happy new year!

It is hard to believe that 2008 is almost over. For sure this has been a year of many ups and downs, and more excitement and change than we ever could have imagined. But thanks to our friends and family - new and old, in person and in the blogosphere - we will look back on this year with some of the fondest memories of our lives. And we cannot wait to see what adventures the new year will bring!

We hope you've all been enjoying a happy, merry, jolly, joyous, and fun holiday season, and we wish you all a happy, healthy, and peaceful start to 2009!!

- M & R & S & EJ

for ethiopia

As you all know, we spent much of late 2007 and 2008 completing mountains of paperwork, fighting with bank officers, befriending notaries, having what felt like 1000 fingerprints taken, experiencing moments of crazy excitement and sometimes also shedding quite a few tears. On September 14, 2008, we held Simon Alemayehu in our arms and knew without a doubt that every last second of it was completely worth it.

Many have commented on how lucky Simon is to have been adopted by us, and we hope that this will prove true. We do know how lucky we are to have been able to welcome this amazing little boy into our lives. We also feel extraordinarily lucky to have been able to experience Ethiopia - culture and country, now also an integral part of our lives.

Unfortunately, many in Ethiopia are not as lucky as we are. Approximately 1.5 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS. Ongoing periods of drought have drastically reduced food supplies. Ethiopia has one of the highest child malnutrition rates worldwide, as well as one of the highest child mortality rates in the world. There are 6 million orphans in Ethiopia.

Like many of you, we became keenly aware of these statistics while we researched and pursued our adoption. And we have known for a long time that we wanted to try, even in some small way, to do something to give back to Ethiopia, a country that has given us so much - given us a family. These feelings only increased during our visit.

We spoke several times with our new friends at Gladney, our adoption agency, about ways to help. Gladney's humanitarian aid efforts in Ethiopia are far reaching - they provide basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, care) for children in their foster care facilities, cover medical expenses for other children in urgent need of assistance, raise funds when natural disasters strike, and help fund transitional programs (literacy, employment training, etc.) for teenagers leaving foster or institutional care.

Gladney is lucky to have a network of devoted friends and family who help fund these and many other initiatives, but right now Gladney is in need of funds to help cover the cost of the foster care homes they operate in Ethiopia.

Currently, Gladney operates 10 foster homes throughout Ethiopia. I believe that Gladney only operated 3 homes when we started our adoption. As need for help has grown, Gladney has stepped in; additional homes have been opened in Addis Ababa and in rural areas of Ethiopia to ensure that as many orphans as possible receive good care and a chance at finding a forever home. When we met Simon he was being cared for in one of the four homes that are located in Addis. The love and kindness the caregivers showed for Simon and the other children who were living in the foster homes was incredible. Just read the posts of other Gladney families who have returned home; Gladney's in-country staff are truly special.

So we are embarking on an ambitious effort to help Gladney raise $30,000 to support Simon’s foster home in Ethiopia for one year. There are still 26 beautiful children at Simon’s foster home waiting for their forever families. Please watch the following short clip to learn about the challenges of the orphans in Ethiopia and what Gladney is doing to make a difference in the lives of these wonderful children.

If you would like to join us in supporting this mission that is so close to our hearts, please help us spread the word about our efforts and consider financial support of this work through the Gladney Center. A gift of $25 could provide drinking water for one child for 3 months; $100 could pay the monthly wages for one of the 25 caregivers that work in the foster home; or a gift of $1,000 could provide all the food and medical supplies for the home for the entire month. Every dollar helps.

To make a gift please use this link and in the "in honor of" section write “Simon’s Foster Home” - Support Ethiopia.

You can also make a donation by check. Just send your donation to the Gladney Center for Adoption, 6300 John Ryan Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76132, and put "Simon's Foster Home" in the memo section.

...and ps... don't forget to check your companies' matching gift programs; the Gladney Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization...

Thank you so much for your consideration - we are sincerely grateful for any help you can give. And a very, very happy holidays to you all!

*The Gladney Center for Adoption is a not-for-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. The institution derives its primary operating income from adoption fees, and charitable gifts via The Gladney Fund. All contributions support the efforts of the agency and are made payable to the Gladney Fund, a 501(c) (3) support organization founded in 1992.

the mobile, the ghost... and other happenings

So I think we might have a ghost. A friendly ghost... but a ghost nonetheless. We have this really great mobile in Simon's room. It plays lullabies and projects moving stars and wave patterns on the ceiling. Simon loves it. It operates on batteries and is turned on either via a remote control or by pressing a button on the side of the mobile. Or by ghost. You see, sometimes the mobile just turns on. Out of the blue. When no one is in Simon's room. When the remote control is lying still. Just goes on. Very strange. So I think we have a ghost. A ghost that likes lullabies. Or light shows.... hmmm....

