Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Advent

This year Igor and I are doing the Jesse Tree Advent Family Devotional together.  It's a sweet time for Igor and I to count down to Christmas. 
I am not sure how it happened but Advent snuck up on me this year so I wasn't prepared on the first day.  I decided to make a tree out of construction paper and having Igor draw glue on an ornament each day because it was easy and it was time to start.  When I mentioned my plan to Igor he said, "Why don't we get out my little Christmas tree instead?"  Why didn't I think of that?  We pulled out his little Christmas Tree from storage.  Igor insisted on lights, the big ones.  I downloaded copies of ornaments here .  Each day Igor and I go through the Advent devotional.  Igor  may choose to color in the ornaments or draw his own. 
We are on day two.  I am enjoying this special time with my son.

Stocking stuffers

Check out the beautiful stocking stuffers to benefit the uniform fund at Grace Baptist Church in Kombolcha, Ethiopia!

Grace Baptist Church is in Kombolcha, Ethiopia- which is approximately 7 hours by car from Addis Ababa.   The church cares for 375 orphaned and vulnerable children in Kombolcha.  In order for the children to attend school they must have a school uniform.  For many families, the cost of a new school uniform is cost prohibited so we are currently raising funds to purchase uniforms for the children.   

With a donation to the Uniform Fund you can receive these stocking stuffer cards. (business card sized 3.5″ x 2″) These are a perfect fit for stocking stuffers, a little something extra for your kids’ teacher gifts, co-workers or include one in the Christmas card you mail out this year! Here’s how to make a donation:

PLEASE follow these instructions, so that your donation goes to the correct fund.
Go click HERE to make a donation on the Children's Hope Chest site. (Your donation is 100% tax deductible.)

Under “Gift Information,” click on “choose a fund” and select “designated gifts”.

Type in your gift amount (if you’re giving gift cards to more than one person, just add up the total amount to be given and write it in the blank, then when you email, state the number of total gift cards needed.)

Then (this is the important part) under the “notes field” be sure to add in the Fund code which is “ET2116000 Uniforms.”

Finally, add in your info and follow the prompts to complete your donation.

Once you complete your donation, send an email to  mommysmoneysavingmadness@gmail.com with your donation amount, your mailing address and the number of gift cards.

The cards will be mailed to you within a two days of your donation/order. To ensure you get your cards before Christmas, be sure to make a donation by December 15th. If you have any questions at all, please email Tracy at mommysmoneysavingmadness@gmail.com
Thanks you so much for making a difference this Christmas!

November 16, 2005

On November 16, 2005, a Russian judged approved our adoption- Igor was our son!  I cannot believe we've been a family for 6 years!  We celebrated with Igor's favorite meal- pizza and prince charming pumpkin cake.  Life couldn't be sweeter.

Halloween

USCIS Stakeholder Meeting on Ethiopian Adoptions

If you are adopting from Ethiopia-
USCIS Stakeholder Meeting on Ethiopian Adoptions - Friday, October 28, 2011 at 10:30am (EDT)


U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would like to invite you to attend a stakeholder call to discuss USCIS processing of Ethiopian adoption cases which the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa is referring to USCIS as "not clearly approvable".
Recently, the U.S. Embassy in Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia, has identified a number of adoption petitions (Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as Immediate Relative) that it has determined are not clearly approvable (NCA), and thus, must be referred to USCIS for adjudication. USCIS would like to explain what “not clearly approvable” means and how the processing of such cases will unfold once the cases are referred to USCIS.
To Participate in the Session

Any interested parties may participate in this event by telephone. All participants must respond to this invitation. Please contact the USCIS Office of Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by Thursday, October 27, 2011 referencing “Ethiopian Adoptions” in the subject line of your email. Please also include your full name and the organization you represent in the body of the email. Once an RSVP email has been received, USCIS will provide you call-in details.

Family Update

The pediatrician called this morning- the most recent giardia test- POSITIVE!  ugh!  We will pick up another round of antibiotics in the morning.  We cannot wait until this pest is GONE!!

Last week Igor was sick.  I knew he had a cold but he rarely complains when he is sick and he doesn't slow down so if he doesn't have a temperature I never know how sick he really is.  One night before bed he said "I cannot  get all my air out."  The next morning we were in the pediatrician's office.  He had walking  pneumonia.  He is feeling much better now.

