I'm writing this from mid air, as we fly above some mountain range that I assume is the alps? I have no sense of geography but it sure is beautiful. Cindy, Shannon and most importantly Adéa are all sleeping soundly around me. This is our last leg of the journey for today and the excitement of landing in Rome coupled with watching the baby sleep is keeping me awake.
Kaloo has been such a great flyer, we ate all shocked. The flight from addis was full with ten (10!!!) other infants so we unfortunately did not get a bassinet the seat. We had all resigned ourselves to a difficult few hours but our little girl passed out in the airport restaurant and then xontinued to sleep through security, boarding, take off and even a diaper change. She was asleep for probably 6.5 of the 7 hour fight and it was such a relief.
Leaving addis was sad, and very hard on Shannon especially as she is torn between being so happy we get to bring our girl home and being sad about taking her away from the place where she was born and raised and loved. It was an emotional evening coupled with the chaos of the addis airport - we were all in need of a good rest afterwards.
It has been surprisingly uneventful in a good way. The worst thing that happened was Shannon swinging her giant diaper-filled backpack the wrong way and breaking the whole tray of first class wine glasses on the way in but at least we had a good laugh about it. Cindy and Shannon also pulled off a diaper change with a sleeping baby crammed into a one person airplane bathroom!
It feels like a million years ago, but before all this flight adventures we took took Adéa to the pool at the Sheraton and she loved it. She just played in the baby fountain for hours, sticking her head under the fountain and laughing and laughing...I've never seen a baby love the water this much, which of course makes Shannon incredibly happy.
Ok we are now safe at our apartment in Rome and settling in. It is lovely weather here and nice to have it a bit cooler than addis. Will write more with pictures later. Ciao!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Overlap
A serious day today when our little Kaloo said goodbye to her old life and the people who have loved and raised her for the first almost year of her life. It also saw the end of the at times seemingly insurmountable paperwork this adoption has involved. We got the Italian visa!
The coffee ceremony was only later in the afternoon so this morning Cindy and I ventured out to say we ran in Africa while mama and baby had a nap and prepared for tonight. Our driver brought us up to entoto mountain and told us to go! The air was so thin that we walked up to the top and jogged down. It was so strange to see what a difference the altitude made on our ability to run. Still, it was beautiful to see all of addis spread out below us and to see the ladies carrying huge bundles of wood on their backs down the mountain. Then we went to see where the women who used to carry the wood now make beautiful woven scarves. We both loved getting out of the city and so glad we went.
The afternoon Was filled with love, laughter, prayer, and tears. Germatude picked us up at 1:30 and brought us to the orphanage. Elizabeth greatest us when we arrived. A great meeting of two woman who love this baby so very much but who have never met. She brought us to the school room where every child from the orphanage came trickling in, in traditional Ethiopian garb. The ceremony started with a Pationate prayer that everyone participated in. The children proceeded to entertain us with different songs and dance. As this was going on a woman was roasting our cerimonial coffee beans... Heating them up and fanning them... The Aroma filled the room. The children then presented Kaloo with drawings filled with messages of love. We were then presented with our traditional coffee, lovely treats and goodies... Including a traditional sweet from Harare that everyone said was a "secret" recipie. As this was going on Kaloo was kissed and hugged by every child and adult in the room.. The love was genuine and felt deeply. It was also very apparent that Kaloo knew her her mama was as she surched her out in the crowed and would beem and put her arms out when she saw her. After eatting, a dance party insued... The children of the orphanage are all well versed in the "macaraina" now.... We wanted everyone to know that Kaloo was coming into a family full of joy and laughter and dancing. It was then time to go... All though it was clear that everyone's hearts knew Kaloo was where she was supposed to be it was VERY difficult to leave... These people have loved her her so very much for the first year of her life... And we already love her so much... This overlap of love was difficult to separate. There was a lot more kissing and crying until we were in the truck... Some more tears and love exchanged and then it was off... Officially to kaloo's new life... The ritual was beautiful and we feel so blessed to have been a part of it.... Shannon was so great full and overwhelmed by how much her baby is loved...
