Tuesday, May 17, 2011 Embassy day

Tuesday, May 17, 2011 Embassy day

Today was the day that we went to the US Embassy for our visa interview.  We entered through security and then sat in a waiting room of half Ethiopians and half adoptive families.  On our way there, we had picked up a social worker from Holt who was a white woman with a strong Southern accent, not exactly what I was expecting.  She went with us to the Embassy to help the families, should any problems occur.  So we waited about 2 hours in a waiting room. Bejigo slept for part of the time.  Our number was then called and we went up to a window that looked like a bank teller.  It took about  2 minutes total.  We were asked questions such as what do we know about the birthmother, what date did we go to court, etc.  For a moment the teller apologized for the delay in our case.  I got very nervous thinking that there was going to be another delay in our case but he just meant everything that we had previously waited on.  After all of the questioning, they told us that our adoption was “full and final” and that our paperwork would be delivered in 2 days. 

The rest of the day, we spent with Bejigo at the Guesthouse bonding and getting to know each other.  

 

Monday May 16, 2011, Awassa and the Goodbye ceremony

Monday May 16, 2011

We woke up this morning in Awassa, Ethiopia in the southern region after spending the night in a very nice hotel there.  We left the hotel around 8:30 a.m. and drove to a nearby resort on Lake Awassa called Lewi Resort.  This was a very beautiful place where we saw monkeys and a tortoise.  I asked how much it cost to stay there and all I was told was “a lot of money.” 

Check out the monkey

Lake Awassa

We then got back in the van and headed north back to Addis.  It was a rough 6 hour drive.  

Camels along the side of the road

After arriving in Addis in the early afternoon, we went to the Care Center for the farewell party.  I was not prepared for this at all.  When we arrived, they were preparing a coffee ceremony for us.  There was also incense burning.  There were most of the nannies and some other people in the room.  Four other children who were old enough to eat cake were sitting so politely at a little table saying “cake, cake.”  The nannies brought each child down separately dressed in their traditional Ethiopian outfit with a scarf that said I love Ethiopia.

  The nanny handed us Bejigo and we had our picture with him behind a table that had 2 beautiful chocolate cakes from Kaldi’s.  The cakes said “goodluck.”  Each family took their turn cutting the cake with their child.  

We were served coffee, popcorn, soda, and cake.  It was very funny at the time because here we were trying to hold Bejigo and juggle 3 pieces of cake, coffee, soda and constantly being served popcorn.  Before we ate Sister Sosena asked one of the families to read from the bible the story of Moses and to pray.  It was very emotional as we were holding back the tears.  Sister, the head nurse, also said some really special things like none of this would be possible without the adoptive families and that we were literally saving these children’s lives.  It was so sweet.  Sister Sosena told me that one of the nannies wanted to have her picture taken with Bejigo because she took care of him a lot and loved him.  She was so sweet and you could tell she was having a hard time saying goodbye.  She kept watching him the whole time we were there.  We were only at the care center for a very short time and then we were told it was time to go.  I felt so bad like we were taking him away from the people that loved him.  It was so sad.  The nannies were crying, a few of them even followed us to the van and actually got in the van with us, kissing and hugging all of the babies and crying.  It was heartbreaking.  Sister Sosena was riding in the back of the van with us crying.  She told us it is so hard for the nannies every time that they have to say goodbye.  She said that they try to give each child special attention and love them.  We held on tight to Bejigo as we drove away and he just watched the movement of the city out the window.  

It made me so sad to know that he would very soon be leaving his birth country for a whole new and completely different world.  After we arrived back at the guesthouse, they had prepared another party for us complete with a Congratulations sign, cake, and coffee.  They were so hospitable and kind!

Trip to Durame and meeting Bejigo's birthmom

Sunday May 15, 2011

We left Addis early in the morning and headed south towards Durame.  We were driving there to meet Bejigo's birthmother.  We took the same route down as we did on our last trip, although the ride was a lot more comfortable with a van that worked.  The closer that we got the more nervous I became.  I could not stop thinking about his birthmother and how our meeting was going to go.  I can't even imagine how she was feeling.  

A traditional house

Yep that is a naked man washing his motorcycle and another one washing the truck

On the way down, we stopped by the side of the road.  A Holt social worker was standing there on the road waiting on us with a Grandmother of one of the adopted children.  An adoptive family that we had met on out first trip had sent a picture album for the Grandmother and we were delivering it to her.  It again was very emotional.  She held the book and kissed the pictures.  As we got closer to Durame, we stopped at the Holt hospital.  There was new construction there that we toured.  While we were there, we also delivered pictures to a birthfather who’s wife had died during childbirth and just absolutely loved seeing the pictures of his child.  One more drop off of a picture book occurred.  The whole village came out to the road to see the pictures.  They were all so excited!!!!  You could tell how much the pictures meant to them. 

We arrived in Durame and ate lunch at the hotel.  Spaghetti with tomato sauce for everyone.  We enjoyed talking to our social worker traveling with us, Mulu.  We then left the hotel and arrived just around the corner from the care center.  As before, some of the local children were waiting there to greet our van.  

After a brief orientation with the interpreter, we were led to a small room where our meeting would take place.  I am not sure I was ever so nervous in my life.  We had a very good meeting and she answered all of our questions to share with Bejigo some day.  What a beautiful woman, very petite, soft spoken, and her eyes sparkled when she looked at Bejigo's pictures.  I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet her, hug her, kiss her and try to reassure her that we would love and take great care of our sweet boy that we both love so much.  She presented us with grass that she had prepared for us that symbolized a very big responsibility and promise of taking care of Bejigo.  We took pictures together, exchanged hugs and then parted ways.  

