Adoption Videos

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What is Sponsoring a Kolfe Boy?

Child Sponsorship
Orphaned children have very few, if any, personal possessions, but their relationship with you is one thing they can consider their own. You play a significant part in restoring trust and bringing hope. A Children’s HopeChest sponsor is a caring person who wishes to commit monthly support and ongoing encouragement to one child for the duration of his or her time in an orphanage or carepoint. (In some cases, sponsorship can extend through a child's time in vocational school or college.) Sponsors not only offer financial support but also relational support through friendship, prayer, letter writing, and perhaps an occasional visit. Individual sponsors can give their sponsorship contribution in monthly ($34), bimonthly ($68), quarterly ($102), semi-annually ($204) and yearly ($408) increments. Your payment schedule will be set up according to the first gift received.

Reminder statements are sent out according to the payment schedule mentioned above. You will receive this statement at the end of the month. Sponsorship payments may be made by check or online through credit card and EFT contributions.

Prayer
Become actively engaged in caring for orphans by defending, protecting, and advocating for them. We ask that each sponsor pray on an ongoing basis for the health, encouragement, safety, and spiritual growth of one’s sponsored child.

Communication
Communication flows to and from sponsors and children by two means: first, by letters to and from sponsors and their children, and second, by regular newsletters, updates, and reports from HopeChest.

We encourage sponsors to write letters both through email and by regular mail. Each time an orphaned child hears from their sponsor, they know that someone half a world away cares for them. This also encourages them to write back. However, it is important to not place unrealistic expectations on your sponsored child. The reality of our work is that we work with at-risk children. They often do not have the necessary skills to handle even the simplest emotional or physical tasks. It is our hope that through loving, caring, prayerful sponsors, our staff will be able to make breakthroughs in these challenges and help each child gain skills for life and healthy relationships.

Through your consistent prayer and communication, we hope that they will experience encouragement and healing from the challenges they have faced. Writing letters is a major part of this effort.

Travel
Sponsorship provides opportunities to impact a whole community – the children, their caregivers, the families of the caregivers, and the community where the orphanage or carepoint is located. The sponsoring organization is asked to send a team of five or more travelers every 12 to 18 months to visit the orphanage or carepoint. Sponsors will have the opportunity to make contacts, assess needs, fulfill Children's HopeChest programs, and initiate programs unique to that orphanage. Life-long friendships are formed on these trips. These relationships can literally save the lives of children who are at-risk.

The cost of trips is divided into two categories. Travelers are responsible to arrange for their own flights, in consultation with HopeChest staff and after approval of your trip. The second category is the land package, which includes all in-country ground transportation, lodging, meals, translator fees and expenses, staff services, administration, and incidentals.

Transitional Programs
Most orphaned children find that the day they leave the orphanage is the most critical of their lives. The goal of our various transitional programs is to help them develop the character, integrity and skills to live an independent life and to become leaders in their communities and avoid the risks they would otherwise face from alcohol, drugs, crime, and sexual relationships. Through vocational training, counselors and social workers, as well as a support community, older orphaned children can continue the path toward education, career, family, and faith in young adulthood.

Special Projects
Special projects address the additional needs at an orphanage or carepoint that are outside the scope of child sponsorship, prayer, letters, and travel. For example, by building kitchens and wells, or hiring social workers and tutors, the sponsor can know that the whole needs of a child are being met.

To begin sponsorship, email kolfesponsor@gmail.com.

Our Fitness Story

Happy Holidays

David, Maya, and I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.  May God bless each of you!

 

We did it!

We finally got a babysitter for Maya last night.  We decided we needed a date night.  My co-worker's daughter came over and watched Maya while Dave and I had a wonderful dinner at a local favorite called the VIP room.  It must have been ages since we tasted such delicious food.  We also were able to have an adult conversation for more than 2 minutes.  Woo Hoo!  After dinner we finished up our Christmas shopping.  It was a good night and a little break never hurts.

 

Theresa

Maya's 9th month check-up

We saw Dr. Lydia yesterday for Maya's 9th month check-up.  Maya currently weights 19 lb 10 oz and is 28 inches long which are both in the 50th percentile.  I was concerned that Maya was gaining too much weight too quickly but the doctor ensured me that she is very healthy.  Maya didn't have any shots yesterday as she already had them taken care of when we arrived home from Ethiopia.

 

Maya is currently sleeping but is coughing quite a bit.  I guess it is always something with her now that she is in daycare

 

Theresa

Update on the move

Well we are still getting settled in our new home.  Maya's room is about finished and is looking very cute.  We think Maya will really like her room and be able to grow with it.  We also have the dining room put together and the kitchen is almost there.  We are having the house painted and the kitchen was just painted yesterday and today.  The living room is the next to be painted.  It will be nice to be able to unpack all the boxes and be able to relax in the evenings versus work. 