On Sunday the scouts had their annual rain gutter regatta.  Igor felt better so we let him race (blow his sailboat down the length of a gutter)  He placed third in his den!

Little Ms. Merone is learning new words everyday.  She is now saying: buckle, goo gurl (good girl), shool (school), I love you.  Her personality continues to emerge.  When were in Ethiopia she was quiet and reserved.  That personality continued to show itself for a month or so once we were home. Now she is very happy>  She loves to be in the middle of whatever is going on.  Kickball game in the yard with the boys- she's in!  Someone getting a hug- she wants one too.  She talks (babbles) all the time, sets up tea parties, loves play dough, plays with babies and LEGOs .  She LOVES Henry and Igor.  She is a wonderful blessing to our family.

Update on the Kombolcha April 21-30, 2012 trip!

We have received several applications for the trip to Kombolcha, Ethiopia!  There are still spots available. 
All the trip details are posted here http://ethiopianadoptionspot.blogspot.com/p/kombolcha-trip-info.html:

Several people have asked about the hotel- does it have electricity and running water?  The answer is YES!!  Others have asked about the drive to Kombolcha from Addis Ababa.  The drive is breathtaking.  We will stop to see the monkeys in the highlands.  You will see the dry and arid regions as well.  If it's market day, the drive will be a bit longer but will be filled with adventure. We've posted a few videos of the hotel and the drive. 

9/11

I watched the 9/11 anniversary events with tears in my eyes.  We all remember exactly where we were when we heard the news ten years ago.
Five years ago, on 9/11 we moved from the Washington, DC suburbs to our new home.  A bittersweet move but it allowed me to stay home with Igor and Rob to work full time.  In hindsight, the move was a huge blessing for our family.

Three years ago on 9/11 we received our second referral from Ethiopia.  The picture of Henry was grainy and blurry but the smile on his sweet face was precious. 
This year we celebrated Henry's referral anniversary and Ethiopian New Year (which is on 9/11).  It was a sweet reminder of how precious Henry is and how grateful we are to call him our son.

Kombolcha 2012!

Our plans for a mission trip to our Care-point in Kombolcha, Ethiopia have been finalized! We invite you to join the team that will be going to Kombolcha from April 21-30, 2012!

When Rob and I were in Kombolcha in May of this year, the pastor and staff at Grace Baptist Church were delighted that we were bringing a team back in 2012. After we finalized the dates, the in-country staff in Ethiopia said they could talk of little else.

If you have ever considered going on a mission trip or visiting your sponsor child, this is the time. Please prayerfully consider joining us or help with preparations!

The Mission

We will spend time with the 165 children in our sponsorship program at Grace Baptist Church. Our mission is this - to build relationships with these children so they know they are cared for and loved not only by us, but by God.  We will spend 5 days with the children at our care-point. We will shower them with love, spend time with them, play games, share care packages and letters from their sponsor families. On our last day in Kombolcha we will have a feast with the children and staff. The feast will include purchasing an ox so all the children, church staff and team members may enjoy a traditional Ethiopian meal. 

Travel Details

All team members will meet in Washington, DC. From there, we will travel to Ethiopia together on a non-stop flight into Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. After a day of travel, we will arrive and spend the night in Addis Ababa. The next day we take an incredible journey to Kombolcha by van. You will be able to see the high and low lands of Ethiopia. We will be accompanied by a Children Hope Chest and One Child Campaign representative the entire time we are in-country.

The total trip will be approximately $2500, this includes air fare, hotels, transportation, translators, and meals. One Child Campaign has prepared the in-country travel package on our behalf and has fixed the cost at $1,296 per person. Entrance VISA's are $20 per person. The cost of round-trip airfare to Ethiopia will vary but is approximately $1,100-$1,300.

You do NOT have to be a child sponsor to go on this trip.  However, all sponsor families are invited and encouraged to meet their sponsor child.

Registration is now open for our April 21-30, 2012 trip to Kombolcha, Ethiopia. If you are interested in joining the team, please e-mail me at mblueberry.madamblueberry@gmail.com.  We would be delighted to have you join us!

