If that header doesn't suck you in, I don't know what will! I can't believe we have been home for nearly a month with our little guy. The time has gone so quickly, but in some ways it seems as if Micah has been here with us all along. I have decided to resolve that just because one parented 4 small children in her past doesn't mean she is still sharp on everything currently. Thus the title. Here are some the happenings as of late from Micah's point of view:
1. Did you know that sneaking a few pieces of dog food when mom isn't looking is really fun?
2. I found a stink bug on the floor and chewed on it for a while. I wasn't amused.
3. I'm getting my first teeth and I like to be cranky to the people I love. These are my first ones, so this is a whole new ball game. I do love that purple Tylenol stuff, though!
4. My mean mom took me to this place where they held me down to take a bunch of my blood. My mom cried, I cried...geez it was horrible. But my mom is SOOOOOOOOOO excited that all of my tests came back great!!!
5. Only moms care about poop...and mine doesn't have any parasites or giardia...another thing my mom is happy about!!
6. BTW, I'd rather feed myself table food than have my family feed me baby food. I may look little, but green bean baby food is nasty.
7. I'm quite the rock star when it comes to crawling, stairs, cruising around furniture and babbling.
8. I really love it when my dad takes me to the pool, especially when he teaches me how to float and kick. My mom doesn't like to watch all of our tricks, though.
9. Everyone keeps telling me that I look bigger and taller. I take it as a compliment!
10. The last thing I'd like to say is that I love when people hold me and rock me. I'm spoiled that way!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Good Times!
Summer has found us making the rounds with family and friends. I love this picture of Micah with Hannah...this is his ornery look! Bethany and Hannah posed him in front of our flowerbed and we were pleased with his compliance. We took him to our subdivision pool and he LOVED it! No fear whatsoever. Finally, this is a great picture of Micah meeting his great-grandparents, Harold and Mildred Roth for the first time. Grandma had a John Deere toy for him to play with!
We continue to adjust to our new schedules, lack of sleep (at least mine!), toys strewn about, and hands in the dog's food. Busy is this kid's middle name. We would have it no other way! He babbles constantly and is a real ham. We have been watching video we took of meeting his grandmother and family and again are moved when we think of where Micah has come from and the roads that let him to us. God has had His hand on every single step of this journey. I'm always amazed to think that God was ordaining this long before I knew, and that He is in all the details! Good thing I'm not in charge.
We continue to adjust to our new schedules, lack of sleep (at least mine!), toys strewn about, and hands in the dog's food. Busy is this kid's middle name. We would have it no other way! He babbles constantly and is a real ham. We have been watching video we took of meeting his grandmother and family and again are moved when we think of where Micah has come from and the roads that let him to us. God has had His hand on every single step of this journey. I'm always amazed to think that God was ordaining this long before I knew, and that He is in all the details! Good thing I'm not in charge.Monday, June 8, 2009
Smiles Abound!
Our transition to a baby-proof home and Micah's transition to a new a family have meshed quite nicely these last two weeks. He is one happy boy, along with an ornery side to be honest! His laugh and smile are infectious and he basically is one big ball of fun. Most of our days are spent watching him...kind of like a never-ending show and tell!
Travel 101 for Dummies, part 3
After trying to remember all of my mental notes from the trip, I'm not sure there is a "category" for the rest. So, I may ramble a bit for this post.
First of all, Duni asked us to give a "shout out" to families coming over who have babies. The little ones at the Transition Home who are old enough to be eating cereal are used to the Ethiopian version of our starter cereal. It is quite sweet and the babies are hesitant to "go back" if you will. Why eat bland crackers when you can dine on a parfait?? We brought rice cereal with us, but Duni says she's found that it is so bland compared to what they are used to that they refuse to eat it. We wound up buying some in a shop within walking distance from the guest house. After coming home, it is equivalent to the cereal with fruit we have here. The brand from over there is called Cerelac.
