6 DAYS!!! I am just about ready to zip up those suitcases!!! So excited :) Can't wait :) Need to breath :) Need to sleep :)
Okay so a few people have inquired about what our schedule looks like while we are in Ethiopia so here it is.
Leave US on Wednesday
Arrive in Ethiopia on Thursday evening. Our agency has their own guest house so we will stay there and have most of our meals there also.
Friday: Orientation and MEET PEANUT for the first time. We cannot tape this meeting but our agency does for us. We then have to leave for a little bit but get to come back and hang out with Peanut.
Saturday: Visit to the care center and observe the nannies and learn Peanut's routine. In the afternoon we go on a shopping trip and then that evening we go to a traditional Ethiopian dinner and show.
Sunday: Mother's Day!! We leave very early for our trip to Hossana in the southern region. We hope to meet Peanut's birth family and visit the intake center where Peanut spent her first few weeks. Whew--talk about emotional day. We don't get to see Peanut that day.
Monday: In the morning we go to care center to hang out with Peanut some more. In the afternoon we go to a museum and some other sights. We get to visit AHOPE which is where the gloves I have collected will be donated. We will also get to tour CHSFS Ethiopia facilities.
Tuesday: In the morning we will enjoy a special going away celebration with the nannies. We then take custody of Peanut and have an Embassy appointment in the afternoon.
Wednesday: Free day to hang out at the guest house with Peanut and the other 8 families in our group. Possible extra shopping trip :) There is also a hair braiding class in the afternoon.
Thursday: There will be an Ethiopian cooking class in the morning. The rest of the day will be spent packing and getting ready to leave that evening.
Friday: Arrive home with our little girl!
Others have asked for a packing list so stay tuned. I will post that tomorrow. For now it is back to cleaning the house and loving on my sweet pugs.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Peanut is 5 months old!!!
My little girl is 5 months old today! I wonder what she is doing? Sleeping, eating, playing, sucking her thumb....
All I know is that I get to see her with my own two eyes next week. WE LEAVE IN 7 DAYS!!! Hang on baby girl, your mom and dad are finally almost there. I pinch myself daily to make sure this is all real and say lots of prayers.
Just thinking about her and our trip brings tears to my eyes. I can't wait to hold her in my arms and kiss the cutest cheeks I have ever seen. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I could be so in love with a baby I haven't met. She is part of my every breath and thought. She is with me always and soon she will be with me physically. FOREVER!
I am going to actually have the family I have always dreamed of. I am over the moon excited to see this dream come true. Okay, I had to pinch myself again to make sure this is all really happening. We are so close. Close to being united with our beautiful daughter. There is no greater gift to be had.
All I know is that I get to see her with my own two eyes next week. WE LEAVE IN 7 DAYS!!! Hang on baby girl, your mom and dad are finally almost there. I pinch myself daily to make sure this is all real and say lots of prayers.
Just thinking about her and our trip brings tears to my eyes. I can't wait to hold her in my arms and kiss the cutest cheeks I have ever seen. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I could be so in love with a baby I haven't met. She is part of my every breath and thought. She is with me always and soon she will be with me physically. FOREVER!
I am going to actually have the family I have always dreamed of. I am over the moon excited to see this dream come true. Okay, I had to pinch myself again to make sure this is all really happening. We are so close. Close to being united with our beautiful daughter. There is no greater gift to be had.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Last travel related shopping trip?
I am hoping that today was my last travel related shopping trip. I found a great pair of sandals to bring on the trip so I am SUPER excited. I found my map that we will hopefully be able to give members of Peanut's birth family. I really think I have everything else. Fingers crossed that when I start checking things off on the list, we have it all. I really think we do. Wow.
After all these little odds and ends were purchased, I headed over to the baby food aisle. You see for some crazy reason I missed the info that Peanut starting eating cereal 1 time a day in Ethiopia a month ago. She also gets orange juice once a day in the afternoon. I had the info but I guess in all the excitement I didn't retain that piece of info. I bought a box of rice cereal.