In other news (sorry, I can't think of a more natural segway between my mobile ghost and the rest of the going-ons in the m&r&s&ej household)... it's been a busy few weeks.

We continue to be a family of rotating (minor) ailments... Colds, stomach bugs, laryngitis... 'tis the season, I guess. Oh well, what can you do? Fortunately, nothing serious, but it does stink that it seems like one of us is always a bit under the weather these days. Hopefully, we can pull ourselves together in time to enjoy the holidays and have a great start to the new year.

I've been great at getting all my holiday shopping done early (not normally my strong suit), but we haven't done anything to decorate our apartment (guess that's what happens when one or more of us isn't feeling great on any given day). Admittedly, we don't really do a ton of decorating, so it's not like it will take too long to pull things together... but as Chanukah starts Sunday night and with Christmas Eve next Weds., I'm thinking we better get moving. We could use a little holiday spirit around here!!

I have only two more weeks of maternity leave. I can't really complain... my company has a pretty generous maternity leave policy and I've been very lucky to have so much time off to spend with Simon. But somehow it still feels like it's absolutely flown by. I dont think I accomplished even 10% of what I imagined I would do! And while I do think being a working mom is the right thing for me, it is hard to fathom going back to work right now. In a way, it feels like going back to work will be even more of a change that taking time off to bring home a baby. Such a strange mix of emotions bubbling up inside me....

Hmm... what else...

I think I've finally settled on a color and design for Simon's new room, so stay tuned for pictures. So much fun to be able to really do something special for him. Between the fact that we are currently renting our aparment and the fact that we knew we would not be staying here very long after bringing Simon home, it never made sense to go too crazy trying to prepare a nursery for him. His current room is cute, and it's not that I think Simon is actually lacking anything there now. But we never got to give him a really great little boy's room, and I want to give him a really great room, because he is a really great kid!

We had our first post placement home study visit about a month ago. Funny how much more relaxed we were this time around. And Simon was on his best behavior... happily entertaining our social worker with all his new sounds and noises. I think he literally babbled and sang his way through the entire visit. Our social worker was totally smitten with our cutie. Such a little flirt he is!! And talk about time flying - we got a copy of the report today and in just a few short weeks, it's a amazing how much has already changed. The report noted some of Simon's "dislikes," which at the time included tummy time. But no more. Now that someone has figured out that he can MOVE, he only wants to be on his tummy... because he always wants to be on the move!

And finally... what I think everyone really wants to see when they check in...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

in a nutshell

So this time I'm not going to apologize for the lack of posts or promise to be better going forward. I've meant it every time I said it (or written it, as the case may be), but I am finally accepting reality: it just isn't going to happen and I don't want to make promises I can't keep. I haven't figured out where the time goes, but it goes. Fast.

We still intend to maintain guzo: ethiopia and to keep anyone still interested in reading up on the latest and greatest adventures in the lives of m&r&s&ej (& a zillion fish - remember this?), but the posts may not always come as frequently as they once did.

Anyway...

Since it has been so long, I've mostly got a lot of random thoughts to share. So in no particular order, I present the events, milestones, facts, and thoughts of the past few weeks:

• Simon got his first two teeth! He has been teething since the moment we picked him up and we have been waiting and waiting for that first tooth to break through and finally, we got not just one, but two! And I think the next 1-2 are going to break through any day. Of course, his smile is now cuter than ever (if I don't so say so myself).
• Since beginning maternity leave, I have discovered a whole new world of addictive reality TV (or, as Ryan likes to call it, TV that reduces the number of brain cells you have): John & Kate plus 8, My Fair Wedding, First Class All the Way....
• EJ has been instrumental in teaching Simon to crawl. Simon never really liked tummy time – he almost always wants to be standing - and so I thought that perhaps he would just skip the crawling phase... but then I noticed that he is really, really, really interested in all of EJ's toys (and unfortunately, EJ is also very, very interested in all of Simon's toys). Anyhow, by putting Simon on his tummy with an EJ toy just out of reach, we finally got Simon to crawl. He will do anything to get to an EJ toy.
• Simon is silly. Really, truly silly. And he knows it. It is so amazing to watch this little person develop and to see his personality emerge. Most of the early updates we got from Ethiopia before we met him seemed to indicate that he was a content, but fairly serious, little guy. It is so much fun to find out that that could not be farther from the truth.
• We bought a new apartment. After a three+ year search, we finally did it. Now if only I could decide what color to paint Simon's room.
• Simon is very vocal and enjoys testing out all the new sounds he can make. One of his favorites is growling. I’m pretty sure he is trying to imitate EJ, since he often “growls” at EJ when EJ is growling (which I assure you, in case you are worried about our “vicious” dog, only occurs when EJ is engaged in a game of tug-of-war or fetch). Simon even has a little clawing motion to go with the growling. It’s so cute.
• It's that time of year... check out here and here and here for holiday gifts that do good.