Secondly, Dennis and I never had a very clear picture of what our travel papers meant by "tip included here". As the week wore on what we imagined to be covered as far as tips seemed not the case. I'm sure this is a case by case basis. I might add that Robel and T never had any expectancy whatsoever.
Before I forget, the whole "gifts" saga really stressed me out. I took over a variety of things that could be stretched out among a few people, or just for one. I was not in the position to take 50 gifts over! I gave Micah's main nanny and his night nanny gifts. His main one sat with us while we gave it to here but she didn't open it right then. It was kind of anti-climactic to be honest. I had made a photo album for her of our family, house, Micah's school, etc that she really enjoyed. As far as anyone else, it was not an issue at all. We only saw Duni for about 2 hours the whole week and that was when we did the paperwork.
In addition to sagas, the donations we took over were quite a burden! We weren't sure who to give them to, the Transition Home or the orphanage. Our group didn't go to the orphanage so we left most of them at the home. This was also anticlimactic. The driver took all of our suitcases off the bus and then the workers took them inside and dumped them out in a pile. Then we left with an empty suitcase. In fact, I missed the whole episode. Dennis said it was a non-event. With this said, we were very glad we took them, but don't stress out about them!
I guess I can sum up this post with, "I didn't know what to expect and if I had an expectation, it would have been way wrong!" I suppose that's what made this an adventure to say the least!
First of all, Duni asked us to give a "shout out" to families coming over who have babies. The little ones at the Transition Home who are old enough to be eating cereal are used to the Ethiopian version of our starter cereal. It is quite sweet and the babies are hesitant to "go back" if you will. Why eat bland crackers when you can dine on a parfait?? We brought rice cereal with us, but Duni says she's found that it is so bland compared to what they are used to that they refuse to eat it. We wound up buying some in a shop within walking distance from the guest house. After coming home, it is equivalent to the cereal with fruit we have here. The brand from over there is called Cerelac.
Secondly, Dennis and I never had a very clear picture of what our travel papers meant by "tip included here". As the week wore on what we imagined to be covered as far as tips seemed not the case. I'm sure this is a case by case basis. I might add that Robel and T never had any expectancy whatsoever.
Before I forget, the whole "gifts" saga really stressed me out. I took over a variety of things that could be stretched out among a few people, or just for one. I was not in the position to take 50 gifts over! I gave Micah's main nanny and his night nanny gifts. His main one sat with us while we gave it to here but she didn't open it right then. It was kind of anti-climactic to be honest. I had made a photo album for her of our family, house, Micah's school, etc that she really enjoyed. As far as anyone else, it was not an issue at all. We only saw Duni for about 2 hours the whole week and that was when we did the paperwork.
In addition to sagas, the donations we took over were quite a burden! We weren't sure who to give them to, the Transition Home or the orphanage. Our group didn't go to the orphanage so we left most of them at the home. This was also anticlimactic. The driver took all of our suitcases off the bus and then the workers took them inside and dumped them out in a pile. Then we left with an empty suitcase. In fact, I missed the whole episode. Dennis said it was a non-event. With this said, we were very glad we took them, but don't stress out about them!
I guess I can sum up this post with, "I didn't know what to expect and if I had an expectation, it would have been way wrong!" I suppose that's what made this an adventure to say the least!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Travel 101 for Dummies, part 2
Continuing on...
Shopping/Eating Out
1. Since Dennis and I traveled two days early, we did have occasion to eat out a bit more than most. The travel guide that AWAA sends out with the suggested restaurants was helpful. The majority of all the restaurants have pizza and Italian-ish food that they serve. Lots of spaghetti, lasagna and pasta. Most also serve a variety of bottled soda, leaning towards the Coke side. We had a lot of Sprite, just because I'm a Diet Coke addict, and this was pretty rare.
