Month: April 2011

The Haben spunk and smiles continued as we arrived home and showed him around for his first night at home. He was loving the brothers and sisters, the toys and life in general. He laughed, played, ran around the house with the kids and had
some pizza for dinner with everyone. There wasn't one thing he didn't enjoy except for the dog. He squealed as she got in the room and we had to keep her basically out of sight for a while. He went to Daddy, Aubrey, let the little brothers
and sisters smother him, went to Grandparents and took pictures with friends. What a turn around in security! It was all seeming too easy.

Kaylee and Mayla were a little emotional about their parents being gone
and figuring it all out. Mayla was having the most trouble as she wasn't the baby anymore and it was just impossible to prepare her for a new toddler baby brother. She complained he took her things and cried when something got broken. Extra whining
and crawling into our lap but all with our understanding.

Sunday and Monday, home day 2 and 3, Haben continued showing happiness, security and lots of exploring. We noticed he was amazed by so many things like
the ceiling fans, the toys and the grass outside. We bravely went out to a family dinner, we had a couple of visitors here and there and even piled all four little ones in the tub for a bath and a photo. Monday morning we survived getting him into
the car seat without trouble and got the other three little ones off to school. The kids proudly walked him into school to show him off to teachers and friends. We stayed and played in Liam and Kaylee's class a bit and then headed to show him off
at the dental office to William's staff. He did great for all visits and activities and we are just feeling so thrilled he is fitting right in and feeling secure. The food issues have tapered off a bit and all is surprisingly well. He is waking
up a couple of times at night but goes back down with a little attention. He still feels more comfortable sleeping in his shoes, but we still feel if this is his only security request we can honor it. The kids are teaching him new words quickly and
we practice his saying of each of their names. He did well for his first doctor visit and we are adjusting just fine to having another cutie in the family. It's so fun for all of us to teach him new words and show him many new things and firsts.

Aubrey helped coordinate an airport party with the help of the family. We had invited some family members and a few close friends to meet us at the airport to welcome our little guy home forever. My brother Roger, who owns a screen printing
business, helped make "Hearts for Haben" t-shirts for us and the welcoming guests. With catching an earlier flight we weren't sure if it would work out.

To our surprise, there was a big crowd
that arrived to welcome Haben! It was so emotional for us to have so many there to witness the wonderful moment of his arrival. All were wearing the t-shirts and there were posters, banners and lots of cheers. The several kids included cousins, friends
and some of the children that we have met that have also come home from Ethiopia (even a special girl Elsa that was at the orphanage previously with Haben, a recognizable friend came to give him a kiss). Searching to find our kids in the front, we
ran to give hugs and introduce their new brother. Liam had a twinkle in his eyes and was more than ready for the introduction and the girls came in slowly for a hug. Aubrey quickly got her hands on him and she was ecstatic to see he didn't mind
at all being held by her. It was a glorious feeling to be home, to show off our newest family member and see our amazing family and friends!

While we finished up our last few days in Africa, we focused on bonding with Haben. We sent emails home that included excitement and some frustration. He did so well during the day when we were out and about (especially
enjoying eating out), smiled often, played and had limited crying and sadness. Communicating with him was not a problem at all and we learned he was speaking words in two different African languages, Tigrinia and Amharic. (He was in two different orphanages
in two different areas, his hometown and then the capital city, which is common in the process.) He picked up about 6 new English words or phrases while we were still in Africa including Da da, Mommy (sometimes May-me…how cute!), beep beep (for cars),
all done, and bye. We could tell he was a smartie about a lot of things as he mimicked our moves and picked up things easily.

Unfortunately, I was getting exhausted with his refusing to be put down, refusing
to go to anyone else and not wanting me to sit down with him unless we were eating. Reverting to an infant stage is an early adoption attribute and this was probably his way of building security. He was also having some food and trust issues that were
so new to us, but we quickly learned to limit the food visually so that he wouldn't feel the need to eat everything in sight and helped him realize that we were not trying to take his food (he often felt like this as we tried to help with the fork
or help peel a banana). The same went for the toys. It was hard for him to understand that we were playing with him and not taking his toys. As far as sleeping, he typically went down well but had a few times where he screamed and it took us almost
an hour to get him to sleep, possibly overtired and overwhelmed. We felt intimidated by the issues but noticed they decreased a little each day.

