Thursday, November 20, 2008
Cantwell Maniacs
Sorry we never post anymore; life is a lot more hectic now! All is well with both maniacs! Here's a bunch of pics in no particular order...
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Reality Check Part 3
On our last day in Ethiopia, we took a ride up to the orphanage where I met this lovely girl. We wanted to touch base with her, exchange information with her, and hopefully communicate our intent to help her. The leader of the orphanage (that is to say, the 14 year old girl who is clearly the leader out of all of these children!) brought us to her. "S" (I can't publish her name) was sitting listless in a chair watching some children play inside. But when she saw me, her face broke into a huge smile and she got up to smother my face with kisses and give me a big, long hug. Then she turned to Brian and did the same. She was still ill, but clearly in a lot better shape than our previous meetings. The ring was gone but, we quickly learned, safe. When Brian went out into the yard so that I could talk to her on my own, the children gathered around him yelling "Ring! Ring!" and trying to remove his wedding band. The incident was clearly famous.
I was happy that she remembered me at all. I wasn't sure whether or not she would, given how sick she was. I immediately felt that I was in love with this girl and that I had to help her and try to help protect her. We sat down with our translator and, per the Gladney staff's advice, I had to be clear from the getgo that I did not intend to adopt her. I told him to tell her that I cared very much for her, but that we could not adopt her. I would put her through college and do anything else I could to help her along the way. Her face fell. Over the course of our meeting I realized that she had literally thought I had come that day to take her home.
The rest of the conversation was on a bit of a downhill slide after that. I know that I have to be honest and up front, because what would happen to this girl's heart if she thought it was my intention to bring her home? Hell, it IS my intention to bring her home, but who knows if I could ever come up with a way to make that happen? What I learned next further complicated my situation: she had two younger brothers who were also with her in the orphanage, one of them sick as she had been. She brought me to them and I told her that I would make sure the boy made it on the bus to the hospital the next day, the bus she had missed.
But three? I must admit that any hope I had had of adopting her myself was quickly vanishing. It still weighs on my mind now, I'm still chewing on it, but I just don't know if I can do three. All at once. Three.
I took a couple of pictures of her. Then I took her hand and we walked out towards the car together. I gave her the biggest hug and biggest kisses I could muster. And then walked away with a promise to write.
We will have to wait and see. More than I want this girl in my family, I want her in my life. I want to know that she is safe and happy and healing. I am going to be working with my agency as well as some interested families to make sure that I can help give her those things. She doesn't need to be in my house to be my family.
I was happy that she remembered me at all. I wasn't sure whether or not she would, given how sick she was. I immediately felt that I was in love with this girl and that I had to help her and try to help protect her. We sat down with our translator and, per the Gladney staff's advice, I had to be clear from the getgo that I did not intend to adopt her. I told him to tell her that I cared very much for her, but that we could not adopt her. I would put her through college and do anything else I could to help her along the way. Her face fell. Over the course of our meeting I realized that she had literally thought I had come that day to take her home.
The rest of the conversation was on a bit of a downhill slide after that. I know that I have to be honest and up front, because what would happen to this girl's heart if she thought it was my intention to bring her home? Hell, it IS my intention to bring her home, but who knows if I could ever come up with a way to make that happen? What I learned next further complicated my situation: she had two younger brothers who were also with her in the orphanage, one of them sick as she had been. She brought me to them and I told her that I would make sure the boy made it on the bus to the hospital the next day, the bus she had missed.
But three? I must admit that any hope I had had of adopting her myself was quickly vanishing. It still weighs on my mind now, I'm still chewing on it, but I just don't know if I can do three. All at once. Three.
I took a couple of pictures of her. Then I took her hand and we walked out towards the car together. I gave her the biggest hug and biggest kisses I could muster. And then walked away with a promise to write.
We will have to wait and see. More than I want this girl in my family, I want her in my life. I want to know that she is safe and happy and healing. I am going to be working with my agency as well as some interested families to make sure that I can help give her those things. She doesn't need to be in my house to be my family.
Monday, September 8, 2008
36 hours of hell and thank god we brought the tweezers...
...because 12 hours into our second, 13.5 hour flight (one of three flights) Evan shoved a yogurt-covered strawberry up his nose.
More on our return in days to come when we are officially over jetlag and I kick this cold.
More on our return in days to come when we are officially over jetlag and I kick this cold.
I am a bad wife
Here is Brian's blog post that got lost weeks ago. Sorry, honey!
Hey all,
Brian here. This is actually my first official post. Jen's been handling it all and doing an amazing job. Me, I've been taking a lot of pictures, a lot of video, and changing a lot of diapers. (Front to back!) It appears that Zoe likes having her diapers changed by me a bit more than by Jen in that she screams a little bit less. Though this makes me feel good, it's not the first title I would have chosen!
Anyway, it's going far better than any of us could have hoped. Zoe has really taken a liking to us, and I have a hard time imagining our family without her now, her personality complimenting the rest of ours so well. She's very outspoken and active, eager to communicate with everyone she meets, making clicking and buzzing sounds as she tries to strike up a conversation. If you click back, you'll get the biggest smile you've ever seen, followed by a wave, a laugh, a loud "Yaaa!" and perhaps some clapping.
