voices, different clothes, different bottles, etc. I cannot even imagine the heart ache this experience is for any adopted child. I mourn for the loss she has already suffered and for the loss she will suffer in leaving her birth country and everything she knows behind her.
Please pray for us -for safe travels, for strength, for energy (to adjust to the time change, to the sleepless nights due to anxiety, for the sleepless nights due to having a baby), for strength during our emotional times over the next several weeks, for compassion and for wisdom on how to care for Olivia during her transition.
Thank you all for your continued support!!!!!
We spent Saturday night getting packed, and are all packed -except for a few last minute type things. Our suitcases are under weight, which is pretty impressive. We did much better than anticipated!
I am feeling the pressure to finish up some things around the house and get things all organized for Grandma to take care of A&E while we are gone. The girls are excited, but getting a bit anxious for us to be away. They understand that Daddy & Mommy are leaving on an airplane to go to Ethiopia to bring Baby Sister home, but they don't understand how long we'll be gone. I think they are anticipating us being gone for a few hours -like on a work day. We have some fun things for Grandma to read to them and show them each day so they can hear what we'll be doing each day. Please pray for them regardless. I know they will be fine, but they will miss us a lot too.
Please continue to pray for Olivia and for the nannies who care for her. Pray for a smooth transition for Olivia as her life is about to turn upside down -different people, different sights, different smells, different sounds, different voices, different clothes, different bottles, etc. I cannot even imagine the heart ache this experience is for any adopted child. I mourn for the loss she has already suffered and for the loss she will suffer in leaving her birth country and everything she knows behind her.
Please pray for us -for safe travels, for strength, for energy (to adjust to the time change, to the sleepless nights due to anxiety, for the sleepless nights due to having a baby), for strength during our emotional times over the next several weeks, for compassion and for wisdom on how to care for Olivia during her transition.
Thank you all for your continued support!!!!!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Two Week Delay = Camping Fun!
Since we couldn't depart today as we had originally planned, we're heading out of town to go camping with a group of dear families. This is a camping trip we scheduled in February and that I have been looking forward to since we returned home from our last camping trip in August 2009. I was a bit disappointed we were going to miss it, but the gift we were going to get in return made it all worth it. Now with our trip being delayed by two weeks, we get to go camping anyway and we STILL get our gift. See? There's always a silver lining.
Olivia turned four months old this past week, we leave in two weeks and she will be in our arms in two 1/2 weeks. I can hardly believe the time is ALMOST here!!!
Olivia turned four months old this past week, we leave in two weeks and she will be in our arms in two 1/2 weeks. I can hardly believe the time is ALMOST here!!!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Update on Olivia!!!!!
We also received some good news this week -an update on Olivia. One of the representatives from our adoption agency traveled to Ethiopia last week. She was able to visit Olivia and gave us an update on her status and also took some pictures of her!
We have been told that Olivia smiles easily and is a generally happy, but vocal baby! They provided us with an update on how much she is eating, that she is holding up her head and that she wakes 2-4 times per night for a bottle or diaper change! Good thing her nights are our days!!!! She is sharing a room with three other babies. And here's a glimpse at some of the pictures.....
Some tummy time! She's holding up her head. That's a good sign. And check out all that hair!!!!!!
Such big, beautiful brown eyes!!!!
We have been told that Olivia smiles easily and is a generally happy, but vocal baby! They provided us with an update on how much she is eating, that she is holding up her head and that she wakes 2-4 times per night for a bottle or diaper change! Good thing her nights are our days!!!! She is sharing a room with three other babies. And here's a glimpse at some of the pictures.....
Some tummy time! She's holding up her head. That's a good sign. And check out all that hair!!!!!!
Such big, beautiful brown eyes!!!!Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Whew! Only a small delay.
We received the official word today that our travel plans will be delayed by two weeks. This may seem like a bummer, but I am really praising God through this.
*Praise God that this is ONLY a two week delay.
