Our First 2 Weeks!

First I want to thank everyone for helping us. We are so thankful for our families and friends that have helped us these first few weeks. They've enabled to catch up on some sleep and spend really good time with the boys. SO thanks to everyone whose brought us food and helped us take care of these guys.

Our first two weeks have been eventful to say the least. Within the first 6 days we went to the doctor twice and the hospital twice. Abram seemed to have caught a couple different viruses from becoming a U.S. Citizen. The little guy was so sick for the first week he couldn't eat and was in and out of fevers. But we got him medicine, took him to the international adoption specialist, and now we have medicine to hopefully cure him for good. He's been so sweet already that I can't wait to see him when he's feeling good!

Other than illnesses we are all doing great! The boys have adjusted better than we could've possibly imagined. They have adjusted to the time change, they're loving and trusting us, and we are getting into somewhat of a routine and learning new things everyday. Some things Abram has learned so far is to close his mouth, where everything is in the house, he knows some words (but isn't saying them yet) such as Mommy, Daddy, Smile, Hug, Kiss, Trash, discipline, yes, no, all done, eat, and all the African words for potty. He amazes us everyday by doing more things on his own. He can now get his own water out of the fridge, throw anything in the trash, climb the ladder in and out of the pool, and pee outside in our backyard. The last one is his favorite.

As for Ellis he is as sweet as ever. He's started eating 4 times a day which has helped in between feeding times extend and has helped him sleep better at night. So far he's made it through the night one time and we're hoping this becomes a habit. He's also been rolling all the way over and has recently started sitting up!!! He seems to be right on target.

Tony and I are also doing well. I am so thankful to have him home for the summer and know that I couldn't do it without him. People ask if it has helped or hurt our marriage and as of now I can only say it has helped. It's been fun trying to figure out what we're doing together. It's also made us much more appreciative of the little time that we now have to ourselves. This has seemed to help our communication and helped us show our love and appreciation for each other all the more. I have loved watching Tony be a wonderful Dad. It makes this whole parenting thing so much easier than I thought it was going to be. So as of now we're just enjoying the summer and teaching the boys more and more everyday!

The End of the Beginning...

Our Embassy trip was wonderful and now that we're back home it seemed more wonderful than ever. We were told on a Wednesday morning that we needed to be at the Embassy the following Monday morning at 9 a.m. Everything we had been planning for was finally coming to fruition. All the toys, clothes, "child proofing" we had done was about to be put to use. Yet all of a sudden we felt rushed to "get things together".

We had only been waiting 6 weeks. Throughout the adoption process you are always waiting for the next thing. This was our last waiting for our boys and we were ready for it to be over. So when we got the call it was some of the best news we'd ever heard but we really didn't have much time to think about what was about to take place.

We bought our tickets that day and on friday we were on our first flight. We arrived in Addis, Ababa on Sunday morning. It felt like we had just been there. Once again we were greeted at the airport by our lovely hostess Agie. She took us to the Guest House to get situated and then we went to get our boys.

We had been going and going since friday afternoon. I just remember praying. Praying they'd remember us and hoping they'd be the same sweet boys we left a few weeks prior. I was hoping Abram wouldn't be bitter or sad that we had left him but would trust us and know that this time it was for good. Our prayers seemed to be answered when we opened the gate to the transition house and saw our little boy standing there with a toy.

As soon as we made eye contact he smiled. He stood and waited for us to come get him. We walked over, Tony picked him up and he gave him a big hug. He couldn't stop grinning and neither could we. We then took him to go get his baby brother Ellis. When I first saw Ellis I was shocked to see how much he'd grown since we'd seen him last. Immediately he smiled, I picked him up, and our family was complete! There was an overwhelming peace and joy that came from holding them and knowing we would "Lord Willing" never have to let them go again. It was a good feeling.

We stayed and played with the other children for a while and then had the boys say their last goodbyes. We were surprised at how many children were gone that had been there before. We were happy that they were not there because that meant that they had already been brought home to be with their families.

The next few days went by fast and I'm so thankful that they did. This trip unlike our last trip the Guest House was full of other families adopting. One of the famillies was a Dad and his little girl Rebecca. Rebecca was friends with Abram. They came from the same village, orphanage, and transition home. It was fun to see them interact. They spoke to each other, shared toys, and shared food even if it came out of their own mouths. They were buddies. We ended up traveling back with Rebecca and her father and plan on staying in touch. They live only 20 minutes away and may be friends for life.