And, of course, no post would be complete without a couple of recent photos...

celebrating another year

happy anniversary ry!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

*wedding photos by cappy hotchkiss

a beautiful day

Although we are both very interested in and, in fact, pretty opinionated when it comes to politics (though not always of the same opinion), we have generally chosen to keep our thoughts and beliefs more private. However, I have been so moved and personally touched by this election and all that it represents, that I felt the desire to express some of that here.

And it's not about whether or not Barack Obama shares my views on taxes or stem cell research or Iraq... It's about the fact that our country is embracing the idea that leadership opportunities are not limited to white men of a certain age and religious faith. It is the fact that my son will become an American citizen during an era of diversity, change, global awareness, and inclusion. It is the fact that people are taking responsibility for themselves and for the direction of the country. It is the fact that Americans are beginning to look first at what we all have in common, and not at our differences.

I cannot think of a better gift to my son than to be able to say to him with conviction that the color of his skin will not limit his opportunities in life.

We are not naive. We know that racism and sexism and ageism and lots of other "isms" still exist, and we know that we will encounter challenges as we try to raise our son (some because of the fact that we are a mixed race, mixed religion family, some not). But we are ever more optimistic that these challenges will be the exception and not the rule.

time flies!

It's hard for us to believe, but we've already been home with Simon for just over one month. It's been lots of fun and Simon has enjoyed tons of new experiences, meeting family and friends and becoming a city kid.

My words can never do justice to all that we are experiencing, so instead, I'll let these pictures speak a thousand (give or take) words.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

ps - yes I know I still need to respond to being tagged and to post my 7 random things... it's coming....

a year in the life

Today marks the one year anniversary of this blog (it all started here).

Like so many things in life, there is a part of me that feels as if this past year has gone by so quickly, and yet in many other ways, it feels as if we have lived a lifetime in these last 365 days. We had just started completing our paperwork when we created guzo: ethiopia, and now we are home with Simon Alemayheu, fully entrenched in this new chapter of our lives.

On the "year flying by quickly" side of me, I know I still owe many details on our time in Ethiopia, pictures from the trip, emails/calls to family and friends, and posts about life as a family of 4 (3 humans, one dog who thinks he is human).... I genuinely hope to accomplish all of these things, but I never seem to have the time these days. I am sorry for this and hope you will all forgive me, especially if you are among the ever growing group of people who I owe a call or email response to. Oh, and I've been "tagged" by a few people interested in learning a few surprising facts about me. I promise I will take you up on the tag and get a post up here soon with some random facts. Really - I will!! Life is good these days, but I am still working on finding balance in my new role as a mom - or at least something close to balance, as I recognize that I may never quite get it completely ;)

And as for living a lifetime in a year, well, let's see... in the last twelve months we've traveled: together to St. Lucia, India, Bhutan, Dubai, and Ethiopia; separately to Germany, South Africa, and Jordan... welcomed a new nephew... ventured into the adoption blogging community and met some wonderful new friends... started another guzo... I cooked dinner for Ryan for the first (and only) time (yes, sad, but true)... found a new apartment (did I mention we are in the process of buying a new apartment?)... and most significantly, of course, completed our adoption and welcomed the most amazing little boy into our lives!

Speaking of Simon... he has also accomplished quite a bit recently. So I will leave you with some of Simon's thoughts and observations about life in the Big Apple (in his words):

• I am a ladies man. All the ladies ooh and aah when they see me. I happily respond with a big grin and a little shrug of the shoulders.
• Food is good. Really, really good. I'm cool with all the pureed stuff, but what I really want is whatever is on Mom's plate. And I cannot wait until Mom will let me have some coffee. I jump up and down and wave my arms and grunt when she's drinking her coffee, but she still won't let me have any. Hmm.
• Standing is fun. I can't really do it without help, but I would stand all day long if Mom or Dad would help me.
• Kelly Ripa is pretty. She is waaaay more fun to watch on TV than Sesame Street or cartoons.
  
• I can put both hands with all my fingers in my mouth at the same time.
• When Mom and Dad point that video camera thing in my direction, it means I am doing something that will embarass me in about 12 years... so I should stop.

Living on the ej: Special Campaign Edition

ej here.. happy to bring you a special edition of Living on the EJ: Campaign for No Change at Home, brought to you by the Council for a Doggie Democracy.