We wished we could explain to Haben that it was his last day or
two in his home country as if to say goodbye. Ethiopia is rich with culture and we know we cannot do it justice to share the experience and know we probably won't plan to bring him back to visit until he's much older.

Friday was our last day and we headed to the airport that evening excited to head home with our new little guy, however very nervous for the long flight home with a toddler that did not speak our language. We got off to a bad start with a
moody dinner at the airport with some unusual screaming and food issues at the restaurant. I could tell he didn't feel bonded with us for that moment.

As our plane took off at 10:30 at night, an awake Haben
began to scream and William and I began to panic (William especially as you might expect). After a good 45 minutes of misery, we felt comforted by some kind words to us from passengers and we were thankful to some sweet ladies that spoke to him in
his language that helped calm him down. He finally crashed and slept an unbelievable 10 hours straight! Sprawled out on both his seat and mine, he slept away and I didn't care much at all that I was left with hardly any space….for it was quiet.
I thanked God every passing sleeping hour, for Haben's sake and ours. He woke happy and we fed him and walked him around for the remainder of the 17 hour flight to DC with great success.

As we arrived on
American soil in DC, we met a whole new Haben. A light switch had turned on with his security, trust and spunk. For the first time, he went with William, got down out of my arms and ran around and was free-spirited like the happiest toddler on the
block. He was doing somersaults in the terminal with his beloved Mickey Mouse backpack full of toys (the same backpack that I gave to him on my first trip and his only possession he took away from the orphanage) and putting many smiles on the weary
travelers. I guess all the work in Africa and that long flight put our relationship in the comfort zone Haben needed. We had a threesome of smiles as we waited standby for hours to catch the earlier flight home.

Tuesday was the day we headed back to see Haben and keep him for good. The visit consisted of his usual crying and not liking us too close. We felt really anxious about what was about to go down as toddlers are known not to transfer to their
new parents well at first. Fortunately, the visit was short because others in our group had other errands to take care of and we knew the best way to move forward with Haben was to just get him and get started with our new lives together.

We made sure he got some lunch not wanting him to leave with an empty stomach. He was served beans and injera, a usual. Afterwards, I let Yeabi (the favorite nanny) know that we would leave soon with him as the driver had arrived. She took
Haben and changed his diaper and dressed him in one of the outfits we sent previously. He cried, we cried, Yeabi and the other Nannies cried. He knew. Yeabi gave Haben an Ethiopian bracelet, gave William and I one and sent a bag full back for family,
specifically named Grandma (my Mom that she met on the previous trip). She also gave a picture of herself and contact information. We left the care center with him screaming as we expected and loaded into the van with the other adoptive parents. After
a few minutes he looked out the window quietly and zonked. We were thankful for the peacefulness of his sleeping as it rested our worried souls. We knew this would be so hard on him; bittersweet to say the least. It was wonderful to hold him and feel
like he was ours for the first time.

The rest of the day went so much smoother than expected. He slept in my arms for a couple of hours and had a few times that he cried and mourned. Specifically, when he saw
his bracelet given to him by Yeabi and then two other times when he came across her picture. (This was by accident, he found it in a bag and then playing on the I-pad…oops.) Other than that, he ate three bananas, he played with toys, had a wonderful
Ethiopian dinner, let us feed him, played games at dinner with William (Peek a boo under the table, a favorite), and even smiled and giggled. He is very clingy to me and even though he won't let William or anyone else hold him, he worries if William
leaves and can tell that he loves to play with him. And by clingy, I mean he will not let me put him down. We gave him a bath, had a little more playtime and then put him to bed which went very smoothly. He did, however, need to sleep with his shoes
on but we felt this wasn't too much to ask. He probably wanted to be prepared in case he needed to get up and go. After that, we kind of stared at him sleeping, processing that we just adopted an adorable Ethiopian toddler. Were there really little
black arms and face snuggling in our bed? He is sooo dreamy and we know everyone is going to just love him.

He was a little sad waking up to find us again Wednesday, but was pretty easily distracted by his
toys. This was a big day for us because we had our Embassy appointment which is the final step to make Haben officially ours and a US citizen to bring home with us. After breakfast, and when Haben ate every crumb of eggs on his plate, we headed out
for our big appointment. After a 30 minute wait or so and chatting with other adoptive parents, we got called up for our window interview. After a few short questions we were congratulated by the US Embassy employee! Yippee! This is such a great day.