2. The Zebra Grill is within walking distance of the guest house. A few of us walked one late afternoon for an early dinner. We asked Duni about leaving the guest house with our babies, and she surprisingly said it was fine as long as we didn't make a big scene. I told Dennis to try to tone it down! As is par for the course, it took a very long time. The food is grilled right there in front of you. Beware! The hamburgers are SPICY!!!!!!!! I'm not sure what they have in them, but I wound up trading most of my dinner with another guy for his burrito. Whew!
3. The best food I had in town was next to the International Museum. It's called "Lucy's..." something. I had great stir fry-reliable vegetables. The Blue Top was also good and safe. The Lime Tree restaurant is a trendy hang out for locals and tourists that has great juice drinks. It is in the upper part of the building where you may be taken for manicures and massages, ladies!
4. We found shopping to be an adventure as this is where most of the kids and beggars hang out. The prices were quite reasonable and they were quite Un-willing to haggle because they know someone else will come and buy the stuff. Most of the shops have the same type of merchandise. If you look for traditional clothing, it's not always out on display, so ask for it. I couldn't find anything smaller than about a size 18 months or so for our little guy.
5. The Edna Mall is a more modern version of a shopping area with Westernized shops, like salons, clothing and a bookstore. We went one day to meet a friends, but as it was a holiday, the shops were closed. There is a video game, bumper car, Chuck E. Cheez type place for kids. It also has a play place to crawl in and through. If you travel with other children, this may be a "taste of home" for them one afternoon. It's roughly 5 minutes from the guest house by car. If the power goes out, the fun will cease instantly, however!
Packing(This proved to be true for us, not necessarily others...)
1. I did not use the following that I packed: clothes pins/line, a jacket, laundry detergent, ear plugs, bottle liners (Micah REFUSED this type of bottle and we wound up buying bottles there!) I'd suggest taking both kinds, 20 of the outfits we took for him (he did not have blow out issues so we had TONS of clothing not used, latex gloves
2. I religiously used: my crossword puzzle book, a book for leisure reading, snacks, bottled water (force yourself to drink and it will keep you hydrated), hand sanitizer, cameras and laptop, individual drink powdered mixes for bottled water, little cereal puffs for Micah (Target/Wal-Mart) He LOVES them, gum, Sour Patch Kids candy (I told you at one point I have quirks), IPod, Tums/Rolaids, cloth diapers for wiping up formula and sweat (his not not ours!)
Okay...more later!
Shopping/Eating Out
1. Since Dennis and I traveled two days early, we did have occasion to eat out a bit more than most. The travel guide that AWAA sends out with the suggested restaurants was helpful. The majority of all the restaurants have pizza and Italian-ish food that they serve. Lots of spaghetti, lasagna and pasta. Most also serve a variety of bottled soda, leaning towards the Coke side. We had a lot of Sprite, just because I'm a Diet Coke addict, and this was pretty rare.
2. The Zebra Grill is within walking distance of the guest house. A few of us walked one late afternoon for an early dinner. We asked Duni about leaving the guest house with our babies, and she surprisingly said it was fine as long as we didn't make a big scene. I told Dennis to try to tone it down! As is par for the course, it took a very long time. The food is grilled right there in front of you. Beware! The hamburgers are SPICY!!!!!!!! I'm not sure what they have in them, but I wound up trading most of my dinner with another guy for his burrito. Whew!
3. The best food I had in town was next to the International Museum. It's called "Lucy's..." something. I had great stir fry-reliable vegetables. The Blue Top was also good and safe. The Lime Tree restaurant is a trendy hang out for locals and tourists that has great juice drinks. It is in the upper part of the building where you may be taken for manicures and massages, ladies!
4. We found shopping to be an adventure as this is where most of the kids and beggars hang out. The prices were quite reasonable and they were quite Un-willing to haggle because they know someone else will come and buy the stuff. Most of the shops have the same type of merchandise. If you look for traditional clothing, it's not always out on display, so ask for it. I couldn't find anything smaller than about a size 18 months or so for our little guy.
