Num, num, num.......

Little guy loves to eat. The photo shows him snacking on his bib contents shortly after we took his tray away. Num, num, num......

Less Screaming, More Smiles

I do know that to him we have kidnapped him. True, he is feeling more and more comfortable with us, with his new life, but nonetheless, we are responsible for alot of anguish in his little life. Today we have had our little Ethiopian elf with us for 10 days. Not nearly long enough to bond, but most definitely long enough to attach. He has attached. If one of us leaves the room he toddles over to the door we just went through, leans on it, and wails. After a few moments he is fine, but he does seem concerned that we might not return. When I lay him down for a nap, he screams unless I stand above his crib until he drifts to sleep. He looks for me. He wants to snuggle with me. He calls me "Mama." Mama, a wonderful little word. When he is tired he is content to sit on my lap and rest his little head on my chest. I am his Mama. I adore him and he is gonna be a Mama's boy!

Today he woke with smiles after sleeping straight through the night. Today he giggled. Alot. It warms my heart. He has a great giggle. He is learning what "No" means. He isn't screaming ALL THE TIME because he is beginning to realize that in our house screaming gets you nothing. He is comfortable with the dogs. He adores his big sister....and she him.

I love my little family. It feels complete. This is what happiness feels like.

Reflection and Update

I want to set the story straight. Perhaps because our trip is behind us and our experience has been experienced, so to speak. I re-read my blog posts and noticed a definite trend in the negative. Let me make this perfectly clear.....Ethiopia was fabulous. It was the trip of a lifetime. I have many, many memories of beautiful children, gracious people, new friends. We experienced a culture so different from ours. Sometimes hard to comprehend. Ethiopia is a proud country. The people are stronger in character than any spoiled American I have ever met. They are happy people. They love fiercely. They have changed me. I can't take back what I wrote in my previous blogs, nor would I want to. It is the truth. All of it. Ethiopia was hard. It was dirty, it was challenging. It was depressing. But it was also uplifting. A true blessing in my white bread life.

One thing I never posted that haunts me still, happened while we were shopping. We had picked up a "street boy" who followed us through the markets. (His photo is in a previous post.) He was very sweet and beautiful and never once asked for money...or candy. Most do. He was just very happy to be with us. He held my hand as we walked down the street. So, after coming out of a shop I saw who I thought was our "street boy" in my peripheral vision. I had my head down, looking at my purchases. As I neared who I thought was our street boy I suddenly looked up and screamed. I know, dramatic. It was. There standing less than a foot from me was a small boy, about the size of our little friend, but he had been severely burned and was deformed. I hate that I screamed. I can't take it back. I was totally caught off guard. After walking away with my heart pounding like a drum, I began to regret my response to him. I wanted to go back. Tell him I was sorry. Help him in some way. Still haunts me.

We encountered many beggars and were told to ignore them. They told us that if we gave them something then everyone would have their hand out. So, we ignored them. The best we could. How do you ignore a little old lady pounding on your window with burned, mangled, fingerless hands? Or a starving young mother and her tiny baby? Or children living on the streets? How? I will remember their faces always.

We did experience hardships....for us. Like lack of water or electricity. Seems like nothing now. They are living daily without either. There was a shack across the road from us. The outside was covered in plastic tarps. They had no water. They had no electricity. I am sure they threw their waste in the street. But, they were exceedingly happy. There were many little kids running around the place and they waved to me everyday as I stood on my balcony in our compound surrounded by razor wire. They cooked in a fire in front of their shack. They were happy. Did I say that already?? Well they were.

Now as I sit in my overly comfortable house, typing on a computer that cost more than the average Ethiopian could earn in 10 or more years, I am near tears. I think about these amazing people. I think of my personal excess. Why am I a chosen one? Why aren't they? Surely they are more devout than me. They live simple, hard lives with huge smiles on their faces. I live a privileged life. I throw away food that I have let rot in my refrigerator. They scrounge for food in the garbage of people who are themselves poor. Yet they are happy. Most have no education. Have no knowledge of the world. Have nothing.....but happiness. Ethiopians are amazing. Why is it that those with nothing, need nothing....and those who have everything, want more??

Now turning back to my privileged life. Little man is asleep on the couch next to me. He has been a handful, but he is soooo sweet. He is a screamer, which I have mentioned before. I am sure this is a learned behavior. He learned to scream in order to get attention in a sea of little ones needing the same thing. He still slaps, scratches and bites, but I see an improvement in all of it. He is beginning to fit in. He has overcome his fear of the dogs and now just slaps, pushes, pinches them. Because of this, they are learning to stay away from him. Just as well. He is eating very well. Yesterday we saw his pediatrician. He still has an ear infection but is otherwise very healthy. Since we have very limited medical information on him we have begun to revaccinate him. Yesterday he had three. Needless to say, he was not happy. After the shots we headed to the hospital to have his blood drawn for tests. More screaming. Then the parasite test requiring the poop retrieval.