Haben is doing so much better than we expected and he is such a brave sole. He is sooo adorable and we can tell he is such a smart boy. God is so good! A cute milestone of the day was when he said, "Dada", (another
word we were unsure of) and then pretended to blow his nose as William was in the bathroom doing so. He's a cutie!

Love to all! We are really missing the kids and hope they are all doing well. We know they
are going to enjoy their little brother so much!!!

Flew out to Mekele yesterday to visit Haben's home town. Absolutely amazing day!!!! William and In had the best experiences and loved it. We started our day heading to the care center, the orphanage where Haben was previously. We we shocked
to find a welcome party, singing for us from the kiddos, signs that said "Welcome Jeanie & William," and pictures of Haben on the walls. The kids were all precious and such a treat to visit with. The nannies even served us lunch. We learned
that Haben had a favorite Nanny at this place as well.

William was amazing! He jumped right in and wanted to help with donations. He asked what they needed and made it his mission of the day to get those items.
They needed new mattresses and sheets. He also couldn't resist buying something for the oldest boy in the orphanage who was very down that day. The staff told us it's hard for the children sometime when families come but aren't the family
that is taking them home.

Heading out for some shopping with our driver, our tour guide who works with the agency, and the orphanage social worker, we found a shop and bought six mattresses and then we headed
to a fabric store to buy the sheets. We found a sports store and got a soccer ball for the older boy who was sad. William couldn't wait to bring it back for him. Amidst our travels, we ironically stumbled across a Dental Office that the door read,
"Haben Clinic." Crazy!!!!

The main purpose of our visit was to see Haben's home town Adigidom, so we headed about 40 minutes north to see it. This was such an amazing part of the trip. We felt
like it was a scene in biblical times. The homes were all huts made out of straw or rocks. We saw babies in the street without clothes. Haben was one of these babies abandoned on the strettes last Fall. It is quite remarkable to see where he once was
and the contrast of where he is going. Our eyes were amazed and saddened to see it all.

Our hotel was nice and the restaurant was great. We enjoyed our final quiet evening and couldn't stop talking about
Mekele.

We arrived in Ethiopia safely this morning. The flights weren't too bad but we had trouble sleeping. As soon as we arrived at the Guest House (hotel), we met three other couples from our agency who were ready to head to the orphanage. We
didn't want to miss the ride so we changed quickly and jumped in with them. Haben's favorite Nanny opened the door when we arrived and greeted us with a huge smile and hug. She yelled for Haben and he was brought downstairs to meet us. William
went in first and Haben come down the stairs. He stared for a bit and then started to cry as he saw us, his usual. The nannies quickly tried to pass him off and we quickly dug out treats and toys from our bag. He took a few, but refused to let us hold
him and screamed when we tried. This attempt went on for a couple of hours. We giggled about it and didn't have any hard feelings. Playing with the other cute kids was distracting us from being upset about it. William was so cute with the girls
at the orphanage. A couple were snuggling up to him and playing with him, adorable!

After the coffee ceremony, a midday ritual, Haben was hungry. He slipped away from the favorite Nanny and fought for a spot to sit on the floor
where they usually eat. I was surprised he was doing great to feed himself the Ethiopian meal, scooping up beans with the injera (spongy bread), unlike last time I saw him. I slipped down next to him on the floor and was surprised to find he would
let me feed him. I wasn't a pro but he didn't mind the mess. William got it on video and we were glad we had a least one bonding breakthrough for the day. He did end the visit with handing William and I cookies and toys as the Nanny requested
for him to bring it to "Mommy" and "Baba…Daddy".

We leave in the morning to fly to his hometown, Mekele. Tuesday we go back to the orphanage to keep him for good. We are worried about the transition and for
him to say Goodbye. Not to mention the screaming that will more than likely take place for quite some time after we leave.

Emotional wreck! Can't describe this day better than with those two words. William and I are so thrilled to be saying that we leave tomorrow to go get our new son Haben from Ethiopia! The day is finally here. The feeling is surreal. It's
still not a reality.