Wasn't really thinking solid foods until today. I have the bottle thing down. I have been there done that times 2. I was ready for that. I am not ready for solids. There is going to be a learning curve here. I am however not bringing cereal to Ethiopia. If we find we need some I will buy some there and then get some to bring home to ease the transition. You see the cereal Miss Peanut is eating right now is sweetened. Rice cereal is not. Hence the potential problem. I have heard from other adoptive moms that mixing cereal with baby food, fruits preferably, usually work. We shall find out...
We also got our room assignment yesterday at the guest house. We are upstairs in the main guest house, the one they serve the meals at. We have our own bathroom which is nice. Based on previous travelers review, our room is small and has character. Can't wait to see it, we will just have to make sure we don't lock ourselves in and be nice to the 'ghost'.
After all these little odds and ends were purchased, I headed over to the baby food aisle. You see for some crazy reason I missed the info that Peanut starting eating cereal 1 time a day in Ethiopia a month ago. She also gets orange juice once a day in the afternoon. I had the info but I guess in all the excitement I didn't retain that piece of info. I bought a box of rice cereal.
Wasn't really thinking solid foods until today. I have the bottle thing down. I have been there done that times 2. I was ready for that. I am not ready for solids. There is going to be a learning curve here. I am however not bringing cereal to Ethiopia. If we find we need some I will buy some there and then get some to bring home to ease the transition. You see the cereal Miss Peanut is eating right now is sweetened. Rice cereal is not. Hence the potential problem. I have heard from other adoptive moms that mixing cereal with baby food, fruits preferably, usually work. We shall find out...
We also got our room assignment yesterday at the guest house. We are upstairs in the main guest house, the one they serve the meals at. We have our own bathroom which is nice. Based on previous travelers review, our room is small and has character. Can't wait to see it, we will just have to make sure we don't lock ourselves in and be nice to the 'ghost'.
Monday, April 27, 2009
9 days
That's right we have officially hit the single digits. WE LEAVE IN 9 DAYS!!!!!
My to do list is starting to get smaller. Dave laughed at me yesterday as I was cleaning out the spice cabinet. Way over due on that one so since I am in full nesting/cleaning mode I figured why not.
We were able to cross moving the wine rack to the basement off the list this weekend which was good as that was bugging me. We have this nice wine rack that holds glassware as well but is so not child friendly so I wanted it moved to the basement before we left.
As for packing, I don't know what I would do without space saver bags. The only person in the family that is fully packed is Peanut. Wow, I like the sound of that.
I am working on packing Dave and I but some things we may still wear so can't pack those yet. My latest issues is shoes. If you know me, then you know that I LOVE shoes and I HATE socks. I know things will be dusty in Ethiopia but also warm during the day and chillier in the morning and evening. I have packed flip flops for the shower and am thinking I will pack another pair of shoes and then obviously wear a pair so three pairs total. That is pretty good for me. I can pack 2 pairs of shoes just for a weekend away. I just don't know what shoes to pack. Something comfy, easy to get on and off, breathable, cute...this is going to be a work in progress.
Exciting that I am to the point where I am thinking about what shoes to pack!!! I have all our paperwork done and ready to go and in my carry on. I have 2 suitcases full of donations that are packed, weighed and ready to go.
I still can't believe this is all happening. I am going to Ethiopia and I am coming home with my daughter. I think about this and smile. I even started to tear up in the grocery store when buying yogurt. I was looking at the expiration dates and figuring out which ones I had to eat before we leave. That little thing brought tears to my eyes. That was most likely my last grocery shopping experience without my daughter in tow. HOLY COW!!!
Fingers crossed and say prays please for a dear friend whose court date is today and for another friend who now has court on Friday. Off to run errands for the dogs--I still need to get them packed up and ready for their little vacation.
My to do list is starting to get smaller. Dave laughed at me yesterday as I was cleaning out the spice cabinet. Way over due on that one so since I am in full nesting/cleaning mode I figured why not.
We were able to cross moving the wine rack to the basement off the list this weekend which was good as that was bugging me. We have this nice wine rack that holds glassware as well but is so not child friendly so I wanted it moved to the basement before we left.
As for packing, I don't know what I would do without space saver bags. The only person in the family that is fully packed is Peanut. Wow, I like the sound of that.
