Ok then!

We are off tomorrow.

We arrive in Addis Ababa at 6pm Friday night via Frankfurt. Ethiopia is 7hrs ahead of us.

We will unpack, eat and sleep. Or what will pass for sleep.

In the am on Saturday we will shop for some baby essentials and then go meet our girl!

For the most part I'll keep in touch by posting to this blog. We will have internet access although we may not always have electricity!

Thank you all for your support and kindness throughout this process.

Until we are four,

L

We're leaving

...on a jet plane!!

YIKES!!!

We have so much to do!! And I can't walk!

But my baby girl will be in my arms on Saturday! Even if I have to sit down to do it.

Humorous story--SO MUCH shopping still to do and I cannot walk or stand for long. So J took me to Target and we got one of those motorized scooter carts. Let me tell you. That baby hauled! It was FAST. I flew around the store tossing things into the cart. I may have to buy one of those. Sure, it was embarrassing especially the beep-beep sound it makes in reverse. And my husband running ahead of me to take pictures of me. I wish I rear ended him!

L
New Mommy and cleared to travel!

Time

I saw this sentiment expressed by a dad on another blog:

With children, the days are long but the years are short.

I look at my 15 year old son and I realize how true this is. The years have just kept marching along. Soon he'll be in college and we will be vacations in his life. If we're lucky. People say it all the time but it is important to stop for a second and think about it. Time passes quickly. The kind of time you wish would pass slowly.

There is a kind of time you wish would pass fast--waiting in line, bone healing, time until vacation, teething.

Then there is the time you wish would creep--vacation, time with your parents on a deck in the sun, that beautiful time between 4-6pm in the summer, ice cream in the back of the jeep with your son after a baseball game.

But you can't have it both ways, right?

As we look at the time ahead which will surely have some trying moments, trying moments in raising a baby at this time of our lives, I tell myself to keep this in mind.

Just as there were times when I'd turn to J and say:

I love this stage. You think if we stop feeding him and put him in a bell jar he will stay just like this?

There will certainly be times we can't wait to have pass. Tantrums anyone? Pubertitious rebellion?

Two more sentiments from dads come to mind.

My brother has said--A baby is a blessing.

And my Dad--Children fly out of your hands.

They are. They do.

I plan to try my best to keep this in mind through both kinds of time.

Until then, I hope the next 24hrs pass fast!!!

L

Give Me Liberty or...

Grandma hightailed it over to Target to score four of these babies for her granddaughter! They have been flying off the shelves... I think they'll look great under her daybed. And they match the chair.

Hey! Grandma loves matchy-matchy so maybe that is why she tore out to get them! :-)

Thanks Ma! Couldn't do it without you!

L

The last few "steps" (a term used loosely)

On Monday we should hear from the US Embassy in Addis Ababa that M's case is cleared and we can travel. Our flights leave Thursday at 5:30. We are hopeful!

Left to do--

Finish nursery: paint, rugs, wire lights, build out closet, window treatments, trim
Bathroom: Put decals up on walls, all hardware installed, shower curtains

Pack: this will be monstrous. We have 6 suitcases that need to go and 6 carry on. We have a lot of stuff to get over to the orphanages.

Tons of errands!

All this and I still can't walk or stand--bad foot injury this weekend in Pittsburgh. J is threatening to get a double stroller now to wheel me and the baby around. It is mortifying and couldn't have happened at a worse time!

L

Liberty

Every one deserves to have some liberty, right?

Isn't that why our forefathers threw caution to the wind?

Well our baby girl just got some liberty.

Liberty of London that is!!

Target is doing an awesome line right now with famed British store and fabric house Liberty of London. Gorgeous stuff! Clothes, housewares, decos. Limited time!

We scored one of the last of these in Massachusetts.

It will totally go with the 60s mod vibe in her room!

(There may have been a large dress haul too. Can't have the girl running around bare butt!)

Get thee to Target!!

L

Embassy

Today our paperwork will be filed with the US Embassy in Addis. They will do their investigation and let us know in one week if we are cleared to travel and pick M up. We are scheduled to leave that Thursday!

A nail biter to the end!

L

Getting excited!

In a tad over 3 wks we will have our daughter in our arms!

What is left to do?

Finish the nursery: Paint trim, move carpets in, build out closet. Paint some of the furniture, assemble and move in furniture. Hang window treatments. Put on wall decal. Wall paper closet doors (J's way cool idea). Hang art. Put in lighting.

Finish Bathroom: Install sink and faucet. Paint trim. Put on wall decals. Hang shower curtains. Put up hooks.

Buy stuff for the trip.

Finish vaccinations.

PACK! This will be somewhat monstrous.

We have most of the baby stuff, thank goodness.

Lauren

In this corner, tipping the scales....

at 16 pounds...



It's M R D! (@ 8mos)

I think the caption of this picture should be:

"Enough already with the pictures, when are you picking me up??"

and

"Bring a hat, I have no hair!"

laid low

Those vaccines kicked my butt!!

And we need to get two more this week!!

Waaaah!

Lauren