First Night Home...

Our first night home was a success. We put Ty to sleep at 9 p and he slept straight through to 6 a.m. We have his playpen set up in our bedroom where he will be sleeping for the next several weeks so that we can all adjust back to our Tennessee sleep schedule. He was crying when he woke, a little confused but as soon as we picked him up he relaxed and smiled.

What a gift!

Welcome Home Ty Roy!

Thirty hours of travel for your first time on a plane at age 12 months is no laughing matter. Our first flight left at midnight Friday night. Ty fell asleep right before we got to the airport, but woke less than an hour later and didn't fall back asleep. I will admit a little fault in this issue as I broke the 'smart mom rule #103', don't brag about your kid's great sleeping habits. I had JUST told this lady standing in line at the check in counter about how great he sleeps, he sleeps 12 hours, we expect he'll just sleep until we reach Frankfurt. (As I'm typing this I'm kicking myself!) So around 2 a.m., he decided he would go to sleep but only if I was holding him, in the way he wanted to be held. I cried. Yep, right there on a packed airbus with people looking at me and Brian giving me the 'you gotta be kidding' look I just let 'em fall. There was no holding back, I was exhausted, missing my girls and frustrated as heck that I agreed to the 'let's encourage him to bond with you first that way he will feel extremely comfortable no matter what' rationale that we assumed was best at the first of the week. So we slept, Ty in my arms, me laying across 2 seats and our heads in Brian's lap. It was miserable. When we got off of the plane we went in search of the sleeping cots. They weren't out. I didn't care. I found a row of chairs, took off the sling, secured in onto Brian with the baby, found my pillow and slept for 2 hours with strangers walking past me. Yes, I was one of those airport people and I did not care. When I woke I was a new woman. We went to McDonald's where I drank the best iced fountain Sprite ever! We met up with our friends the Chains and spent the next several hours sharing stories. Our next flight was a huge success, Ty slept in his seat for 7 of the 8 hour flight. Bliss. Our experience at the Philadelphia airport was awful..I mean literally awful and I fully intend to send a scathing email soon!

When we arrived in Nashville we were full of energy, ready to see our girls. My parents parked the van and brought the girls in with balloons to greet us. It was a great surprise and a wonderful memory to share with Ty when he gets older. The sisters are in love with their brother. Kendall can't believe how cute he is and how small he is. Mallory can't quit giggling and touching him. When we got home Mallory had to help feed him, and wanted to change his diaper (I was able to negotiate a side line job for her). Kendall helped feed him his bottle. He was not at at all shy with them and his eyes were full of delight. We are tired and achy, but boy are we at peace here with our three kid in our own home. What a blessing...what blessings they all are!

Mallory's first big sister job..she wouldn't take

no for an answer!

Kendall was amazed with his small hands and fingers.

His first visit to his room. Mallory was eager

to show him his toys.

Homeward Bound

This morning we were escorted back to the Post Office area for more souvenirs. I must say that I enjoyed this trip more than the other two times we went. I think because it was early, before 10 a.m., so there were not many people out and we could focus on buying our items. We picked up several items for Ty and the girls, and even a few for ourselves. A common phrase in Amharic is Eshee...means OK. Brian has gotten into the habit of using Eshee this week, so it seemed apropos that he buy a shirt with the Amharic spelling. In about 1 hour we had everything bought and were headed back to our guest house.

We have a friend here, Girma, who had invited us to his house for lunch. He called just as we were leaving our shopping area and we worked out a place to meet so that we could just get in the car with him. It was the first time I've ever sat in the front seat, on a busy road with a baby in my lap. That was weird. We arrived safely and I hope Ty doesn't expect that happen when we get home. I'm wondering how he'll deal with the US car seat?