5. The Edna Mall is a more modern version of a shopping area with Westernized shops, like salons, clothing and a bookstore. We went one day to meet a friends, but as it was a holiday, the shops were closed. There is a video game, bumper car, Chuck E. Cheez type place for kids. It also has a play place to crawl in and through. If you travel with other children, this may be a "taste of home" for them one afternoon. It's roughly 5 minutes from the guest house by car. If the power goes out, the fun will cease instantly, however!
Packing(This proved to be true for us, not necessarily others...)
1. I did not use the following that I packed: clothes pins/line, a jacket, laundry detergent, ear plugs, bottle liners (Micah REFUSED this type of bottle and we wound up buying bottles there!) I'd suggest taking both kinds, 20 of the outfits we took for him (he did not have blow out issues so we had TONS of clothing not used, latex gloves
2. I religiously used: my crossword puzzle book, a book for leisure reading, snacks, bottled water (force yourself to drink and it will keep you hydrated), hand sanitizer, cameras and laptop, individual drink powdered mixes for bottled water, little cereal puffs for Micah (Target/Wal-Mart) He LOVES them, gum, Sour Patch Kids candy (I told you at one point I have quirks), IPod, Tums/Rolaids, cloth diapers for wiping up formula and sweat (his not not ours!)
Okay...more later!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Travel 101 for Dummies
Not that we are dumb...but borrowing from popular books, mind you. So here is a compilation of "who knew??" and "now you tell me!" thoughts I took mental note of while in Addis. I'll arrange them by events and places.
The Guest House:
1. VERY clean and new furnishings, only open for 4 months.
2. Coffee and hot water for tea available nearly all the time
3. Incredibly kind and helpful staff who are willing to get you what you need
4. Large sitting area with couches to visit and play
5. Dining area where meals are served
6. Breakfast is included and the cook will make you scrambled eggs and omelets which are quite good. There will always be bread, croissants, jelly, cheese and some mystery meat I stayed clear of. The juice is from a sealed container and we found it to be good and safe.
7. If you choose to eat dinner, the cost is around $6 per person. We ate twice for the convenience. The cook is sensitive about cooking the vegetables well which I thought was quite considerate.
8. The laundry service is WELL worth it. We gave them a huge load and it wound up costing us about $20. This is hand washed, hung to dry, and ironed and delivered. Even I wouldn't do that for you!
9. Each room is a suite set up with a common living room and kitchen. There is a balcony that looks out which is nice for a breeze. The kitchen has basic dishes, a microwave and the infamous hot pot, which is new by the way. It takes about three minutes for water to boil.
10. There are two mini-fridges, one for each room. There is always water, soda, and beer if you choose. The larger waters are a dollar, and the smaller around .80 cents. The larger bottle is the better deal. We bought water at the store for the most part. We found out on the last day that you get two of the smaller bottles of water a day at no charge. Who'da knew?? The cleaning ladies check the fridge each day and record any drinks on your tab.
10. THIS IS A BIGGIE-you will see that the room keys are a bit of a hassle. Each time you leave the guest house, you must give them both keys. This is for safety reasons. The one thing we DIDN'T like was that if you leave and your spouse stays in the room, this person is LOCKED in if you take the suite room key with you. So if someone leaves, don't have them take the key because you are locked in for real. This is not so approved I'm sure by our fire standards, but we wanted you to be aware of it.
US Consulate Visit:
1. First off, if you aren't a skirt wearer, don't bring one just for this. This was a huge non-issue. You basically walk up to a bank-teller like window and no one sees you from the chest down. So DON'T sweat the khakis and nicer clothes just for this reason. The lady we had was an American. They ask you about 4 questions, look at their computer screen and you're done. I nearly puked from nerves for no reason!