Staying at the Guest House those last few days in Ethiopia have made us very grateful to be home and to live where we live. We had a very small room in the Guest House with a shared bathroom and a toilet that wasn't working. With the end in sight it wasn't hard to rough it for a few days but helped us see al the luxuries that we have. Starting our family in Ethiopia has made it 100 times easier raising them at home. Even though it hasn't been easy, I am thankful for where our boys are from and for how our journey has began. Right now they're sleeping in their beds and it couldn't feel any better. Even though it feels like our journey is over we know it has just begun and what a crazy, fun ride it's going to be. Hope to update more soon!

The Room is Ready!

Well...tomorrow is the day we get to go get our boys and we never have to take them back! I guess it was time to officially finish the room. So we finished it today and here are some pictures to share!

My friend and her mom made these awesome Map Blankets for both of the boys. We thought they'd be nice decorations!

The Abram and Ellis signs came from a shower for the boys.

This was the laundry bag I used in college that I painted for their room.

My friend and I painted these canvases for their room as well. I wanted some scripture to be readily available in time of need!

Some little gifts for the boys.

This is the puzzle we used that raised a LOT of money to bring our boys home. It has the signatures of everyone that helped bring them home from donations to showers!

Their little Book Nook.

Ellis' bed that we are excited for him to soon be sleeping in!

The toy box, also used as a nice bench. One of our smartest additions to the room.

So that's all for now. Thanks to everyone who has helped us and made special things for their room! We are soooooo thankful to the Lord that they will be here within a week to fill it!

Our Packing List

I found a packing list on a blog and it was one of the most helpful blog posts I'd ever seen. As I begin packing for our second trip I thought I'd review my original lists and post them on the blog. Maybe they'll be useful to someone else someday. So here was the list for the first trip:

CLOTHING:

5 Outfits for each of us.

Nice outfits for Court Date

1 Light Jacket and Sweatshirt (Didn't need either went in April)

Undergarments

Shoes-wore sandals and Tony wore tennis shoes the whole week.

Airplane outfit to be reserved for home (not necessary, they did our laundry)

Baby Clothes (sleepers, onesies, etc.)

Diapers

Should've brought pull-ups for Abram.

Clothes and shoes for Abram (2 yrs. socks, lots of undies!

Swimsuits for each (not necessary)

Sunglasses

Belt

Baseball cap for Tony and Abram

MEDICINE:

Scabie cream (didn't use)

Children's Antibiotics (bought while there, definately needed!)

Children's Tylenol (used)

Cold Medicine

Band-aids

Neosporin

Thermometer (used and needed)

Children's Anti-Diarrheal (we used it)

Melatonin (used to sleep the first night there)

Beano

Allergy Meds

Advil

Cold Medicine

Had shots and Malaria Medicine (didn't need in the city)

BATHROOM SUPPLIES:

Kleenex

Face and Hand Wipes

Clorox Wipes

Hand Sanitizer

Sunscreen (didn't use)

Bug Spray (didn't use, we stayed in the village)

Shampoo/Conditioner small tubes

Cocoa Butter (used for boys)

Toothpaste and 3 Toothbrushes

Floss

Make-up

Brush, Flatiron, hair dryer and ADAPTER! (adapter very important)

Children's Vitamins

Adult Energy Vitamins

Chapstick

Deodorant

Nail Clippers

Tweezers

Qtips (very important for the boys!)

Leave in conditioner for boys and pick.

Wash clothes

Baby Washes

Small towels

Regular towels

SNACKS: (took more than needed)

Instant Oatmeal (didn't use)

Fun Candy (didn't use)

Almonds

Chewy Granola Bars

Dry Soup Mixes (nope)

Mac and Cheese (nope) They cooked for us!

Ramin Noodles (nope)

Paper Bowls

Roll of Paper Towels

Plastic Forks and Spoons

Animal Crackers

Fruit Snacks (awesome!)

Fruit Cups (awesome!)

THINGS FOR ORPHANAGE:

Bouncy Balls

Blow up Beach Balls

Stickers

School Supplies

Formula

Diapers

Clothes

EXTRA:

Paperwork (Dossier, passports, I-600A, and copies of everything!)