I am working on packing Dave and I but some things we may still wear so can't pack those yet. My latest issues is shoes. If you know me, then you know that I LOVE shoes and I HATE socks. I know things will be dusty in Ethiopia but also warm during the day and chillier in the morning and evening. I have packed flip flops for the shower and am thinking I will pack another pair of shoes and then obviously wear a pair so three pairs total. That is pretty good for me. I can pack 2 pairs of shoes just for a weekend away. I just don't know what shoes to pack. Something comfy, easy to get on and off, breathable, cute...this is going to be a work in progress.
Exciting that I am to the point where I am thinking about what shoes to pack!!! I have all our paperwork done and ready to go and in my carry on. I have 2 suitcases full of donations that are packed, weighed and ready to go.
I still can't believe this is all happening. I am going to Ethiopia and I am coming home with my daughter. I think about this and smile. I even started to tear up in the grocery store when buying yogurt. I was looking at the expiration dates and figuring out which ones I had to eat before we leave. That little thing brought tears to my eyes. That was most likely my last grocery shopping experience without my daughter in tow. HOLY COW!!!
Fingers crossed and say prays please for a dear friend whose court date is today and for another friend who now has court on Friday. Off to run errands for the dogs--I still need to get them packed up and ready for their little vacation.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Leaving the bubble
I am very blessed. I am married to a wonderful man, have a beautiful daughter, tremendously supportive family and great friends. We live in a nice neighborhood with a park near by and are fortunate enough to own our own home. I live in a bubble. I have most of my life only to step out briefly when volunteering at shelters or working in the Tenderloin.
I am 12 days away from leaving my bubble and I couldn't be more thrilled. Not only do I get to meet my daughter and bring her home, but I am blessed to be able to spend time in the country of her birth. To walk the streets that her family may have walked, to be in a place where I stand out. I won't have my bubble, my comfort zone.
I think we should all walk outside our bubble at some point in our lives. We need to see with our own eyes the reality that is this world we live in. I am so grateful that I get to see this. I am going to a place that I never dreamed I would go and looking back I feel I was naive. Who wouldn't want to go to Ethiopia, it is beautiful and the people are beautiful inside and out.
I know I cannot really prepare myself for what I will experience. There will be an overwhelming amount of emotion. The joy of my daughter, the sadness and loss for her birth family, the pleasure of meeting new families, the reality of life on the streets, the smiles on the faces of children with HIV... It will be emotionally draining of that I have no doubt.
What will I do with this experience, I don't know. I hope to come back to my bubble with knowledge and a reality check. With the realization that while I feel I am doing something that I could and should be doing more. What does that look like? I don't know yet. I am hoping for Ethiopia to speak to me.
One thing I know for sure is that Ethiopia is part of me and part of my family. I cannot and will not ignore that and I will do what I can to help those that need it in this beautiful country. The country that gave me my daughter. It is the least I can do. I will forever have Ethiopia on my heart and am anxiously awaiting my trip. And while this trip will be long and difficult at times, it is good for me. I need more perspective and need to broaden my horizons if not for me than for my daughter. I want her to see and know how much we love Ethiopia and I want more than anything for her to be proud of where she came from.
I am 12 days away from leaving my bubble and I couldn't be more thrilled. Not only do I get to meet my daughter and bring her home, but I am blessed to be able to spend time in the country of her birth. To walk the streets that her family may have walked, to be in a place where I stand out. I won't have my bubble, my comfort zone.
I think we should all walk outside our bubble at some point in our lives. We need to see with our own eyes the reality that is this world we live in. I am so grateful that I get to see this. I am going to a place that I never dreamed I would go and looking back I feel I was naive. Who wouldn't want to go to Ethiopia, it is beautiful and the people are beautiful inside and out.
I know I cannot really prepare myself for what I will experience. There will be an overwhelming amount of emotion. The joy of my daughter, the sadness and loss for her birth family, the pleasure of meeting new families, the reality of life on the streets, the smiles on the faces of children with HIV... It will be emotionally draining of that I have no doubt.
What will I do with this experience, I don't know. I hope to come back to my bubble with knowledge and a reality check. With the realization that while I feel I am doing something that I could and should be doing more. What does that look like? I don't know yet. I am hoping for Ethiopia to speak to me.