2. ABSOLUTELY no cameras or electrical devices whatsoever are allowed here. We left ours locked at the guest house. They will take them and it's a hassle to get them back. There are several check points and bag checks where you show your passport. If you brought water, they make you drink some in front of them to make sure you don't fall over dead. You wait outside on benches under a canopy so it can be a bit toasty. Dress cool.
3. You will be seated in a room full of chairs and called over the microphone by someone upstairs. Robel comes with you, although we didn't have a language barrier because of the American consulate worker we had. The questions are not tricky, just basic ones like, "Is this the child you have been referred?" Uh...yeah.
Overall Clothing:
1. Dennis wore jeans and longer shorts and sandals the ENTIRE trip. No issue.
2. I wore Capri's, long Bermuda-type shorts, long skirts for comfort and flip flops the whole time. The people here wear about everything, including sleeveless.
3. The kids at the transition home are enthralled with long necklaces I found out. If you have one or two, they go a long way in the "Don't you want me to hold you?" area! :-)
Okay...enough for now. I hope this helps you who are preparing!!!
The Guest House:
1. VERY clean and new furnishings, only open for 4 months.
2. Coffee and hot water for tea available nearly all the time
3. Incredibly kind and helpful staff who are willing to get you what you need
4. Large sitting area with couches to visit and play
5. Dining area where meals are served
6. Breakfast is included and the cook will make you scrambled eggs and omelets which are quite good. There will always be bread, croissants, jelly, cheese and some mystery meat I stayed clear of. The juice is from a sealed container and we found it to be good and safe.
7. If you choose to eat dinner, the cost is around $6 per person. We ate twice for the convenience. The cook is sensitive about cooking the vegetables well which I thought was quite considerate.
8. The laundry service is WELL worth it. We gave them a huge load and it wound up costing us about $20. This is hand washed, hung to dry, and ironed and delivered. Even I wouldn't do that for you!
9. Each room is a suite set up with a common living room and kitchen. There is a balcony that looks out which is nice for a breeze. The kitchen has basic dishes, a microwave and the infamous hot pot, which is new by the way. It takes about three minutes for water to boil.
10. There are two mini-fridges, one for each room. There is always water, soda, and beer if you choose. The larger waters are a dollar, and the smaller around .80 cents. The larger bottle is the better deal. We bought water at the store for the most part. We found out on the last day that you get two of the smaller bottles of water a day at no charge. Who'da knew?? The cleaning ladies check the fridge each day and record any drinks on your tab.
10. THIS IS A BIGGIE-you will see that the room keys are a bit of a hassle. Each time you leave the guest house, you must give them both keys. This is for safety reasons. The one thing we DIDN'T like was that if you leave and your spouse stays in the room, this person is LOCKED in if you take the suite room key with you. So if someone leaves, don't have them take the key because you are locked in for real. This is not so approved I'm sure by our fire standards, but we wanted you to be aware of it.
US Consulate Visit:
1. First off, if you aren't a skirt wearer, don't bring one just for this. This was a huge non-issue. You basically walk up to a bank-teller like window and no one sees you from the chest down. So DON'T sweat the khakis and nicer clothes just for this reason. The lady we had was an American. They ask you about 4 questions, look at their computer screen and you're done. I nearly puked from nerves for no reason!
2. ABSOLUTELY no cameras or electrical devices whatsoever are allowed here. We left ours locked at the guest house. They will take them and it's a hassle to get them back. There are several check points and bag checks where you show your passport. If you brought water, they make you drink some in front of them to make sure you don't fall over dead. You wait outside on benches under a canopy so it can be a bit toasty. Dress cool.
3. You will be seated in a room full of chairs and called over the microphone by someone upstairs. Robel comes with you, although we didn't have a language barrier because of the American consulate worker we had. The questions are not tricky, just basic ones like, "Is this the child you have been referred?" Uh...yeah.
Overall Clothing:
1. Dennis wore jeans and longer shorts and sandals the ENTIRE trip. No issue.
2. I wore Capri's, long Bermuda-type shorts, long skirts for comfort and flip flops the whole time. The people here wear about everything, including sleeveless.