Needless to say, this has been an incredible and exhausting journey so far. Take 23 hours of flying, a 10 hour time difference, and a city at high altitude, a 3 year old, and a new 10 month old, mix it all together and its easy to understand why we're all a little winded. There's irony too. Zoe, generally sleeps pretty well through the night, especially if stuffed with cereal and bottle before bed, while Evan, because of the jet lag, has been waking up a little after 3am every day, ready to rock! Gradually, this is getting better, with him sleeping a little later each day. At this rate we should be back to normal just in time to head home next Thursday and start all over again!
In addition to adjusting as a world traveling family, we've also had our share of very emotional experiences thus far. Jen posted her story yesterday of our trips to several orphanages in Addis, so that we might meet the children and see the conditions that they live in. It was incredibly moving for both of us. With my camera in hand, I quickly found myself surrounding by kids all wanting their pictures taken, posing with friends or doing stunts on the broken down swing set, I would alternate between clicking as fast as I could and showing them the pictures I had just taken. Sadly, due to the rules, I can't post the pictures of the kids to the blog, but I don't know at this point where I would begin as I must have taken over 200 portraits over the course of the day. There were so many, so many kids. And they were so polite, so humble, so friendly, eager to play with Evan and to show us around. For Evan, it was just a lot of fun kids to play with. It wasn't until we were in the infant room when he started asking questions.
"Why do they all sleep here?" he asked.
"Because this is where they live," I said.
"Why?"
"Because they don't have mommies and daddies to take care of them," I whispered, realizing that I wasn't sure I was ready for this conversation.
"Why?"
"Because their mommies and daddies are too sick or too poor to take care of them."
At that point, he clung to me very tightly, burying his face in my shoulder.
It was something that I'll never forget.
love,
Brian
Hey all,
Brian here. This is actually my first official post. Jen's been handling it all and doing an amazing job. Me, I've been taking a lot of pictures, a lot of video, and changing a lot of diapers. (Front to back!) It appears that Zoe likes having her diapers changed by me a bit more than by Jen in that she screams a little bit less. Though this makes me feel good, it's not the first title I would have chosen!
Anyway, it's going far better than any of us could have hoped. Zoe has really taken a liking to us, and I have a hard time imagining our family without her now, her personality complimenting the rest of ours so well. She's very outspoken and active, eager to communicate with everyone she meets, making clicking and buzzing sounds as she tries to strike up a conversation. If you click back, you'll get the biggest smile you've ever seen, followed by a wave, a laugh, a loud "Yaaa!" and perhaps some clapping.
Needless to say, this has been an incredible and exhausting journey so far. Take 23 hours of flying, a 10 hour time difference, and a city at high altitude, a 3 year old, and a new 10 month old, mix it all together and its easy to understand why we're all a little winded. There's irony too. Zoe, generally sleeps pretty well through the night, especially if stuffed with cereal and bottle before bed, while Evan, because of the jet lag, has been waking up a little after 3am every day, ready to rock! Gradually, this is getting better, with him sleeping a little later each day. At this rate we should be back to normal just in time to head home next Thursday and start all over again!
In addition to adjusting as a world traveling family, we've also had our share of very emotional experiences thus far. Jen posted her story yesterday of our trips to several orphanages in Addis, so that we might meet the children and see the conditions that they live in. It was incredibly moving for both of us. With my camera in hand, I quickly found myself surrounding by kids all wanting their pictures taken, posing with friends or doing stunts on the broken down swing set, I would alternate between clicking as fast as I could and showing them the pictures I had just taken. Sadly, due to the rules, I can't post the pictures of the kids to the blog, but I don't know at this point where I would begin as I must have taken over 200 portraits over the course of the day. There were so many, so many kids. And they were so polite, so humble, so friendly, eager to play with Evan and to show us around. For Evan, it was just a lot of fun kids to play with. It wasn't until we were in the infant room when he started asking questions.
"Why do they all sleep here?" he asked.
"Because this is where they live," I said.
"Why?"
"Because they don't have mommies and daddies to take care of them," I whispered, realizing that I wasn't sure I was ready for this conversation.
"Why?"
"Because their mommies and daddies are too sick or too poor to take care of them."
At that point, he clung to me very tightly, burying his face in my shoulder.
It was something that I'll never forget.
love,
Brian
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Things We Miss and Things We'll Miss
Things we miss about home:
Child restraint systems, all types (highchairs, carseats, strollers, walkers, bouncy chairs, etc.)
The little park, crappy as it is, and all the rockin' ladies in it
Evan's Scuut
Our Sonicares
Separate rooms so they can sleep and we don't have too.
Direct TV and Tivo
COLE COLE COLE!
Legos
Reliable To-Go coffee
All of our friends
Our kitties
Our own beds
Our washing machine
A routine
Cheap long distance
Cheap internet
Thins we don't want to forget about Ethiopia:
The faces of children in orphanages
The friendliness of the people
The food!
The coffee
The families we've met here
The awesomeness of Travis, Joanna, Ryan, Abbey, Belay, and Tafesse, all dedicating their lives (or at least many years of their lives) to helping the orphans of Ethiopia
The beautiful countryside
Things I DO want to forget about Ethiopia:
The gasoline smell when out in town!
The fact that the hotel playground that doesn't open until 10am.
The taxes!
Things I learned on this trip:
Jetlag sucks
Jetlag with a 3-year-old REALLY sucks
Swimming with babies isn't actually any fun, no matter how cute their swimsuit
Child restraint systems, all types (highchairs, carseats, strollers, walkers, bouncy chairs, etc.)
