Christmas 2009

With C and M both crashing early this evening (no naps due to the roof replacement), opportunities presented themselves for creating a Christmas slideshow. Hope you enjoy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

A Go for Snow Time...

Welcome to the merged blog debut. In lieu of separate blogs, Ba and Mum-mum decided to combine C's and M's antics together for your one-stop reading and viewing pleasure!

Jan. 29--Mena's first snow!!! As you'll see in the photos below, she didn't quite know what to make of it. C had a wonderful time. It started snowing late in the day, so we went out after dinner. There wasn't enough on the ground to make a snowman, unfortunately, because overnight it turned to sleet, then back to snow again. What lay on the ground in the morning, then, was two inches of "crust" that was too hard to do anything with. But that was better than the two inches of ice on the roads. It was a quiet weekend as no one could go anywhere, church was canceled on Sunday, schools were still canceled on Monday. C and I got out everyday to play in the snow and had a good time.

M is moving around on her own quite a bit. Mostly, its a backwards crawl; she hasn't figure out how to propel forward yet. She's had a few days of runny nose in the past month, but overall has been very healthy through a cold month.

C has been the healthiest person in the household, he's had no problems. We've visted several magent schools in the past month so we can apply for kindergarten for him for next year. Earlier today, he identified rhyming words on his own: "muppet" and "puppet." (He's been obsessed by Muppet clips on YouTube the last several days, esp. the Muppets singing Bohemian Rhapsody).

Check it out...

Four months in the US and Miss M's already on camera. Check out her cameo at 1:38 in the video feed (oh yeah, Ba's there too starting at 1:25...):

Bella makes it offical

Miss M is now officially part of the family as determined by Mayor of the House, Bella Katt (the cat). M has been fascinated by Bella since we've returned from our Xmas trip to PA. When Bella enters the room, M stops whatever she is doing (including eating) to watch.

Today, I (Ba) was feeding M and Bella put her front paws up on the chair and raised her head so that I would pet her. I did, and noticing M's eyes bulging out of her head at having kitty so close, moved M's hand over to pat Bella's head. I expected Bella to leave forthwith, but Bella not only let M stroke her head, but proceeded to lick M's hand several times in return! This is the cat that rarely lets C or even T touch her.

This morning M was playing in her exersaucer and had picked up a pacifer and placed it in her mouth. We only give her a paci when it is naptime (or nighttime). So T asked M if she was going to take a nap. M closed her eyes, laid her head down on the tray of the saucer, and smiled up at T. Wonderful timing!

M had a great trip to PA. She is a remarkably good traveler, like her brother. She slept most of the way going both N and S, and remained contented even when she wasn't sleeping.

M's been making the transition from formula to baby food. She has liked everything she has tried except sweet peas. Her face was priceless when T put the spoon with pureed peas in her mouth; it said, "What the !@#$% are you putting in my mouth! Until now, I thought you were decent people..." She's also starting to skootch backwards (T calls it her "reverse commando crawl").

Some photos of M's first Christmas.

Simply Love t-shirt adoption fundraiser

After experiencing parenthood for the second time, I am overwhelmed with emotion at the fortune our family has experienced in both adoption journeys. In this season of giving, I'd like to share an adoption blog with you, http://mycrazyadoption.org

There are some great limited edition T-shirts that are great holiday gift ideas for anyone in your life touched by African adoptions, http://mycrazyadoption.org/crazy-christmas-t-shirt-giveaway-last-one-of-the-year

For now, Miss M and I will sign off for some "girl time" while big brother C is taking a nap.

Many hugs!
T

She's Not Heavy...

She's our daughter. But she has grown 5 inches and 3 pounds in the 3 months she's been home. The consensus option of the viewing public, however, is that her eyes are the biggest ever. They certainly are captivating!

M continues to be extremely contented and easy-going. She sleeps through the night most of the time now (Yeah!). She loves to be entertained by her brother's antics. She smiles and giggles at him. C is the best one at calming her down when she does get upset. He'll get up close to her, say sweetly "Meana, Beana", and do a Vulcan mind-meld forehead-to-forehead manuever, and she quiets.



