Foto Friday

Adoption Update: (sound of crickets chirping)

It has now been about a week since the big elections in Ethiopia. I hope the courts are starting to process the paperwork again and the kids are being moved into the orphanages. My uneducated guess is that it will still take a few weeks for all the paperwork to be collected and the medical test results to come back. I keep telling myself...one week down. Couple more to go...easy, right? I have to admit I have my content days and my restless days. I'm ready to see the blog say Baby Girl Referrals. I'm ready to move up to the hot seat and stare at my phone 24/7. I've set my agency's ringtone to the siren alarm (like the one if you are having a tornado) and can't wait to be scared silly. Until then...patience...just sitting and listening to the crickets :)

Donations!

Even though we are several months from travelling to Ethiopia, I wanted to post early about collecting items for the orphanages and care center. Since we are taking two trips now, I'm hoping to fill our bags with goodies to help the sweet children that are waiting for families.

I'll be posting this again in the future when we know more about travel dates, but if you would like to start gathering items, that would be incredible! You can also send us money and we can buy the goodies ourselves. I promise 100% will go to items on the list below. Leave a comment if you need my information. Thanks so much!

For Babies:
·Clothing
·Formula for babies (Bright Beginnings and Parent Choice Gentle Iron fortified powder)
·Formula for preemies (Enfamil Enfacare Powder)
·Babies seats (bumbo and bouncy seats are wonderful!)
·Mixed Cereal for older babies
·Baby Bottles
·Baby bath soap (moisturizing for dry skin is best)
·Cloth diapers (All-in-ones or prefolded with plastic diaper covers)
·Rubber pants - All sizes (to go over cloth diapers)
·Diaper Rash Cream
.Lotion (with shea butter)

For Older Children:
·Clothes needed for children through age 14 (for older girls no tank tops, shorts, short dresses, short skirts or other revealing clothing)
·Shoes – All sizes (toddlers to age 14)
·General school supplies
·Books for young children (board books and easy readers)

Medication:
·Infant and child Motrin, Tylenol or other fever reducer
·Neosporin or antibiotic ointment
·Band aids
·Hydrocortisone creams
·Pedialyte or Kaolyte (prefer powdered form)
·Infant and child decongestants
·Infant and child cough syrup
·Infant and child multi vitamins
·Children’s Vitamin D supplements
·Bactoban ointment
·Anti-fungal ointment and tablets
·Nystantin (Mycostatin)

Supplies:
·Sheets for cribs and twin beds
·Alcohol swabs
·Saline spray or drops
·Scrubs for Nannies – various sizes (tops and pants)
.Hand sanitizer

Hope for the future...

Just heard from our agency:

As many of you know, Ethiopia is preparing to hold elections on May 23. Results of this election will be announced on June 21.

Processing referrals: During this time, court officials are extremely preoccupied with election business and are not available to process paperwork that allows children from outlying regions to be transported to Addis and become available for adoption. This has been a large part of why referrals have slowed down recently, and we look forward to things picking up again after May 23, although it may take a few weeks for things to return to normal.

New Care Center Open!

Our agency announced they have opened the new care center and started moving the younger children over! If you'd like to see a little picture of it, click HERE.

IAN is growing like crazy! When we went on the wait list in October, we were #17. I think one of the last families to sign on the girl list was at #53!!! It's very exciting to see our little agency getting so big and helping so many children find forever families!

The children are now coming from three different orphanages. Sometime during the process, depending on their age, the children are moved from their orphanage to the IAN care center. I think the old center was full. So, we are hoping with a new, bigger center, it will allow for more referrals!

It has been over 7 months on the baby girl wait list! I am hoping things will speed up and we get the wonderful phone call soon! I'm starting to get nervous about the rainy season and court closure. (More about that later) But, seeing that picture of the new center brings tears to my eyes. I look at the picture and imagine myself walking up those steps one day, opening that door and anxiously going to meet our new daughter. One of the wonderful ladies will walk in with our precious little girl and hand her to us. Then we'll finally get to wrap our arms around her and give her lots of kisses. I can't wait to post about that day!

Gotta laugh

Lots of referrals today with our agency!! It looks like we have officially started working with the new orphanages because there was such a wave of excitement. I counted 1 toddler girl, 4 toddler boys, and a set of twins!! We are still #4 on the baby girl list, but hope this craziness is contagious.

Happy early Mother's Day to all the new families!

Speaking of crazy, I've got a few extra pictures to share from this weekend. These are my "other daughters." Adrian has several friends that frequent our house and they call me Mom. This time, they asked if they could play with a *little* shaving cream and draw on the counter. Yeah...like I didn't see this mess coming :)

Two Turning Two

Introducing: The birthday boys!




I can't believe Cole is already two! He has a buddy that is one day older than him, so we had a big party at the park this weekend.


Getting sand in the diapers

Somebody told Cole this was snow, so he didn't want anything to do with it. He finally figured out sand feels good between the toes.

Serious present opening.

This is where the bags go after you open the presents.

He thinks cheese puffs are one of the four food groups.

Not sure how this happened.

His favorite new toy. He loves to get in Dukes of Hazard style now and has figured out how to tump it over while he's still in it.