The little park, crappy as it is, and all the rockin' ladies in it
Evan's Scuut
Our Sonicares
Separate rooms so they can sleep and we don't have too.
Direct TV and Tivo
COLE COLE COLE!
Legos
Reliable To-Go coffee
All of our friends
Our kitties
Our own beds
Our washing machine
A routine
Cheap long distance
Cheap internet
Thins we don't want to forget about Ethiopia:
The faces of children in orphanages
The friendliness of the people
The food!
The coffee
The families we've met here
The awesomeness of Travis, Joanna, Ryan, Abbey, Belay, and Tafesse, all dedicating their lives (or at least many years of their lives) to helping the orphans of Ethiopia
The beautiful countryside
Things I DO want to forget about Ethiopia:
The gasoline smell when out in town!
The fact that the hotel playground that doesn't open until 10am.
The taxes!
Things I learned on this trip:
Jetlag sucks
Jetlag with a 3-year-old REALLY sucks
Swimming with babies isn't actually any fun, no matter how cute their swimsuit
Monday, September 1, 2008
Reality Check Part 2
Later in the day after we met the sick girl in the orphanage, we spoke more with Travis about the severity of her illness. Brian expressed relief that I hadn't relinquished my wedding ring, and I suppose with good reason. Things like jewelry or clothing or toys or money seem to lose something when in the face of such things. I don't know what I would have given her if I hadn't been wearing the other ring. But I think some sort of reason would have prevailed and the wedding ring would have stayed on my finger.
In any case, the ring I did give was not unexpectedly missing when we saw the girl again. I hope she had the good sense to hide it, but given how sick she was I highly doubt she did. We arranged to pick her up ourselves with our driver from the orphanage and take her to the hospital. By the time we got to her later in the day it was pouring rain and she could barely walk. It was clear to everyone by the time she got into the car with us why I had been so concerned and moved by her situation. She could barely breathe and was writhing with her fever. A nanny came with her to hold her and accompany her for the ride to the hospital. Tafesse dropped us at our hotel before they went on to the hospital. I put my hand on her cheek and said goodbye and told her she would be ok.
We found out the next day that she had a severe throat infection that had prevented her from eating for several days, thus worsening her condition overall. She was prescribed an injection and other antibiotic medications. She was said to be back at the orphanage and feeling a bit better.
Before we leave on Thursday I will try to make contact with her again. I am told it is no real use to sponsor a child at this age when in a facility such as this, but that I can stay in contact and help her with college when and if she ages out of the system. To send a child to college here is only about $400 a year, so I think I can manage to help.
I hope that she remains healthy from here on out and that contact with me in the future will make her life a bit easier.
Jen
In any case, the ring I did give was not unexpectedly missing when we saw the girl again. I hope she had the good sense to hide it, but given how sick she was I highly doubt she did. We arranged to pick her up ourselves with our driver from the orphanage and take her to the hospital. By the time we got to her later in the day it was pouring rain and she could barely walk. It was clear to everyone by the time she got into the car with us why I had been so concerned and moved by her situation. She could barely breathe and was writhing with her fever. A nanny came with her to hold her and accompany her for the ride to the hospital. Tafesse dropped us at our hotel before they went on to the hospital. I put my hand on her cheek and said goodbye and told her she would be ok.
We found out the next day that she had a severe throat infection that had prevented her from eating for several days, thus worsening her condition overall. She was prescribed an injection and other antibiotic medications. She was said to be back at the orphanage and feeling a bit better.
Before we leave on Thursday I will try to make contact with her again. I am told it is no real use to sponsor a child at this age when in a facility such as this, but that I can stay in contact and help her with college when and if she ages out of the system. To send a child to college here is only about $400 a year, so I think I can manage to help.
I hope that she remains healthy from here on out and that contact with me in the future will make her life a bit easier.
Jen
The Meeting
Today we were fortunate enough to meet Zoe's birth mother. We are not posting pictures of her out of respect for her privacy. We drove up to the office and she was standing out in front. At first glance I thought it must be her, as there was a similarity in her eyes to Zoe's, but a few minutes later we knew for sure. She recognized Zoe and came right up to her with kisses and hugs. It was very sweet and clear that she cared for her deeply. We learned a bit about her family and also learned that she is now working and safely housed with family, which was a relief to us. We exchanged small gifts, us pictures and a necklace and her some jewelry for Zoe. We learned about each other's families and lives and we asked if she was comfortable with us and with her decision to relinquish her baby. She agreed that we were a good fit. Though it was clear that she cared about her baby, she was firm in her resolution that this was the right decision for everyone.
We felt like it was a great meeting. But it sure was strange. It's a strange feeling to meet the person who birthed your child and try to say thank you for something so huge. We hope that Zoe will want to visit when she becomes an adult. We agreed to send pictures and updates frequently.
More soon...
We felt like it was a great meeting. But it sure was strange. It's a strange feeling to meet the person who birthed your child and try to say thank you for something so huge. We hope that Zoe will want to visit when she becomes an adult. We agreed to send pictures and updates frequently.
More soon...
Friday, August 29, 2008
Reality Check
Part 1:
I'm not really sure where to start. Today was not what I expected.
It didn't even occur to me that I might not be able to keep it together. I've seen all the images, watched the videos, considered myself relatively educated on the matter of what it means to be an orphan in most countries. My guard is already up as Zoe and I come closer together and we each let our guards down. It didn't even occur to me that, upon seeing the real thing, I wouldn't be able to keep it together.