Thing are going great. He is sooooooo much in love with his doting sister, and she with him. Also, he sleeps through the night. Ahhhhhh. Still up a little early, but considering he came from a time zone nearly 10 hours from our own, it is truly more than we could ask for. Despite the screaming we are in love. He is a snuggler. A snuggler. What could be better?

Day 4 - Friday - Ethiopia and the Luxury of the Marriott in DC

So, since I was not able to blog last night as I was on the flight home, I will have to recount it from the new found luxury of our Marriott hotel room in DC. Hahaha....never thought of the Marriott as luxury?? Well, me neither, at least before Ethiopia.

Yesterday morning started well for us since I had slept through the night. Of course medicated, but whatever, I slept. Even missed the Call to Prayer. Awoke to the sweet smile of my honey peering out through the slats of the crib. I actually got a luke warm shower in a drizzle rather than the normal dribble. Since we were leaving we really hadn't made plans past the party for Greer at Layla. So we stuck around the Guest House and were able to see our new friends off to their court dates. We had several families join us throughout the week that were here for Court so were therefore still not able to bring their children home. Of course we all bonded....I mean how could we not have. After they all loaded up and left we milled around in the sun of the courtyard until it was nearing party time then walked the short distance to Layla for the last time.

Since we arrived a bit early, they were still working on the party. We sat in the play yard and watched the kids play. They all became facinated with my hair and were quickly pulling it into child like braids and running their fingers through it. Soon the party was ready and we headed into the baby and toddler section of Layla House, called Wanna. There they had all gathered in the court yard on a huge woven mat. The adorable kids all had huge smiles and had just received yarn stuffed animals that the Williamson family had brought for them all. They broke into singing their ABC's and Mary Had A Little Lamb. A nanny gathered up Greer and placed him on the mat and cake and juice were served. The going away party is a huge party for everyone at Layla that all the children look forward too. Cake. Even the nannies and cooks get cake. It was precious and we took tons of pictures. Then we left Layla for the last time. Bittersweet and unforgettable. I have absolutely no doubt that our baby received excellent care during his time there.

After the party Todd left for some last minute shopping for some gifts and, of course, coffee. Everyone knows that Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and still has a reputation for awesome brew. While Todd was gone I packed and Greer, well, mostly screamed. Those of you who thought we would pay dearly for our sweet Empress' easy disposition were right. Should have bet on it. Greer is challenging for us. Screams most of the time but with precious moments of sweetness mixed in. And, a smile that seriously could melt an ice cap. But he also throws a fit that rivals a rabid animal. He seems unhappy with everything and no is definitely not a word in his vocabulary. Mostly he flings his little body to the floor and screams and kicks his stubby legs or slaps. Yep, he is a hitter. Todd and I have both experienced his head cuffs.

We left the house at 6 for our 10 p.m. departure. Then we crammed ourselves into our prison for the next 17 hours. Luckily, we had bulkhead seats and they brought a bassinet for us for the baby. Greer did surprisingly well, sleeping all but 4 hours of the trip. The 4 hours were trying though. Not much you can do to console an upset baby in such a limited space. I remember remarking to Todd that someone on the plane smelled like goats, a very familiar odor. It wasn't until we checked into our hotel in DC that I realized I was the goat person. After a bath for Greer and loooong hot showers for us we began to feel human. We were able to Skype with the Empress and she got a glimpse of her little brother for the first time. So glad we are nearly home.

Tomorrow our flight arrives in Kalispell at 1:45 p.m. We can't wait to see our Empress!! We can't wait to see BB and Papa Joe. We are excited for clean white sheets and too much to eat. But, we will also miss our adopted country, Ethiopia. What an experience.

Day 3 - Thursday - Ethiopia

Ughhhh, feeling tired and want to come home. The little man slept through the night….again, mama didn’t. As the call to prayer chant began at 5:00 a.m. I rolled over, turned off the lamp and finally fell asleep. Then he woke up. I am sooo tired.