3. The kids at the transition home are enthralled with long necklaces I found out. If you have one or two, they go a long way in the "Don't you want me to hold you?" area! :-)
Okay...enough for now. I hope this helps you who are preparing!!!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
We are Making It!!
I (Mary), thought I'd check in now that I've almost recovered from our trip, jetlag, and "new mommy of a baby" fatigue! Dennis has been pretty faithful with posting, but so many have been asking for an update, I wanted to keep those of you who follow our blog updated! I have a horrid habit of being way too windy in my speech, so I'll try to limit myself by giving you our Top Ten Micah Highlights for the week we have had him!
In no particular order...
1. An 8 hour time change on an 8 month old does not bode well for sleeping at the right times. Someone needs to tell him that 4 to 6 am are not prime time, cute, playing times on this continent.
2. I firmly believe that proper nutrition and love can make a baby's hair grow...no joke.
3. If he could speak in sentences, his first words would be, "This car seat thing stinks!"
4. His second sentence might be, "May I have more cereal please??"
5. He is quite adept at climbing the two steps on our hardwood floor up to our dining area...quite a sight for someone so little.
6. His third sentence would be, "And why did you think you would have time to baby proof and put all the cool stuff up high????" What a joke.
7. He has had NO periods of inconsolable crying. I love that. He fusses when he's tired and hungry, or put out with one of us in general!
8. He has had his first vegetables this week and didn't spit out a bite!
9. Today, we go see Dr. Vu, his new pediatrician. Hmm....we'll get back on that one. I met with her before we left and really like her! I'm so anxious to get his current weight.
10. Lastly, he wanted me to tell you how thankful he is that he has such a trendy and abundant wardrobe. So much so that his sisters are coveting a bit. His Granny and sister organized his closet while we were gone and there are no words for the sight. Wow!!
Thanks again for all of your warm wishes, prayers and comments. We continue to lift up ALL who are in the middle of this process, knowing exactly how you feel. Please let us know if you have any travel questions or just need to vent. I'm organizing an ADDIS TRAVEL for BEGINNERS post to summarize what we really used, really needed and wish I hadn't bothered bringing. Thought it may be of some use to you mommies who are wondering!! :-)
In no particular order...
1. An 8 hour time change on an 8 month old does not bode well for sleeping at the right times. Someone needs to tell him that 4 to 6 am are not prime time, cute, playing times on this continent.
2. I firmly believe that proper nutrition and love can make a baby's hair grow...no joke.
3. If he could speak in sentences, his first words would be, "This car seat thing stinks!"
4. His second sentence might be, "May I have more cereal please??"
5. He is quite adept at climbing the two steps on our hardwood floor up to our dining area...quite a sight for someone so little.
6. His third sentence would be, "And why did you think you would have time to baby proof and put all the cool stuff up high????" What a joke.
7. He has had NO periods of inconsolable crying. I love that. He fusses when he's tired and hungry, or put out with one of us in general!
8. He has had his first vegetables this week and didn't spit out a bite!
9. Today, we go see Dr. Vu, his new pediatrician. Hmm....we'll get back on that one. I met with her before we left and really like her! I'm so anxious to get his current weight.
10. Lastly, he wanted me to tell you how thankful he is that he has such a trendy and abundant wardrobe. So much so that his sisters are coveting a bit. His Granny and sister organized his closet while we were gone and there are no words for the sight. Wow!!
Thanks again for all of your warm wishes, prayers and comments. We continue to lift up ALL who are in the middle of this process, knowing exactly how you feel. Please let us know if you have any travel questions or just need to vent. I'm organizing an ADDIS TRAVEL for BEGINNERS post to summarize what we really used, really needed and wish I hadn't bothered bringing. Thought it may be of some use to you mommies who are wondering!! :-)
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