We arrived at the first orphanage today around 10:30am. I don't remember its name and couldn't spell it even if I could remember it. We drove up with several other Gladney families and all convened in the driveway. It was the beginning of a day of visiting orphans in government orphanages. At first I was fine. Kids came up to me to hold my hand or touch me or hug me, and it was what I had expected. Sad, but what I expected.
We started walking through the orphanage and looking at all the buildings and sleeping quarters. Now the kids really started coming out of the woodwork. They were ages (probably) 5-14 or so, and there were SO MANY. They all gathered around us wanting to test their english or wanting to hold your hand. It must have been about now that I started to get rattled. There were SO MANY. And I knew that this was just one tiny orphanage among hundreds (or thousands?) in Ethiopia.
We walked into the first sleeping quarters and the reality of where we were and what it meant hit me. I started, well, sobbing isn't the word. Sobbing would have been it if I hadn't been surrounded by children who were proud to show me where they lived. I tried to stifle it back but every time someone spoke to me or touched me I started crying again. That first room really said it all. 25 children all sleeping in a tiny room the size of our bedroom.
I don't know why it was so sad. I don't know why I couldn't harden up and be stoic. This was a reality I had read about and prepared for. What was so different here?
We walked through all the rooms that were open to us. Most of them had at least 12 beds in them. We visited the baby room and I made contact with a few teeny tiny ones and got them smiling, and this cheered me a bit. Brian and Evan ended up in the play yard and I had Zoe tied to me as I continued to wander. Eventually I ended up back in the yard as well and handed off Zoe for Brian to have a turn with her. Everyone was getting ready to leave and I wanted to make sure that I got a couple of pictures of those rooms that had made me so emotional. I walked into the pink room and took a couple of snaps, just to remember.
But it was in the blue room that I met someone I really didn't expect.
I held up my camera and walked in, just wanting to remember how many beds were there. I took one picture and then realized that there was a caregiver standing and an older child sitting on the floor looking miserable. People here touch babies and children frequently, so I walked up to her and touched her head. Even through her braided hair I could feel that she had a high fever. I put my hands on her head and neck and confirmed it. I said to the caregiver that she had a fever and did she have any medicine. She said yes, but when she left she didn't return for a while. I stayed with the girl with my hands on her face and back while she shivered with chills. She was probably 12 or 13, or maybe older. When the caregiver did return she brought a tiny chair for me to sit in next to this girl. Then she left again. I didn't know what to do. I didn't even have a jacket on to give to her. As I looked at her I saw that she had sores on the inside of her mouth, bloodshot eyes (pink eye?), and
that the skin on her legs was scaly and peeling. I just didn't have anything to give her to help her. Brian and the Gladney folks and our backpack were all back by the car, and I didn't have any medicine there anyways. I looked down at my hands as I touched her face and saw my silver Tiffany ring. I didn't know what to do, so off it came. I took her hand and was able to get it onto her pinky finger (her hands were very large). After this she slowly started inching towards me, and eventually she laid her head on my knee and panted. I held her and cried into her hair and stroked her back while I waited. She had a rattling breath from the fever.
Eventually some other women came in and asked more questions about her. And then Travis walked in with a look of urgency on his face to tell me that everyone was leaving and that they were waiting for me. I explained to him what was going on. He talked to the caregivers a bit and then told me that he didn't understand why she wasn't in the car to head to the doctor that had left thirty minutes earlier. I think he saw my face and the girl clinging to me and he said, "Welcome to Ethiopia."
I kissed her on her burning forehead a few times with her face in my hands and walked out of the room.
I'm not really sure where to start. Today was not what I expected.
It didn't even occur to me that I might not be able to keep it together. I've seen all the images, watched the videos, considered myself relatively educated on the matter of what it means to be an orphan in most countries. My guard is already up as Zoe and I come closer together and we each let our guards down. It didn't even occur to me that, upon seeing the real thing, I wouldn't be able to keep it together.
We arrived at the first orphanage today around 10:30am. I don't remember its name and couldn't spell it even if I could remember it. We drove up with several other Gladney families and all convened in the driveway. It was the beginning of a day of visiting orphans in government orphanages. At first I was fine. Kids came up to me to hold my hand or touch me or hug me, and it was what I had expected. Sad, but what I expected.
We started walking through the orphanage and looking at all the buildings and sleeping quarters. Now the kids really started coming out of the woodwork. They were ages (probably) 5-14 or so, and there were SO MANY. They all gathered around us wanting to test their english or wanting to hold your hand. It must have been about now that I started to get rattled. There were SO MANY. And I knew that this was just one tiny orphanage among hundreds (or thousands?) in Ethiopia.
We walked into the first sleeping quarters and the reality of where we were and what it meant hit me. I started, well, sobbing isn't the word. Sobbing would have been it if I hadn't been surrounded by children who were proud to show me where they lived. I tried to stifle it back but every time someone spoke to me or touched me I started crying again. That first room really said it all. 25 children all sleeping in a tiny room the size of our bedroom.
I don't know why it was so sad. I don't know why I couldn't harden up and be stoic. This was a reality I had read about and prepared for. What was so different here?