*Praise God that we found out BEFORE we departed, as some families travelled to Ethiopia and then got the news from the Embassy that they had to wait two weeks causing them to either return home and then fly back or stay in Ethiopia for an extra two weeks.
*Praise God that tickets were still available on all the flights we needed.
*Praise God that we are comforted in knowing that Olivia is in God's hands.
*Praise God that we are trusting His timing over our own and know that He has a purpose in this minor delay.
*Praise God for the peace that only HE could give me, as He knows I am a planner by His design!
*We're also still praising God that we are only required to travel ONE time to Ethiopia, as all of the families being matched with children now are required to make TWO trips.
We are still waiting to find out from our travel agent how much it will cost to change our tickets, but again we're trusting in God to provide for this additional expense.
Thank you for your prayers and your encouraging words.
*Praise God that this is ONLY a two week delay.
*Praise God that we found out BEFORE we departed, as some families travelled to Ethiopia and then got the news from the Embassy that they had to wait two weeks causing them to either return home and then fly back or stay in Ethiopia for an extra two weeks.
*Praise God that tickets were still available on all the flights we needed.
*Praise God that we are comforted in knowing that Olivia is in God's hands.
*Praise God that we are trusting His timing over our own and know that He has a purpose in this minor delay.
*Praise God for the peace that only HE could give me, as He knows I am a planner by His design!
*We're also still praising God that we are only required to travel ONE time to Ethiopia, as all of the families being matched with children now are required to make TWO trips.
We are still waiting to find out from our travel agent how much it will cost to change our tickets, but again we're trusting in God to provide for this additional expense.
Thank you for your prayers and your encouraging words.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Oh NO!
We are supposed to leave in TWO WEEKS to go meet our daughter and bring her home. We just got a call today letting us know that our trip may be delayed due to the a change in our Embassy date in Ethiopia, as they apparently have more families scheduled on that day than they can process. It's all up in the air at this point and we won't have any more information until next week. Please pray. We know this is all in God's timing, but it's difficult to find out that we have to wait longer to get our hands on our precious daughter.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Getting there....
Eleven shots plus two sets of pills (one set almost done and one set to go) later, we're almost completely vaccinated against everything you can imagine. Ok, not really, but it seems that way. Good thing we started our vaccinations so long ago.
Olivia's bag is PACKED -with the exception of a couple outfits my mom purchased for her especially with travel in mind which I don't have yet. Otherwise, it's completely ready to go and just sitting on the floor in her room ready to board the plane.
Our donations are packed and ready to go also. Thank you to all who have donated. We won't be able to take any more physical donations due to an issue we're having with luggage costs on a different airline, but we ARE still taking cash donations, which we will use to purchase items for the orphanage once we are in Ethiopia.
I started getting stocked up on diapers this week. Just when we were getting used to NOT buying diapers, we're starting over again.
All her clothes are washed and ready to go. Hand-me downs have been SO wonderful this time around. Thank you to all who have shared with us.
A & E attended their first Vacation Bible School this week at our church. Other than us leaving them each morning, they LOVED it and left completely exhausted.
I was called for jury duty two days before we depart, and NO I didn't request a deferment. It's not like they're requesting my presence while I am out of the country. I figured I owe it, and why defer it when it will happen anyway. Maybe they won't need me in that round anyway. Regardless life doesn't completely stop (although it may seem like it will).
I have my list complete. You fellow list-makers know what I'm talking about. It's my packing list. I have written down everything I feel like we need to pack, and I'm ready to just throw it in the suitcase and go.
A & E are so excited for their baby sister to come home. They talk about her often and sometimes even say, "Mommy, I want my Baby Sister to come home." It's so sweet. They have enjoyed helping me get her room set up and her clothes washed and organized. They will be such great little helpers!
We depart in less than three weeks. Our calendar is getting pretty full in the meantime as we're trying to get lots of summer type events in before we go.
Please continue praying for Olivia and the nannies who are caring for her. Please pray for loving hands and sensitive hearts to meet her needs until we can get there.