Last I wrote, I was having a bit of meltdown because I wasn't getting my typical canine therapy outlet. But I am here today to tell you that while my protest lives on, those days of instability are over.

I am here before you today to tell you that while mistakes were clearly made, lessons have been learned and those responsible have been held accountable. So now is the time to look past this insignificant step down the wrong path and look towards the future.

It's been said that those that don't dwell on the past don't remember when they repeat it. And that's what my campaign for no change is all about. Living on the ej means living for the moment. When we pass that blob of purple goo on the street that smells promising, we snatch it. If it's no good, well, we just spit it out and move on. When that person loitering on the corner doesn't coo at us as we pass, we give a quick Arf to let him know who's boss.

Just this morning, I could have passed by a wretched pile of garbage outside my building, but I didn't. I squirmed and stretched the leash to give it a full inspection and was rewarded with a nibble of scrumptious old, dried up beef jerky. That's living on the ej.

But this campaign isn't really about me. It's about THAT ONE.

By now, it's quite obvious that the he is here, and fittingly, the blog media has run rampant with the news of his every move. The pictures, the comments, the videos... I haven't seen any video cameras at any of my campaign stops lately. But I'm not complaining. This is just typical media bias.

He can sit up? Yippee. Can he shake hands? My opponent simply does not have the limb coordination experience that I have.

He smiles all the time at people. Congratulations. Is he going to just smile when Alexis takes one of his squeaky blocks next time she comes over? Sometimes you have to stand strong and stand up for what is right. These are serious times. And that means NOT smiling at people sometimes.

But really, my friends, all this focus on the media is just a distraction from the real crisis at hand.

So I am hereby suspending my campaign to focus on the issue that really matters to dogs everywhere across this great nation. They are being lost everywhere that a cute kid joins a family. The numbers are dwindling so fast that there is a danger that even the very knowledge of their existence could fade away and disappear if we don't act soon. It may already be too late for some households. And to this, I say to you, my fellow four-legged friends, Not on my watch.

If you look at my long record of legislative proposals, you'll see I'm no champion of big government. And I'm not interested in needless over-regulation. But something must be done or this crisis could spiral us downward into a deep, dark, desperate depression.

What I'm talking about is simple to understand:

Belly rubs, baby, belly rubs.












Thank you and may God Bless Dogs.

Arf!

ej

more catching up

This post is dedicated to Jennifer, who might be the only person still checking in, as I know that we've been pretty bad about posting since we returned home.

So where to begin???

First... huge congrats to Jana and Heather who both recently received Nov. 3 court dates! I had the great pleasure of meeting both of their little girls when I was in Ethiopia and I am so excited that they might get to meet their beautiful and sweet little ones (and each other :) ) soon. My fingers are crossed for a successful court date for both of them. (Jana was actually put on the waitlist the same day as we were and she has supported me throughout our process, so I am especially thrilled to see her and Michael finally reaching the end of this journey.)

Also, a lot of families who did not make it through the courts before they closed in early August have rescheduled court dates later this week. Please keep your fingers crossed for them. They have been waiting a long, long time to meet their children.

What else??

Well... lots.

Simon - who we met exactly one month ago and who turned eight months yesterday - is doing great!! Really, really terrific.

His parents... not quite as great. Ryan and I both managed to stay healthy throughout our trip to Ethiopia, but pretty much from the day we got home, we've been battling some (minor) health issues. We're not talking about anything serious, but let's just say in the approximately three weeks that we've been back, there has probably only been a day or two where neither of us was suffering from a stomach virus or migraine or fever or something. So it's been a bit of a rough start to this new phase of our lives and it's taking us a little time to get ourselves on track.

But it's not all bad. Not at all.

Simon has been able to meet my parents, brother and sister-in-law, and nephews and some friends. Ry's parents are arriving this weekend, so he will be able to spend some quality time with his other grandparents very soon and I know he's looking forward to that!

The weather in New York is still fantastic and Simon has been enjoying family strolls in downtown Manhattan and taking EJ for walks.

Speaking of which... EJ has been pretty good about the new addition to the family too. I'm not saying he's thrilled exactly with all the changes, but he is very curious about Simon and he likes to lie down next to him (sometimes on top of him - we're working on this) and generally to be wherever Simon is. Simon is also learning to like EJ. So far nothing makes him giggle as much as watching EJ play fetch. If we could just teach Simon to "pet" and not "grab," I think the two of them would be the best of friends.

Simon and I are also taking a music class. I'm not sure Simon actually cares much about the music, but he definitely loves being with the other kids and playing with (i.e. chewing) the musical instruments. And the bubbles. Each class ends by dimming the lights, playing a lullaby-esque song, and blowing bubbles. Simon definitely digs the bubbles. And I am definitely going to get some bubbles for the apartment to distract him when he starts getting fussy. Who knew??