Today we hung around the Guest House until about 11:30 and then made our way to Layla where we again dropped the little guy off for lunch and a nap. Horrible parents. But it is a bit of a necessity since we are not allowed to take the guy out in public. Believe me, it is hard to do, but I quickly see that he is very content there. Our plan today was to make our way over to the Hilton for lunch and to shop and then head up to Churchill Street for some shopping. Todd has a past student who is working in the Peace Corp in Ethiopia and we were lucky enough to spend the afternoon shopping with her. She is normally stationed in a village about 5 hours away from Addis but is working with “Operation Smile” this week translating. Because she is fluent in Amharic she was a huge help negotiating a fair price, as Ferengi (foreigners) are typically charged twice the Ethiopian price. We picked up some really cool stuff…..even a drum for Grayson….her one request. Great afternoon.

Then, my heart broke. We have not been able to talk to Grayson much….it is nearly impossible to make happen. Papa Joe tried calling yesterday but was not able to get through. So, we borrowed the cell phone from Ritmo and paid to have minutes put on and called. It was 7:30 a.m. in Montana and Grayson had just gotten up. When she got on the phone she was sobbing. We asked questions, told her we loved and missed her, but she was unable to talk because she was crying so hard. Then we talked briefly to Papa Joe. Grayson got back on the line after that and had stopped crying and she squeaked out “Mama I love you” and as I began to respond the phone went dead. Great timing. I was near tears when Brigette (the Peace Corp gal) jumped up handed me her cell phone and insisted I call her back. That girl is awesome. So, I called Grayson back and told her I loved and missed her, she talked to her Dada and everyone felt much better. However, my heart is still aching and I cannot wait to cover my little empress in hugs and kisses. I have to remind myself that this place is no place for a sweet little empress.

Water out again today. The lady who runs Layla and owns the Guest House has not had water at her house for 5 whole days. They are used to it….that is Addis. Me, I can take the periodic power outages, but water is essential. Even cold water. I have been able to sneak in one little cold trickle of a shower yesterday, both before and after have been the always lovely baby wipe shower. The first thing I am gonna do after checking into the hotel on Saturday in DC is take a long hot shower. The second thing I am gonna do is bathe my smelly little guy. Hopefully , Todd will follow suit.

Tomorrow morning Layla is having a going away party for the man at 10:00 a.m. and all his little cronies are invited as well as his nannies and the staff. How sweet is that? Then we get Greer’s visa and we are ready to fly. Home so soon, but a living hell getting there. Not looking forward to it. Nope, not at all. Tomorrow night at 10:00 we get on the flight and at 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning we land in DC.

Our time in Ethiopia has been amazing. The people are all sooooo amazingly beautiful. Every last one. They have got to be the most beautiful people in the world. They live such a hard life, which we have been able to experience only a sliver of. I consider myself pretty open to anything, but this place has been really hard on so many levels. I know that had I gotten sleep, eaten properly and stayed hydrated like I should have that perhaps I would have been able to work through the rest. I am glad we don’t live here. I am glad we are going home. I am so thankful for our beautiful son and the opportunities we can provide him. And, I feel changed, like more appreciative of my blessed life. Now that I have seen the way in which they scratch to survive and not just heard it, I believe it is imperative that a change in our world happen. In the very least, all the people of the world deserve water.

Thank you Ethiopia.

We love you baby….we will see you real soon. xoxo Mama, Dada and Baby Greer.

Day 2 - Wednesday - Ethiopia

Greetings. Tough night…but we made it through. Little man woke up in a screaming fit in the middle of the night. Lasted only about 45 minutes, but it was full on screaming. Do you think children from other cultures cry differently?? They most definitely do. When he cries it sounds like “Eye-yi-yi, Eye-yi-yi, Eye-yi-yi.” I thought perhaps he was calling the name of a favorite nanny….but I asked and there is no one at Layla with a name even remotely similar. I asked if it was maybe an Amharic word. Nope not even that. So, we concluded it was the Ethiopian baby cry. The night was over for me and I laid awake contemplating what action I would take in the morning if the water was still off. It has been off twice in the past 24 hours for several hours each time. So when the 5 a.m. call to prayer arrived I had barely drifted off to sleep. Oh…ya, did I mention that there is a mosque somewhere in the vicinity and every morning at 5 a.m. and periodically through the day, there is a very loud “call to prayer” which is basically some muslim dude hollering (chanting, really) for 10 to 15 minutes straight.