If know someone at your work place, church or in your community that would be interested in sponsoring a child - we have several children who are available for sponsorship! According to the pastors of Grace Baptist Church, sponsorship is the number one need. Sponsorship is $34 per month; it provides resources for children to receive at least one meal a day, school supplies, a school uniform, basic medical care and an education! Sponsorship not only offers monthly support, but encouragement through prayer, letter writing, and relationship. E-mail me at mblueberry.madamblueberry@gmail.com for more details.

Shoes for our children at Grace Baptist Church Ethiopia

I take for granted my shoes.  My shoes fit properly and are comfortable.   When my kids want to play outside I have more than one pair of shoes to choose from. When Rob and I visited our Children's Hope Chest care-point in May, we saw the needs of the children in a personal way. Oh, how it’s different to see to the needs when you are looking directly into the eyes of a child.

We saw many children who were in need of new shoes. Here are just two pairs of shoes...

Over the last year we have had a fundraising event to purchase shoes for the children. Several sponsors donated to the shoe fund and Sami, a 12 year old girl, raised more than half of the funds needed!! I am delighted to announce we have enough funds to purchase 163 pair of shoes for the children at our Care-point- Grace Baptist Church! Children’s Hope Chest will wire the funds to Ethiopia next month. As soon as we receive pictures of the children receiving shoes I will share the photos with you! Imagine the children's delight when they receive a new pair of shoes.  Thank you to all who played a part- either by praying and/or contributing financially!!

Our next fundraising project - new school uniforms for the children.  Traci at Mommy's Money Saving Madness is spearheading this fundraising project.  Check out her blog for was you may help us reach the goal of $3,255 for new uniforms.

According to the pastor of Grace Baptist Church, there are many needs at our care point but sponsorship is currently the number one need.  If you or someone you know would be interested in sponsoring a child - we have several children who are available for sponsorship! Sponsorship is $34 per month, it provides resources for children to receive at least one meal a day, school supplies, basic medical care and an education! Sponsorship not only offers monthly support, but encouragement through prayer, letter writing, and relationship. E-mail me at mblueberry.madamblueberry@gmail.com for more details.

Giardia Update

Yes, this little pest is still here... he is currently living in Henry's tummy.  Henry finished up his first round of antibiotics this week. 

We'll be breaking out "the kits" next week to test Merone- we are hoping she is parasite free.  Henry will be tested the following week. I am praying that we'll be done "sampling" by the end of the month.

The good news - Igor is parasite free!! 

Henry's shoe experiment

One of Henry's favorite things to say, "Hey Mom, I have an idea!" 

We are on day 6 of his great idea- 

A different point of view

Our neighborhood has a Yahoo Group so we share information on contractors, share local events and most importantly, find out who is old enough to baby sit!

Today I checked my e-mails around 5PM and read this message which had just been posted:

Two young teenage african-americans are roaming our neighborhood trying to sell what looks like event tickets I did not open my door - please do not open your door - should I call anyone in the light of recent break in? Do I call 911 or just the police office number?? (fyi- it was an attempted break in at 3AM. No one was apprehended.)

I thought to myself- call the police, really? Why not ask who they are and what are doing/selling first?? And why are you so afraid of teenage African-American boys? My mind raced forward 10 years, I imagined Henry walking with the two other teenage African-American boys in our neighborhood and I thought this woman is ready to call the police because my son is black.  My mind quickly races back to the present.

Right now Henry is 4 yrs old, many see him as a cute novelty, adopted from Ethiopia. Okay, some see him as an orphan rescued by his wonderful, loving, and saintly parents (we ONLY meet the loving criteria and we did not rescue him).. but how people see Henry will change. As he grows older his adorable preschool cuteness will be gone and he will be a handsome teenage African-American boy. He won't be holding my hand or yelling from the backyard- Mommy look what I can do!! He will be "hanging out" in our yard, or walking in our neighborhood with his friends who may be African-American boys and someone may call the police because they assume he doesn't belong in our neighborhood or that the boys are up to no good.  This is racial profiling.  For the first time in my life I feel it in a deeply personal way, I sense the ugliness of it and I know I must do something.

