We got a HUGE update on Tariku. Here are some of my favorite pics of my son I’ll get to see in less than one week!

I just had to do the whole, “Don’t ‘mom’ me” thing. Wow. I think that was one of those things I swore I’d never say to my kids. I also used to tell myself I would never make them do any chores, but I can hear Trysten making his bed as we speak (hear, because I encourage my kids to sing and dance as they clean up).

Also, they are presently chasing each other around in their respective undies. I’m tired just looking at them. Next thing you know I’ll have the “mom” cut and jeans and people will know I’m a mom when I walk by them in the street.

I mean really. I was talking to my dear friend, Rene, about all the support through this adoption. It’s overwhelming when I sit and think about it. In the last week alone people have been sending money, donations, prayers, emails and much, much more. It is very humbling to think so many people are thinking of us when there is so much other stuff going on in their lives. We thank you so very much for this. There are absolutely no words.

So God is still showing off through this thing. He has recently hooked me up (through various routes) with this woman who was originally from the QC. Her daughter and brother-in-law are presently in Addis Ababa at the AHOPE center volunteering. We’re going to take a package to them from their mom. How interesting, we’ll go all the way across the world to meet people from our area!

I also just “randomly” got an email from someone who is linked to the Campus Crusade for Christ in Addis. I am hopeful we’ll get to go meet the missionaries while we’re there and check out the organization.

So this has been great. 5 days. I mean, really. In less than one week (Addis is 8 hours ahead of CST, so it’s less than a week) from now I’ll have Tariku in my arms. Can you even believe it? I got up at 5am today thinking of nothing else. It seems so close and yet….you know the rest. Ahh, it’s driving me crazy. I’m so excited.

On another note, my dearest Aristotle (our 110 lb chocolate lab) got injured somehow yesterday. Poor guy is limping like crazy. I had to baby him a bit yesterday. Took him to the vet and they put him on some sort of miracle pill that knocks him out. It’s cute but dangerous. He has no idea how heavy he is so he just lays down on the closest person to him. Poor thing.

Anyway, 5 days. That’s the moral to this story.

I got so much paperwork done yesterday it’s not even funny. We really just need our dearest notarizer, Nathan, to notarize the two documents and we are done. Finished. Smooth sailing from here on our, right?

It’s crazy weird how I vacillitate between numb with excitement and numb with fear. I was like this with the other two as well. With T, he was my first, so there’s always those feelings of losing the life you’ve come to know, etc, etc. With your second, you’re always wondering how in the world you could love this one as much as the first or if you had enough love for the two of them. With the third, it’s a combination of those two and realizing we’re outnumbered. No longer can it be a “you take one, I’ll take the other” conversation. It’s a little intimidating to think about.

Though as my last two experiences have taught me, no matter how hesitant I am to believe this child will be loved as much as it deserves and as much as I can possibly have, I know it will be true. I know I’ll continue to love them all equally regardless. I know Zach and I will get used to working in a zone defense and continue to give each one some one-on-one time.

All that said, it still just about gave me a coronary when I was RSVPing to a wedding in May and wrote “5” as the number we would be bringing. Isn’t “5” only reserved for my parents and their kids? Oh how quickly I’ve become my mother. 🙂

That we’re going to be leaving for Ethiopia in less than a week (it’s past 11am, so now it’s less than a week)? That’s AMAZING. I’m super excited and *starting* to get a little crazed. I’m going through all the paperwork we need (more paperwork, you ask? Yes, there’s always more in adoption). I’m getting uuber nervous that we’ll forget something and be screwed. But what can you do? I must trust the 8 lists I have (honestly) to get all things under control.

So how can you help? Well, any number of ways. One of them is donate stuff! We are going to have at least 1, but probably 2, bags that will be able to contain donations for both our care center (the one Tariku is in) and AHOPE (houses children infected with HIV). We have 1/2 a bag filled with stuff we’ve bought thus far. I’m adding a list of some of the stuff our care center has mentioned they need. Let me know if you have any questions or need a way to get it to us.

–Digital Scale
–Measurement Meter
–Length Board
–Disposable gloves
–Cotton applicator
–NG tube No 5., No. 6, No.8
–Vitamin D injection
–Soy formula
–Ibuprofren syrup
–Ibuprofen drop
–Iron drops
–Pampers
–Wipes
–Masks
–Antibiotic cream
–Clotrimazol Cream
–Foban cream
–anti-pain tablet
–anti-acid tablet

Thanks in advance. 🙂

Today Jody and 2 of her boys came over for some lunch. The boys went crazy in this warm weather, running outside in a matter of seconds. We have horses out here at camp, that are about 1/2 a mile from our house, all on our property, far away from roads and whatnot. I’ve never told Trysten specifically NOT to go there, because it’s so dang far I never thought it a possibility. But apparently it is. The Three Blondes decided it sounded like a good idea.