 

Again pictures will be posted as soon as our desktop has been unpacked.  Stay tuned...

 

On a different note, we have Maya's baptism scheduled for December 30th.  Some family is able to make it which means so much to us.  If any of you are in town and would like to attend, please let us know.  We would be happy to have you be apart of her special day. 

 

Time for bed...take care everyone and again, stay warm.

 

Theresa

We've Moved!!!

Hello everyone...we have been very busy these past few days.  We finally sold our house and officially moved into our new home.  Although it has been stressful and we have boxes everywhere, we are very happy to be in our new house and neighborhood.  We have already met our next door neighbors who of course love Maya already.  Since our house was cold last night due to the door being open for 6 hours straight due to the movers, our neighbors insisted we feed Maya at their place.  It is a nice feeling to get along with your neighbors.

 

Good friends of ours drove into town tonight to give us a helping hand this weekend.  Dave and John will be busy ripping out our master bedroom carpet.  I will be busy unpacking and cleaning.  We hired a painter to paint most of the house (it needed it badly) so we will have to continue to work around him.  It makes the unpacking part a bit challenging.  Right now we are getting our Directv set-up and it taking forever!  It will be so nice to be able to watch some television and relax.

 

I plan to post some pictures of our new house soon.  It is going to be fun to re-decorate especially Maya's room. 

 

Take care everyone and stay warm.  It is very cold here in Fargo.

Theresa

Kolfe Boys Available for Sponsorship

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Maya and Santa

We visited Santa today.  Here are a few pictures.

What does sponsorship do?

Your financial commitment of $34/month provides for the most basic needs of children in the community. HopeChest will assist in providing food, water, access to basic medical care, education and discipleship. While $34 cannot meet all the needs of a child suffering through extreme poverty, it does provide significant help.

In our community-to-community model, all funds are "pooled" together so that if one child does not have a sponsor, they will still have these needs met. Your contribution of $34 a month will go towards providing food, clothing, and access to medical care, as well education and discipleship.

Maya is 9 months old today!

Maya is getting bigger and bigger each day.  Yes, she is physically growing but she is also growing developmentally.  Maya said "mom mom" for the first time this weekend and can wave bye bye.  She also repeats things like various sounds, clapping hands, etc.  We discovered today that a second bottom tooth is on its way.  Wow!

We spent Thanksgiving with my (Theresa's) family.  Maya got to play with her cousins, play with cats for the first time, and go swimming for the first time.  Below are some photos from the weekend. 

Maya and Olivia


All the cousins


Family Photo (minus the puppies)

 
Photo taken today - Coat is too big.  Our little pea pod!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  We will be traveling to my brother's place for the holiday.  It will be nice for the family to see Maya again as she has changed so much in the last couple of months.  Maya has been fighting an ear infection and a cold for the past 3 weeks.  She finally seems better today which is a blessing.  I have missed the old healthy Maya.

 

Have a wonderful holiday everyone and be safe. 

Theresa

Adoption Poem - Two Families

I have two families on this earth,
One by adoption, and one by birth.
My first family was very kind
But then one day they couldn't find
The things they needed to help me grow.
They made a decision out of love, I know.
They said "Good-bye", and then they cried.
But my second family did not hide.
They knew that I should come inside
Their loving home and family.
Now I'm here, and it's best for me.
And I still have two families on this earth,
One by adoption, and one by birth.
Amanda Dees age 9

What I love

10 things I love about Maya:

 

  1.  How her face crinkles when she smiles

  2.  Her giggle

  3.  How she does a total body stretch (stiff as a board) when she wakes up

  4.  How she sucks on her index finger especially when she is sleepy

  5.  How she claps her hands when you say "yeah"

  6.  How she says da-da

  7.  How she is amazed by pouring water

  8.  How she loves to hear me sing

  9.  How she loves to dance to any music

10.  How she lays her head on my shoulder

Not so little anymore...

We made it through week 2 at daycare and at work with only an ear infection, running nose, cough, and congestion not to mention Dave and I were both sick with a cold.  Not bad (smile).

Maya is now officially crawling.  She becomes faster and faster each day.  Maya is also getting her first tooth.  It seems like it is taking forever to come in.  I thought I would post a few photos.  She is growing so big!

 
Maya's 8th month old photo!


Someone found the dog towel...


All bundled up for the trip to daycare


Maya and mom fall asleep together for the first time

Vote!

We need your vote.  Help Maya win bragging rights by being voted the cutest October baby through our photographer's monthly competition. 

 

Go Maya!

