Andrew and Mommy

Andrew and Mommy

Monday, November 29, 2010

Embassy appointment

It looks like my Embassy Appointment will be December 30...we are still waiting on absolute confirmation, but I was told to start looking for flights. So, it looks like I will head back to Addis right after Christmas and will bring Andrew home on January 2!!

The day after I returned from Ethiopia, my dear friend and surrogate daughter, Janetta, threw me a shower--there were about 30 friends and family there. We all dressed in the colors of the Ethiopian flag, ate Ethiopian food (My friend Andrea brought from Atlanta), and played some creative games. Then, this afternoon, my UAB Band family had a surprise shower for me! So many people are excited to share in the celebration of bringing Andrew into our world! I am so appreciative!!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Court Passed--he is officially my son!





On Thursday, November 18, at around 10 am in Addis Ababa, "A" became my son! I am finally able to share a couple of pictures with you here! He is a beautiful, sweet baby...being well-cared for....and I am in love! I have lots more to share about our experiences in Ethiopia, but I'll need a few days to get back to normal before I post! Suffice it to say--it was a fantastic experience--full of a wide range of emotions, some occasional tears, lots of laughter and joy. If all goes well, I should return in about 4 weeks to bring my son, Andrew home!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

On the way to meet my little boy!!

Just a short note here to say that we (my parents and I) leave for Ethiopia at 1:30 tomorrow! We have a long flight ahead, but I'm excited about the adventure. I need to go throw some things in a suitcase, but I wanted to document the day!! More from Addis!!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

First Court Passed!

On this past Monday, our first court hearing took place in Addis. This is the one when the birth mother officially relinquishes A to the orphanage/government so that I can come adopt him on November 18th!! All went smoothly, so my official travel dates are November 10-20, with court on the 18th. My mom and dad are going with me for this first trip. We're all really excited! We had all of our shots ($$$), I've been collecting donations for the orphanage, and I will pack this weekend. We leave one week from today!!

Recently, I have received several new pictures from families who have seen my little guy, and the pictures are phenomenal!! I'm so appreciative. I wish I could post the pics here, because I'm telling you--my little "peanut" is one good-looking kid:-) When I opened one of the new pictures last night that had him with a giant smile on his face, I just burst into tears! (Of course, pretty much anything related to this process makes me cry these days!) All good!!!