We walked through all the rooms that were open to us. Most of them had at least 12 beds in them. We visited the baby room and I made contact with a few teeny tiny ones and got them smiling, and this cheered me a bit. Brian and Evan ended up in the play yard and I had Zoe tied to me as I continued to wander. Eventually I ended up back in the yard as well and handed off Zoe for Brian to have a turn with her. Everyone was getting ready to leave and I wanted to make sure that I got a couple of pictures of those rooms that had made me so emotional. I walked into the pink room and took a couple of snaps, just to remember.
But it was in the blue room that I met someone I really didn't expect.
I held up my camera and walked in, just wanting to remember how many beds were there. I took one picture and then realized that there was a caregiver standing and an older child sitting on the floor looking miserable. People here touch babies and children frequently, so I walked up to her and touched her head. Even through her braided hair I could feel that she had a high fever. I put my hands on her head and neck and confirmed it. I said to the caregiver that she had a fever and did she have any medicine. She said yes, but when she left she didn't return for a while. I stayed with the girl with my hands on her face and back while she shivered with chills. She was probably 12 or 13, or maybe older. When the caregiver did return she brought a tiny chair for me to sit in next to this girl. Then she left again. I didn't know what to do. I didn't even have a jacket on to give to her. As I looked at her I saw that she had sores on the inside of her mouth, bloodshot eyes (pink eye?), and
that the skin on her legs was scaly and peeling. I just didn't have anything to give her to help her. Brian and the Gladney folks and our backpack were all back by the car, and I didn't have any medicine there anyways. I looked down at my hands as I touched her face and saw my silver Tiffany ring. I didn't know what to do, so off it came. I took her hand and was able to get it onto her pinky finger (her hands were very large). After this she slowly started inching towards me, and eventually she laid her head on my knee and panted. I held her and cried into her hair and stroked her back while I waited. She had a rattling breath from the fever.
Eventually some other women came in and asked more questions about her. And then Travis walked in with a look of urgency on his face to tell me that everyone was leaving and that they were waiting for me. I explained to him what was going on. He talked to the caregivers a bit and then told me that he didn't understand why she wasn't in the car to head to the doctor that had left thirty minutes earlier. I think he saw my face and the girl clinging to me and he said, "Welcome to Ethiopia."
I kissed her on her burning forehead a few times with her face in my hands and walked out of the room.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
More Pics
Here are some pictures from yesterday. They include a picture of Zoe's lovely primary caregiver, as well as the front of the foster house. Then there are a couple of baby and parents during the coffee ceremony. Evan konked out in the car (jet lag sucks!). And then, of course, baby's first bath! We found it necessary to put her in the "ducky suit". Enjoy!
Baby's First Visa
Yesterday we went to the Embassy and had our interview to apply for Zoe's visa to come to the states. We passed! It was very easy and we were relieved to have that part of our stay completed.
There are a lot of little things that I keep trying to get myself to remember to tell everyone about Zoe, but they fly out of my head as soon as they happen.
First, she's LOUD! She talks and talks and when she cries she SCREAMS! There is no in-between crying for this girl.
She's a great sleeper. The first night she woke up once, second night she slept through, third night woke up SCREAMING once.
She HATES having a poopy diaper and will scream and scream until it's changed. She also hates having her diaper changed at all, so the screaming really continues until the whole ordeal is over with.
She communicates a lot on an individual basis. If she sees someone she likes, especially Brian, she will hold up her hand for a high five! She also waves and clucks with her tongue a lot. She has been known to imitate sneezes! Much like Evan was when he was little, she's a GOOD imitator of sneezes!
She has a new sound, or new to us. You know that rattly cry that newborns make that makes their chins quiver? She does that, except she does it sometimes when she's happy and sometimes when she's about to lose it.
She sucks her thumb when she sleeps.
She is WILD.
She LOVES Evan. And Evan is starting to really like her a lot now that our jetlag is wearing off. He likes entertaining her. He can get her to laugh the hardest.
She is FAT! We call her thunder thighs! We brought three pairs of jeans for her, 9 month, and two 12 months, and there was NO WAY those puppies were going on! Not even close! For any kind people who wish to purchase cute pants for her, think 18-24, seriously! She's approaching 12-18 for shirts.
She should really be taking her nap right now... hey! Stop making clucking noises over there and go to sleep!
Love, all of us
There are a lot of little things that I keep trying to get myself to remember to tell everyone about Zoe, but they fly out of my head as soon as they happen.
First, she's LOUD! She talks and talks and when she cries she SCREAMS! There is no in-between crying for this girl.
She's a great sleeper. The first night she woke up once, second night she slept through, third night woke up SCREAMING once.
She HATES having a poopy diaper and will scream and scream until it's changed. She also hates having her diaper changed at all, so the screaming really continues until the whole ordeal is over with.
She communicates a lot on an individual basis. If she sees someone she likes, especially Brian, she will hold up her hand for a high five! She also waves and clucks with her tongue a lot. She has been known to imitate sneezes! Much like Evan was when he was little, she's a GOOD imitator of sneezes!
She has a new sound, or new to us. You know that rattly cry that newborns make that makes their chins quiver? She does that, except she does it sometimes when she's happy and sometimes when she's about to lose it.
She sucks her thumb when she sleeps.
She is WILD.
She LOVES Evan. And Evan is starting to really like her a lot now that our jetlag is wearing off. He likes entertaining her. He can get her to laugh the hardest.
She is FAT! We call her thunder thighs! We brought three pairs of jeans for her, 9 month, and two 12 months, and there was NO WAY those puppies were going on! Not even close! For any kind people who wish to purchase cute pants for her, think 18-24, seriously! She's approaching 12-18 for shirts.