 

http://www.blessingsphotography.com/PhotoContest/October07Contest.html 

What a night

Poor Maya.  She woke up around midnight crying and crying.  I tried everything to get her to go back to sleep - changed diaper, fed her, rocked her, etc.  I finally called ask a nurse who informed me that it is probably an ear infection and to take her to the emergency room.  So at 1:30 am, Maya and I headed to the emergency room to find out that she does indeed have an ear infection.  Finally we were home and in bed around 2:45 am.  It was a very tough night as this is the first time Maya has been sick and Dave is out of town for work.  Luckily, Dave was reachable on cell phone and helped me through it all.  Maya is now in bed and I hope she sleeps through the night.  I think I will be in bed sooner than later as well.  Hope everyone is healthy and rested!

Trick or Treat - or not

Halloween didn't turn out the way we had planned.  I actually was home all day with the flu so Maya didn't get to show off her costume except for mom and dad at home.  Here are a few pictures.

First day at work and daycare

Where did the 10 weeks go?  I started back at work yesterday and Maya started full-time at daycare.  You all may be wondering how I handled going back but most importantly how did Maya adjust??  Dave took Maya to daycare as I couldn't, emotionally.  I had already shed a few tears before I left the house but I knew it would be far worse if I would have taken her to daycare.  I adjusted okay.  It felt like I was a new employee except I knew my co-workers and knew where my desk was.  It was a very long day but I managed.  Maya on the other hand didn't manage so well.  She refused any formula and food they tried to give her.  She finally took some rice and green beans around noon.  Dave left work so he could drive to daycare to feed her.  She took the sippy cup from Dave but only when he found a quieter place.  Maya also didn't sleep much yesterday.  They did inform us that her eating and sleeping will be different until she gets used to her new routine.  Maya did much better today.  She did refuse some of the food, but eventually ate and drank some formula.  She also took two naps today.

Here are some pictures of our first day...

Almost crawling

It is time to baby proof the house.  Maya will be crawling very soon!  She actually moved forward half a crawl earlier today.  Maya knows what to do with her legs but her arms don't seem to coordinate.  It is only a matter of time before she figures it out.  Maya is moving around more and more.  She no longer stays on or near her blanket on the floor.  Toys are scattered all over the living room as she has figured out how to get the toys out of her toy bin.  It is amazing how much she has grown since being home. 

oh boy!

Maya spent 2 hours yesterday at daycare.  When I picked her up, I was told that she played well but would not eat.  Instead she screamed and finally passed out.  This is not something a mother wants to hear.  We decided it would be best if we bring one of her sippy cups from home (remember she doesn't take bottles).  Well last night I had some friends over for girl's night and one of my friends tried to feed her to help me out.  Maya refused, screamed, and cried until I took over.  Maya was hungry but just wouldn't take any food from anyone but me.  I am over the moon that Maya is attached to her mom but she is going to have to take food from someone other than me.  It makes me nervous about Monday when Maya will start daycare full-time.  Luckily, Dave will be back and one of us can leave work early if needed.  I am going to assume it will all be fine...

Just too darn cute not to share...

Watoto Children's Choir

Tonight we attended a performance by the Watoto Children's Choir of Uganda, Africa.  What an amazing group of children!  They sang and danced for us as well as told their individual stories.  All the children have lost their parents in some fashion (mostly AIDS).  Maya enjoyed every minute of it.  She danced and sang along.  It is a good thing we purchased a cd!  We also sat by a family from Uganda that now lives in Fargo!  I highly recommend visiting their website and see a performance if they are in your neighborhood.  I know they are busy touring all over the US right now and the concert dates are on their website.  We are so glad to have seen them perform and the free will offering goes to improve their lives.  What a great way to spend your evening!

 

http://www.watoto.com/

Maya has grown!

Maya had her second doctor's appt this morning.  She is now 16 lbs 10 oz.  Maya went from the 10th percentile to the 45th percentile for weight.  Height is another story as she hasn't grown much longer (about an inch).  However, they didn't focus on her height at this appt but plan to at her 9th month check-up.  The doctor did seem very pleased on her weight gain as well as her development.  Maya sits up very well and is scooting herself backwards.  We know she wants to crawl but just hasn't figure out how to yet.  I'm sure the day will be coming soon!

Family Update

We are still having a blast being parents. Maya is such a sweet little girl.  It is hard to imagine life before her. 

On October 4, we had our first placement visit with our local social worker.  We are lucky to complete a post placement report once a year for the next 18 years.  The first year we have two or three reports to complete with the assistance of our local social worker.  The next 17 years will be completed by us.  We have a wonderful social worker who made the visit very informal and easy. 