I picked up the phone and thought what am I doing?? I set the phone down but I KNEW I must talk to this woman.  I calmed down enough to call this neighbor. I have never met her but she said she knew about our family. We talked about the e-mail, about the fact that two of our children are not white and we cannot assume these teens are up to no good just because they are black teens. She apologized for any offense I had taken to the e-mail.

Two hours later she came over to our house to introduce herself and apologized in person. As Henry and Merone stood next to us we explained that we want our kids to grow up in a neighborhood where they feel safe and our neighbors do not think of them as threatening no matter their age. She said she could see it from our side now and she was sorry she reacted the way she did.

You might be wondering what the teenagers were doing in our neighborhood. They are football players from our high school selling merchant discount cards which will benefit the equipment fund.

Parasite 1, Antibiotics 0

The doctor called this morning, Merone still has giardia.  We started a second round of antibiotics today.  I'm concerned about Henry who has some symptoms of giardia sooo we stopped by the doctors office to pick up another "sample" kit for Henry. 

Merone had her two year old check-up.  As we suspected, she is younger than two.  (disclaimer- our agency told us up front they believed Merone was younger than the orphanage reported in their paperwork.)   Merone's one year old molars are just breaking through and there are no signs of her two year old molars. 

Some of you are wondering how could her age be in question.  Most mothers in Ethiopia have their babies at home not in a hospital so there is no hospital record of the birth.  Many mother's remember the season (rainy, planting, harvesting, etc) of the child's birth but maybe not the actual date.  There is also an issue of the calendar.  We use a Julian calendar and Ethiopia uses Ge'ez calendar which has 13 months.  So, there could be an issue with the conversion of the date of birth.  There is the case of when the child's parents have died or the child has been abandoned so a birth date must be created with the best guess.

The nurse at the doctor's office tried to take Merone's blood but she was unsuccessful.  We will visit the hospital for her bloodwork.  Henry was a "hard stick" too so we had to take him to the hospital for his blood work as well.  I hope Mary is working when we take Merone in but I'll take the Goth guy too. 

Look who is Two!!

We celebrated Merone turning 2 years old! 

She was a little overwhelmed by the cake, candles and the singing so Henry helped her out.

Happy Birthday sweet girl! 

Giardia

This picture says everything if you have ever collected "samples".

Merone did not have any signs of Giardia but I asked the doctor to test for it, just in case. I was shocked when the doctor called last month saying she did have Giardia.  Not only does she have it, she has the most difficult type to kill.  Henry had a different type of Giardia, but it still took several rounds of antibiotics before he was parasite free.  Merone has taken one round of antibiotics.  Rob dropped off her second  "sample" this morning for re-testing.  We are praying that the Giardia is GONE!!

I had to laugh when I saw this website

Giant Plush Microbe

You can buy all sorts of parasites and microbes, including Giardia. 

He looks so soft and cuddly.... but he really is a pest.  I am looking forward to saying good-bye to Giardia forever.

Merone is talking

I cannot believe it!  We've been home about a month.  Merone is amazing.  Our sweet and shy little girl is becoming more confident and is trying to say words.  To be exact she either screams words or whispers them.  I've looked for volume control on her back but quickly realized she is not a toy but a little girl who wants to be HEARD.  I believe she is quite clever.  When she whispers we all stop to hear what she is saying.  When she screams we cannot help but hear her.  I am trying to teach her "inside voice".  I am certain she understands me because when I talk to her about it she looks at me with a furrowed brow and a pout on her lips as if she is saying- I will be heard!!!  We'll continue working on "inside voice" despite the pout and brow.  

Merone says- Mommy, daddy, no, stop, gog (dog), da (down), up, ticky (icky).  She is very good a getting her point across.  Yesterday Rob had to stifle a laugh when Merone pointed her finger at Henry and said, "No, No!"

Yawn... did I mention we are exhausted?  Henry was a terrible sleeper for MONTHS after he arrived home.  If sleep deprivation was a sport Henry would have been given a gold medal in parental sleep deprivation.  I believe my sweet Henry has been giving Merone tips on how to completely exhaust us. 