Olivia's bag is PACKED -with the exception of a couple outfits my mom purchased for her especially with travel in mind which I don't have yet. Otherwise, it's completely ready to go and just sitting on the floor in her room ready to board the plane.
Our donations are packed and ready to go also. Thank you to all who have donated. We won't be able to take any more physical donations due to an issue we're having with luggage costs on a different airline, but we ARE still taking cash donations, which we will use to purchase items for the orphanage once we are in Ethiopia.
I started getting stocked up on diapers this week. Just when we were getting used to NOT buying diapers, we're starting over again.
All her clothes are washed and ready to go. Hand-me downs have been SO wonderful this time around. Thank you to all who have shared with us.
A & E attended their first Vacation Bible School this week at our church. Other than us leaving them each morning, they LOVED it and left completely exhausted.
I was called for jury duty two days before we depart, and NO I didn't request a deferment. It's not like they're requesting my presence while I am out of the country. I figured I owe it, and why defer it when it will happen anyway. Maybe they won't need me in that round anyway. Regardless life doesn't completely stop (although it may seem like it will).
I have my list complete. You fellow list-makers know what I'm talking about. It's my packing list. I have written down everything I feel like we need to pack, and I'm ready to just throw it in the suitcase and go.
A & E are so excited for their baby sister to come home. They talk about her often and sometimes even say, "Mommy, I want my Baby Sister to come home." It's so sweet. They have enjoyed helping me get her room set up and her clothes washed and organized. They will be such great little helpers!
We depart in less than three weeks. Our calendar is getting pretty full in the meantime as we're trying to get lots of summer type events in before we go.
Please continue praying for Olivia and the nannies who are caring for her. Please pray for loving hands and sensitive hearts to meet her needs until we can get there.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Just an update
I haven't wanted to post anything else, because I love the last post so much, and I didn't want to move that beautiful little face down the blog. But I am sure you will all stop reading if I stop posting.
Here's the happenings over the past few weeks.
-Olivia's room is ALMOST ready to go. I have a couple boxes to get out of there and 2 more wall hangings to go up and it will be complete. I will post some pictures once it's done.
-I took a HUGE load of stuff to the Good Will this week, and our garbage can and recycling have been stuffed full. I have sold things on craigslist and I even learned how to sell things on ebay. Getting rid of things is so fun for me. It allows me a chance to feel more organized. I love this part.
-We have our trip booked, and we leave in 4 weeks. The time has been going by pretty quickly until this week. Now I am feeling a bit of a drag.
-Our packing list is almost complete. I really want to begin actually packing, but it's too early. I will hopefully get Olivia's suitcase packed this weekend, which might be helpful for me.
-I am currently washing up all the clothes we have for her and am ready to get them put in the dresser drawers. I'm seriously nesting.
-Grandma has her ticket to come out here, as she'll be staying with the girls while we're gone!
-We received the last of our immunizations this week, so our bodies should be ready to go.
That's about it. More to come later.
Here's the happenings over the past few weeks.
-Olivia's room is ALMOST ready to go. I have a couple boxes to get out of there and 2 more wall hangings to go up and it will be complete. I will post some pictures once it's done.
-I took a HUGE load of stuff to the Good Will this week, and our garbage can and recycling have been stuffed full. I have sold things on craigslist and I even learned how to sell things on ebay. Getting rid of things is so fun for me. It allows me a chance to feel more organized. I love this part.
-We have our trip booked, and we leave in 4 weeks. The time has been going by pretty quickly until this week. Now I am feeling a bit of a drag.
-Our packing list is almost complete. I really want to begin actually packing, but it's too early. I will hopefully get Olivia's suitcase packed this weekend, which might be helpful for me.
-I am currently washing up all the clothes we have for her and am ready to get them put in the dresser drawers. I'm seriously nesting.
-Grandma has her ticket to come out here, as she'll be staying with the girls while we're gone!