At 8:15 we got picked up by the gal who runs Layla and we drove across town to the U.S. Embassy. It was a long, erratic drive, but we drove from one side of Addis to the other and saw some amazing things. Many, many heartbreaking things. Wow, not even sure I can describe the poverty. Our poorest people are kings compared to these people. I saw people living in rubble, not shacks, rubble. I saw people herding goats down sidewalks in the middle of town. I saw a man leading a huge brama bull over a bridge and through traffic. I saw the palace of Haille Selasie, the last king of Ethiopia, a direct decendent of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. There was a man peeing on the street and another naked man just propped in the dirt against a filthy wall. Then there is the smell. I can’t describe the smell. Perhaps something like dirt, animals, diesel fuel, and human waste. Horrible. Truly horrible. Then we arrived at the U.S. Embassy. Easy appointment. A couple of questions, an oath, a stamp and then back on the road to the Guest House.

Greer is sick with a bad cold and ear infections. We took him back to Layla and the Dr. there put him on antibiotics. I feel like crap. Something between the ride back and forth across town, lack of food, dehydration and no sleep. We had intended to head over to the Hilton to use their internet and have lunch, but our driver never showed up.

We headed out for dinner tonight with several families staying here who arrived today. We are the only ones here taking our guy home. They are all here for their Court dates. Great people. One couple in our group have over 20 adopted children, many of them special needs. They are adopting again and their new daughter is in a wheel chair. Their 18 month old son, recently adopted from the states has Spina Bifida. They have children from the U.S., China, Vietnam, South Africa, and many, many from Ethiopia. Amazing people.

For now I will sign off, with the hopes of actually posting to the blog soon. Grayson, we miss you more than all the tea in China. Hope you are having a great time with BB and Papa Joe. Love you baby and we will see you very soon. For my folks…hope you are well! I think of you every day and wish we could find an easy way to call. Can’t wait to introduce you to the little man (who is singing songs from his crib and refusing to go to sleep or even lay down). BB and Papa Joe, thank you for taking care of our precious G. We can’t wait to get home and see you.

Good night!! See you all soon.

Day 1 - Tuesday - Ethiopia

Hello from Ethiopia from T, J and G² –

Flight……grueling. Funny thing is when we did FINALLY land the Ethiopians on the plane broke into applause. Whatever the reason for the applause it was sorta a nice welcome. Truly nightmarish to think we will be boarding the return flight on Friday.

We breezed through customs, got our visas, money and baggage and were out the door in about 20 minutes. Talk about efficiency. We were met at the airport by a driver from our adoption agency. After about 10 minutes in the beat up van I started doubting his intentions. We hadn’t asked for identification and he was quiet as a mouse for the whole drive. When we turned off the main road onto a rocky, pitch black street of sorts and began to weave our way through dozens of shacks I was sure we would soon pull over and he would toss us out into the night and drive away with our luggage and money. Then we arrived at our Guest House. With a double honk the gate opened and there stood two very tall, skinny, smiling from ear to ear Ethiopian men. Our little compound, so to speak, is a walled enclosure, complete with coils of razor wire, surrounding the main Guest House and several little outbuildings (i.e. the kitchen, guard shack). We arrived at our Guest House in a blackout. They have them off and on every day and every other day the power is off from 7 a.m. till 10:00 p.m. There is also times when the water goes off. All government controlled. We have access to a computer and internet, but cannot Skype or load pictures to the blog. It is simply too slow!

So getting to the good stuff….. We were picked up this morning after 9 and driven the short distance to Layla House. We were taken directly to a small room where our little guy and all his little buddies were happily playing. Wouldn’t you know it…..he was the ONLY one who wanted nothing to do with us and cried when we got near him. So we played with the other children who were more than happy to sit on our laps. One toddler bonked her head and immediately ran over to Todd screaming and he scooped her up and she cried on his shoulder. It was really sweet. All the while little man either ignored us or clinged to the leg of his nanny. Finally, we grabbed him, screaming the whole time and found a place to sit and watch the little boys playing soccer. After a while he stopped screaming and things have been good since.

We took him back to the Guest House, took out some bribery snacks and toys and he really began to warm up and relax. After a big Spaghetti lunch full of smiles he fell fast asleep. So sweet. He woke with a huge smile and has been Mr. Love ever since. He is much smaller than his pictures make him look and sooooooooo cute!! None of the pictures do him justice. He is already displaying little tantrums where he flops over on his back and kicks his legs. When you stop paying attention he immediately stops the tantrum. Too funny.

Miss our Empress. Really miss her.

So tired now but excited for our adventure.

Sorry Folks....

Since it is now aparent to everyone that I didn't post our trip I will begin with a disclaimer. I did blog, just couldn't post. We had something like dial up.....unbelievably slow. Plus, many times we didn't even have power. The following posts are the trip, what we saw, experienced, were moved by. Enjoy.