The weekend of October 6, my brother and his family visited for the weekend.  It was also NDSU homecoming.  Maya got all dressed up with NDSU gear including an NDSU rattle.  In the morning we visited my sorority house and watched the parade.  Afterwards we headed home so Maya could get a quick nap in and get some food before the big NDSU homecoming football game.  This was Maya's first game and she did GREAT!  Maya was very playful and happy the first half of the game.  During the second half, she slept on daddy's lap. 

 

Random Updates:

Toby is adjusting extremely well with Maya being around.  He seems to think that Maya's toys are now his toys (see picture below).  We always considered Toby one of our kids but...we now need to watch him to ensure he isn't chewing on the wrong toys!  The good news is Maya doesn't seem to mind.

 

The other day I wore a headband in my hair (the brown one Maya is wearing in the picture below).  For most of the day, Maya would stare at my headband and would also try to grab it when she could.  I finally took it off and let her wear it which she did proudly.  The next day I bought her a few of her own and boy is she happy!  She just loves her headbands.

Daycare Update:

This morning we visited daycare.  We got to see the room Maya will be in and got to meet some of her teachers.  I have been okay up to today about going back to work and taking her to daycare.  I am now bummed and very sad.  It will be a hard day for me to go back to work and not be with her all day.  Can anyone really take as good of care as mom and dad?  I know they will take excellent care of her but it doesn't make it easier.

Maya Making Noise

http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=3e7fc2149596bba4109d21

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Traditional Dancing from Ethiopia

While in Ethiopia, we spent an evening at the Crown Hotel for a traditional dinner and dancing. Below is a video of the dancing - it is pretty amazing how they can move their bodies, you might get a headache from just watching... :)

A big shout out to Steve and Danae who put this video together.

Maya's first photo shoot

We had photos taken earlier this week and as mentioned she did amazing. For a sneak peek, check out the photographer's blog - it is the Oct 1st entry but you won't miss her. Isn't she absolutely beautiful!!!

http://www.areavoices.com/blessings/

Busy Week & Weekend

Maya is an amazing traveler.  She basically slept the entire trip to and from to visit her grandma and great-grandma.  We left last Tuesday am for my mom's and stayed two nights.  We did break up the drive by stopping at my sister's for a few hours each way.  Maya enjoyed getting out the car and playing for awhile.  I was also able to feed her so it worked out for both of us.  Maya did get to spend time with her Grandma Julie and Great-Grandma Clara.  She also got to meet a few other people. 

This past weekend Dave's family came to meet Maya.  Dave's family had a celebration/shower for us yesterday.  They did such an amazing job planning and decorating.  We had a wonderful time visiting and got some great photos.  Maya was a charmer and everyone fell in love.  How could you not love Maya?  She is so sweet, playful, and has the most amazing smile.  Dave's family also watched the video that our adoption agency made.  The video talked about Ethiopia as a country and then focused on Maya.  Our agency is the only agency that we know of that puts together a video like this and we are so glad to have shared it with our family.  We really feel is helps our family understand the country and the outstanding care the care center gives to all the children.  We hope we can share it with more people down the road.

This morning Maya got professional photos taken.  As always, she did amazing.  We think we got some great photos and more than likely we have too many to choose from.  I am so excited to see them.  Hopefully we have a good photo for our Christmas cards :)

New to our Blog!

Hey everyone - we have made a few changes to our site, please be sure to check out the right column for slide shows and video to go along w/ our photos. We hope to keep these updated so please be sure to check back often!

 

 

Not much to report

 

Hello everyone,

 

Maya is still doing very well.  We think she is really adjusting well and bonding to us.  Maya loves to be held and loves to be played with.  Since I was a cheerleader in high school, I taught Maya some 8 counts which she loves.  Dave just shakes his head.  Maya has the best laugh and of course the most adorable smile.  We are so lucky.

 

Today Maya was a bit crabby.  Apparently we fed her too many bananas and her tummy wasn't feeling good.  She managed to work through it and is feeling much better.  I gave her a bath before bedtime which helped sooth her. 

 

Tomorrow Maya is going on her first out of town road trip.  We are driving to visit my mom and grandmother.  It should be interesting as this is her first trip and we plan to stay two nights.  On Friday, Dave's family is coming into town for the weekend.  Dave's family is having a celebration party for Maya on Sunday.  We are looking forward to them all meeting Maya.  It will be a fun and busy week/weekend.

 

Take care,

Theresa

 

Bonding

We aren't sure if Maya is truly bonding to Dave and me or if she is enjoying the endless amount of attention.  She is now crying/fussing when we leave her sight.  She is also looking at us during each feeding.  We do believe Maya is bonding but we are not sure to what extent.  I'm sure the bonding will get stronger each day.

