Ethiopia and Current happenings

Well, I missed blogging yesterday so I decided to post the link to my blog journal that I did shorty after coming home from Ethiopia. This will account for yesterday and today's events: click here

That was my last blog entry about our trip so I will be busy the next few days telling you all about my amazing visit to the orphanage and our journey back home with Nathan! 2 exhausted parents + a baby + 16 hour flight = no fun at all

Current Events:




Tomorrow is the last day of school, where did the year go??? Olivia had her kindergarten graduation program yesterday. They performed several songs, announced each child, and then served refreshments. I loved watching my little superstar steal the stage. Olivia was dead center on the front row, of course, and was so animated the entire time. She has the most outgoing personality ever, I don't know where she gets it from but I hope she never changes. Austin is going into the 5th grade which means in a year I will have a kid in middle school AHHHHHHHH! Now that is crazy. Austin had a great teacher this year who has been a huge blessing. Austin is already asking to be in clubs, band, hall monitor(do they even do that anymore?), tv broadcast team, etc, etc. This will be fun! Next year will be a lot of work...



I recently decided to go back to school. I am attending online classes with South University in Savannah to officially get my paralegal degree. It is going great so far. I am able to get my work done once the kids are in bed each night. Half way through my first class and I have a 95. Hope I can keep it up! Next term I have 2 classes so things will get a little more difficult for sure. It is really exciting though and I enjoy it. I feel like I am accomplishing something that will make me feel better about myself and better my career. It has been difficult for me to realize that my dreams of being at stay at home mom were never going to come true. Since I support my family financially I have to make sure that I can continue to be successful in my career and I need a degree to back up my experience. I am on track to graduate in about 2 years. :)

Ethiopia Day 1 - Meeting Nathan!

Over the next week I will recap the events of our week in Ethiopia. Since I never finished my blog journal after we got home my plan is to do it now.

As we circled over Addis Ababa I could not help but get all choked up looking out the window, knowing Nathan was out there somewhere. We were there!!! We were in Ethiopia!!! I was pretty nervous going through the airport. I knew little Amharic and was armed with my translation book. We made it through the process of getting our visa and exchanged money. When we entered the room to get our luggage it was very crowded and busy! The owner of the guest house we were staying at was going to be there to pick us up, I had only corresponded with him through email and had no clue what he looked like. As we walked out people flocked to us and thankfully we quickly found Zeyede's smiling face holding a sign with our name on it. He took our luggage to his van and we were off. Driving through the streets of Addis is quite an experience. There is no method to the madness. Cars and people are everywhere! There are goats in the medians, donkeys walking down the road, everyone honking and yelling. People walk so close to vehicles as they cross the street and you think for sure they will get run over. It makes New York traffic look like a piece of cake in comparison.



The guesthouse was nice and the staff was amazing! It was a large house surrounded by a huge gated wall and barbed wire. Sounds odd right? That is standard in Ethiopia. UN officials were staying at the house next door and there were several armed guards at all times. Our room was small with a balcony overlooking the garden area and quiet little dirt road. We walked with Zeyede to a small shop and he treated us to a cup of Ethiopian coffee YUM! We LOVE Zeyede! He owns and operates the guest house as well as a touring service and made the BEST honey ever. We received a call that our driver from the House of Hope would be picking us up soon to go meet Nathan! We freshened up and before we knew it a little red car pulled up at the gates.



I am so nervous...just didn't know what to expect. We pull into the gates of the House of Hope. It is an amazing sight! Rows of childrens clothing and cloth diapers are strung up to dry. Everyone is peering over the balcony and through the windows at us. We are led into the office where we meet Teseguy, the director. We speak to him briefly and he tells us his wife has gone to get Nathan ready for us! Right Now?!?!? Suddenly she walks in the door and everything becomes a blur. Nick grabs the camera and thinks he is tapping but he forgot to push record... I try to push back the tears as I hold him, cuddle him, and check him out from head to toe. AMAZING! He is plump, healthy, and breath taking beautiful! A few minutes after Nathan was placed in my arms we were handed a bottle, brief feeding instructions, and back in the car we went. That was IT?!?! Like, I don't need to sign him out or something? We were taken to the guest house part of the HOH and given a room to relax in and spend some time with Nathan. I had worried about him possibly crying, being scared of us, or how well he would bond to me but God's hand was surely at work. He went to us willingly and bonded almost immediately. Not long after we settled into the room he fell asleep in Nick's arms. So sweet! It was like Nathan had been waiting on us and we were finally there and he was exhausted and at peace. He knew that was were he belonged. We ate dinner with another family that had arrived earlier in the day and then headed back to our guesthouse. Once in the room I changed Nathans clothes and finally got a good look at him. His cute personality really came out then as he cooed, smiled, and stretched out on the bed. By this point we had not slept or showered in days. Unfortunately we got very little sleep that night. Every move Nathan made I was jumping up; trying to figure out his schedule and getting to know his signs and what he needed when. You would think Addis would be quiet at night, wrong. There was a night club down the street that played loud music ALL night EVERY night. There were people moving about the guesthouse at all hours making loud noises. UGGGG Now I knew why people recommended we pack ear plugs!