-We received the last of our immunizations this week, so our bodies should be ready to go.
That's about it. More to come later.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Plus ONE!!!!
We are proud to announce that as of today, we are the legal parents of....
We received word today that we past court last night while we were sleeping (since they are ten hours ahead of us). She is two and 1/2 months old!
Olivia Mihiret Anderson.
We received word today that we past court last night while we were sleeping (since they are ten hours ahead of us). She is two and 1/2 months old!
Monday, May 31, 2010
June 2
Our court date is quickly approaching. It's hard to believe that in a few days we will hopefully become the parents of one additional blessing to our family. Our court date is June 2. We will not be present for the court hearing, as it will be heard in Ethiopia, but we have a representative who will be present for us. However Baby Olivia's birth mom will be present for the court hearing. I can only imagine how difficult this will be for her, and we ask for your prayers for her as she is having to make this difficult decision for her precious baby daughter.
We anticipate that it will take several days until we hear the news regarding whether or not it was a successful court hearing on June 2, but our hope it to have some news by the end of the week or early the following week. We promise to let you all know as soon as we hear. Thank you for your prayers.
We anticipate that it will take several days until we hear the news regarding whether or not it was a successful court hearing on June 2, but our hope it to have some news by the end of the week or early the following week. We promise to let you all know as soon as we hear. Thank you for your prayers.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Donations for Ethiopia?
We will begin packing our bags shortly.... OK, not really that shortly, but soon enough anyway. Regardless I'm starting to prepare mentally for packing our bags at least! :-)
We are hoping to gather up more donations to take with us to assist at the orphanage in Ethiopia. Some of the items noted as being needed are clothes in sizes 2-14, including socks & shoes, iron drops for infants, children's vitamins and infant formula (they are using Walmart's brand). If you would like to help children in Ethiopia by donating items, we would be more than happy to deliver these to Ethiopia for you. Please contact us to make arrangements.
Thank you for helping the children in Ethiopia.
We are hoping to gather up more donations to take with us to assist at the orphanage in Ethiopia. Some of the items noted as being needed are clothes in sizes 2-14, including socks & shoes, iron drops for infants, children's vitamins and infant formula (they are using Walmart's brand). If you would like to help children in Ethiopia by donating items, we would be more than happy to deliver these to Ethiopia for you. Please contact us to make arrangements.
Thank you for helping the children in Ethiopia.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Birthday, Pictures & Almost Travel Dates
We received some updated information over the past week regarding our precious baby Olivia. One of the things we found out is that Olivia was born on Abigail & Emma's birthday. I just laughed when I heard the news. How incredibly odd is it for a family to have three daughters -all with the same birthday (besides those families blessed with triplets of course)?
In addition, we just received some additional photos of our beautiful daughter -including photos of her with her eyes open. She is JUST GORGEOUS! I am so sorry I cannot yet share the photos with the rest of the world, but I promise we will do so as soon as we can.
We have also been giving our "almost official, but not quite yet" travel dates. These dates won't be confirmed until after we have confirmation that we passed court -which should come to us in early June. In the meantime we are mentally preparing to travel in July, and I have begun counting down the days until I have her in my arms.
Please continue to pray for Olivia -for her health and well being and for loving, comforting hands to be caring for her. We trust that God is hearing our prayers. Please also pray for comfort and peace for her birth family.
In addition, we just received some additional photos of our beautiful daughter -including photos of her with her eyes open. She is JUST GORGEOUS! I am so sorry I cannot yet share the photos with the rest of the world, but I promise we will do so as soon as we can.
We have also been giving our "almost official, but not quite yet" travel dates. These dates won't be confirmed until after we have confirmation that we passed court -which should come to us in early June. In the meantime we are mentally preparing to travel in July, and I have begun counting down the days until I have her in my arms.