She does her happy dance (asynchratic failing arms and legs) at the appearance of Ba or Mum mum (or perhaps its the bottle they are carrying, but never mind...). She likes to chatter, coo, squeal, give raspberries, and drool voluminously. We've been expecting teeth for some time now, but nothing yet to report.

T is convinced that she has a strong preference for clothing options and jewelry (no projection going on there...). T claims that M cries when she doesn't like the clothing she is dressed in. E notes that a) this never happens when he dresses her and b) previous mommies who provided us hand-me downs were somehow unable to keep matching sets of clothes, violating his German sense of order and decorum. Thus...stop the presses...he thinks someone actually needs more clothing (to be clear, provided that they match).

She's starting to taste semi-solid foods (eat is too strong a description). She initiated Ba on Sunday evening by baptizing him with pureed sweet potatoes. She preferred smacking the spoon to putting it in her mouth... She can sit up briefly on her own and is making pre-crawling motions. Actual crawling is probably still several weeks away as she only gets the front or the back half off the ground, never the tummy or both ends simultaneously.

M had her first encounter with the clan (i.e., E's family) during Thanksgiving. She was a much better traveler than Ba and Mum-mum could have ever expected (she slept during most of the drive). As expected, M was "popu-LER...LAR" - everyone wanted time to hold that beautiful baby...none more than Uncle K. M planted a big wet "kiss" on Uncle K's nose (see exhibit A below). Let's just say that nobody better mess with M - if they do, Uncle K will jump on the first plane to Charlotte and take care of business.

Mena Montage - October 2009

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Travelogue

We made it back last Sunday, Sept. 20, after an extended layover at Dulles International Airport in Washington due to a canceled flight. M is doing extremely well, T has been sick for most of the week, and C is adjusting to not being the center of attention. T has posted photos to her facebook page and hopefully will get some up here soon. In the meantime, let's start at the beginning.

We left Charlotte on Saturday, Sept. 12, in the afternoon and flew to Dulles in DC. With a four hour layover, we boarded Ethiopia Air and flew to Rome for refueling and then on to Addis Ababa. The flight was fine and we arrived in Addis @ 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. We met our driver, Becky, who took us to the grocery store, got us some phone minutes, and the took us to our guest house, the Bejoe'. As we were still on east coast US time, we stayed up to unpack.


The morning of Monday Sept. 14, we traveled out to the Hilton to confirm our flight home. This was our first view of Addis and our first glimpse at Ethiopian traffic. Simply put, I was overjoyed to have a driver. Complain all you want about American drivers, it beats near anarchy. Most traffic lights don't work and many intersections don't have them anyway; sheep, donkeys, ox, chickens, etc., are all hearded through the streets; kids (and some adults) come to knock on your windows at intersections to ask for $ for food. Becky, though, was a pro and always got us where we needed to go safely.

After the Hilton, we then went to the National Museum. My first reaction was that the parking lot had room for about a dozen cars (!) and only two were parked there. (THE National Museum and no one is there? Ever do battle with the crowds at any of the Smithsonians?) Upon entering, we had our first encounter with the admission rates in Ethiopia--2 birr for Ethiopians, 10 birr for foreigners (that's still less than a dollar so it's hard to complain...) The first floor held royal artifacts (crowns, robes, etc.). The basement explored the fossil record in Ethiopia, particularly the human ancesteral lineage leading back to "Lucy", the most famous hominoid discovery in northern Ethiopia. Replicas of her bones were displayed. The upper floors displayed art and tribal artifacts.


Upon returning to the Bejoe', the other families had arrived and we were treated to a traditional coffee ceremony. They roast and grind the beans as part of the ceremony. In the spirit of the occasion, I drank a cup of coffee. Coffee connoisseurs tell us how wonderful Ethiopian coffee is. Since I can't claim that title, all I can tell you is that it tasted like strong coffee.

At 3, M and the other babies arrived and we all got to enjoy our new kids.

M slept very well only waking up once for a feeding and a diaper change. Every night was consistent, in fact, Wed night she slept through until 6 am. Most parents would think this was great. If you're still on eastern US time while in Africa, however, you are laying there hoping the baby wakes up so that you have something to do! It's the only time any parent EVER has wanted their kid to poop so that they can change a diaper!