Swiss Army Knife

Waterfilter (not used, had bottled water the whole week)

A little detergent (didn't use, they did our laundry)

Line to dry things (nope)

Paper with Words in Ahmaric (helped us communicate with Abram)

Flashlight (a must, especially when the power goes out and you need to change your baby at night!)

Camera and Chargers (make sure to bring adapter!)

Video Camera

Pack with Ziploc Bags

Wal-mart Bags

TOYS FOR THE ROOM AND PLANE:

Playdough

Coloring Books

Crayons

Blow-up Balls

Cars and Trucks

Photobook

Bubbles

Books

Bear and Blanket for each boy

BABY STUFF:

Diapers

Butt Paste

Wipes

Baby meds (gas, tylenol, GRIPE WATER, cold, benadryl) only used Gripe Water.

Baby Wash

Sleepers

Hat and Jacket

Blanket

Rice Cereal

Onesies

Socks

Toys

Pacifiers (should've brought an assortment)

Bottles and variety of nipples

2 different types of Formulas

Baby Spoons

Dirty Diaper Bags

And there's the list!

Tony's Letter to Abram

Tony wrote Abram a letter on our flight to Ethiopia. I'll let the letter speak for itself. It's titled, "Unstoppable.":

Abram, (Praying in 5 days I will call you son!)

Your Mom and I are sitting next to each other on the plane. Millions of thoughts have been running through our heads. What will you be like? Are you ok?, Do you smile? How will you react when we take you from the transition home? What happened to you and your baby brother Sitota? Will we meet your birth parents? How will you react when we leave you at the transition home? Will we pass our court date? How long till we can come back for you and your brother...etc. The list goes on.

Above all those questions I have an inexpressible excitement to hold, kiss, play, feed, and stare at you. We have been looking at pictures of you since December (over 4 months). I can't wait to meet you. After this week we should know the answers above so we can talk about them one day me and you are together.

As all of these thoughts were flooding my head I decided to do something mindless and watch a movie on this 7.5 hour flight. The movie is Unstoppable with Denzel Washington (we will watch many movies with him in it). It's about a runaway train that has the potential to cause serious desolation as it goes through the cities of Pennsylvania. As this 10 ton train is going with nothing stopping it things are being detroyed, lives are being taken, and fear is filling the hearts of the people.

This train reminded me of the great force and catastrophe that is happening with the 147 million orphans in the World. 5 million from Ethiopia alone. 5 million orphans is a hard force to stop just like the train. It is destroying children's identities, value, purpose, and most of all their lives. You are an orphan and this train is coming to you and your brother. Wanting to destroy you and leave you hopeless with no last name and no family to be apart of.

In the movie 2 men risk their lives to stop the train. These men discovered how the train could be stopped but what they discovered is it would cost them their lives. They knew their lives were worth putting on the line for the sake of serving others. When risking all that they had, THEY DID IT! They stopped the train.

My lip was quivering, tears forming, and my heart was pounding throughout the movie. Although not the same it reminded me of the many months of hard work and waiting we've spent trying to stop this train of 147 million orphans in the world.

Your mom and I know we can't rescue all of the orphans but we know we can stop the train for 2! We are willing and committed to lay our lives down for you and your brother for the rest of our lives.

Ultimately it's because Jesus Christ has came and stopped the train (sin) which was going to destroy us by laying dow His life so that we might live. Your mom and I are so thankful Jesus rescued us from the sin train that it moved us for you! Because of what Christ did for us we want to be the same for you. Stop the train of 142 million orphans for 2 orphans Bruike and Sitota. May you never feel the weight of the train as Abram and Ellis Wells!!! We love you and are so grateful for what the Lord has in store for us. You are a blessing and I'm so thankful that one day soon I'll be able to call you my son! I pray God would mold you into a man that lays His life down for the good of others! Praying you would be a train stopper!

Trainstopping! Love, Tony...Soon to be Dad.

Waiting on the World to Change

It's been a while since my last post considering my last post was in Ethiopia. I've been wanting to write but haven't wanted to really think about this whole waiting game. It's getting down to the wire and this final stretch is seeming to be the hardest wait that we've had.