Please continue to pray for Olivia -for her health and well being and for loving, comforting hands to be caring for her. We trust that God is hearing our prayers. Please also pray for comfort and peace for her birth family.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
100 MPH...
Things are coming along. In the last few days we have set up her crib and picked out some bedding, scheduled MORE immunization appointments, participated in a webinar to learn more about our upcoming trip, received our almost official embassy appointment date in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, been advised of our nearly official travel dates, gotten some itinerary information from a travel agent, received more information about our precious daughter and decided on her name -which will be Olivia. Whew!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
We have a COURT DATE.... ALREADY!
We received news yesterday that we already have a court date scheduled, which is SUPER fast. It is so fast in fact that our agency advised they have never seen a court date be provided this fast before. We received news of our referral just one week prior (Friday 4/30), and sent in our acceptance paperwork Monday 5/3, which was promptly sent to Ethiopia. It usually takes anywhere from 2-6 weeks to receive a court date, and they processed ours in 4 days (including an Ethiopian holiday)... and did I mention that Ethiopia is about 1/2 a day ahead of us?
Anyway, our court date is June 2, 2010. If all goes well, we will become the legal parents of our precious Ethiopian princess while we are sleeping the night before (since they are 1/2 day ahead of us). We likely won't receive the news indicating whether or not we passed court for a few days, but we'll certainly be on the edge of our seats that week.
Upon receiving confirmation of passing court we will then receive our official travel dates and be able to begin making our travel arrangements. It's still looking like we'll be able to travel in July to bring her home.
Anyway, our court date is June 2, 2010. If all goes well, we will become the legal parents of our precious Ethiopian princess while we are sleeping the night before (since they are 1/2 day ahead of us). We likely won't receive the news indicating whether or not we passed court for a few days, but we'll certainly be on the edge of our seats that week.
Upon receiving confirmation of passing court we will then receive our official travel dates and be able to begin making our travel arrangements. It's still looking like we'll be able to travel in July to bring her home.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
the process from here?
Thank you everyone for sharing in our excitement. We appreciate all your prayers as well. Please keep them coming!
We have officially sent in all of our paperwork. So what is the process from here?
Now we get to wait some more! Right now we are waiting for a court date. This is the day when our adoption case will be held in the Ethiopian courts and we will (upon passing court) legally become the parents of our precious baby girl in Ethiopia. At that point we will then be able to share photos of her publically, which is super exciting.
Upon passing court Baby Sister (don't worry, this isn't really her name. It's simply what we've been calling her for the past year plus) will be moved to another location -which is run by our adoption agency staff. She will stay there until we arrive to bring her home.
After we pass court, we will wait some more for an Embassy date, which is typically 5-6 weeks after passing court. At that point we will be able to make our travel arrangements, as we will need to be present in Ethiopia for our Embassy date.
So we're just still waiting. Just wanted to share our next steps with all of you. Thanks again for sharing in our excitement.
We have officially sent in all of our paperwork. So what is the process from here?
Now we get to wait some more! Right now we are waiting for a court date. This is the day when our adoption case will be held in the Ethiopian courts and we will (upon passing court) legally become the parents of our precious baby girl in Ethiopia. At that point we will then be able to share photos of her publically, which is super exciting.
Upon passing court Baby Sister (don't worry, this isn't really her name. It's simply what we've been calling her for the past year plus) will be moved to another location -which is run by our adoption agency staff. She will stay there until we arrive to bring her home.
After we pass court, we will wait some more for an Embassy date, which is typically 5-6 weeks after passing court. At that point we will be able to make our travel arrangements, as we will need to be present in Ethiopia for our Embassy date.
So we're just still waiting. Just wanted to share our next steps with all of you. Thanks again for sharing in our excitement.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
REFERRAL news!
Congratulations! It's a GIRL!
We received our long awaited referral for our precious daughter on Friday. She is a beautiful one month old baby, and we cannot wait to get our hands on her and love her all up!
The other good news which accompanied the referral was that we may still be able to get into the Ethiopian court system before the two-trip rule is officially implemented, which means we may only be required to make ONE trip. As I previously posted, there are pros and cons of each, but we would really prefer to only have to make one trip. At this time we're estimating our travel plans to take place in July, and YES, we would bring her home with us at that time.