So the last month has had its ups and downs. And can I say that I cannot believe it's only been a month since we met this amazing little boy?? On the one hand it feels like time is flying, but on the other, I feel like we have lived so much life in this past one month. Incredible.

And lots of new encounters and adventures still lie ahead.

Finally, I have a zillion pictures to organize and I know I still owe more posts on our trip to Ethiopia and more details on life back in the big apple and I will try to be a better blogger and get these up here soon.

In the meantime, a few random pictures to tide you over....






(this one's for you Jeff!)

simon's first music video

brought to you by earth, wind and fire...

catching up: part one

I know, I know... we've been a little slow in updating guzo since our return. It feels like the last few weeks have been a crazy, whirlwind dream, and I'm still trying to comprehend our new reality. And finding the words to describe everything is almost impossible!!

In terms of the actual trip, I don't think any of my words can do it justice. We very much enjoyed our time in Ethiopia and look forward to going back over the years with Simon so that he can continue to learn about and appreciate his homeland. The people, the city, the culture... they are a part of us now.

Addis Ababa is a sprawling, bustling city. There is great poverty and there is also tons of construction, signs of new business and opportunity. It was not quite what I had expected, although I cannot tell you what exactly it was I did expect.... Having traveled during the rainy season, we were also greeted by land that was so green and vibrant; it was hard to imagine a country that suffers from serious drought at other times of the year, though we know this is a very harsh reality for the people there. Oh, and previous travelers were not kidding when they describe the poor air quality in the city. The smell of diesel is so, so strong, that my throat burned and my lungs felt congested for much of our stay.

Due to the generosity of Grace, we were lucky enough to stay at Ayat House with Grace and her family when our original travel arrangements had to be changed due to new in-country travel guidelines. Ayat's owner, Wagayu, is a gracious host who wants to make sure that all the families who stay there are comfortable and cared for. Wagayu was also hosting some of his family members from Europe and kept apologizing to us for "neglecting" us, but I didn't feel neglected in the least! We felt very fortunate to have shared this part of our journey with the Kirks and Wagayu.

Travis and Joanna were in NYC while we were in Ethiopia (go figure!), so we did not get to meet them, and Belay was only in country for the first 2 days of our stay, so we did not have much opportunity to get to know him. We spent lots of time, however, with Ryan and Abby Brown (probably too much if you ask Ryan B!) and also with Phillip Garret (Frank Garret's college age son who is spending a few months there helping out and learning about the program). They really are terrific and care so much for the children in Ethiopia. We will be working with Ryan to raise money for a yet-t0-be-determined project for the boys at the Kolfe facility, so stay tuned. Ryan is dedicated to making life better for these boys who are often forgotten by others.

Speaking of the boys of Kolfe... We are not supposed to post pictures, which is a shame, because if you could see them, you would see wonderful, sweet, generous young men. Our visit to Kolfe was absolutely one of the best experiences we had in Ethiopia. Despite every hardship, these boys are kind, funny, engaging, and full of life.

Within a few minutes of our arrival at Kolfe, the boys had swooped up Simon (and my camera, which I retrieved about 150 pictures and a dead battery later!), grabbed my hand, and regaled me with a tour of the facility and questions about my life and home... stories about their studies.. and, of course, boasting about their soccer skills!! They are all in school and interested in learning about and seeing the world. I hope they will all get the opportunity. Certainly, they deserve it. I know that our future visits to Ethiopia will for sure include more visits to Kolfe!!

Since my little boy is beckoning, I will have to stop here for now. But I promise to write more about our trip, as well as our return home very soon.

Missing something...

Dad here is up early (or late depending on how you look at it) waiting for Mr. Simon to fall back asleep... seems to me the last post was missing a certain something...

We're home!!

We made it.

After almost one year of paperwork and waiting... a wonderful trip to Ethiopia... and a 24 hour door-to-door adventure taking us back to NYC, we are finally all together at home. We're all still recovering from the trip, so I don't have the energy to write much now, but promise to fill you all in on our time in Ethiopia (and Dubai) very soon. Hopefully, a few pictures will tide you all over until then :)









Thank you all for the many good wishes we received before and during our trip! I continue to be amazed by this wonderful community!

dubai for now

(and yes, we did actually leave the room... but you would understand if we didn't, right??)

tomorrow: Ethiopia!!

on our way!

This is it. In 12 minutes, a car should be here to take us to the airport. I still can't quite believe it!