A year ago today...

A year ago today Nick and I arrived at the Atlanta Airport at 4:00 am to begin our journey half way around the world to be united with our baby boy. It is hard to believe it has been that long. That morning we were so excited and nervous, it was all very surreal that we were actually going to Ethiopia and would soon be meeting our son we had only known through pictures. Neither of us had ever been out of the country before. We had more suitcases than I can remember; stuffed with a few of our clothes, lots of baby clothes/supplies, and donations for the orphanage. Our first flight was on a tiny plane to Washington DC. A few hours after arriving in DC we were boarding the plane to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; which was approx a 16 hour flight. We stopped briefly in Rome for fuel. Unfortunately it was dark outside so we could not see anything. By that point I had no concept of time, whether it was day or night, or what day it even was. I felt like a time traveler.






will continue tomorrow...

Nathan - Baby Idol 2009

Nathan - Baby Idol 2009

Posted using ShareThis

Vote for Nathan in the Star 94 baby Idol Atlanta's Cutest Baby Contest!

Easter Pics

Nathan - Baby Idol 2009

Nathan - Baby Idol 2009

Posted using ShareThis

Back to it...

I have been so darn busy and have really neglected the blog. So I am getting back to it. For me this blog was supposed to be a diary of sorts for our family events and Nathans adoption. I never even finished my posts on our trip to Ethiopia and we are getting close to A YEAR...how horrible is that?!?! I am going to try really hard to post a least once a week. Hopefully I still have people that will even read it. Probably not... If all else fails find me on Facebook! :)

Last weekend we had a little "House of Hope Reunion" with a group of families that all brought their little ones home from Ethiopia around the same time. It is really awesome seeing the babies playing together and see how much they have grown and changed in such a short time frame. I hope that over the years we will be able to keep the kids close and visit with each other often.

Here is a big group picture of all the babies. Nathan is second from the right



Nathan and Mommy :)



and my beautiful boy!



I "stole" the pics from other families. I did not get very many pics and since my camera stinks what I did get was horrible.

Just pics...

Nathan says hi :)


Olivia lost her first tooth!


So proud of Nick, he graduated from the Police Academy this week :)

Birthday's, Halloween, etc...

Once again it has been wayyyyy too long since my last blog post. I am going to post a quick update and some super cute pics. :)

We just celebrated Nathan's 1st birthday and Olivia's 6th birthday! For Halloween Nathan was a pumpkin, Olivia was a witch, and Austin was a boxer or "Rocky". All 3 were sooooo cute!!!! Austin just started wrestling season again so we are very busy with that. Nathan is almost walking, it won't be long now. He stands on his own but won't take actual steps unless he is holding onto something. Nick graduates from the police academy November 17th, he will be on the road starting in December EEEKKK! I am so proud of my hubby. This has been a dream come true for him and he has worked very hard for this. We have our 2nd post adoption visit tomorrow! I can't believe it has been over 5 months since we brought our little man home from Ethiopia. While it seems like he has always been in our life at the same time it seems like we were in Ethiopia only weeks ago. Well, Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner, are you ready??? :) This year we are trying to keep our focus on what really matters which is family and the birth of Jesus Christ. All the shopping, holiday decor, presents, stress over buying everyone the perfect gift; it all is NOTHING in comparison. Now...on to the super cute pics :)

The cutest pumpkin ever!

Prettiest witch in town :)

"The Champ"

Long overdue pics of Nathan

Is he beautiful or what?!?!? :)

 

 

 

 

I am a bad blogger....

Yes, we are still here... :) I can not believe how long it has been since I wrote a blog post. We have been so busy and had so much going on. Facebook has consumed any "cyber time" that I do get. This post may be long, I have a lot of catching up to do.

We have had some tough times since coming home from Ethiopia. Nick was laid off from his job and we have had to make some lifestyle changes. He played Mr. Mom for a while when I had to return to work. Nick has always been in the trucking/trailer industry which has taken a hard hit in the recent economy. He decided to pursue the career of his dreams as a police officer. He has recently been hired on as a new recruit with a local police dept and starts the police academy next week. We just moved into a new house this past week, it is in the town I grew up in and my parents live about 2 miles away. I am not sure yet if that is a good thing or a bad thing. :) LOL The town itself is still small but close to all the good stuff. Moving stinks and I have decided I am NEVER moving again!!! It is ridiculous the amount of junk we have accumulated over the years. At least the move is forcing me to clean out and I am having a huge garage sale in a couple weeks. If we don't need it, it's going! Austin and Olivia like their new school and have already made lots of new friends. Sports are starting back up, Austin will be playing Upward Flag Football and Olivia will be doing Upward cheerleading. Wrestling will start back in a couple months and then my weekends will be gone! Even though things have been chaotic over the past few months there is a shining light at the end of the tunnel. I know God has a reason for everything we have been through. I know it will only make us stronger and wiser in the end.



