Africa Trip...Thursday

Our Africa Trip continued...
Thursday was a really fun day. After breakfast at the Guest House, we went shopping at a really cool place. The people were so friendly. I carried Hannah in a sling and women would come up to me to peek at her and most would say "Bless you" or "Thank you". The boys bought some t-shirts and I bought more scarves and purses. A girl can't have too many scarves and purses, right? We also bought a traditional outfit for Hannah. (The outfit is so close to fitting her finally...can't wait for her to wear it!!!) After shopping we headed to Metro Pizza for lunch. The pizza was really good!!! Best ever! We had a lot left over so we took it back to the Guest House to have for dinner too. After lunch, we headed back to the Guest House to rest and spend more time with Hannah. It was a great day and a very relaxing evening. I was not ready to head home the next day. I wanted to stay a few more days!

Finally getting a chance to continue with our Africa trip!
Wednesday was the day we had our Embassy appointment...the day Hannah OFFICIALLY was ours to take home! I had been dreading this day...not sure why...not that I was nervous about it, but I just wanted this part overwith so we could enjoy the rest of our trip. It wasn't bad at all. We were just asked a few questions and our part was over in about 10 minutes. It probably would have been even faster but Eddie and the lady at the window ended up talking about stuff that had nothing to do with our adoption. :)
After our appointment, we headed back to the Guest House and then decided to go with the Heinrichs and Roths to the Zebra Grill. It was just a couple of blocks from the Guest House so we walked. The Zebra Grill was pretty interesting. Eddie got a hamburger and loved it. Andrew got one too but it was way too spicy for him. Joey got ribs. (While we waited for the food, we saw the cook head out the front door of the restaurant and in a few minutes he came back with a tub...of Joey's fresh ribs that he got at the butcher shop across the street. Then he grilled them right there in front of us.) I played it safe and got a bean burrito. It was really good. :)
On the walk back to the Guest House, we did a little shopping. Then we just chilled for the night.
Will try to post about Thursday later tonight...

Gotcha Day!

Well, I got busy yesterday and didn't get a chance to post about Gotcha Day. We woke up that morning and headed to the Hilton to do lots of final paperwork. I actually chilled for a while in the shade while Eddie did the paperwork. We did find out that Hannah's birth certificate had a different date as her birthday than the day we were told. :)
When paperwork was finished we got back on the bus and headed to the transitional home to get Hannah! As she was handed to me, it was so wonderful knowing that she was with us forever! The nannies were so sweet and they told me her schedule and showed me the formula she was taking. (Eddie bought a few cans later that evening so we could slowly switch her to American formula). The nannies held Hannah and kissed her and we could tell it was very hard for them to say goodbye to her. As we loaded on the bus, they stood on the porch and cried. It really broke our hearts to see this. But at the same time, we knew that Hannah and the other children were very loved and taken care of by these sweet ladies. When we got back to the Guest House, we took Hannah upstairs and bathed her and did lots of cuddling. We didn't have anything on our schedule that night and we were glad because we got to do a lot of family bonding. What a great day!!!

Meetcha Day!!!

One year ago today, we met our sweet little Hannah for the first time. I will never forget any moment of that special day. I remember waking up at our guest house and looking out on the balcony at the city of Addis Ababa, knowing she was out there somewhere and that soon I would have my hands on her! I knew that all those years of waiting, paperwork, more paperwork, more waiting was finally coming to an end. That light at the end of the tunnel was finally shining very brightly!!!
We nervously ate breakfast with our group and found out that instead of going to do paperwork, we were going shopping and that the paperwork would be done the next day. Seriously? Shopping? All I wanted to do was get to Hannah. But there was a schedule of course, so we went shopping. And shopping I did. I bought way too many scarves but they were so beautiful and cheap! We ate lunch with our group and then got on the bus to head to the transitional home, where Hannah was waiting.
The bus ride to the transitional home was pretty quiet, even with 4 other families. I think we were taking it all in...the people...the sounds...the smells of Addis Ababa. But when the bus turned on to a very bumpy road, Robel, our wonderful guide, said something about being almost there and I felt like I couldn't breathe. The tears were starting to form in my eyes but I did my best to stop them. I didn't want to be bawling when Hannah saw me for the first time. So I fought them back. The bus pulled through the big gate and we were there...and Hannah was inside somewhere. I turned to Eddie and our boys and said "This is it". We waited in the courtyard and watched as a couple of families got their babies. Then it was our turn. A sweet lady walked out the door holding our little Hannah and I could not believe how tiny she was! Just like a newborn baby! I kissed her and held her tight and everything was perfect. She never cried with all of us holding her and loving on her. We only had a few hours to spend with her before leaving her for one more night. The next day would be Gotcha Day and then she would be with us forever! More to come!

Next week we will be celebrating our Gotcha Day with Hannah. It just amazes me to think back to how little she was when we got her...8 lbs at 4 months! Now she's a whopping 20 lbs and running all over the place! She was this quiet little baby and now I hear "Momma" and "Daddy" about 100 times a day. She absolutely LOVES to dance. It doesn't matter if music is on tv, or in our car, or our ringtones or alarm clock...if she hears music, she automatically starts dancing. (We have it on video and I'll post it soon. :)) Before we went to Ethiopia, I had heard that Ethiopians were quiet, mild mannered people...and when we got there I found it to be completely true. Well, not the Ethiopian who lives at our house! She is quite vocal and can throw a fit when she doesn't get her way. And I'm talking about a throw-herself-on-the-floor fit with arms waving and legs kicking. (Ok...as I'm writing this some music started on the tv and she is dancing in the kitchen...love it!) Anyway, neither of my boys did this tantrum throwing so this is new to me! If anybody has any good ideas, send them my way!
We are so crazy about this little girl and we really can't believe that we will be celebrating Gotcha Day next week. I will probably post some pics and talk about our trip again in some posts in the next few days since our trip will be on my mind. More to come!

Last Post Placement Visit and Prayer Request

We had our last post placement visit with our wonderful caseworker, Deirdre. It's so great to have that finished but at the same time we are going to really miss seeing her. It's hard to believe that we've had Hannah home for almost a year. Just doesn't seem possible.
On another note...please keep my friend Karen and her husband in your prayers. I can't go into detail but they are in desperate need of prayer for their adoption. Thanks!

Some Exciting News...

My husband is in a Christian Rock band, called The Revolving. They released their first album and it's great! CDs are only $10 right now and will be available thru the band's website later this week. If you want one sooner though, you can email me and I'll get you one. CLICK HERE