All right, we are now at the end of a very emotional day and preparing for the next leg of the "carnival" Italy !!! We enjoyed a lovely treat of a Sheraton buffet tonight to unwind.
But first Kaloo's first swim in a lovely warm and exotic pool tomorrow... Life is beautiful.
The coffee ceremony was only later in the afternoon so this morning Cindy and I ventured out to say we ran in Africa while mama and baby had a nap and prepared for tonight. Our driver brought us up to entoto mountain and told us to go! The air was so thin that we walked up to the top and jogged down. It was so strange to see what a difference the altitude made on our ability to run. Still, it was beautiful to see all of addis spread out below us and to see the ladies carrying huge bundles of wood on their backs down the mountain. Then we went to see where the women who used to carry the wood now make beautiful woven scarves. We both loved getting out of the city and so glad we went.
The afternoon Was filled with love, laughter, prayer, and tears. Germatude picked us up at 1:30 and brought us to the orphanage. Elizabeth greatest us when we arrived. A great meeting of two woman who love this baby so very much but who have never met. She brought us to the school room where every child from the orphanage came trickling in, in traditional Ethiopian garb. The ceremony started with a Pationate prayer that everyone participated in. The children proceeded to entertain us with different songs and dance. As this was going on a woman was roasting our cerimonial coffee beans... Heating them up and fanning them... The Aroma filled the room. The children then presented Kaloo with drawings filled with messages of love. We were then presented with our traditional coffee, lovely treats and goodies... Including a traditional sweet from Harare that everyone said was a "secret" recipie. As this was going on Kaloo was kissed and hugged by every child and adult in the room.. The love was genuine and felt deeply. It was also very apparent that Kaloo knew her her mama was as she surched her out in the crowed and would beem and put her arms out when she saw her. After eatting, a dance party insued... The children of the orphanage are all well versed in the "macaraina" now.... We wanted everyone to know that Kaloo was coming into a family full of joy and laughter and dancing. It was then time to go... All though it was clear that everyone's hearts knew Kaloo was where she was supposed to be it was VERY difficult to leave... These people have loved her her so very much for the first year of her life... And we already love her so much... This overlap of love was difficult to separate. There was a lot more kissing and crying until we were in the truck... Some more tears and love exchanged and then it was off... Officially to kaloo's new life... The ritual was beautiful and we feel so blessed to have been a part of it.... Shannon was so great full and overwhelmed by how much her baby is loved...
All right, we are now at the end of a very emotional day and preparing for the next leg of the "carnival" Italy !!! We enjoyed a lovely treat of a Sheraton buffet tonight to unwind.
But first Kaloo's first swim in a lovely warm and exotic pool tomorrow... Life is beautiful.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Sleeping
My mom just sent an email and I remembered that I never talked about her sleeping last night!
So for her first night she slept really well, Shannon had to wake her up to change her and that's it. She does wake up a bit but because she is used to self soothing she puts herself right back to sleep. We also had been told that she loves to sleep and usually doesn't want a bottle or anything in the night, she just wants to sleep. Shannon got very lucky!
Also she spends time at the end of every day talking to the picture of Shannon that was in her crib at Abeneezer and she babbles on about her day to mama as she falls asleep. Here is a picture of her doing it during her nap today.
So for her first night she slept really well, Shannon had to wake her up to change her and that's it. She does wake up a bit but because she is used to self soothing she puts herself right back to sleep. We also had been told that she loves to sleep and usually doesn't want a bottle or anything in the night, she just wants to sleep. Shannon got very lucky!
Also she spends time at the end of every day talking to the picture of Shannon that was in her crib at Abeneezer and she babbles on about her day to mama as she falls asleep. Here is a picture of her doing it during her nap today.
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