Day 5 - Maya's Anniversary Week

We wrote about our day 5 in two separate posts.  I realize that many of you have read about our trip 3 years ago, but I find it fun to read our blog post again.  It brings back so many wonderful memories. 

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 (Nejbya) 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 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.

Day 4 - Maya's Anniversary Week

Here is day 4 of our trip - apparently we must not have blogged about day 3.

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.

Update: Maya never took a bottle and we had to feed her with the cup the nanny gave us on the entire flight home.  We then transitioned Maya to a sippy cup.  I have also learned to love Ethiopian food too as long as it isn't too spicy.  Amazing how things are so different 3 years later!

3 years already?

Feels like yesterday we were packing and traveling to Ethiopia for our first time to meet our precious daughter Maya. I can not believe she has been home for 3 years! These past 3 years have been so amazing. Not only did we become parents, but we got to be Maya's parents! I truly feel blessed and incredibly lucky.

In honor of Maya's 3rd year forever home anniversary, I thought I would share our blog posts from 3 years ago. Here is what our blog post from day 1 and 2 of our trip which included meeting Maya:

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!

Mornings

My dream morning (besides sleeping without being awaken by two little girls) is a morning without drama.  It would be a morning where everything goes as planned.  A morning where Maya wakes up in a good mood and does what is asked.  It would be a morning where Maya gets dressed, brushes her teeth, and allows me to comb/style her hair with ease.  It would be morning of not rushing out of the door and racing to school in order to avoid being late for work.  It would be a morning with no crying, back talking, or debating.  Instead it would be morning of harmony and love.

I dream of these kind of mornings...

Disbelief (Updated)

I am a very sentimental person.  I am a sensitive person and tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve.  This is can be either a good thing or a really bad thing but it is who I am.  First day of school began today.  Although it doesn't effect me (minus my longer commute thanks to all the extra cars on the road), it does make me reflect back on the past 3 years.

At the end of this month, we will be celebrating Maya's 3rd forever family anniversary.  It amazes me how quickly these past 3 years have gone by and how I no longer can remember things.  Last night Makenna was being cute and I thought how I must remember this moment.  I even mentioned this to Dave and reference getting our video recorder out.  Did we?  No.  We just watched, smiled, and hung out with our girls.  Yes, I enjoyed every minute of it but do I remember the cute thing Makenna did last night?  Unfortunately no.  My memory is terrible and it makes me sad that I can't remember cute little things my girls did.

It seems time rapidly goes by and all of a sudden your nephew started his senior year in high school, your daughter is ready to start Sunday school, and you are now seeing those fine lines around your eyes.  It does make me sad and I wish I could freeze time or even turn back time.  Since I can't do either, I will instead try to enjoy each and every day.  I will try to remember to grab my video camera or blog about a funny/cute moment.   And just maybe, I will remember a few moments to share at my girls' graduation or wedding reception.

How about a video from tonight :)

How Cute Am I?

Fun times outside today! Makenna is having a blast and trying to walk in her new shoes. Yep, she is walking!!!! Love that smile of hers.

Who Am I?

I am many things.  I am a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker, and most importantly a mother.  I play many different roles such as yourself.  All of these various roles can be extremely challenging but very rewarding at the same time.  Nothing is better than getting a big bear hug from my Maya and being told she loves me or when Makenna reaches for me because she feels loved and comforted in my arms.  You can't put a price tag on these things and I wouldn't trade them for the world.  

Although I play all these various roles, I am also a person.  Sometimes I forget that I am an individual with my own interests, passions, and needs.  I really feel it is important to remember who you are as a person and make time for yourself.  

This past summer I have renewed one passion of mine, music.  I love music specifically Indie Rock.  Prior to kids and while living in Minneapolis, Dave and I enjoyed attending various concerts and scouting out new music.  When we moved to Fargo, we still held onto our passion but the local music scene wasn't very impressive for non-country lovers.  In addition, we didn't know anyone besides us who shared the same music taste.  