She should really be taking her nap right now... hey! Stop making clucking noises over there and go to sleep!
Love, all of us
She's a fiesty Cantwell!
Hello everyone!
Sorry it took us so long to get back to you all as we're guessing you're anxiously awaiting pics of our new babe! We made it mostly without incident, but due to getting hung up at customs on our way in, we were quite late getting to the hotel yesterday. They ended up bringing Zoe to us. It was totally weird. One minute the bell rang with room service, and five minutes later the bell rang with our baby! Needless to say, we didn't get through much of that meal!
She was very quiet and mellow when we first met her. Brian is going to upload video of our first meeting. It wasn't until her first diaper change that we heard the ear piercing scream we've been told about for so many months! This girl has some LUNGS! After about 24 hours of diaper changes, however, and not being so scared of us, her screaming is not as frequent. I think her and Evan's screams scare the other one, so you can imagine what it's like when they both get going!
Evan has been a very good big brother. He's playing peek-a-boo with her and bringing her toys, kissing her on the forehead, etc. But he definitely has his moments of realization about what the heck just happened to him. Mostly, he's excited to bring her home. I think he didn't realize how long we're going to be here. Honestly, I am also already looking forward to returning. However, we've just been in the hotel so far and we will soon be out into the big world of Addis Ababa. I'm looking forward to getting out of the hotel! I love it here, it TOTALLY ROCKS, but we're getting a little stir crazy so it's time to hit the road and see some stuff and meet some folks!
Baby girl slept through the night but for one feeding and screaming diaper change at midnight. She woke up happy in her crib with a few toys keeping her busy. She is a feisty little thing, too! It's hard to explain, as we just met her, but she's got some spunk! Here are some pics and we will blog more when we get a little more sleep!
Love, Jen
Sorry it took us so long to get back to you all as we're guessing you're anxiously awaiting pics of our new babe! We made it mostly without incident, but due to getting hung up at customs on our way in, we were quite late getting to the hotel yesterday. They ended up bringing Zoe to us. It was totally weird. One minute the bell rang with room service, and five minutes later the bell rang with our baby! Needless to say, we didn't get through much of that meal!
She was very quiet and mellow when we first met her. Brian is going to upload video of our first meeting. It wasn't until her first diaper change that we heard the ear piercing scream we've been told about for so many months! This girl has some LUNGS! After about 24 hours of diaper changes, however, and not being so scared of us, her screaming is not as frequent. I think her and Evan's screams scare the other one, so you can imagine what it's like when they both get going!
Evan has been a very good big brother. He's playing peek-a-boo with her and bringing her toys, kissing her on the forehead, etc. But he definitely has his moments of realization about what the heck just happened to him. Mostly, he's excited to bring her home. I think he didn't realize how long we're going to be here. Honestly, I am also already looking forward to returning. However, we've just been in the hotel so far and we will soon be out into the big world of Addis Ababa. I'm looking forward to getting out of the hotel! I love it here, it TOTALLY ROCKS, but we're getting a little stir crazy so it's time to hit the road and see some stuff and meet some folks!
Baby girl slept through the night but for one feeding and screaming diaper change at midnight. She woke up happy in her crib with a few toys keeping her busy. She is a feisty little thing, too! It's hard to explain, as we just met her, but she's got some spunk! Here are some pics and we will blog more when we get a little more sleep!
Love, Jen
Friday, August 22, 2008
Rockin...
WE ARE OUTTA HERE! We hop on a plane in 10 hours for 23 hours in the air (with a three year old) and 36 hours of total travel (with a three year old!). Will we sleep??? Eh, who needs sleep??? We'll meet baby Zoe on Monday afternoon in Ethiopia, or about 5am Monday morning CA time. Stay tuned!!!
YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAWWWWW!!!!!
YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAWWWWW!!!!!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Travel Plans
I just wanted to let you all know that we are scheduled to leave on Saturday, August 23rd. We will be in Ethiopia for 10 nights and will hop on the plane again on September 4. We can't WAIT!!!
Here is a recent pic of Zoe. I hope she doesn't start walking before we get there!!!
Here is a recent pic of Zoe. I hope she doesn't start walking before we get there!!!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
WE MADE IT!!! WE MADE IT!!! WE MADE IT!!! WE MADE IT!!! WE MADE IT!!! WE MADE IT!!!
I can't believe it, but we finally made it! Poor Natalie got an earful of sobbing when she finally told me! WE MADE IT!!! WE MADE IT!!! WE MADE IT!!! WE MADE IT!!! WE MADE IT!!! WE MADE IT!!! Here is our beautiful girl! Zoe Rose Rahel Cantwell!!!
Friday, May 30, 2008
No Patience
My patience is gone, evaporated long ago. We still haven't made it through due to ongoing electricity issues. I haven't heard about today yet, so perhaps there is good news on the horizon, but it didn't sound likely. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the weekend. AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Not yet...
Due to electricity issues, we did not make it through court today.
AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!
Next date is Thursday. Here's hoping!
AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!
Next date is Thursday. Here's hoping!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
FINALLY!!!!
We FINALLY got our court date today! After 11 weeks of waiting for a date, we now are scheduled to have our first, and hopefully last, court date on May 26! Yippeeeeeeee! While we hope, hope, hope that we will pass through court the first time, it is very frequent for court to be delayed, rescheduled, or for there to be last minute documents that need to be located. Please everyone focus your energy our way on that day (or actually the day before...) and let's hope that we make it through right away! Thanks to all of you for your support during what has been an incredibly stressful time!