Nathan Updates:

Nathan is doing GREAT!!!!!! I don't remember life without him anymore. It is like he has been with us since day one. :) He is such a "happy go lucky" baby and melts the hearts of anyone he meets with that big gummy grin. He just cut his first tooth last week. He looks like a jack-o-lantern. :) He is crawling everywhere now and trying to pull up, he just has not figured out how to get his feet under him yet. We had our re-adoption court hearing September 3rd which went great. We have officially changed his name to Nathanael Elias Thornton and his new birth certificate and SS card should be on the way! The judge said this was his first Ethiopian adoption and was impressed that we did everything without an attorney. Nathan started daycare this week. He seems to really like it so far. The teachers were amazed at how good his motor skills are and how observant he is. They have cameras in the room and I can watch him online which is sooo cool. It is hard to not sit and just watch him all day. His hair has gotten really long and curly, I am afraid I will have to cut it soon, it is getting a little pouffy. :) So cute!



I think about Ethiopia a lot...I want to go back... I know it may sound odd but I think about Nathan's birth mom often. I wonder if she is ok. I wonder if she thinks about Nathan and misses him. I wonder if she knows he has been adopted and is now half way around the world. I wish I could have met her, I wish I could thank her for the amazing gift she has given us. I imagine what she may look like. I imagine a thin, beautiful, young girl with big dark eyes. It brings me to tears to even think about her. I feel sad for her. Sad that she will never know her son, sad that she will never see his beautiful smile, hold his little hands, or watch him grow up. I love her even though I have never met her. I know she loves Nathan. She was desperate, she wanted him to live, she wanted him to have more than she could provide. I know she did what she thought was best for him. She had to make a very difficult decision, one that we could not even imagine having to make. (Sniff Sniff) I can't wait to go back to Ethiopia. Did I already say that? It is a place like no other. It is hard to explain. Yes, there is tremendous poverty and despair but the things that stick out in my mind when I think of Ethiopia are not the bad. While in Ethiopia my spirit felt a peace that I don't feel here. It is a simple place, a beautiful place, it moves slower, it is more carefree. All of the stress we as Americans live with on a daily basis are really self inflicted as a result of our lifestyle and society. It is difficult to escape and I am just as guilty as the next person of letting it consume my own life. I don't want it to be that way though. I must try harder, remember more... There is a lot we can learn from Ethiopia.

Our agencies in country representatives from Ethiopia will be in the US later this month. They are having a meet and greet for all the adoptive families. I WISH so bad that I could go. If only I could figure out a way to St Louis and back... It would be so awesome to see them again and for them to see "Naty". They truly love and know every single child. They are amazing people.

These pics of the kids are from a couple months ago. I will get some new ones uploaded and posted soon. :)

Summer Fun

I know I have neglected my blog. I have a lot of catching up to do. Things have just been so crazy around here.



Nathan is getting bigger every day. He is now sitting up and scoots himself around, not yet crawling but he can get where he wants to go. His hair is getting longer and really curls up in the Georgia humidity. He is trying to cut his 2 bottom teeth and any day now they will finally push all the way through. He has such a huge gummy smile, he is going to look so funny with teeth. :)

The kids are ready for school to start back. Just a few more weeks and Austin will be in 4th grade and Olivia kindergarten. I can tell they are getting bored hanging out at home. Soon we will all be back in the routine of work, school, and sports. Blahhhh

We went to a Braves Game with Nick's family. We had a great time hanging out with family. We let my parents babysit Nathan, it was just too hot to take him, which gave us some one on one time with Austin and Olivia. It ended up being a great game, the weather was perfect, and they had fireworks afterward.









4th of July was very busy running from one party to another. It was a fun day of swimming, food, fireworks, and just hanging out with friends and family. Nick's grandfather, Eston, came down to hang out with the family and met Nathan for the first time.



Friday we had a wonderful day at the Zoo with several "Ethiopia Adoption" families; the Carley Family, Head Family (who we were in Ethiopia with), and Coffey Family. We have made so many new friends through the adoption process which has been such a blessing. It will be cool having the kids grow up together.

SUCCESS!!!

Finally, Nathan slept through the night last night for the first time. We had a busy day swimming again, this time at my aunts. It was very late by the time we got home and I think he was just exhausted! I kind of panicked this morning when the alarm went off and I realized Nathan had not woken me up all night. I took a sneak peak to make sure he was still breathing. :) Hopefully he will realize just how good sleeping all night is and continue it.

I have more pool pictures to share. Maybe I should update my swimming montage. I am amazed at how much Nathan LOVES to swim. He learned to splash yesterday, it was so cute! He would splash himself in the face big time and it would not bother him. The water was pretty cold too and he did not care at all. He is learning new things everyday and when he does something once that is all it takes. He is so smart!

Austin and Olivia both love to swim but do need some official swimming lessons. Austin will not leave the shallow end, even though he does swim pretty good. Olivia screams if you take her off the pool steps but she will hang onto the side and go all the way around by herself, go figure. Most swim teachers are booked solid for the summer. I will have to make sure to get lessons booked early for next summer.


Nathan with his uncle Trey



Olivia posing for the camera, on the steps



Nathan with his uncle Christian





Austin enjoying the pool



Nathan and his cousin Craig