We walked around the corner and visited the first care center where Bejigo first lived after being relinquished.  

The care center in Durame

The window outside Bejigo's first room

Greg and I standing at the gate of the care center

The nannies remembered us and asked how Bejigo was doing.  We got to see his room again and tour the care center.  We left the care center and drove for several hours to Awassa to stay the night.  The hotel was very nice, but upon arriving to Awassa, I felt like we were driving through a tornado.  There was very large hail and torrential rain.  After the power came back on, (yep, I forgot to pack any flashlights, left those in Addis) we had dinner at the hotel and crashed for the night following a very emotional day.  

Our precious ballerina

Kate had her 2nd dance recital today!  She did a beautiful job and has improved so much from last year.  We are so proud of her and she looked so beautiful!  Great job Kate!!

Kate and our gorgeous niece Taylor

My sweet boy's 1st Birthday

On Saturday, we celebrated Bejigo's 1st Birthday!!  We had a great party with family and friends who showered him with love and great gifts!  It is hard to believe that we've only been together for less than a month and already celebrating a birthday!  Makes this momma a little sad that I missed most of the first year of his life, but hopefully will get to celebrate many, many more birthday's together.  He did just as I had expected with his birthday cake.  Not so excited about eating the cake, but loved to make a mess and rub the cake and icing in his hair.  

After a taste of icing

And finally our attempts at a good family picture...

a not so happy Drew

(not so happy daddy)

Only 2 people looking at the camera
Oh well, maybe next year!

Bejigo's progress and signs of attachment

Just wanted to give an update of Bejigo's progress and how he is doing.  All in all he is doing wonderful.  I took him to the Columbus International Children's clinic last week and he was seen by an international pediatrician, nutritionist, physical therapist, speech therapist, audiologist, clinical psychologist (to discuss his attachment with us).  It was a wonderful visit.  He is transitioning well with food.  So far there is nothing that this boy won't eat.  At first, not so much of a fan of yogurt, but likes it now.  He is so different from Kate and Drew since he actually eats!  It's fun to feed a baby who just sits there with his mouth wide open waiting for the next bite!!!  He is growing well, 23 lbs, and in the 75% for height and weight.

Developmentally, from a physical therapy stand point, he is a little delayed.  He is crawling and pulls himself up to kneeling but not to standing yet.  He does not initiate any steps when you hold his hands.  But I have already seen great progress in him since we first saw him at the care center in Addis.  Then, he would crawl a few steps and then stop.  He did not want to put much weight through his legs.  Now he likes to stand holding onto the furniture.  So, I have no doubts that he will catch up with some love and practice.

He is only babbling right now, probably talking fluent in Amharic and I just don't know it....  But saying da da, which we were told was crawl in Amharic, (his native language.)

He loves Kate and Drew and they are loving him as well.  They love to help and Drew even basically changed Bejigo's wet diaper yesterday with some assist.  This week I have seen some good signs of attachment.  He has actually cried for me and reached for me when someone else was holding him.  In terms of attachment this was very good.  When he first came home from Ethiopia, he was so used to having multiple caregivers and did not seem overly attached to anyone, but would happily go to everyone.  This is in reality not good.  You want him to be soothed by Mommy and Daddy and know when someone other than Mommy and Daddy are holding him.  So we are making progress.

As for sleeping, he was sleeping most of the night after first coming home, but now he is working on cutting some teeth so has been waking up more often with a painful cry.  Thank God for Tylenol.
So this is one of my favorite things about him.  When I am putting him to sleep, I lay him down in his own bed on his belly and rub his back, like the nannies at the care center did.  If you even stop for a second before he is asleep, he looks up at you with those big brown eyes to see if you are still there, smiles a big smile at you, lays his head back down and tightly closes his eyes as if pretending to go to sleep.  Then we rub his back again.  This happens probably 25 times over and over before he actually falls asleep.  It's s game we play.  he is just making sure Mommy and Daddy are still there.  Again a good thing!

Getting ready to swim!!!

Sightseeing in Ethiopia

On Saturday morning, we had some free time, so we went with 2 of the other Embassy families and traveled to Washa Michael which was a rock hewn church in Addis Ababa.

I would highly recommend seeing this if you are in Addis and have extra time.  We drove to what felt like the middle of nowhere.  Up a mountain along a very rough road.  Still there were people and children everywhere you looked.  When we arrived to the top of the mountain, we got out of the van and our driver led us up a small path to where the church was.  The church was amazing, carved out of rock.  The roof had been bombed and collapsed in, but still very beautiful and wonderful to see.  A random tour guide, who spoke good english, showed up out of no where and guided us through the church.  He then took us on a short hike through the woods which came out on a beautiful mountain top view of Addis Ababa.

A view of Addis

Then, some of the most beautiful little girls showed up on the mountaintop and enjoyed having their picture taken and then looking at themselves.   When we arrived back at the van, there were a group of young kids waiting on "snacks."

The kiddos waiting on us

After the church tour, we went to a Bazaar that was something special they were having that weekend.  It was so funny as pop American music was playing in the background.  There were many of Americans there shopping and selling various crafts and items.  I did some good shopping there, although the prices were a bit more expensive.

In the afternoon, we went back to the care center to see Bejigo again and met with the pediatrician.

Here he is drinking his smoothie from a cup!

That evening, we went out to dinner with some of the other families at a restaurant called "Island Breezes"  which had a beach type theme and good "American food."

It was great to have some potato skins and chicken fingers in the middle of Ethiopia!!!