(poor EJ can't quite believe it either and continued to try to derail us right up until the last minute)

playing catch up

We've been reminded a few times lately that we have not been very good bloggers, as it has been a while since our last post, let alone one where we had much to say. Of course, if I were you, I'd much rather look at Simon's adorable (if I don't say so myself) pictures and video clip than read anything Ryan or I have to say. But we really do appreciate everyone's interest in following our journey and checking in on us, and we do not want you to think we've disappeared. To the contrary, we've just been busy enjoying the last few weeks of summer, gearing up for our trip and Simon's homecoming, and wrapping up various projects and issues at our jobs, as we prepare to to take some time off....

So here's what's been happening (in no particular order):

In approximately 48 hours we will begin the final leg of our journey to meet Simon (note: the number of bags packed for our trip (excluding humanitarian aid items) = ZERO!).

In less than one week, Simon Alemayehu will be in our arms.

The dresser and changing table we ordered for Simon's nursery has not yet arrived. Current expected delivery date: the day after we get home. And how does this affect setting up the nursery? Well, let's just say that a couple of pampers boxes are currently doubling as "shelves" with everything from wipes to bibs to onesies piled on top of them. Not exactly the look I had in mind when planning the nursery, but hey, it works.

Today will be the last day I go into my office in 2008! YAY!!!!!!! (well, not entirely true as I've promised to visit with Simon, but no more work days this year! Yay wonderful company maternity leave policy!!)

We went to the US Open men's semifinals on Saturday. So did tropical storm Hannah :(



Fortunately, we were able to see the Federer/Djokovic match before the weather turned nasty. And we were able to go back to the stadium for the conclusion of the Nadal/Murray match Sunday (a beautiful day!!). Great tennis, but so much for packing or working on the nursery!


We've started another journey... as an outlet to the daily grind, we decided we'd try to blog about our travels (and the travel we hope to do...). Because we don't have enough going on.

Speaking of which... the never-ending hunt for a new apartment continues.

EJ is also getting ready for his vacation at his grandparents' house. Lots and lots of treats and belly rubs guaranteed.

He's still not fully onboard about the whole adoption thing, but I think he's warming up to the idea. Now there will always be someone around. And someone whose just about the same height too!! Not to mention lot's of cool looking new toys everywhere. Hmm....

And that about does it.

I promise another post before we leave and we'll see if we can check in while in Dubai and Ethiopia too. For now... I must finish getting dressed so I can go to work - my last day this year... and yes, I know I said that already, but I still cannot fully grasp the concept that after today my world is going to change so completely. I mean.. how does one possibly prepare for that??

live action simon

Once again, thank you to Jess and Chris for capturing this sweet video of Simon while on their visit...

last call!

I need to finalize the photobook this week... so if haven't sent any photos and would like to contribute some, please comment or email me (mgrkej @ yahoo. com) by tomorrow night! Thanks to all who have provided pictures - I think the staff in Ethiopia will love seeing all of your families!!

in love

... how could you not be?



does this mean he likes us?





yup, those are my folks


...not sure about the dog though...


...I guess it's cool...


A huge (HUGE) thank you to the wonderful Jess and Chris, who brought a small package to Simon Alemayehu for us and took all these great pictures! We are so grateful.

And p.s., Jess says that she thinks Simon already digs EJ... we hope she's right!

don't forget!

We're still collecting pictures for the photobook for the Gladney Ethiopia staff. Thanks so much to all those who have already contributed pictures - I think the staff is going to love seeing all the beautiful families!

In order to finish the book before we leave, we'll need pictures by August 25, so if you're a Gladney family (forever family, waiting to travel, waiting for a referral...) and you'd like to contribute to the book, leave a comment with your contact details or email us at mgrkej @ yahoo .com

EJ's already given me his picture... you should too!

Living on the ej: i do(g)th protest!

I'm going to apologize up front. My shrink Stella is on vacation in the Hampton's (so is everyone else in Manhattan except us), so I'm a little out of it. But Ry said writing can be cathartic, so here goes...

I get it. The crib. The clothes. The toys I can't touch. I've seen the photos of the little pipsqueak. And I know what's coming next - the cooing, the crying, the drooling, and the smells... I guess it was inevitable, but I was holding out some small shred of hope that this whole adoption thing wasn't really happening - Stella says this is called, "Floating down De-Nial." Whatever. I'm not a fan of water anyway.

But I mean really, do we need any more cuteness in this house? Aren't I enough? And what's all the excitement about? Congratulations Guys - we'll never sleep soundly again! This is so great, we're so happy for you - time to consolidate all your stuff to make room for a mountain of baby items - Great! Being a parent is going to change your life - Uh, DUHHH!

What about my daily dose of belly rubs? What about fetch? What about the 3 of us lounging on the couch dozing off to reality tv in peace?