Tuesday, Sept 15, we went to lunch at the Top View Restaurant with the other families from Gladney, our adoption agency. As the name implies, the restaurant was on a hillside and provided a nice view of the south end of the city. After lunch, we went to the US embassy to do our interview so that M could get her visa to enter the US. Everything went smoothly there, though some of our fellow travelers discovered that, like most public toilets in Ethiopia, they don't have toilet paper. Even at the US Embassy!! Come on, people, I don't think cutting the toilet paper budget is going to cover the cost of bailing out Wall Street and GM. Let's be reasonable! That evening we had our first rain storm. It's still the rainy season. The storm didn't last very long. The Bejoe' just got web access so I tried to post a blog entry, but it wouldn't save (Too bad, I remember it being much more interesting than this post...).


Wed, Sept 16, we visited M's care center. Gladney rents four homes--three in this particular neighborhood--and has set up the rooms as nurseries. M's room was in the first building we visited--the one for infants. We toured the other buildings and then returned to M's building for the coffee ceremony. We met M's "special mother", Bokio--the care giver who had primary responsibility for M. She dressed M in a traditional dress for the ceremony. We had M checked by the care center's doctor as she (and the other kids at the Bejoe) had a cough and rapid, shallow breathing. She had a respitory infection and got some medicine for it. Our pediatrician in the US suggested that the pollution was probably aggrevating her distress and urged us to fly out before Sunday, our planned departure. Flights were full on Friday, but we were able to move up our departure by a day to Saturday. After getting the flight changed, we went to dinner at the Beer Garden Inn, the "German" restaurant in Addis. T ordered an Ethiopian dish and (re)discovered 1) Ethiopian food is hot and spicy and 2) German food isn't. So if hot and spicy food bothers your tummy, it's probably better to order German food at a German restaurant (a very German observation).


Thursday, Sept. 17, we visited the Holy Trinity Church, the Ethiopian version of St. Paul's (UK) or the National Cathedral in DC. It houses the resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie and his wife, Empress Menen. We were informed about the rituals of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, the history of the Ethiopian church, and the housing of the Ark of the Convenant in a church near Gondor. Apparently, Indiana Jones went through a whole lot of unnecessary effort and too many encounters with snakes to get to the Ark. Just outside Holy Trinity, but still on its grounds, we visited the memorial to the victims of the "Dirge"--the communists--in the early 1970s, including Belay's father who was the head of Haile Selassie's personal secruity.


That afternoon, we visited the Ethnography Museum in the former presidential palace. It contained the bedroom and bathroom (in all its 1950s glory) of Haile Selassie. The main part of the museum illustrated the human life cycle with practices of Ethiopian tribes at each stage of life. The upper floor contained art, in particular a large collection of religious iconography, and native musical instruments. We then traveled up Entoto mountain for a view overlooking Addis Ababa. As the car climbs, it is passed by women carrying large loads of firewood on their backs who are making their way down into the city. At the top of the mountain, there is a museum to Emperor Menelik II who moved the capital to Entoto mountain, building his palace and a church there. He later moved the capital off the mountain and founded Addis Ababa (Prior to that, the royals traveled in a large caravan and were hosted by the locals whereever they stopped; T's side note addendum - the site for Addis was, interestingly enough, chosen by Menelik's wife, Empress Tatyu.) While on the top of the mountain, we experienced a brief, but intense, rain and hail storm.


Thursday evening was the "cultural dinner." All the Gladney families got together and shared meals deposited on huge pieces of injera bread--the staple of Ethiopian food. Basically, a variety of stews were poured onto the bread and then you dipped smaller peices of injera into the stews. The stews included lamb, chicken, ground beef, chick peas, collared greens. The chicken was the spiciest. Throughout dinner, native music was played and as dinner finished, dancers started to perform native dances. Later numbers included selected audience participation. The dance included a lot of shoulder shaking and neck stretching. The dancer who came to our area tried to pass over T, but she stood up and made him dance with her (addendum - that's E's version of the story...talk to T for the real scoop). Fortunately, one of our friends was able to grab our video camera and get it on tape. I'm now taking orders (or maybe it will appear on You Tube at some inopportune moment...)