Girma and his wife hosted a lovely lunch of dora wat, lentils, injera and another dish I can't name. We met their family and friends and everyone complimented us on Ty. They also congratulated us. The older gentleman, whose name I don't think we were ever told because he was affectionately known as father (he is close with Girma and a retired Priest), gave me the best compliment yet. After we were there for about an hour he said to Girma and Brian..."I can't believe how lucky that boy is. Look how she loves him, as if he is her very own." He is my own, but I know what he was talking about and I felt honored to receive the compliment. Girma's wife and her sister took turns walking Tamirat, hoping to help me as he was in need of a nap but not at all willing to miss the excitement. Each time he would hear me, or see me, he would cry for me. It is such a good feeling to know your newly adopted son wants to be with you. Praise God.

After several hours of visiting we packed up and headed back to the guest house. Today was a super hot day! The car ride home was miserable with the little hot potato against me and the windows barely cracked, no a/c. Yikes! When we reached our house I headed upstairs to peel the clothes off of us.

We packed up and had our dinner with the Fischers. We hope to visit them this May, but they promised us that if we can't get there in May they would like to visit us later in the summer perhaps. This has been a super special week. We are home sick and can't wait to get on the plane tonight, but there is still a little sadness associated with leaving this country. We know this is not goodbye forever, and that helps.

Looking forward to a glass of sprite with ice, breakfast cereal with milk and my girls smiles.

Ty with his African outfit on and his Ethiopian passport.

Our last Ethiopian sunset, for now anyhow.

Dinner out...

Last night we decided to visit another great Ethiopian restaurant. We had heard good things about this restaurant/art gallery, Mankush. This was an upscale restaurant and the dishes were enjoyed by all. The USD goes a long way here...the dinner for 7 adults ran under $100, can't remember the exact amount. That included full entrees for 6, 4 appetizers, cold sodas (a luxury here!) and really great service.

Wednesday in Ethiopia

We headed out this morning to a small region named Korah, about a 20 minute drive from our Guest House. This is one of the most (if not THE most) impoverished area in the Addis area. We had been hoping to visit the Alert Hospital, the lepracy hospital, and shop in their gift store. The patients make all of the items there and we have heard it is a trip worth making. What we didn't realize is that today is Victory Day, all schools are closed, many businesses are closed..including the gift shop. We also wanted to meet the lady running Project 61, her name is Summer and she is from Thompson Station, TN. She met us around 10:30 and took us on a tour of the village. My mind is still reeling from what I saw, and I don't think I can do it justice at this point. This is poverty like you image you are going to see in third world countries..but you can never prepare yourself for it. 10 people live in an room the size of my bathroom. The dump is nearby, and it is the main reason this village exists. The village is built ON a cemetary. When the gov't created the dump, the people followed so that they could sort through the trash for food, and items that they could resale to make money..very little money. One of our translators from our guest house grew up there and has a phenomenol testimony..he is very close with everyone there and was very instrumental in our experience. Summer is an angel! She and her husband just took over this ministry..Project 61...and they find American families who are willing to support an Ethiopian child from the Karah region and send them to a private boarding school in another region. It is a ministry worth knowing about my Tennessee friends! For $600 a child can be housed, clothed and fed for an entire school year....with a top knotch education. Right now they have over 700 kids in the program, many still needing sponsorship. As we walked through the area the kids just flocked around us. If your hand was available it wouldn't be for long..they are very loving children. They were sooo excited to see us with Ty and my friend Sabrina had her daughter too. Frequently the babies would be admired with a touch on their feet, hands or backs. One teen girl walked straight up to me and before I knew it she had leaned in and kissed Ty on his cheek. Amazing. It will be something I pray over tonight and night's to come in hopes of understanding how to process that experience.

Ty is continuing to open up to us and really bless us with his sweet self! He interacts with me mainly and isn't afraid to explore my face with his fingers. We are so glad that he is not a picky eater and has not had any difficulty transitioning to our Gerber products and formula. He has a nasty cold, but other than that he is super healthy. Tonight we went to a very nice Italian restaurant and art museum, Makush. Ty was a polite baby, sat in my lap while i fed him and allowed me to eat too. I know those days won't last long, so I'll brag about them while they last. Brian is the 'closer', and seems to have the magic touch with walking Ty and putting him to sleep, though tonight he just walked him through the art gallery and entertained him as much as Ty was willing. It was dark out on our way home, the first time we've ever been out in the evening. There were many people out and about. Ty loved the lights and fought sleep the entire way home. He went to sleep within 10 minutes of laying down, tired boy!