The last couple days in Ethiopia were wonderful and really hard. After the court date we decided to start going to the transition home with the boys for a couple hours a day. We wanted to make the transition for Abram a little easier by bringing him back around his friends and his nannies that take care of him. It was a good decision and even helped our transition in leaving him and Ellis there. It was also nice to be able to get out of our guest house for a few hours everyday. At the transition home we got to spend time with the children waiting for their families and their nannies. It's a wonderful place where we know they are being taken care of very well. There is a full-time nurse, cook, cleaner, and lots of nannies to help the children. We also got to meet some of Abram's friends and learned that they feed him very well! Probably why he's gained 8 pounds in 3 months!

This is how we found out he has friends:

While we were there they moved transition homes. We went one day to try to help move things. Tony helped move while I helped a lady attend to 14 babies at one time! It was chaotic. But we were there when all of the children 2 and over showed up. We were standing with Abram watching all of them get out of a van when we hear this shriek from the van. It wasn't a shriek of fear but a shriek of pure joy. We then saw this little boy hop out of the van and heard him yelling, "Bruke, Bruke!!!" He was so excited that his friend was back to see him. He ran straight over to Abram and reached his hand out to touch him...we were a little shocked by Abram's reaction, well not too shocked. He immediately shoved him away. It was a sad scene. The little boy was so happy to see him but Abram was not so happy. Abram often got sad when we took him back to the transition home because I think he knew the day was coming when we would leave him there. He had seen it many times before and knew his time was coming. However, that little boy's excitement gave us hope and helped us see that he had friends and was loved. We also have hope because not only does Abram see children being dropped off but he also sees them being picked up again by their forever families!!!

We are still waiting and hoping for our time to come. We have kept in touch with the three other families we were with in court. I was doing ok in waiting because I knew none of them had heard. What I was most scared of was that they would hear something and we wouldn't.

My fears became a reality about three weeks after we had been home. We have a news feed going on facebook with the families we were in court with. The first family posted..."We got the call!" This was very excited and kept us hopeful in that it would soon be our time. Then the second family posted..."It's a no go." My heart sunk. I knew that we would soon be hearing one of these two things and the anticipation was almost unbearable. Later that day the third family also posted that they had heard it was a no go and their birthmother was to be interviewed again. At the end of the day I knew my fear had became a reality. All of the families had heard something except for us. This was probably the hardest time in the waiting. The time had gone by fast until now and until I've known it's possible for us to return. Each week we keep getting our hopes up and so far they have been shut down. But it's ok!!! We are still hopeful and know that God is working it out! It's just hard to keep getting your emotions up and then getting them back down again.

Throughout that day I was sad that we hadn't heard and was also scared of what we were going to hear when it was our time. The next morning Tony received an email that said our birthmother was to be interviewed again. That means it's a no go...but only for now. We also heard that all of the interviews were booked and there was no room for our birthmother to travel with the rest of the mothers from her village. Once again, hard emotions were coming. We then received a beacon of hope when they said they got her in and she would be traveling with the rest of them. We also were told they could approve it on the spot and were asked what days we could come the following week! Well, tomorrow was supposed to be the interview and it turns out to be an Ethiopian holiday. Once again our case has been delayed and hopefully the interview will take place next week. So as of now we are waiting, praying, and trusting in our Sovereign God who is working all things out for our good. We know that he is teaching us and taking care of the boys better than we could ever take care of them. It's just that once again our hopes were lifted and then let down. I kind of wish they wouldn't tell us such things and would just tell us after they happen. But when I really think about it I'm glad they keep us informed. So please continue to pray and we will continue to wait on our whole world to change!!!

Our Court Date

The day we had anticipated had finally arrived. It was the day that would determine if two orphans would be in our family. Many people had been praying for this day and we were very hopeful. We were told to be ready by 9 so Tony took the boys to breakfast and I got ready. I then met them at breakfast and the driver arrived. We were not prepared! We had 5 minutes to fix all the bottles for the day, Tony to get ready, and to get all of our paperwork in order (very important paperwork). So we rushed down to the room with the boys, I made the bottles, Tony got changed and we ran out the door. I didn't even get a chance to say bye to Abram and later found out that I had on two different earings the whole day, even infront of the judge.