Here is a pic from Evan's bday party this weekend.
Here is a pic from Evan's bday party this weekend.
Friday, May 2, 2008
The New Plan
Well, we're still waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Our case was to be submitted for a date yesterday, but yesterday turned out to be a holiday, as is Monday, so Tuesday will be the absolute earliest that we could hear. It would be nice to hear Tuesday, but we're not counting on it, just because that's not how things are going for us so far!
BUT, we have decided that if/when we finally get to court and have a positive outcome that we will travel immediately to pick up our little Zoe (hopefully still little when we get there!). We'll be spending 3-4 weeks in Ethiopia now, instead of one. We still have to wait for all the documents needed for the embassy appointment and visas, but we can get to her sooner and start to bond with her during our longer stay in country.
We're hoping, hoping, hoping that we'll pass court by the end of May and be on a plane a few days later. More next week!
BUT, we have decided that if/when we finally get to court and have a positive outcome that we will travel immediately to pick up our little Zoe (hopefully still little when we get there!). We'll be spending 3-4 weeks in Ethiopia now, instead of one. We still have to wait for all the documents needed for the embassy appointment and visas, but we can get to her sooner and start to bond with her during our longer stay in country.
We're hoping, hoping, hoping that we'll pass court by the end of May and be on a plane a few days later. More next week!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Teeny tiny baby step towards court date
We've now heard that the reps in ET have all the documents they need to file for our court date (apparently there was some extra effort needed in our case to collect everything necessary on their end). They are going to file for the date this week and *hopefully* we'll hear next week about when our first (and hopefully last!) court date will be! Fingers crossed for a speedy date!!!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Nada
No news to report, except of course for the fact that nearly EVERYONE else has their court dates except us! ARRRRRRGGGGHHH!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
REFERRAL at 15 weeks!!!
Hi everyone,
I know I almost never post here, but getting our referral seems like something worth my while! We got the call yesterday from Natalie, 5 weeks sooner than expected, for a baby girl! She's almost 4 months old and in perfect health. We are so excited!
The Call:
I was coming out of the bank with Evan and when we got strapped into the car I was going to make a call while Evan watched Elmo in the back. I saw that there was a message from an unknown number. Of course I thought that it could be Natalie, but I REALLY didn't expect it to be her. I listened to the message and all she said was to call her back. So I did, and the first thing I said was, "Hi, this is Jen Cantwell. You've GOT to be shitting me!!!" And she laughed and said no, that she had our referral! She asked about conferencing in Brian but I was in the car and that wouldn't do much good. She told me her age only and that she'd call me back at home in ten minutes so we could conference him in.
And so began a drive home that was very blurry. I have the flu, I should mention, and so there we flew down San Pablo Avenue, Elmo blaring, cell phone being used in ways that are the reason it will soon be illegal to use a cell phone in a car. I stopped calling Brian when I realized that I couldn't actually text him while driving and with a toddler in the back and had a rare moment of clarity that I was literally a block away from home and that the text message could wait.
When I got home I called Brian's friend, John, at work, but I had forgotten that John was out on paternity leave. So then again, the front desk to try to track him down (ILM doesn't have a paging system, the bastards). But then Brian got the idea when he realized that he had messages on every phone he owned and called me back just moments before Natalie called again (that was a short ten minutes, Natalie!). She sent us the pictures and medical reports and the rest is history!
So now we wait again. We're hoping that the outside wait is 3 months (hoping, hoping, hoping) before we travel. We will post as we go along (at least in theory we will!).
I hope this finds everyone well!
I know I almost never post here, but getting our referral seems like something worth my while! We got the call yesterday from Natalie, 5 weeks sooner than expected, for a baby girl! She's almost 4 months old and in perfect health. We are so excited!
The Call:
I was coming out of the bank with Evan and when we got strapped into the car I was going to make a call while Evan watched Elmo in the back. I saw that there was a message from an unknown number. Of course I thought that it could be Natalie, but I REALLY didn't expect it to be her. I listened to the message and all she said was to call her back. So I did, and the first thing I said was, "Hi, this is Jen Cantwell. You've GOT to be shitting me!!!" And she laughed and said no, that she had our referral! She asked about conferencing in Brian but I was in the car and that wouldn't do much good. She told me her age only and that she'd call me back at home in ten minutes so we could conference him in.
And so began a drive home that was very blurry. I have the flu, I should mention, and so there we flew down San Pablo Avenue, Elmo blaring, cell phone being used in ways that are the reason it will soon be illegal to use a cell phone in a car. I stopped calling Brian when I realized that I couldn't actually text him while driving and with a toddler in the back and had a rare moment of clarity that I was literally a block away from home and that the text message could wait.
When I got home I called Brian's friend, John, at work, but I had forgotten that John was out on paternity leave. So then again, the front desk to try to track him down (ILM doesn't have a paging system, the bastards). But then Brian got the idea when he realized that he had messages on every phone he owned and called me back just moments before Natalie called again (that was a short ten minutes, Natalie!). She sent us the pictures and medical reports and the rest is history!
So now we wait again. We're hoping that the outside wait is 3 months (hoping, hoping, hoping) before we travel. We will post as we go along (at least in theory we will!).