One thing I know for sure is that Ethiopia is part of me and part of my family. I cannot and will not ignore that and I will do what I can to help those that need it in this beautiful country. The country that gave me my daughter. It is the least I can do. I will forever have Ethiopia on my heart and am anxiously awaiting my trip. And while this trip will be long and difficult at times, it is good for me. I need more perspective and need to broaden my horizons if not for me than for my daughter. I want her to see and know how much we love Ethiopia and I want more than anything for her to be proud of where she came from.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Crazy overprotective Mama??
Maybe. But my number one priority is my daughter and because of that I feel like I need to share a little bit of my thoughts on our return to the US.
First off, I ask for friends and family to trust us. We are Peanut's parents and we will know what her limits are and what ours are. We may not know that right away. It is going to take time for us to establish a schedule and a level of comfort. We are very much going to be taking our cues from Peanut. She may be shy or she may be a social butterfly or she may fall somewhere in between. Either way we just ask that you let us figure that out. Please ask us to do things and come over but understand if we say no or come for a little while and then have to leave. Also be prepared for Dave and I to be wearing Peanut a lot. We have a great baby carrier and we intend to use it to help build attachment.
When it comes to our actual arrival at the airport, I very much want my parents to be there to meet their granddaughter and my in laws will already be there as they are traveling with us. I wouldn't mind a few close friends but my closest friends live out of town so I doubt they are coming. I guess overall a few people is fine but I am not sure I want this huge welcoming party. To be honest part of me does want a lot of people there as I know there are lots of people who have been praying and cheering for us but part of me thinks I may be overwhelmed by it all and more importantly it may be too much for Peanut.
If there is a gathering at the airport or at some later date, please be patient. Not only am I a new Mom but I will have only known my daughter for a short time. It is key that she knows that Dave and I will be there to meet her needs. We will do all of the feeding, bathing, changing, and comforting. That is not to say that others will not be allowed to hold her, they will but it may be limited at first in who can hold and for how long. Attachment is a big issue in adoption and we want to make sure our daughter attaches to us as her parents. So please understand it is not our intention to upset anyone but for awhile we will not be passing Peanut around for everyone to hold.
I have said awhile a few times. I can't put a number on how long it will take until we all feel settled in. It could be weeks, it could be months. It is all about Peanut. She will dictate how long this takes. We want her to be settled and comfortable and that is up to her. We can't rush that. She at such a young age has already experienced a great deal of loss and a lot of change. We need to help her to figure that out and know that she is safe and loved and that we as her parents will always be there.
For you experienced parents out there, know that we may do things differently and you may not understand why. If that is the case just ask us but again trust us and if you feel you must offer an opinion you can but don't be offended if we respectfully don't change what we are doing. You may think we are coddling her or spoiling her and sometimes we might be. She has been through so much and so many caregivers and change. She needs to feel that safety, love and comfort are always near by.
So will I be a crazy overprotective Mama, sometimes yes. Will that change in time, yes. All I am asking for is time to figure it all out and patience that we know what is best for our family even if it doesn't make sense to you right away. We can't wait to share our love and our family with all of you in due time. Thanks for cheering us on and sending us prayers. That has meant a great deal to us.
First off, I ask for friends and family to trust us. We are Peanut's parents and we will know what her limits are and what ours are. We may not know that right away. It is going to take time for us to establish a schedule and a level of comfort. We are very much going to be taking our cues from Peanut. She may be shy or she may be a social butterfly or she may fall somewhere in between. Either way we just ask that you let us figure that out. Please ask us to do things and come over but understand if we say no or come for a little while and then have to leave. Also be prepared for Dave and I to be wearing Peanut a lot. We have a great baby carrier and we intend to use it to help build attachment.
When it comes to our actual arrival at the airport, I very much want my parents to be there to meet their granddaughter and my in laws will already be there as they are traveling with us. I wouldn't mind a few close friends but my closest friends live out of town so I doubt they are coming. I guess overall a few people is fine but I am not sure I want this huge welcoming party. To be honest part of me does want a lot of people there as I know there are lots of people who have been praying and cheering for us but part of me thinks I may be overwhelmed by it all and more importantly it may be too much for Peanut.