Friday morning started with M sitting on my lap on the bed as T was getting ready for breakfast. Then my leg starts to feel warm...and wet...and I lift her up to check her bottom...we have a blow-through! So I started the day with a fresh pair of pants. We visited three government orphanages with which Gladney works. The first, Kolfe, was an all-boys center for boys age 7-18. One boy held my hand through much of the tour. Then he became fascinated with the video camera and carried it around for the rest of the tour, showing off to his friends how they could see themselves in the video display. Once we reached the soccer field, an older boy filled me in on Ethiopian politics and talked about how they followed the Obama campaign last fall. From there we went to the Kebebetshane orphanage, which houses boys and girls from birth to seven. They were building a new dorm at this site. The final stop was Kechene, the original gov orphanage in Addis. It now houses older girls (and their younger brothers, if any). T was treated to having her hair braided (before you ask, no it didn't hurt; second, T gives major props to anyone who can sleep with those braids in your hair...WOW). Becky, our driver, introduced us to his special friend, Derik (age 2).


Saturday was our trip out of the city to the "Dreamland" resort. They were booked with a conference, however, so we stopped there to take photos of the lake and continued on to a nearby resort. This place was very upscale and beautiful: flowers, waterfalls, mosiacs, roofs covered (and lined on the inside) with thatch to make them look traditional. The restaurant was open air and overlooked a large lake. A very relaxing afternoon and a nice chance to see some of the countryside.

Saturday also bid us adieu to our friends at the Bejoe'. The staff were extremely pleasant and worked to make our stay most enjoyable. T, being the Southerner she is, was pleased with the Ethiopian version of "Southern Hospitality (y'all come back now ya' hear...). Genet (Belay's sister) was always warm and welcoming. Marta (T had no problem remembering her name thanks to the Sound of Music) was the best cook. T looked forward to "Breakfast at the Bejoe'" every morning - each day brought something new: omelettes, wonton-style meat delicacies, toast w/ strawberry jam, etc. Breakfast also brought us a chai-style tea, which everyone looked forward to (T even took the reigns to ask one morning if Marta was making tea). Genet and Marta took turns holding the babies to give the families time to enjoy their meals. They also ensured our caregivers were available, so that the families could enjoy the sights, shop, or simple things such as showering. T didn't mind the 50-100 Birr ($4 or $8 US dollars) per 1/2 day or full day for babysitting - try finding that here in the US!

Ethiopia had some surprising similarities to Vietnam, as well as many differences. The key similarity was the number of small shops lining nearly every street. Likewise, stores selling similar items were often concentrated together on the same block. There also was lots of construction. Big concrete shells of office or residential towers loom over nearly every block. The buildings, however, tend to look less modern, probably because the air pollution dirties them quickly. Thousands of scooters (Vietnam) apparently do not pollute the air as much as a few old diesel-belching Toyota cars and vans (Addis). Poverty was also a lot more obvious in Addis. I had been surprise at the time that we didn't see more of it in Vietnam. One explanation may be that shanty towns and luxury high rises were next door to each other in Addis, where poverty may have been "zoned" out of sight better in Vietnam. In both countries, the people were exceedingly warm and welcoming and made the trips to be enjoyable experiences.

M did extremely well on the flights to the US. She was not bothered by pressure changes on the flights whatsoever, unlike her Mommy who thought her eardrums were going to rupture during the landing. M slept during the flight between Addis and Rome and most of the flight from Rome to Dulles. During the long layover at Dulles, she hung loose and was less aggrevated than her parents at having to spend the day in the airport. She has been, and continues to be, remarkably contented. She cries when she needs fed, she poops at the end of a feeding and then has her diaper changed, and then is happy to sit and look around. And if you change her position every half hour or so, she won't complain about anything. Even though she was sick in Addis, it was only the cough that gave it anyway.

Opa met us at the airport. C met us at the door to the house. He grew 2 feet and 40pounds and doubled his vocabulary while we were away. When we called from Ethiopia, he didn't want to talk much as playing with Z&G was more interesting. He told us that he cried every day while we were gone (which we know is not true) but is a sweet way of saying that he missed us. He'll be adjusting to "no longer an only child" status for a while.

