The next post from Ethiopia

It’s hard to keep track of which day it is over here and which it is back home. Today, (Tuesday), Miss Bossy turned six!!! Congrats, Miss Bossy!


But also today it was great because we got to bring Belly Boy home with us.

The schedule was that we would pick up the kids at the Care Center, have a goodbye ceremony there, and then that afternoon, go to Embassy.

At breakfast, some of us were trying to decide whether we should dress up for Embassy now or if there’d be time when we got back. Most of us decided it was best to do it now so that’s what we headed up to do after breakfast. Well, then suddenly, one of the ladies in our group poked her head in our bedroom and said that there was a change of plans, and we were doing Embassy this morning and the farewell ceremony this afternoon. So we quickly had to finish changing clothes and dressing up.

We got in the bus and headed for the Care Center. I waited on the bus while Dad and Mom went to get Belly Boy from his room. The poor nannies at the Center were so confused. And one nanny actually gave Belly Boy a bath while Mom waited to bring him quickly to the bus. I think we left the Care Center later than they were hoping. We stopped at the office for a CHSFS lady and then we were off for Embassy. We had to cover the babies heads walking from the bus to the building, and Belly Boy did not like that one bit! Finally we made it to the building. We had to wait outside while people went through security. Then we waited in a little covered area until the CHSFS lady told us to come up to the next building. Then we went through a better security and waited in a room until our name was called. I had to stay behind when Dad and Mom got called and people were teasing me that they hoped Dad and Mom would come back or I was stranded. I figured Dad and Mom would, and they did. We had to wait for everyone else, but it really didn’t take that long. I guess there wasn’t much to do when you were interviewed.

We headed back to the guest house, fed the hungry babies, cuddled and played with them, and then we left for the care center. When we reached the Care Center, Belly Boy was snatched from us by a nanny and they hurried off to get him ready for the ceremony. We went downstairs and sat on the couches and chairs down there. The other kids at the Center were sitting, sometimes wildly and noisily, waiting for everything to begin.

Then the social workers announced that the nannies and children were coming. We stood up and clapped with the other kids in a beat as the nannies came downstairs. All the kids being adopted were wearing Ethiopian traditional clothes. Belly Boy’s actually looked like the ones we got him even! Their special nannies held each child and also were dressed about the same. They were so gorgeous!

First each family got a heart shaped card from the Center with a special note for their child inside. Then we made a circle around the nannies holding the children, and a lady said a prayer in Amharic. It was so cute, because the children not being adopted, would say, “Amen” at certain parts of the prayer. Sometimes together, other times not. Then we had an opportunity to pray, but no one did. After, the nannies handed over the kids with sometimes tears.

Then the kids at the Center clapped their hands in rhythm and chanted each being adopted kid’s name as they came up to get their hand print on a paper for the Care Center. It was so cute. When it came to be Belly Boy’s turn, the kids had a hard time chanting his name, so they shortened it, (which is what we call him anyways)! Belly Boy did not want his hand painted!

Next, the older being adopted kids, (4 and 6), cut a line in a cake. While the workers handed out sodas and cake, the older children, (including the older adopted kids), performed a few songs. It was cute, first, because they had motions that were adorable, second, that we couldn’t understand them most of the time, and third, because they kept repeating the same verse over and over until someone older helped them get back on track!!
We ate and drank and then we got our picture taken with the camera men who had been taping the whole thing. We said goodbye, but no one wanted to leave. People were taking pictures and saying good bye to the kids at the Center. It was hard knowing that we wouldn’t see the kids or the Care Center again. Then we took Belly Boy home to the guest house.

Once we got home Belly Boy opened right up, even though he was probably exhausted because he didn’t have a good nap and his Ethiopian clothes were so hot. We discovered his ticklish spots in his underarm, his belly, and thighs. His neck is also a little ticklish. He was being goofy, throwing his toys off the bed and then fussing until someone got them back. Then he did it all over again. I also held him and pretended to reach for the ceiling. He copied me, giggling the whole time. So we got him laughing quite a bit so that Bob, Sports Dude, Miss Bossy, and Grandma could hear him. Mom also gave the phone to Belly Boy so he could talk to Sports Dude and Miss Bossy. He grinned and didn’t fight against the phone really.

Earlier that evening we took him outside and put him in one of Sports Dude’s old hats. He didn’t mind it and was so cute. All he does outside is pace up and down the patio. Oh, and run to us when a ball is rolled towards him.

I taught him to wave bye-bye when we asked him to. And he was waving bye-bye to the cats that ran off outside.

At about 10, Dad and Mom fixed Belly Boy a bottle. Oh my goodness, the kid knew what to do. He snatched that bottle and sucked away. It took him a while to eat though. He ate one ounce in a looong time. Finally Mom switched to a sippie cup and he downed his milk. He loves his milk.



Mom and I are sleeping in the same room because Mom is uncomfortable with me sleeping in my own room. So Belly Boy slept in our room. He slept so well! We fed him at 10 and then he slept until 6:30 or 7. We got up with him once when he was having a coughing fit, but he never woke up and really fussed when we tried to. So the night went well.