Sweet baby girl has had night terrors since the day we took her from the transitional home. She continues to have them.  I have tried waking her up about 2 hours after she goes to sleep.  That worked a couple times but then her night terrors were pushed back a few hours.   It's so hard to watch she struggle as she has the night terrors.  After the night terrors she wakes up 3-6 times per night, crying out for me.  I go and I comfort her and then put her back down.  She has slept through the night, ummm, two times... I'm sooo sleeepy... and so is my dear sweet husband.  Did I mention that Merone gets up around 4:45AM no matter what time she goes to sleep?  Rob is my hero.  He gets up with her every morning and tries to get her back to sleep.  Most mornings he is not successful so they go for long walks while the rest of us sleep.  Rob has logged about 50 miles this month with Merone in the stroller.   I'm hoping her sleep patterns change soon, otherwise, Operation Sleep will be back... but not until Merone knows we are her parents and we will always be there for her. 

Henry's summer time favorites

jumping

water table fun

 lake fun

 puzzles

Summer time fun

Igor loves summer.  Here's a few reasons why:

 Jumping in the lake off Aunt Jane's dock is always fun

Beating dad at Yahtzee never gets old

puzzles are more fun in the summer time- especially in PJs.

A new family order

**** I am not an expert on adoption or claim to have all the answers. This post is to share our experiences after adopting three children.***

Every time a new child comes into our family a new order needs to be established. We experienced this with each of our children.  Although, the new order for Igor had the most impact on us, his parents.  We moved to a couple with no children to parents of a 3 1/2 year old.  Wow, did our lives change quickly!  We rejoiced because we were finally parents but there was some grieving for the care-free life style we lived before parenthood.

When we adopted Henry there was  a time of disorder that occurred prior to the "new normal".  It took  months to see the completion of this reordering process but in every family the re-ordering process can look different.  The  months of re-ordering were very hard for Igor who went from an only child to a big brother.  He regressed about a year when Henry came home.  It's hard to watch the regression in your children but it's natural, it happens in most families then something clicks for the child and the child moves forward again. 

The re-ordering process is a very difficult time for each family member because we are all impacted to different degrees.

I have found it difficult to balance Henry's emotional neediness with the minute by minute needs of Merone who has taken barnacle to a new level.   Henry has been regressing before my eyes.... He wants to drink from a bottle, he cries more often, he wants to ride in the stroller, and so on.  Igor less impacted because he remains the "oldest" but he still needs to learn compassion and love for Merone.

Today, I am lowering my expectations of what each child is capable of and of what I can do for each child.  I'm not doing this because I think my children are lazy or have emotionally checked out... it's because family re-ordering has taken an emotional toll on all of us.  Igor is "faking it until" he feels compassion and love for Merone.  Henry is experiencing a loss of his position of being the "baby" and I need to have compassion for him as he sorts out his role in our family.  So for now, he can have a bottle or ride in the stroller.  Yes, some of you are gasping at this thought but I am choosing to meet Henry where is emotionally right now.  I know he won't stay in this place for long.  When I have a few minutes, I am trying to make some special one on one time for Henry and Igor, after all older siblings need mom too.  

The boys meet Merone

Henry LOVES, LOVES, LOVES his baby sister!! 

He wants to feed her, read to her, carry her, etc.

Henry and Merone were up a 5AM this morning reading books in Merone's bed.  You cannot tell based on this photo but Merone thinks Henry is awesome.  She gave him a kiss this morning.  Something she has not given her parents yet.

Igor is a proud big brother.  He carries her around and is learning to comfort her when she cries.

Rob and I are over the jet lag but Merone is still struggling to adjust to our time.  We are looking forward to sleeping more than a few hours each night.

Merone is with us!!

Here's a picture of our sweet girl after her first night with us at the guest house!!

 

Guess who turned 9?

Today is a big day.  We are on our way to Ethiopia!!  We cannot wait to see our girl!  Today is also Igor's birthday.  He turned 9 years old today.
Last night we had a party for him.  He was sooo excited to celebrate a day early.

 








his Star Wars LEGO ship





We were able to pick the first tomatoes of the season before we left! 









we hope to post pictures of our gotcha day tomorrow!!

And so it begins again- please pray...