Over the past 6 years, more and more non-country bands have found their way to Fargo such as Bon Jovi, Green Day, Jewel, Ben Folds, and the latest Old 97's.  We have also met others who also share our love of Indie Rock.  A huge relief as it is much more fun to share your passion with someone else. 

About a month ago, Dave and I saw the Old 97's (again).  We actually got a night out on the town with our friends Evan and Teri-Lee.  Words can't express how much we (I) needed this night.  It felt good to get out of the house kid free and enjoy something we love, music.  Meeting the lead singer, Rhett Miller, certainly helped make the night even better!
 
 
Here is Mr. Cutie - I mean Rhett Miller :)

Remember it is okay to take time for yourself and do something you love.  You will feel so good and refreshed afterwards.  Trust me!

Too busy to think about adoption today

There are so many times where I feel like this. It is amazing how many hours a week I think about adoption each day/week; stop and think about it and I bet you will be surprised.

Once again, Adopted - The Comic captures it perfectly in a single image.

Makenna's 1 Year Picture Outfit

Makenna's pictures are right around the corner and I am so excited.  We have decided to do a mini session with Tera at Blessings Photography with just Makenna as we are taking outdoor family pictures in September. 

In preparation of Makenna's 1 year pictures, I asked Jenn to make this fabulous one of a kind first birthday outfit.  Isn't it adorable?!

 

Dave thinks it is kind of silly and likes to tease me by saying the bottoms look like clown pants.  I realize they are busy and baggy but I find them absolutely adorable. 

 

The outfit was made not only for Makenna's pictures but also for her first birthday party which unfortunately didn't go as planned.

Jen is simply amazing and very creative.  She will take customize orders and is unbelievably quick.  She made this outfit in just a few days!  You really have to check out her Etsy shop here.  I really couldn't be happier with the outfit.

I know Makenna will look good for her pictures so please pray that she is in a good mood and smiles for the camera!

Activities

It is the middle of August already.  Wow!  I can not believe how fast this summer has gown by.  The sun is setting around 8pm, back to school shopping is in full swing, and fall activities are approaching.  Crazy!

As we receive one activity booklet and registration form after another, we sit and debate over which activity we should enroll Maya in and for which session.  This is of course if we decide to enroll Maya in any of the activities. 

Apparently all the fall and winter registrations begin this coming week.  I guess that means each family is required to make these decisions months in advance or risk the chance the session and time slot you desire being full.  Making these decisions should be easy, right?  Wrong!  How am I able to say "yep, winter session 2 swimming lessons will work on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30".  Did I mention that winter session 2 starts in February???  As two full-time working parents, we must plan carefully as each activity must be after work and early in the evening so we can ensure to squeeze in meal-time and of course bed-time. 

Call me a crazy mother, but I want Maya to experience lots of different things which include various activities.  Maya is only 3 which limits what we can pick from but that doesn't help in narrowing down our choices for which session and time slot.  We have decided to enroll Maya in the following:

• Gymnastics
• Ice Skating Lessons
• Swimming Lessons
• Sunday School

Now we must plan them out to not over lap each other (minus Sunday School) as we only want one activity per week. 

I guess I better grab the calendar, a pen, and of course the checkbook.  Let the registration begin!  Wish me luck!

Yummy Cupcakes!

Wordless Wednesday - Matching PJ's (thanks Grandma Linda)

Birthday Cupcake Time!

We decided it was only right to make some yummy chocolate cupcakes (which Maya and I called muffins just to annoy Dave since he baked them) and let Makenna dive into one. 

After we sang to Makenna, we let her dive right in.  That girl LOVES cupcakes and frosting!  She ate and ate and ate while making a huge mess.  We all had fun watching her as well as enjoyed our own cupcake (or two cupcakes).

The birthday celebration continues...Happy Birthday Makenna!