Stella says I am priming myself for feelings of resentment towards Simon. I say, I'm way past resentment sister. We're talking about belly rubs. Belly rubs are my life.

So I've been watching the Olympics, and the Serbian guy who lost to Phelps by .01 in the 100m fly gave me an idea:

I am hereby protesting the result of this adoption on the grounds that it infringes on my rights as king of this domicile.

I did not authorize this process. That social worker person back last November didn't ask me how I would feel about this or if I thought Mer and Ry were equipped to be good parents of a child. And aren't I in the best position to know?

And what if he doesn't like dogs? I saw the development checklist. He makes eye contact, he laughs, he cries, yeah yeah, but where were the Plays Well With Dogs results? Where was Doesn't Steal Bones? Either the agency didn't run the tests or they are conspiring to conceal the results! Either way, I'm on to you guys. I demand a hearing! I PROTEST!!!

STELLLLAAAA! Arf!

ej

project photobook

Thanks to everyone for all your emails and comments regarding the photobook (see post below if you don't know what I'm talking about yet). I'm really excited about making the book and I am so grateful that so many of you want to contribute - I think the Gladney staff will really love this!

If you've left a message or sent an email and I haven't gotten back to you yet, I promise that I will. In the meantime, I thought I'd do a quick post to better explain my plan and to answer a few questions that I've gotten....

My idea for the book is to include pictures not only of the Ethiopian children adopted through Gladney, but also pictures of their forever families and even pictures of those of you who are waiting for your referral (we are all Gladney families!). So please feel free to send me pictures of your kids, yourselves, your families... You can send 1 to 5 pictures, as I'll try to give each family 1/2 or 1 page in the book. When you send the pictures, just let me know how you'd like me to label the page in the book with your photos (e.g. first names only, the "xxx" family, etc... you can include the city/state where you live too). I don't want to put any personal info in the book that anyone is not comfortable with, so it's totally up to each of you how (or if) your pics are labeled.

The service I'm using allows me to share an online version of the book with others, so once I'm done, I will send everyone who contributed a link to the book so you can see how it looks.

Thanks again for all your support... and keep the pictures coming!

calling all gladney ethiopia families...

As we try to prepare for our upcoming trip to Ethiopia (I can still hardly believe I am writing the words "upcoming trip to Ethiopia"), I've been thinking a lot about what kind of gifts to bring to Belay and the caregivers at Gladney's facilities. I would like to do something meaningful to them....

So I had an idea... but I need your help.

Do you know those photobooks you can make on sites like my publisher and kodak gallery? (see here for an example) We've created a few after big trips and events, and they really do come out great. So I thought it would be a nice idea to create a book that included photos of Gladney kids and families - waiting families too (can be pics of the kids while in the care center, back at home, with your family/friends, whatever...). It's something I think the caregivers would enjoy having and it will last a long time. But this will only work if I can get others on board.

So if this sounds like a good idea to you and you'd be interested in being a part of the book, leave me your email address in a comment... or send me an email at mgrkej @ yahoo.com. I will only use photos that are provided to me for the book (I won't download them from anyone's blog/website and I won't use any photos people have sent me of their kids for other reasons... and, of course, I would only use any photos in order to create the book - that's a promise).

*quick update - if you email pics, let me know how you want me to "label" to pics in the book - i.e. with you and your family members' first and/or last names, city, states.... I will only use last names if people are comfortable with that.

a picture speaks a thousand words

Simon Alemayehu is happy to report that he is officially a part of our family....

one more try

I am heading off to work now, hoping I can actually keep myself together enough to get some work done (apologies in advance to my co-workers if that proves not to be possible!).

I had taken the day off yesterday, thinking it would be easier to deal with the stress of waiting for the call, not to mention I thought I'd rather be alone than at the office in the event the call was not good. And if the call was good, well, I didn't really want to have to work either ;)

But I guess I didn't count on the delay factor. So much for my plan. I know, I know. By now it should be clear that you can't really plan for anything when it comes to adoption (good practice for parenthood too, I think), so I'm trying to go with the flow and know that things will work out exactly as they are meant to. Wish me luck.

not today

We did not have a successful court date today. It seems there was a question about a document in our file. Our agency was able to obtain the original document and provide it to the courts today, and they are hopeful the case will be re-reviewed and approved tomorrow. We hope so too. Tomorrow is the last day the courts will review cases before they close for a 2 month break.

If you have any more good thoughts, karma, wishes, prayers, luck... please send some our way. We could use all the help we can get.

time

In roughly 30 or so hours, we expect to learn whether or not we had a successful court day in Ethiopia and Baby A is officially a part of the family.

It seems as though time has slowed down. As August 5th has grown closer, the minutes stretch on longer and longer. We are gearing up for a long day... and an even longer night.