 

We have had lots of fun with Maya this past week.  Maya had her first eating out experience with Dave and me on Friday night.  She did very well considering she slept for most of it.  On Saturday she got to spend some time with dad in the garage doing man things (smile) while I took time for myself and joined some friends for lunch.  Sunday, Maya visited the lake as we needed to close it down for the year.  Maya also got to visit with some family that were town and watch some of the football game.  Yesterday we took it easy and stayed home.  We did venture out for a short walk that Maya just loved.  Today we are going to visit a photographer in town and check on getting her pictures taken. I hope to get those scheduled in the next 2 weeks.

 

An update on the blow outs - I decided to go back to some basic foods to see if I could figure out if anything was causing it.  She has still had some blow outs but not as frequent.  Maya did have two baths yesterday morning due to a major one.  However, the rice and oatmeal cereal and bananas seem to be helping. 

 

Hope everyone is doing well.  If you are in town and like to stop by, please give us a call.  

Theresa 

You asked for pictures... Here you go!!!

Maya sports her Ethiopian hat

 
     
mmm... Yummy!        

  
When Maya is hungry - she wants to be fed now!

 
Maya loves to have tummy time  

More tummy time...

even more tummy time (except mom wants to finish changing her)

    
Toby is the first responder to the cries          

  
Who said the dogs and Maya wouldn't get along?

   
Typical Dave - always multi-tasking!

 
Maya with mom (Theresa)                         

Maya with dad (David)

  
The family (missing from photo Toby and Sebastian)

Shopping

Maya had her first shopping experience today with mom and Aunt Tori.  She did really well considering she was in a fitting room for awhile while I tried on some clothes.  She did fell asleep for a short while but not long enough.  She woke up and wanted out of her stroller.  It is nice to know that I can take her to the mall or to another store once in awhile if we need to get out of the house. 

 

Okay moms out there - we need some help.  It seems Maya is into having daily blow outs.  I know I have the right size diaper (based on weight) and I have tried two different brands.  What can we do to prevent these massive blow outs?  If you have any advise for us first time parents please email us or leave a comment below.  We would very much appreciate it!

 

Well it is time for another feeding - she is really liking her solids these days except for peas.  She refuses to eat them

 

Theresa 

Eating Out

I thought I would post a quick message to let you all know that Maya is already a pro at eating out.  I decided to call up a friend who is also home on maternity leave to see if she and her daughter would be able to meet us for lunch.  We met them and Maya did great.  She spent the time looking around and playing with her soft book.  After lunch we ran to Target for a few things.  On the way home she fell asleep.  She is such a cutie!  I'm a proud mom (at the moment).

 

Theresa 

Still alive

Sorry for not posting earlier.  It appears it was my turn to be very sick.  I must have gotten what Dave had as I also needed to get fluids at the walk-in clinic on Sunday.  I ended up getting the flu Friday later afternoon and am still trying to get healthy.  It is a struggle when you are responsible for a little one.  Speaking of Maya - she is doing really well.  She is still sleeping through the night which we are thrilled about.  She sleeps from around 8pm to 6am each night.  However, she isn't a big fan of naps during the day.  She does take a few short naps but not long enough to give mom a break. 

 

Maya is learning to like baby food.  She has grown to like carrots, rice cereal, and bananas.  She is not a fan of peas.  We will continue to try new foods on her but she is a picky one.  Oh - Maya has learned to scream on the top of her lungs when she is hungry.  It is very cute to be honest.  What she doesn't realize is that mom and dad can only prepare her food as fast as they can which is not fast enough for her. 

 

Last Friday Maya and I took a little trip to my work to visit some co-workers.  Maya loves attention and strangers so it went very well.  On our way home we made a quick stop at a friends to say hi.  Maya is very social and did great.  Today we plan to run to Target again as it seems we are almost out of diapers (again).

 

Maya and I are ready for visitors and play dates.  Please give us a call if you like to come visit.  Maya is excited to meet the rest of her family and friends.  Oh - for those asking for more pictures, I will post them soon.  Again, I need the help of my dear husband.

 

Theresa 

Maya's first doctor's appt

We just got home from Maya's first doctor's appointment.  She did very well considering she had to get a shot and get blood drawn.  She now weights 14lbs.  According to the doctor, she is right on track developmentally.  She also gave us the go to start Maya on baby food.  Maya and I are going to make a Target run later today to get some.  Plus, I need a perscription filled for her as she has an ear infection in her right ear.  More than likely, she got it on the plane ride home.  That could also be why she has been a little fussy these past few days. 

 

Dave went back to work today.  He is still under the weather so I'm not sure how long he will last at work.  Maya is taking her nap and I'm doing some laundry.  It is pretty exciting at our house these days 

 

More later...bye!