Thank you to everyone for your encouragement and prayers. Please continue to pray for Baby Sister as she's in Ethiopia waiting for our arrival. Pray for her peace, contentment and bonding with those currently caring for her. Please pray for patience for us as we continue to wait through the next steps of this transition. We will be sure to keep you all posted.
We received our long awaited referral for our precious daughter on Friday. She is a beautiful one month old baby, and we cannot wait to get our hands on her and love her all up!
The other good news which accompanied the referral was that we may still be able to get into the Ethiopian court system before the two-trip rule is officially implemented, which means we may only be required to make ONE trip. As I previously posted, there are pros and cons of each, but we would really prefer to only have to make one trip. At this time we're estimating our travel plans to take place in July, and YES, we would bring her home with us at that time.
Thank you to everyone for your encouragement and prayers. Please continue to pray for Baby Sister as she's in Ethiopia waiting for our arrival. Pray for her peace, contentment and bonding with those currently caring for her. Please pray for patience for us as we continue to wait through the next steps of this transition. We will be sure to keep you all posted.
Monday, April 19, 2010
We are number ONE!!!
We are officially number one on the list waiting for a referral! I never thought we'd get here. So keep checking back. News could be coming any day ...or in a couple weeks, or maybe even in a couple months.... we don't really know for sure in all actuality, but we're excited regardless.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
A couple weeks are up....
So a couple weeks have passed, but we still don't have the news we have been anxiously anticipating. Thank you all for hanging in here with us. We remain on the edge of our seats. I continually check the phone for missed calls. We're confident we will get the call sometime soon, but for now I am just focusing ahead and trusting in God's timing.
In the interim, we have a huge prayer request: Ethiopia, in an attempt to improve the adoption process for the sake of the children, will be implementing a two trip requirement for families adopting children. This will go into effect in mid May. This means families that are given a court date (hearing in which the adoption becomes legal in Ethiopia) prior to mid-May will only be required to make one trip to Ethiopia -at which time they will be able to bring their child/children home. This is the situation we have been anticipating and preparing for.
However families who are given a court date after this date in May will be required to make two trips to Ethiopia -one to meet their child and accept the referral in person before the case goes to court, and then another trip to finish the process and bring the child/children home -unless of course families could manage to stay in Ethiopia for the entire time which could be 6-8 weeks or more, which is not an option for us.
While we would LOVE the opportunity to make two trips to Ethiopia and experience more of the culture as well as be able to meet our child/children sooner, their are also some cons to having to travel two times such as the additional financial burden, the decreased amount of time off we will be able to receive once we are home with our child to adjust and bond and also having to meet our child/children and then leave without her/them.
So if we receive our referral in the next couple weeks, we likely will not have to make two trips to Ethiopia. We know God has this planned also and knows exactly how this will work itself out, but we woud appreciate prayer for a speedy referral and court date early in May.
In the interim, we have a huge prayer request: Ethiopia, in an attempt to improve the adoption process for the sake of the children, will be implementing a two trip requirement for families adopting children. This will go into effect in mid May. This means families that are given a court date (hearing in which the adoption becomes legal in Ethiopia) prior to mid-May will only be required to make one trip to Ethiopia -at which time they will be able to bring their child/children home. This is the situation we have been anticipating and preparing for.
However families who are given a court date after this date in May will be required to make two trips to Ethiopia -one to meet their child and accept the referral in person before the case goes to court, and then another trip to finish the process and bring the child/children home -unless of course families could manage to stay in Ethiopia for the entire time which could be 6-8 weeks or more, which is not an option for us.
While we would LOVE the opportunity to make two trips to Ethiopia and experience more of the culture as well as be able to meet our child/children sooner, their are also some cons to having to travel two times such as the additional financial burden, the decreased amount of time off we will be able to receive once we are home with our child to adjust and bond and also having to meet our child/children and then leave without her/them.