So if you happen to have any good thoughts you can share, please send some our way, and also to the many other families hoping to make it through the Ethiopian courts to finalize their adoptions before the courts close for the rainy season (on Thursday!).

still working...

When we first got the news that we had been given a court date prior to the court closure, I felt like everything was in overdrive, moving at warp speed. We were so unprepared for that news - literally. No crib, no clothes... no diapers, bottles, wipes, highchair... pretty much nothing ready for Baby A's arrival. (don't get me wrong, we were beyond thrilled - just a bit overwhelmed too)

We immediately got started on baby preparations: cleaning out the to-be nursery (see post below), ordering a crib, bedding, clothes, making lists of everything we need... Dare I say it was almost (almost) as though things were suddenly moving too quickly??

Well, have no fear, after a blissful 48 hours or so, the past couple of weeks have been painfully slow and filled with a new kind of anxiety. August 5th feels like it is an eternity away. And the lack of movement for many of the families waiting for their cases to be finalized continues to frustrate, sadden, disappoint, and even scare me a bit. With the courts set to close on August 8 for about two months, we don't have much room for error.

I've said it before: this is a crazy process, an emotional roller coaster, one of the greatest challenges we've ever taken on.

But we are pushing through and trying to stay positive. We are hopeful and continue to try to prepare ourselves and our home for Baby A's arrival.

The latest:


(since we expect to be moving in the next 6 months or so, we figured we'd try to keep it simple... not paint... but we've still got a few more "acres" to decorate)



bedding:





**Once again, I ask everyone to keep Jennifer & Jody in your thoughts. It's been a really tough few days for them.

transformation

While we continue to try to stay grounded and keep in mind the possibility that things will not go our way on August 5 ("try" being the operative word!), we also realize that, if things do go well... well then we have a lot (A LOT) to do and not a lot of time!

In other words, prior to learning about our court date, our preparations for baby A pretty much consisted of purchasing a stroller and a couple of stuffed animals. And that's about it. (Actually, it at one point also consisted of cleaning out the closet in the to-be-nursery, but let's just say that if you looked at the closet last week, you wouldn't believe that.)

Since then we've been on a baby shopping spree. Baby A is going to be one very cool, well-dressed kid, I tell you. We've started to order furniture and items for the nursery and to make lists of everything we need. We began the process of re-cleaning out the closet. And... we started to transform our "office" (in quotes because very little work actually gets done in said office) into a nursery fit for a king.

We started with this...


Then we had this...


and now we have this...


(yup that's baby A's crib, not yet put together and not including a mattress, because why would we think of buying a mattress when we bought the crib?? I told you we still had a lot to do!)

We will be giving away these...


Oh. And in our bedroom, where we once had this...


We now have this :(


Everything is changing... but definitely for the better!!


** Before I sign off for the night, I must send all my good wishes to Jennifer and Jody (you should too) who have a court date tomorrow. We can't wait to hear that the other baby A is officially their son!

court date express service!

This afternoon we were told that we've been assigned a court date of 8/5! Amazing.

more to come...

the rest of the weekend...

Friday:

4pm-ish... Ryan's home. Champagne opened. Pictures stared at. Phone calls and emails to family and friends.

8pm-ish... We realize we should probably have some food with our champagne. Tear ourselves away from computer to go grab a bite... but only after downloading photos to blackberries and phones so that we could sneak a few (or about 100) peaks during dinner.

11pm-ish... Arriving back home after dinner, we encounter two tourists taking pictures with a cop patrolling the area on a segway (yes, NYC cops patrol certain areas on segways). Wonder why guys do not ask Susan Sarandon, who is standing about two feet away, for her picture.

11:05pm-ish... Back home. More staring at pictures.

Saturday... My birthday!! Wake up happy. Get presents (as if I needed anything more). Stare at pictures. Decide that I want to buy an outfit for baby A. Find a couple cute shirts and some cargo pants. Also pick up Rockabye Baby CDs - Pink Floyd and the Eagles. Baby A will be hip!




EJ decides he would like to model baby A's new clothes:


8pm-ish... discover I cannot find my favorite little black dress. Anywhere. Last seen: St. Lucia. Could I seriously have left it there?? Love this dress. But still too happy to care about a dress. Even my favorite dress.

9:30pm... Birthday/Referral Celebration dinner at Chanterelle. We are happy!!!



Sunday... brunch with parents, who bring us an adoption memory book. We cannot wait to start filling in all the milestones in baby A's life and our journey to meet him.



Sunday night... still looking for little black dress. No sign of it. How is this possible? Ugh. But not as important as staring at pictures of baby A. We are in love...