Theresa 

Maya's first day at home

We survived day one at home!  Dave ended up getting very sick Saturday night and had to be taken to the emergency room for some fluids.  Luckily my mom is still here and was able to take him.  Since Dave was out of commission, I was in charge of caring for Maya.  It wasn't too hard considering her slept for 7 hours yesterday day.  I finally woke her around 5pm.  I figured I better wake her if I had any chance of geting some sleep last night.  Once she was awake we got ready for her first trip outside the house.  We visited my sister and her family at the Ramada here in town.  Maya did fairly well overall.  She was a bit cranky due to being tired.  I think she had some jet lag which makes sense.  She did just travel 30 hours.  Once we got home, I gave her her first bath.  Of course I didn't have a clue what I was doing but we managed okay.  After her bath, she ate and then went to bed around 10:00pm.   She slept until 2:30 am and went back to bed until about 5am.  She is now up and making all sorts of noises.  She is very happy at the moment.

 

Dave is feeling much better today too.  I hope he feels well enough to be daddy today so I can run some errands.  I need to buy some long pants for Maya.  Poor child has nothing to wear!   

 

Theresa

We're home!

We made it home okay.  My mom, sister, and her family met us at the airport.  It was so good to be home and to see familiar faces!  Maya did extremely well on the flight home.  We left Addis about 2 hours late on Friday which landed us in DC 2 hours late.  We had to hurry in DC in order to make our connection.  Let's just say we barely made it.

 

Our flight to DC went very well.  We had boughten Maya a seat which ended up being the best thing we could have done.  Maya slept until we reached Rome which was about 8 hours.  She then spent the rest of the trip sleeping, eating, playing, and flirting with those around her.  The flight attendents were so great.  There were at least a half a dozen families that were adopting on our flight and 3 of them are from our agency.  We really liked having other families we knew on our flight.  At one point I took Maya on a little walk and we went to visit another family.  Well...this nice Ethiopian woman (who lives in the USA) stopped me and just took Maya from me.  She just thought Maya was the cutest thing ever and had to hold her.  It is Ethiopian culture to help care for all babies and to kiss stranger's babies whenever.  In the Addis airport another woman came up to Maya and gave her some kisses.  It is strange at first but then you realize it is just the culture.  Maya loves strangers so it didn't bother her one bit.

 

On our flight from DC to Chicago, Maya slept.  Dave and I watched some tv as we were trying hard not to fall asleep.  We wanted to stay up as late as possible to help get us back on American time.  When we reached Chicago, we ran into a family that we spent the week with in Addis.  It was so good to see them.  Their little one and Maya were in the same room at the care center and shared the same nannies.  We spent some time with them while we waited for our connection to Fargo.  On our Fargo flight Maya played and played.  She must have exhuasted herself and she just fell right to asleep in my arms at the end of the flight.

 

**Maya just feel asleep (and snorning again) - this is my cue to get some sleep too.  Until next time.  Bye!

Day 6 - Thursday

We had Maya with us all night last night.  She did so well and slept through most of the night.  We did have to wake her at 10:00 for her medication and we woke her again at 1:00 to eat.  She is sleeping in this little crib next to Dave.  We would have let her sleep through the night but she was becoming very restless and probably would have woken up on her own.  She is an amazing little girl.  We haven't had luck feeding her through the bottle but she does love eating from a cup.  We have a cup from the care center that we are using.  About an hour ago, she just had approximately 6 oz of formula.  She is a happy girl right now. 

**Okay, just has our first poopy diaper.  Wow - I'm not used to that smell.

Today we had breakfast at the other guest house.  There are two guest houses and 11 couples.  Three couples are in the traditional guest house and the remaining couples are in the modern guest house.  Let's just say we got the short end of the stick as we are in the traditional guest house.  The food is prepared in the modern guest house so we must venture over there for our 3 meals.  It is a short walk but a muddy one as the roads are not paved.  Since it is the raining season, the roads are mostly water potholes and muddy.  I guess I could have left my flip flops back home.  

After breakfast a few couples went shopping.  We brought Maya along and she did very well.  She really likes car rides and fell asleep instantly.  Dave carried her in the baby Bjorn which seemed to work well.  After shopping we headed back to the modern guest house for lunch.  I finally was able to eat and it tasted very good.

We are now back at our guest house relaxing and spending time with Maya.  We are also going to start to pack our things as we head back tomorrow night.  It will be nice to get home as we are missing our dogs, a warm shower, and our bed.  Of course it will be sad to say good-bye to the other couples we have met as well as to the city where our girl spent the last six months. 