So if we receive our referral in the next couple weeks, we likely will not have to make two trips to Ethiopia. We know God has this planned also and knows exactly how this will work itself out, but we woud appreciate prayer for a speedy referral and court date early in May.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Maybe in a couple weeks....?
Sounds like things could be moving pretty soon. Keep checking back because we may have some information to share in the coming weeks!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Excellence
Excellence is the result of:
Caring more than others think is wise.
Risking more than others think is safe.
Dreaming more than others think is practical.
Expecting more than others think is possible.
Caring more than others think is wise.
Risking more than others think is safe.
Dreaming more than others think is practical.
Expecting more than others think is possible.
Are you willing to strive for excellence?
Monday, March 8, 2010
Nothing really
So I apologize I have not updated our blog in a month. I admit. I have been discouraged. My last post indicated that we were number 4 on the list for one baby and number two for two kiddos. However since then we actually moved DOWN the list instead of up due to varying circumstances with other families also in the adoption process. This was incredibly discouraging news to me, and I didn't have the heart to post here.
However Sean has been so amazing and encouraging to me. He gently reminded me that it doesn't matter what number we are on the list or how many families are ahead of us on the list. God has specifically chosen our daughter (or kids) to be a part of our family. This will all happen in HIS timing regardless of our number.
I contacted our agency again today for an update. We are now again number four on the list for a daughter and we are now number one on the list for twins. When we began the adoption process, it was explained to us that we may have to wait up to 10 months to be matched. When I inquired about this time frame today, I was encouraged to hear that they still anticipate we will receive our referral information within the estimated 10 month time frame -which would be by May 13 (but who's counting?)
Hoping to have more news in the coming weeks. Thank you for your prayers for patience (apparently having two two year olds didn't grant me enough patience) sanity and trusting in God's timing.
However Sean has been so amazing and encouraging to me. He gently reminded me that it doesn't matter what number we are on the list or how many families are ahead of us on the list. God has specifically chosen our daughter (or kids) to be a part of our family. This will all happen in HIS timing regardless of our number.
I contacted our agency again today for an update. We are now again number four on the list for a daughter and we are now number one on the list for twins. When we began the adoption process, it was explained to us that we may have to wait up to 10 months to be matched. When I inquired about this time frame today, I was encouraged to hear that they still anticipate we will receive our referral information within the estimated 10 month time frame -which would be by May 13 (but who's counting?)
Hoping to have more news in the coming weeks. Thank you for your prayers for patience (apparently having two two year olds didn't grant me enough patience) sanity and trusting in God's timing.
Monday, February 8, 2010
One to Eight Weeks & Number 4
Just got another update from WACAP. We have moved up the list one spot since last week, so there are three families ahead of us which will be matched before we are matched. She anticipates to be calling us with our news in anywhere between one and eight weeks.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Number FIVE!
I received an update on our adoption status today. There are only four families ahead of us on the list waiting for referrals similar in age to ours. One of the families is requesting 0-12 months, one is requesting 0-24 months, one is requesting 0-36 months or twins and the other is requesting 10-24 months. …Remember we are also open to adopting twins, which means we’re family number two on the list for twins. It’s becoming more real for me every day, and I am getting very anxious. We're anticipating being matched with our child/children in the early Spring.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
One Year Ago
It was one year ago today that God called us to adopt. Although God had been preparing us for the past 13 years before, (yes, he really planted this seed THAT long ago -before we were even married) I will forever remember this day, one year ago -the day He spoke to us. I was checking out a great friend's blog. The blog included a video of children in Ethiopia who were literally starving to death. The video showed two young girls, each laying on the ground, half dressed, with bones showing through their skin in a clearly unhealthy way. They clearly didn't have enough energy to lift themselves up, and likely had no motivation to do so considering they had no food to eat even if they could get up. The video was approximately 19 minutes long, although I don't think I made it past the first 60 seconds. I don't have any idea what the rest of the video was about, but it didn't matter. I immediately began crying and looking around my home at the things we had. We don't have a big house. We don't have all the things our society tells us we need to have to be "successful". I looked at the Starbucks cup sitting on the table, and I wondered what the $3.85 we spent on the drink could have done for these children who were literally without ANY food. I felt conviction and wondered what we could do to make a difference in the lives of these children. It was at that moment that God showed me His plan for our lives, and I knew we were called to adopt.