We leave for Ethiopia next week!! We are excited but it is tempered by the current action by MOWYCA (similar to social services in the US).  MOWYCA does not appear to be writing letters required for court.  We have many dear friends who have been matched with their children, have gone to court but have not passed court because the MOWYCA letter was missing.  These families long to go back to pick up their child(ren).  We have other friends waiting for referrals but the delay for those who have not passed court is causing a ripple effect and referrals have slowed to a crawl.
Our friends in Ethiopia have put out this call for prayer and fasting-
Calling adoptive families, intercessors & orphan advocates: The director of MOWYCA (the agency that approves adoptions) in Ethiopia is not working for justice for orphans. We want to challenge each of you to fast and/or pray this week that her heart is changed or that she is removed from office. This is urgent as it will affect all Ethiopian adoptions. Not looking at circumstances, but on the One who changes them!


thank you for praying!

Embassy Appointment

We received an e-mail this morning with the sweetest news- We have a confirmed Embassy Appointment on June 23!  We are finalizing our travel plans. In less than two weeks we will be in Ethiopia with Merone.

  

Cleared for Travel!!!

The US Embassy has clear us for travel!!!  We are should receive our Embassy Appointment confirmation tomorrow!!  We are so excited to know we will be able to pick up our daughter soon.  We also learned that baby girl has the chicken pox!!  Please pray she has a mild case and recovers quickly.

Tonight we had a pancake dinner fundraiser to help bring Merone home.  We raised almost the exact amount of money needed for Merone's air plane ticket home.  Thank you God for providing!!!

Family re-ordering and Supplements

Prior to going to Ethiopia we had Igor's Neurotransmitters retested.  He has been doing great on the supplements but we are about change our family dynamics again.  We will all be a bit stressed out during the re-ordering period so we wanted to get a base line reading on Igor before Merone comes home.  Igor has been on Neurogistics supplements for 9 months.  His ability to control his temper, understand complex feelings and emotions has grown by leaps and bounds.  Yes, Igor is maturing but I believe the supplements are helping him remain more calm and have given him the able to handle change and stress in a positive way. 

Igor's results were much improved since our last re-test.  However, he still has a very high "Fight or Flight" response.  More fight than flight in my observation so the practitioner suggested a change in his supplements.  We made the change over the weekend and "early 2010 Igor" is back.  I don't have any other words to describe him.  The on edge, angry Igor is back and no one is happy, most of all Igor.  He is 8 yrs old and really does not understand why his emotions are completely off.  After some discussion with the practitioner, I am putting him back on his previous supplements to get the more calm and happy Igor back.  We will change his supplements again before Merone comes home.  I am hoping that we get the right mix before we leave for Ethiopia. 

We know that our family order will change.  This week Igor has talked openly about how it was when there were just three of us and how it all changed when Henry arrived. He knows a big change is coming. 

Moving to the next step!

Rejoice, Rejoice!!  On Wednesday our paperwork for Merone's adoption was submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia.  Some of you are wondering what that means.
Our adoption agency must collect post court paperwork such as- new birth certificates, a passport for Merone, a medical evaluation is done, and so on.  All the documents the US Embassy requires for review has been submitted!  The Embassy has about a week to review the documents,  After their review they could:

1. issue us an Embassy appointment in Addis or 
2. request more information or
3. do an investigation

 We are praying for option 1 because the next steps would be getting on a plane, picking up Merone, meeting with Embassy officials and then flying home!!
We should hear something this week! 

Father's Day- a gift of giving

Father's Day is right around the corner.  If you are like me, I struggle to find the "right" gift for my dad.  This year we'll be blessing our dads with a gift from the heart, the gift of shoes.... no, not for them... the shoes are for a child in Ethiopia.
Grace Baptist, sponsored by Children's HopeChest, is a care-point for orphaned and impoverished children. Through the support of sponsors, Grace Baptist is able to provide food, clothing, education and Christian discipleship! However, the children have many other needs. One pressing need is shoes.

Tracy, a sponsor mom, and her brother are professionally printing and mailing out Father's Day cards to benefit the children at our care point, Grace Baptist, in Kombolcha, Ethiopia.  The printing and postage is being donated!  Your monetary gift will be presented to Grace Baptist and will go to purchase new shoes for all the children. One pair of shoes costs $18.   

Go to Tracy's blog to send a card to your dad.

Wedding weekend

Rob's sister was married this weekend.  Igor was in the wedding.  Here are a few pictures.



Holding the ring

Ring delivered



Great MeMe and Igor



Henry & Christy