Theresa 

Day 5 - part 2

We had our good-bye ceremony at the care center with all the families, adopted children, and the nannies.  It was a very special time as this is when the nannies say their good-byes.  Maya has been in the care center since she was 9 days old and the nannies have become very attached to her.  One nanny made a point to come over to us to hug and kiss Maya as well as hug Dave and I.  We all cried at that moment.  It means the world to us to know that Maya has been so well taken care of.  She is such an outgoing little girl with so much personality.  It seemed to us that Maya was very well liked amongst the staff.  We could never thank CHSFS enough for giving us our precious Maya.

Once the ceremony was finished, we headed back to the guest house for dinner.  I finally had a chance to call my mom to check on things as she is house watching and taking care of our dogs for us.  While I am on the phone, Maya begins to scream.  The nice cook offered to take her from Dave and tried to calm her done.  After some long screams, Maya finally ate some food from a cup and went to sleep.  We have never seen that side of her and didn't know what to do.  Thankfully it all turned out okay.

Theresa

Hossana trip - Sunday

On Sunday we drove south of Addis to the city of Hossana.  We left the guest house at 5am and each family took their own Toyota Land Rover.  We didn't have much chance to get ready that morning as Massi, the house director, knocked on our doors at 4:20 am.  All of use quickly threw on some clothes and headed over to the other guest house.  I did have one of the guards walk me back to my guest house so I could put in my contacts.  On the way back, I ended up stepping in a large puddle of water.  The nice guard grabbed my arm and guided me back.  I should mention that the sun rises at 6am each day and sets at 6pm each day.  Ethiopia is on 2 12 hour clocks and they start at 6am and 6pm.  Let's just say that it was extremely dark outside when I was walking to and from the guest houses.

Day 5 - Wednesday

I just wanted to post a quick update on our days activities so far. We woke up early this morning and went to confirm our flights back (you need to do so in person or they will cancel your flight...). At the first office we stopped their computers were down and since we needed to also change Maya's ticket, we couldn't do so w/ the computers (you could only confirm) - so we dropped everyone else off at a spot to do some shopping and myself and one other went to another office to make our changes. We hope that Maya has a ticket for the way home...

I then connected back up with Theresa and the rest of the group half-way through their shopping trip. We purchased a lot of cool souvenirs and coffee. We hurried back to the guest house to eat and change as we had an afternoon appointment to meet the woman and policeman who found our daughter. It was very nice of them to make the trip from Butajira to Addis Ababa, it is a 2 hour drive by vehicle and I must imagine much longer via bus. She confirmed much of our daughters story and provided additional details which are very special and someday we can pass along to Maya.

Later this afternoon we have the goodbye ceremony at the Care Center where we take full-time responsibility for our children. It is supposed to be a very special ceremony where the nannies say goodbye. It is going to be especially hard for the three nannies who have taken care of Maya (Nejibya) as she has been in their care from a very early age.

Tonight she comes home with us and we will have Thursday and Friday to adjust before beginning our 30 hour journey home. :)

Day 4 - Tuesday

Hello everyone - we had another busy day so far.  We got back to the guest house late last night as we had dinner with our friends who are also in town.  Our friend is from Addis but lives in Fargo.  We had dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant which was great.  Dave is a big fan of Ethiopian food but I don't care for it as much.  I am craving a cheeseburger right now but will have to wait until we are back in the USA.  I also have to note how cheap the dinner was.  My meal was 48.00 BURR which is $4.80.  The same meal back home would have cost me at least $12.  We did have a great time with our friends and were so glad they were able to take us out.  Our adoption agency has a schedule for us and keeps us close by so we don't get to see much of the city.

Today we had a busy morning driving around Addis.  The goal was to do some shopping but it didn't end up that way.  I ended up getting motion sickness and still have it.  The driving here is unexplainable  and something that we have never seen.  There are no stop signs, stop lights, traffic rules of any kind, and people walk on the street.  It is amazing there isn't many car accidents.

This afternoon we went to the USA embassy to get a visa for Maya.  Before we left, the nannies brought the children to the guest house.  Maya was dressed is a very cute dress and was very happy.  She did fall asleep on the ride there and snored!  At the embassy she focused on the Monday night football game.  Yes, they had the game on a day later.  And...we have determined that Maya is daddy's girl.  She snores and likes football!  The embassy went extremely well and we are officially her parents.  Honestly, I am so happy and I love that girl so much.  She is so sweet and happy.  She even took some of the bottle today from Dave!  She struggled with it yesterday but did take about 3 oz today.  We are so pleased.  If we haven't mentioned it before, they cup feed all the babies here as it keeps down the infections.  Maya has never been breast feed or bottled feed until now.  We hope she continues to eat from the bottle as it will make a better trip home.  Oh...I have to say that the nanny yesterday told me she doesn't like bottle and that she will give me a cup tomorrow when I take her home.  It was kind of funny to be honest.  The nannies just love her so much and know her so well.  It will be hard for Maya to leave them as she is very attached. 