The emotions of leaving the kids for 8 days are heart-wrenching. The schedule doesn't stop just because we leave. T-ball games, soccer games, cheerleading competitions, dance class, birthday parties, school
info, sleeping habits, medicines, high school activities, the dog and frogs, school lunches, Book Fair, rest time rules … I think it's all covered, phew. I'm exhausted just writing out the week. The grandparents will do fine I'm sure,
but they will definitely wonder how we'll handle another. I'm sure covering my Mom duties is nothing to the work William put into rescheduling a weeks worth of dentistry with help from his wonderful staff.

But on the grand
scheme of things, we are flying over 20 hours to bring home a new family member which is the highlight of our lives right now!!! We are overjoyed to say the least. I pray William gets to enjoy and learn some of the wonderful Ethiopian culture as I
did on my court trip in January. We are so thrilled to have the opportunity to travel to Mekele. This is the city where Haben is from and I have heard so many wonderful things about the culture and historical significance.

We pray
for Haben. We pray that he will transfer without great anxiety, fear and sadness. This poor child is so much braver than he even knows. He will be moving to his fourth home at the age of two. English will be the third language he hears and begins to
learn. He will be plunged into a culture so different from his own; food, people, noises and sights will all be new and different to him. I can't imagine the adjustments he will need to go through to get to a comfort zone where he can feel loved
and secure. We pray for Haben and all of our children that they will bond as siblings with God's love and adjust to all feel a secure part of this new family God has created for us.

A few of the pictures below show our packing
for Haben and all the wonderful donations from friends that we are proud to bring over. Haben will be given to us with only the clothing he's wearing. We packed different sized clothing, shoes, toys, cups, snacks, diapers, wipes, toiletries and
all the necessities for a toddler.

One of the pictures shows Kaylee preparing for Haben in her own way. Although I noticed she often chooses the darker skin baby dolls (taking after her Mom), I wasn't ever sure she realized
any difference between all of her dolls until this day.

We pray the long flight home is less than miserable with a toddler that doesn't speak English. We are so blessed to have this opportunity to go get him as a couple. Our
friends and family have made this journey even more amazing with all of the love and support in so many uncountable ways. The amount of well wishes and offers for help we have received have been truly unbelievable. We are so thankful to have such wonderful
people in our lives.

We just can't wait for our "Gotcha Day!" Here we come Haben!!!!!!!!!!!!

Found this on my friend Heidi's blog. I believe it was made by another family fundraising for their adoption. The video puts things in perspective of what is really going on in that world so far from ours. The statistics help me to describe
what I saw in Ethiopia but could not put into words. Poverty at the worst that I can fathom.

I've been meaning to do this post for those curious. I wish I would do it justice to describe the emotional aspects of it all but I know I couldn't. The excitement, the waiting, the confusion, scares, the joy, the new friendships, and
the blessings aren't to be forgotten though.

May/June 2010~ We started the process of researching agencies, learning about the process, talking to others and exploring the world of adoption, and choosing a country from where
to adopt. We began by completing a Home Study from a recommended Social worker (loved ours!). This was easier than I thought it would be, no need to clean out closets, more importantly…review the reasons your marriage is so great … was thinking
there would be parenting questions, but forgot about relationship type of questions. We attended a short adoption class as well. We started gathering paperwork requested by the social worker; birth certificate copies, background checks, lots of that
kind of stuff. We needed all of this information for our Dossier which is what you submit to the country you adopt from. We decided on an agency. We went with International Adoption Guides, www.adoptionguides.org,
a smaller agency who knows you when you call, moves you through the process quicker, but is accredited with successful adoptions and wonderful compliments.

August 2010~ We send in our Dossier to our Agency

September
2010~ We get word our Dossier has arrived in Ethiopia

November 2010~ After review of a medical report, we accept a referral of our new son to be.

January 2011~ Jeanie goes to Ethiopia for Court Date, Haben is
officially our son!

April 13~ Embassy date to bring Haben home forever!

My life dreams have been/are to marry my best friend, become a mother, adopt, encourage someone else to adopt (143 million minus 2+). I've
done 3 out of 4 so far.

I will say two things. If money is the reason you can't adopt, don't let it be. The Lord will fill your pockets and even the government will send you a large tax credit in most cases! Money has come
from everywhere! The moment we decided to accept the challenge God placed before us, God has come into our lives and changed us. Secondly, if you want to do more, give more, volunteer, be more….take the first step and He will bless you ten fold.