 

Visit

While in Ethiopia this past January, we stayed with an incredible family at the Ethiopian Guest Home. This family was in Ethiopia adopting a 6 year old boy. Besides meeting and bring home our daughter Makenna, the biggest highlight of our week in Ethiopia was getting to know and spending time with this family. Our week would not have been the same without them.

Thankfully they only live a state away which is super close considering we met while in Ethiopia. Dave, Jen, and their 4 kids happened to be vacationing an hour east of us. On their long drive back home, they stopped by our place for a quick visit. It was so great to see them again and to meet their other 2 children who did not travel to Ethiopia.

Even though our visit was short, we enjoyed the time we had and looked back at our wonderful week together. I said it once and I'll say it again, this family is terrific and our week was 10 times better because of them.

Playground Conversations

**Making a guest blog appearance (David aka Dad)**

Last night we spent some time at Theresa's company picnic and Maya was able to enjoy the playground. Much of the night was spent swinging, but she took a break towards the end and made friends with a girl, Brooke, who was from the neighborhood. I was able to listen in on a conversation they had.

Brooke: “Is that your dad?”
Maya: “Yeah”
Brooke: “Why are you brown, and he is white?”
Maya: “Because, umm… I don’t know?”
Brooke: “I wish I was brown like you”
Maya: “I wish I was white like you”
Brooke: “I like your sandals”
Maya: “Thank you, I like your shoes”

At this point I came around the corner so Maya could see me and she was so excited, “Dad, meet my new friend.”

Me: “Hello, what is your new friend’s name?”
Maya to Brooke: “What is your name again?”

Then a few minutes later.

Brooke: “When is your birthday again?”
Maya: "February XX"
Brooke: “Can I come to your birthday party?”
Maya: “Sure”
Brooke: "Can you come back to the park tomorrow?"
Maya: "Sure"

At some point this conversation will be much more complicated, but at age 3 it seems pretty simple doesn’t it?

Makenna's 1st Birthday

Plan A:

• Celebrate Makenna's birthday August 7th at our house with all of our family and Makenna wearing her custom made happy birthday outfit
• Yummy food served along with a pretty pre-ordered cake
• Lots of laughing, tons of smiles, and loads of pictures!

Plan B:

• Celebrate Makenna's birthday at a run-down pizza joint out of town with only my family and without Makenna's custom made outfit
• Serve pretty darn good pizza, breadsticks, and a get whatever you can get cake with a sloppy "Happy Birthday Makenna' written on it
• Lot of crying, screaming, and an adequate amount of photos

Can you guess which plan won out?  Yep, plan B! 

We did actually have a nice time and the kids seemed to have enjoyed themselves but poor Makenna.  She was beside herself and spent most of the evening crying (don't let the pictures fool you as these are the best ones I got of her being happy).  Her favorite part of the night was opening her birthday gifts which were bought an hour before the party.  Makenna thought the tissue paper was awesome and loved to tear it into pieces.

Well Makenna - it may have not been the party I had in mind but it sure was a memorable one.  Happy Birthday my precious one!

 

So Many Emotions

It has been almost a week since my last blog post.  I have had good intentions on keeping up my blog on a regular basis as well as good intentions to keep up on all my favorite blogs.  Life happened to throw me a curve ball :(

My 93 year old grandmother is in the ICU recovering from a fall.  We rushed to be at her side and took two days off from work.  I am so grateful to have been there to hold her hand and to tell her I loved her.  I am so grateful to have been able to sit with my mother in the waiting room for hours so she wouldn't be alone.  I am grateful to have seen my entire family and have a chance to celebrate Makenna's 1 year birthday. 

Thankfully my grandmother is doing much better today but she is still in the ICU.  We really appreciate everyone's kind words and prayers.  My grandmother is a very special woman who means a lot to me and to my family. 

I have learned an important lesson through this.  When you have an opportunity to stop to visit your grandmother, do it.  You just never know what could happen and if you will have another opportunity.