We are off to the Crown Hotel tonight for a traditional Ethiopian dinner and dancing.  Although I don't feel well, we are still going.  It should be very interesting.

Take care everyone and we hope to see you all soon! 

Theresa

Hello from Ethiopia!

Hello, can you believe we are starting our third day here in Ethiopia. We will try and provide you with enough detail to give you an idea of the adventure we are going through.

Ethiopian Airlines
We flew out on Friday morning, having no issues getting to the airport and checked in. We quickly connected with four other families using the same agency as us and another using a different agency. It was nice to find others who were in the same situation as us. The flight itself went with no issues outside of being confined to very small space for 15 hours. The food was good and we were fairly on schedule.

We arrived in Addis Ababa and claimed our bags and converted some dollars to local currency with no issues. There was a drive waiting for us as well as another couple that had flown in earlier that morning. As we caravanned with our bags to two vans waiting for us, we saw the first images that told us we were not in the U.S. anymore. There must have been a 1/2 dozen men cutting the grass using hand held cutting knives and another group following and picking up the grass...

We piled all of our bags into one van and then we squeezed into the other. We rode back to the guest houses where we had about 10 minutes to drop our bags and then pile back into the van and off to the office. We did some paperwork there, got a ride back to the guest house to eat lunch. After lunch we got a ride to care center to meet our daughter!

Meeting our Daughter!

We were all brought into one room to wait to be called to meet our children. Amazingly Theresa and I were called first to meet Maya Nejbya (pronounced Neji-bia). We were told to follow the social worker and as we walked into the room we were being filmed, which will be included in the DVD they are creating for us.) She is so amazing - she smiles and cuddles and is absolutely the most beautiful baby - still a bit hard to believe that she is our daughter. She is so loved by everyone at the care center, from the nannies to the photographers - they all stop to play and kiss her each time they see her.

The Trip to Hossana

Time is short, we'll post more later but here are a couple of pictures!

Seeing Maya again

We were able to go see Maya again on Sun night - this time we brought the camera and video camera. Some pictures below - isn't she amazing!

She really is the most amazing little girl - she has the flu and was obviously not the same happy girl as she was the day before, but she didn't fuss or cry. We spent over an hour with her on Sunday, just getting her familiar with us.

Some of you may know that they cup feed the infants here at the care center due to the fact that it easier to keep the cup sanitized vs. bottles and nipples. We watched the cup feeding on Saturday but today Theresa had the opportunity to feed Maya. It was very interesting to see Theresa feed her for the first time - I was able to capture it on video!

We are off!

We are finishing up our re-packing here in D.C. and will soon be heading over to Dulles airport to check into Ethiopian Airlines for our flight to pick up our daughter. Neither Theresa or I slept much last night - luckily I picked up some meds from the doctor to help us do so on the way over... :)

Hopefully we will be back online and blogging no later than Monday. Have a great weekend.

Cheers,

Major storms pound Chicago

Just noticed the reports that Chicago saw horrible weather today, 186,000 people without power. One of the main reasons we left a day early was to give us time in case something happened going through Chicago specifically that would cause us to miss our connection in D.C.

We are sure glad we made that decision...

Major Storms Pound Chicago

Washington D.C.

Hello everyone...we made it to Washington D.C. last night after a very long day of traveling.  We had a few delays in Chicago but finally made it.  We slept very well as we were both tired. 

Today we spent the day walking around the mall area.  We took the metro which was an interesting and painless experience.  We then walked and walked and walked.  My feet are killing me!  I guess my new sporty shoes don't have as much cushion as I thought.  Good thing CVS Pharmacy is close to our hotel as I need to find some new insoles. 

I called home to check on my mom and doggies.  All are doing fine except Sebastian has yet to warm up to my mom.  He should eventually after a week and a half. 

Well we are off to get some food and to CVS Pharmacy.  We have to get up early tomorrow so we can get to the airport.  Our flight leaves early morning.  As Dave said to me earlier today, "It's a good thing we got all this walking in today so we can get all stiff tomorrow by sitting in the plane for 17 hours". 

Don't you envy us? 

Theresa

 

Packed and on our way!

OK - we are packed (all 8 bags!) and currently sitting in the airport in Fargo waiting for our flight to board. We thought we would drop you a cute picture as Toby decided that the best way for us to not leave was to jump on our bags (or he just wanted to come with.

Talk to you all soon.

David