I hope this finds everyone well!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Obsession is the name of the game
So I think I've finally stumbled upon a solution to dealing with the dreaded "wait". In order to make the wait for a referral tolerable, one must find something else and completely new to obsess about. I've already done this (by happy accident) a couple of times during this adoption, and I can remember doing it last time, too. It really helps take the heat off of the wait. Examples:
During the wait for our referral for Evan, things were a bit complicated. We had been referred another child and then lost the referral due to circumstances in Kaz that were out of our control. Devastated, I went out the next day and brought home a kitten to foster from a local rescue agency. Over the course of the next few weeks several more kittens followed until we had SEVEN cats running around our house, pooping wherever they pleased. Stinky as it was, it was heavenly to have so many little fuzzies around. Of course we ended up keeping one, Cutie Pie.
Then, when we were in Kaz during the FORTY days that we had to visit Evan and wait to receive custody, we happened upon a tiny struggling kitten out in the hallway of our building. Long story short, yes we knew how stupid it was to get involved with an animal in a foreign country where customs were different, etc. However, I truly thought he would have died that night if it weren't for us. He was teeny tiny, skin and bones quite literally, and he came to stay with us for a couple of weeks. By the end of our time together he was fattening up and quite the snuggler. We paid our translator's family to take him permanently. $100 in Kaz is a LOT of money, but to us it just made us feel confident that they would at least try to keep him as a pet for a while. We named him Lucky.
This time around I've discovered two new passions/obsessions and they have served me well during this wait: diamonds and rock climbing. This fall I became unbelievably obsessed with everything to do with diamonds. I scoured the internet for hours EVERY night learning about diamonds, where they come from, where you can buy and then resell for a profit, where to get educated, all of it. It resulted in a few failed attempts at reselling stones on my part. However, though I've set this hobby down for the time being, in the future when money isn't so tight I will be picking it up again to continue to experiment and see if I can make some income to help support our family without me being in a regular workplace. If any of you need help shopping for a diamond, now you know who to call!
And the new obsession: rock climbing. I bought Brian a gift certificate for the two of us to learn at our local climbing gym for xmas this year. We are both totally into it and it is so fun! It's challenging, mentally and physically, and there is plenty of information and experiences for us to learn from for a long time to come. It's a good obsession to have, generally speaking, and it is serving to fill in for these last few weeks before we get to see our baby girl's face.
Things are starting to get harder as we narrow the gap between no baby and baby. But a healthy obsession sure helps take the heat off and put your mind towards something other than a baby you've never seen but will see very soon.
I've tried to convince Brian that we need to make it the status quo that each time we're waiting for an adoption or, hopefully someday, a biological birth we need to add a kitten. Sadly, I think the stench from the poop of seven kittens is etched in his memory and it will be a long time before I'll be able to make him forget!
The yummy fuzzy babies
Little Lucky with Brian in Kaz
Lardass Cutie Pie these days
During the wait for our referral for Evan, things were a bit complicated. We had been referred another child and then lost the referral due to circumstances in Kaz that were out of our control. Devastated, I went out the next day and brought home a kitten to foster from a local rescue agency. Over the course of the next few weeks several more kittens followed until we had SEVEN cats running around our house, pooping wherever they pleased. Stinky as it was, it was heavenly to have so many little fuzzies around. Of course we ended up keeping one, Cutie Pie.
Then, when we were in Kaz during the FORTY days that we had to visit Evan and wait to receive custody, we happened upon a tiny struggling kitten out in the hallway of our building. Long story short, yes we knew how stupid it was to get involved with an animal in a foreign country where customs were different, etc. However, I truly thought he would have died that night if it weren't for us. He was teeny tiny, skin and bones quite literally, and he came to stay with us for a couple of weeks. By the end of our time together he was fattening up and quite the snuggler. We paid our translator's family to take him permanently. $100 in Kaz is a LOT of money, but to us it just made us feel confident that they would at least try to keep him as a pet for a while. We named him Lucky.
This time around I've discovered two new passions/obsessions and they have served me well during this wait: diamonds and rock climbing. This fall I became unbelievably obsessed with everything to do with diamonds. I scoured the internet for hours EVERY night learning about diamonds, where they come from, where you can buy and then resell for a profit, where to get educated, all of it. It resulted in a few failed attempts at reselling stones on my part. However, though I've set this hobby down for the time being, in the future when money isn't so tight I will be picking it up again to continue to experiment and see if I can make some income to help support our family without me being in a regular workplace. If any of you need help shopping for a diamond, now you know who to call!
And the new obsession: rock climbing. I bought Brian a gift certificate for the two of us to learn at our local climbing gym for xmas this year. We are both totally into it and it is so fun! It's challenging, mentally and physically, and there is plenty of information and experiences for us to learn from for a long time to come. It's a good obsession to have, generally speaking, and it is serving to fill in for these last few weeks before we get to see our baby girl's face.
Things are starting to get harder as we narrow the gap between no baby and baby. But a healthy obsession sure helps take the heat off and put your mind towards something other than a baby you've never seen but will see very soon.
I've tried to convince Brian that we need to make it the status quo that each time we're waiting for an adoption or, hopefully someday, a biological birth we need to add a kitten. Sadly, I think the stench from the poop of seven kittens is etched in his memory and it will be a long time before I'll be able to make him forget!
The yummy fuzzy babies
Little Lucky with Brian in Kaz
Lardass Cutie Pie these days
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