Life in Addis

We are headed home tomorrow, and our emotions are as diverse as this country we are in.  I feel exhausted, touched, overwhelmed, and full of love for this baby girl, who without I cannot imagine life to be possible (even in her fussiest and most challenging moments).  But more than just this child, I have been touched by this country and the people in it.  First impressions are sometimes deceiving, and the more time you spend here, the more you see the beauty.  Beauty in the small children who live on the street, begging to sell you some gum or shine your shoes.  Beauty in the old woman who carries down bundles and bundles of branches down Entoto Mountain, day after day.  Beauty in the smile of the woman who passes you on the street with her child tied to her back.  Beauty in the face of the man who stops to give Mia a kiss and tell her how beautiful she is.  Beauty in the faces of countless orphans, whose expectant eyes long for someone, anyone, to take them home and call them their own.  I have been touched in a way I never thought possible, and life will never be the same again.  It is true: I need Africa more than Africa needs me. 

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First Report

We are alive and doing great.  Ethiopia is really unlike any place I've ever been.  The poverty is astounding.  Yesterday we arrived a little late, and it took 2 hours to get through customs.  Needless to say, we were running later than expected and had to literally drop our bags in our room and go (no electricity yesterday).  Meeting Mia was surreal, partially because I couldn't believe we were actually there and partially because we were going on 30 hours without any good sleep.  Today we went shopping in the morning, and then we got to bring Mia back to the hotel with us.  We've been having lots of fun; she is a snuggle bug and a great baby so far.  We gave her her first bath in our bathroom sink and Travis has now successfully changed 2 diapers.  I'm hoping to attach a couple of pictures, but if they don't go through, sorry.  The internet is slower than dial up.  We love you all and can't wait for you to meet her!

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Our Fellow Traveling Families

We're down to counting hours at this point and furiously running errands and doing laundry/packing before our wedding tomorrow, but I wanted to drop a quick line before I forget. Here are the blog links to the other families traveling with us. Most all of them have already left, so I thought you might like to follow their journey as well. (A word of warning...it's addicting! You might find yourself thinking about adoption ;)

Gillman Family    http://www.ablissfulheart.blogspot.com
Rogers Family   http://rogersadoptionstory.blogspot.com/
Stackler Family   http://stackler.blogspot.com/
Corderman Family  http://waitingformaggiefaith.blogspot.com
Garrison Family   www.impresseduponourhearts.blogspot.com
Holland Family    http://hollandadoptiontake2.blogspot.com/

Procrastination and Butterflies

I really should be packing, or at least trying to check off something on my growing to-do lists (yes, that's plural), but instead I sit on my bed, trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I will be boarding an airplane in just 4 short days to travel halfway around the world and instantaneously become a mother. This morning I woke early with butterflies in my stomach! I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas morning. It's hard to fall asleep, my mind just won't turn off, and I wake early, knowing each day is bringing us one day closer to Mia.

Tomorrow is my last day of work, at least until December 8th. Friday is reserved for last minute details, like having our car seat installed at the Fire Station, finishing packing, and getting the house ready for our house sitter. We are shooting an early wedding on Saturday (in Greenwood, thankfully), and then Sunday morning, Lord willing, we will be on the 6:00am flight to Dulles International Airport. After a brief layover, we'll board our 8 hour flight to Rome at 10:00am. We stop in Rome to refuel, and then spend 6 more hours heading to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We should arrive at 8:20am on Monday morning (really 1:20am here). After some paperwork and lunch, we will head to the Transition home to meet our baby girl. What a day it will be! I will try to post at least once or twice while we're gone, but I've heard the internet is really slow and we only plan to have power every other day, so we'll see how it goes.

I will try to post again before we head out, but for now, I hear my lists calling...I really should get something done tonight.

It's Official

We received confirmation from our adoption agency today that we are good to travel! It's a good thing, too, because our plane tickets arrived yesterday from our travel agency. If you look carefully, you can see Mia's boarding pass home (she'll be Bitania until we readopt her in the U.S.).
It's really hard to believe that in just 10 days we'll be boarding a plane to finally go and bring our baby girl home. I started packing for her on Monday evening, and as I sat in the middle of her room, surrounded by sleepers, lotion, pacifiers, and all kinds of baby stuff, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. After all this time, all the pretty baby "things" we've been collecting for the past 2+ years will finally be used; they will finally have a purpose. It is an amazing feeling, but also terrifying at the same time. Our lives are about to change forever, and I, for one, can't wait.

July Update!

I'm so excited that I can actually share our updated pictures! We just received our July update, and our precious Mia is now a whopping 12 pounds! She has also started rolling over, can bear weight on her legs, and is holding her head up while she's on her tummy. I can not wait to get to her! If all goes as planned, we'll be leaving Indy on Sunday, August 16th and arrive back home the following Sunday, August 23rd.

For now, enjoy the new pics!

She is Ours!

Introducing for the first time, our daughter, Emilia Jane Taylor.

April Update, 2 months

June Update, 4 months