Tomorrow is our Embassy appointment. Our friends had their appointment on Tuesday and have assured it looks like the DMV with rows of windows and an illuminated number sign. We don't anticipate any surprises and look forward to this last step in this long journey!

This is a bunk room that P61 allows orphans

and women a safe place to sleep.

The welcoming committee in Korah is comprised

of little people with big smiles and a

precious way of winning your heart!

12 Hours Later...

This sweet boy slept for 12 very long hours! He woke up crying and I swooped in, we had been waiting for him to wake up. Once I had him in my arms he stopped crying and was happy to be held. We moved to the living room area where he seemed more comfortable looking through the suitcase for his toys we brought. He loves the little board book and the trucks.

After breakfast we had to return to the transition home to fill out our Embassy documents. I was very apprehensive about returning with Ty. It seemed like a cruel trick, to take him back to the place he knows as home and then drag him away again. I imagined a crying baby, distraught to be kept from his beloved nanny...I was sad for him. When we pulled up he recognized the guard right away, and the scenes too. He was definitely alert and offering more smiles than ever. My heart was heavy, dreading the disappointment this little boy was going to suffer again. They walked us up the stairs, past Ty's old baby room and into a room that was lined with large gymnastic mats used for baby play. To my great relief Ty was not trying to get away from me but just the opposite. He was laughing, playing and continually returning to me. Our house guide, Hermella, even noted how much of a difference she saw in him in one night's time. Some of the nannies came in to say hi to him and he smiled at them...but didn't cry for them. Of course he did not see HIS nanny, and for that I am grateful. I wonder if she knew? I bet she did. Maybe she didn't come in an effort to spare him because history had taught her with babies she's helped raise. Or maybe she didn't come to spare herself. This is such a special bond between nanny and baby, she was his mother until I arrived. I don't know what she was doing, but I can imagine how it must have hurt to let go. I will be saying extra prayers for her, for all of the nannies at the HOH.

After lunch we rested for a little while and then went out souvenir shopping with our new friends the Skiles. There is a really great area called the Post Office with lots of small shops carrying great souvenirs. I carried Ty in the Ergo Baby (thank you Courtney!!) and though he is the hottest little bean ever, we managed not to melt each other. :) The Fischer's had their Embassy Appt during this time and afterward they joined us a the Post Office. Afterward we all headed to each dinner at a great restaurant..Island Breeze. Supposedly the owner had lived in the states and ran a restaurant for many years before returning to Ethiopia. The menu really does cater to Americans and we enjoyed chicken wings, avacado dip/chips, pizzas, buffalo chicken sandwiches and french fries. The music was old rock/pop and we found ourselves relaxing with each bite. By the time we were finished we all were full and tired!

Tomorrow we are going to visit the Leprosy hospital. The residents make crafts and sell them in their hospital gift shop, sounds interesting. Ty is fast asleep at 7:30 pm, and we are exhausted too. But the Fischer's have friends visiting, they are here adopting too, and everyone is enjoying swapping adoption stories and good humor. Though we are tired, the evening is one of our favorite times of the day. We all meet down stairs around the dining area and chat about the day's events. We've had many meaningful conversations with the staff here too. This trip is definitely about getting our son, and with that comes many more blessings through these friendships!

A little after lunch snooze...

Enjoying his suitcase of fun!

First Day with Ty...more pics

Spending a little one of one time in our room, Ty really enjoyed
playing with books and liked to be read to. Made it nice to have
an easy way to interact with him.


Ty's first 'American' meal...Gerber Sweet Potatoes and Corn.
No complaints, he ate it all. We forgot to get his feeding schedule so
we winged it...and he didn't mind at all.

Changing him out of his transition home clothes and into
one of the outfits we brought for him. I couldn't resist the first naked baby pic...he did have on a diaper!

He loved the board book..would not let it go.