As for now, we rest. Opa and Oma left to travel back to PA. We'll miss them and look forward to the next steps in our family's journey.

And NOW, there are four!

Over the river and through the woods...

Well, not so much. More like, onto the interstate and aboard the planes (doesn't have quite the same ring eh...but I prefer the jet plane to flying monkeys anyday). Tomorrow is the big day. I truly feel joy with a with a pinch of sadness: the paradox of happiness that our time of travel is arriving, yet heavy-hearted that we won't be with our son for 10 days. This will be the longest we have been apart since he became our son on November 1, 2007. As with everthing, this too shall pass and our family unit will be complete in a VERY brief moment of time (case in point, look how quickly this week passed!).

With our work schedules, we are packing at the last moment (AGAIN - it's apparently a dominant trait for the females in my family - darned genetics). But, to my defense, I did begin packing incrementally beginning Monday. All will be ready before the night's end.

Today was last minute shopping for essentials and receipt of new currency from Aunt Kiki (of course, I just realized I forgot to pick up some thank you cards at the store...well, guess those notes of gratitude will have to wait until we return).

Unlike our previous adoption journey, we will not be keeping a daily travelogue while in country. We'll write of our adventures (yes, most likely there will be adventures...but hopefully no lost hats in ponds - or projective vomiting onto Mommy this time) when we return as a family of four.

As for now, we are signing off. Prayers for safe travels ahead, both for our family and the other families arriving this week!

T-minus 6 and counting...

You know what's interesting with international adoptions (well, from my own personal perspective...can't speak for anyone but myself)? The wait seems to drag on mercilously. Time moves in tortoise speed (or slug, take your pick...but hopefully without the slimy trail). You try to focus on other things - work, family, gal pal time, etc. You wonder if and when the call will come; if and when you'll receive your court date (and if you'll pass...or have a delay for the rainy season).

Then, the call comes. You have a referral. Another call comes, you have a court date. Another call comes, and the child is yours. Then, another call, you have a travel date. And before you know it, it's six days before you're scheduled to travel and realize time is excelerating at Warp Factor 10 (any faster and I'd turn into an anthropomorphic newt). Believe it or not, it's time to commence initial stages of packing.

Since big brother C is staying home, there's additional packing and information to gather (contact numbers, consent for health care treatment/medication administration, copies copies and more copies of forms) in addition to packing for international travel.

Rather than feel overwhelmed by the sheer velocity of time travel and the mounting piles of gotta need getta hav'a things to do, I take a deep breath and reflect on the things we've accomplished in the past week.

Thanks to assistance from Aunt Kiki and E, the nursery is done - we have furniture, washed clothing, and organization (large plastic storage containers are a must!). Although, I must confess the nursery is again cluttered thanks to aforementioned travel preparations. Even C's room is a bit more organized as well!

Yesterday (Saturday) was Baby Shower #1. Many thanks to our friends and neighbors who came to celebrate the impending arrival of Baby M. Aunt Kiki and Nancy did a wonderful job as hosts. The food was indeed yummy and the fellowship warm and festive.

Today (Sunday), I became a walking, living, breathing pharmacy, thanks to my expedition to Target and Rite-Aid (picked up a few...well, maybe not a few...additional travel essentials). Hopefully, I'll make a list of the things we're bringing and see what really will be essential when all is said and done. Of course, best laid plans and Murphy's Law has determined that I didn't pick up all the essentials...the printer cartridge is low and now has to be replaced.

"Mommy Brain" mandates that I now have to make lists for everything...otherwise, I'd probably forget my head if it weren't attached. But, in one week, I imagine the craziness of this week...like the tides of the ocean....will recede and all will be a not-so distant memory, as we will finally see our daughter face to face.

It's late, I'm tired (finally) and I'm on Big Brother C patrol tomorrow. For now, here's a special treat - pictures of Baby M, including the last photos we received from our agency (...now 9 lbs and 20 1/4 inches of sheer beauty).

Make a Smilebox photobook