As we went outside we were happy to see some friends that we made on the plane. We then drove to pick up two other families who were going to be going to court with us. It only took a few minutes to get to the courthouse and we all got to know each other and talked about the children we were going to adopt. This man took us to a room and as we entered it was quiet and full of people. We didn't know where to go due to most chairs being full. When we found a seat I started looking around the room because we knew that the birthmother was in there. I spotted her right away. I could tell by her mouth. One thing the boys have in common is their big lips and their mouth is always open, this is also the one thing they have in common with their birthmother. She was a tiny lady and was the only one with teary eyes in the court room. We had heard before we went that the fathers were different and they were unknown but didn't find out later until why.

As we sat there they called groups of people in and out. We didn't know why the people were appearing before the judge and just awited our turn. After the group called organization (the birth parents) went in and out they waved all of us in. It was a relief to go in as a group. We had been rehearsing what we were going to say when the judge asked us Why we wanted to adopt from Ethiopia and what not. Turns out we were nervous for no reason. Right away she put us at ease. She was a beautiful and genuine woman. She was very calm and spoke to us very well. She simply asked us questions as a group. Two of the families there had already adopted from Ethiopia and she mostly wanted to know how their children were doing. She asked us as a group if we had received training, yes. Do we know adoption is permanent, yes. We're we prepared to help with their identity crisis as adopted children, yes. Would we teach them about Ethiopia, yes. And that was it. Then she started pulling out the files. She read the first family and said approved. It was a joyful occasion and my heart started to pound. She read the second family and said approved. There were tears in the room. The third family was us and she said the letter had not been received but was coming today. This was good news. It went by so fast that we weren't exactly sure what was happening. But I asked her today and she smiled at me and said I hope so in the most sincere way. The fourth family's letter had not been approved and they didn't receive the same news as us. Hopefully their letter will also come soon.

After we left everyone was explaining to us what she said and telling us to be hopeful. And we were. God had brought us this far and there was no need to worry now. Then the unexpected happened. They brought us outside and standing there were all the birth parents. They started pairing us up and naming the children. They said Bruike and Sitotawe and I was right. She came forward and we came forward. At first I didn't know what to do so I patted her on the back. She was a tiny lady who ends up being the same age as me. By her size I thought she may have been much younger. She smiled and we just stood beside each other not being able to yet communicate. Tony and I were not prepared and had no idea what to do so we just watched everyone else and followed their lead. The other families started showing their birthmother pictures. They even had photo albums to give them. So Tony pulled some pictures out of his wallet and we gave them to her.

Then the really unexpected happened. We all got in a van together and they told us that they were coming with us to see our children. What! Atleast that's what we thought at first. Afterwards I understand and was happy that she got to see them for the last time. She told us she was happy that we were taking them.

We first went to the other guest house and our children were not there but we got to talk to her. We asked her about her family, we asked her about the boys and their birthdates. By what she said it seems we have a 4 month old and a boy who will be 3 in May. These ages seem more than accurate. We then asked her why the fathers were unknown and were shocked by her answer and that she actually told us. It is due to her occupation. This broke my heart and I wish we could take her with us as well. We then asked her what she wanted us to tell them and she just said she wanted them to be educated, she wanted them to be men, and she said that she loved them.

She was a very intelligent woman. She knew some English and spoke two different languages and was able to interpret for the other families. I wish we knew more about her. But we took pictures and hugged and she said she was happy. She then came with us over to see the boys. She smiled really big and got them right away. Neither of the boys seemed to recognize her but they sat with her for a picture. She was only with them about 5 minutes but I hope it was a peaceful thing for her. I hope she knows we will love them and take care of them as our own and we told her they will always be thankful for their birthmother.

The rest of the day was just an ordinary day here. We played with the boys, took naps after lunch, had dinner, etc. Abram didn't seem to be affected by the activities of the day. It was a good day but we were still lingering. We called our representative later in the day and he said the letter should be there in the morning. Today we went out to the transition home and had a wonderful day in the city that I'll try to write about soon. While we were out our representative called our driver for the day and told us the good news. Tony could hardly hear what he was saying but said, "I think he just told us we were approved." We were able to celebrate with some friends we have made at the guesthouse at a nice cafe. Abram ran around and played with other boys while we sat in airconditioning and had some pop. It was a wonderful day! Now we are moving to pray for other things. We pray that the Visa applications were correct and that they will be processed soon in order for us to get an Embassy appointment to come back and get the boys!