That evening Sean and I had the fabulous opportunity to go out on a date together, which was something we hadn't done in MONTHS. We went to my favorite Mexican food restaurant and ordered our meals. While we waited for the food to come, I shared with Sean what I had seen earlier in the day and again began bawling my eyes out. Before I could even tell him more, he looked at me and said, "We're going to adopt!"
That was the beginning. We said YES to God one year today.
That evening Sean and I had the fabulous opportunity to go out on a date together, which was something we hadn't done in MONTHS. We went to my favorite Mexican food restaurant and ordered our meals. While we waited for the food to come, I shared with Sean what I had seen earlier in the day and again began bawling my eyes out. Before I could even tell him more, he looked at me and said, "We're going to adopt!"
That was the beginning. We said YES to God one year today.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Number 11
I have an update of our status! We are number 11 on the list. This simply means there are 10 families who have been on the list longer than we have. Approximately six of these families are waiting to be matched with a child similar in age/gender as we are hoping to adopt, although some of these six families are also open to other options as well (ie siblings, boys, older children), which essentially means that we could move up the list quicker.
Although we don't know for sure, we estimating that we MAY be matched with our daughter in a couple to a few months. Yippie!!!
Although we don't know for sure, we estimating that we MAY be matched with our daughter in a couple to a few months. Yippie!!!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Referrals like crazy....
I keep up with a Yahoo chat group for families who are adopting from Ethiopia and using the same adoption agency we are using. It has been an incredible resource for me. I have learned so much and have enjoyed hearing about other's experiences with the adoption paperwork process including homestudy and dossier processes and getting immigration approvals. I have also followed several families who have been waiting for referrals just like us. I have been able to share in other families' joy when they finally received referrals to their children. I have then followed families who then began the next wait for a court date, and then the wait to hear if they passed court and are legally parents of another child or children. I've also been able to hear about their journeys as they have prepared to travel, the actual travel experiences and then what it's like once they come home with their precious child or children. It has been a fabulous place for me to visit and feel like a part of a bigger picture. Remember this is God's plan -for these children to have forever families. It has helped me to not feel so anxious and to know that we're not out here alone in this place waiting for God to reveal the addition to our family to us.
So I logged on today expecting to read a few postings about this and that. But it was like a rush of water. I started reading and read about a family who received a referral, and then another, and then another, and then another -all this week. It just kept on going. I heard about 9 referrals of 12 children total. Now remember that not every family who is utilizing our adoption agency is a part of this chat group, so this is only SOME of the referrals that have come through. I heard there were others also.
I think there have been more children referred to families this week than in the entire time we have been on the waiting list (since July), so this is amazing news. I am trying not to get too excited because I know there are still other families ahead of us, but it just means we're getting closer to meeting our daughter who is waiting for us in Ethiopia. More news to come in the coming months.... I hope!
So I logged on today expecting to read a few postings about this and that. But it was like a rush of water. I started reading and read about a family who received a referral, and then another, and then another, and then another -all this week. It just kept on going. I heard about 9 referrals of 12 children total. Now remember that not every family who is utilizing our adoption agency is a part of this chat group, so this is only SOME of the referrals that have come through. I heard there were others also.
I think there have been more children referred to families this week than in the entire time we have been on the waiting list (since July), so this is amazing news. I am trying not to get too excited because I know there are still other families ahead of us, but it just means we're getting closer to meeting our daughter who is waiting for us in Ethiopia. More news to come in the coming months.... I hope!
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