If there is a gathering at the airport or at some later date, please be patient. Not only am I a new Mom but I will have only known my daughter for a short time. It is key that she knows that Dave and I will be there to meet her needs. We will do all of the feeding, bathing, changing, and comforting. That is not to say that others will not be allowed to hold her, they will but it may be limited at first in who can hold and for how long. Attachment is a big issue in adoption and we want to make sure our daughter attaches to us as her parents. So please understand it is not our intention to upset anyone but for awhile we will not be passing Peanut around for everyone to hold.
I have said awhile a few times. I can't put a number on how long it will take until we all feel settled in. It could be weeks, it could be months. It is all about Peanut. She will dictate how long this takes. We want her to be settled and comfortable and that is up to her. We can't rush that. She at such a young age has already experienced a great deal of loss and a lot of change. We need to help her to figure that out and know that she is safe and loved and that we as her parents will always be there.
For you experienced parents out there, know that we may do things differently and you may not understand why. If that is the case just ask us but again trust us and if you feel you must offer an opinion you can but don't be offended if we respectfully don't change what we are doing. You may think we are coddling her or spoiling her and sometimes we might be. She has been through so much and so many caregivers and change. She needs to feel that safety, love and comfort are always near by.
So will I be a crazy overprotective Mama, sometimes yes. Will that change in time, yes. All I am asking for is time to figure it all out and patience that we know what is best for our family even if it doesn't make sense to you right away. We can't wait to share our love and our family with all of you in due time. Thanks for cheering us on and sending us prayers. That has meant a great deal to us.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Loving the countdown
I am in full countdown mode. I am counting down everything. How many days until we leave, how many shifts I have left at work, etc. It's fun.
So here are my favorite things to countdown:
16 days until we get on a plane
18 days until I get to hold my little girl
11 shifts left at work (at least until August that is)
14 weeks the length of my maternity leave
10 days that I will be without my pugs :(
9 days until baby girl is 5 months old
See once I get started counting down things it just never ends. I even have a countdown going for a friend, Kate, who is leaving for Ethiopia today you see she will get to meet her baby girl in 4 days. Then there is my friend, Leah, who has her court date in 7 days.
Other then obsessively counting things, I am in full packing mode. Suitcase are all out and open. Some things are being placed in them, piles are starting to form near them. I haven't packed for a trip like this ever so I am learning as I go especially in this post 9/11 era. So many rules that weren't there before....
And who knew how hard it was to pack for an infant...I think she will have more stuff than I will. I don't know what will fit her so I am bringing various sizes and hopefully enough to get us through if we do have the joy of experiencing multiple blow out diapers.
One of the toughest things about packing is the dogs. They aren't super helpful and I feel bad. They know something is up just not sure what it is. We are trying to give them some extra loving and catch little Badger when he decides that Peanut's things are really his things. He ran off yesterday with a package of pacifiers. Very cute.
So here are my favorite things to countdown:
16 days until we get on a plane
18 days until I get to hold my little girl
11 shifts left at work (at least until August that is)
14 weeks the length of my maternity leave
10 days that I will be without my pugs :(
9 days until baby girl is 5 months old
See once I get started counting down things it just never ends. I even have a countdown going for a friend, Kate, who is leaving for Ethiopia today you see she will get to meet her baby girl in 4 days. Then there is my friend, Leah, who has her court date in 7 days.
Other then obsessively counting things, I am in full packing mode. Suitcase are all out and open. Some things are being placed in them, piles are starting to form near them. I haven't packed for a trip like this ever so I am learning as I go especially in this post 9/11 era. So many rules that weren't there before....
And who knew how hard it was to pack for an infant...I think she will have more stuff than I will. I don't know what will fit her so I am bringing various sizes and hopefully enough to get us through if we do have the joy of experiencing multiple blow out diapers.
One of the toughest things about packing is the dogs. They aren't super helpful and I feel bad. They know something is up just not sure what it is. We are trying to give them some extra loving and catch little Badger when he decides that Peanut's things are really his things. He ran off yesterday with a package of pacifiers. Very cute.
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