I’ve been picking up (nesting) and finding toys in the most random places (in my bed, anyone?) Can’t help but laugh every time I do it.

I think I’ve had it fairly easy with one little boy. I can have an eye on him all the time, he doesn’t get away with much (especially with a sister so good at tattling). In just a few short weeks, I’ll be outnumbered BIG TIME. It only scares me a little, it excites me so very much.

and that’s exactly what is going on right now with me! If Zach so much as misplaces his finger I might just throw it out. Everything has it’s place, right? I don’t remember nesting when I was pregnant, probably because I was too big to move. I primarily sat on the edge of my bed and made the noises that we beached whales make. So this is all new for me. I kinda dig it, I’m not going to lie. This place has never looked better (and it has NOTHING to do with the fact that we just moved in to most of it a few days ago). Now if only I could get myself to nest about myself…i.e. new hair color, new cut, you know those kinds of things.

So today I was depositing money in the bank (thanks to my cousins Kelsie and Neil and mom and dad for giving us some money toward the trip, we love you!) I was making small talk with the banker who I know a bit because he was our notary for our dossier documents. I also try to make it a habit to get to know the people who know how much money we have in our bank account (not much FYI) so that they start to feel bad if they laugh at us once the car pulls away. Anywho, he asks how our Easter was. I say it was great, how was yours? Trysten from the peanut gallery says,

“Mom, tell him that Jesus rose from the dead.”
“He knows, Trysten.”
“How does he know, mommy?”
“Because I’ve talked to him about it before.” (That’s a lie)
“You have?”
“Yes” (No)
“Ok, well what if he forgot?”
“He didn’t.”
“How do you know, mom?”
“Because you haven’t forgotten, so he hasn’t either.”
“That makes sense mom, it’s hard to forget that a guy rose from the dead, it’s kind of gross.”
“Yeah kind of gross in a beautiful way honey, quiet time now.”

Cue the “Bringing Sexy Back.”

Whew, I know I always wanted children to challenge me in all kinds of ways but seriously. I know all the other Christians are hating on me because I didn’t take this moment to evangelize but I’m hoping he can see I’m a Jesus lover by my bank account. I’m trying to get as close to the poor as I can here. 🙂

P.S. 9 MORE DAYS!!!!!

So you can see the perfunctory Easter pictures of the kids here. I’m not going to lie to you, I have some cute kids on my hands. It was a lot of fun dressing them both up. I even had a little suit for Tariku but it remained empty, hanging on his side of the closet. Well there’s always next year! So enjoy those pictures. A few of these were compliments of Trysten himself, he’s shaping up to be quite the photographer! Happy Easter!

That’s what Zach said about this adoption process yesterday. For so long we felt like God wasn’t answering our prayers. Or rather, that He wasn’t answering them how WE wanted Him to. 🙂 Our court date was late, our travel date was late, etc, etc.

Yesterday Zach was sitting at a coffee shop and saw a group of people who he thought might be Ethiopian. They were speaking a language that sounded like Amharic (my amazing husband has been learning as much as he can) so he asked one of them where they were from. They said Eritrea (country boarding Ethiopia) and Ethiopia. Zach went on to talk to him and his family. The woman with him was apparently getting her citizenship that day and they were celebrating. Zach gave them our number and address, they were open to a relationship where we could learn more about the country and culture.

Mrs. Baker and I have been talking to one another about this adoption for awhile. Her family is picking up their little guy this week in Ethiopia. She has been such a comfort to me and her family has been such a Godsend, there are absolutely no words to describe it. I feel like God has given me our relationship as a reward for my “patience” (as most of you know, that word has to be in quotes as I’ve not necessarily been the picture of patience, but whatever, I’m here aren’t I?)

It’s so amazing to me how sometimes I feel like Tariku has been a part of our lives for so long and then other times I look at his picture and think, “I can’t believe that little guy will be part of our family in such a short time.” Right now I can only imagine what it will be like when he’s home. Yet I do embrace what life is like without him here.

Tonight a few of our friends came over for dinner. I was able to put Dailah down with no problem, and then Trysten. We were able to enjoy dinner and a few drinks as adults, without the kids around. It was great. I got a few “Your kids are so well behaved” comments and sat back in my state of blissful momhood.

It’s crazy to want to throw another in the mix isn’t it? To want to take this momhood mold I’ve made and take a rolling pin to it, pound it out with my fist so it’s nice and flat and then squish it up between my fingers to change the shape altogether. That’s crazy, right? Call me crazy but I want to throw in a few different ingredients to see what kind of goodness I can come up with. That’s what’s going to happen in just 11 days. In less than 2 weeks, I’ll get to feel that little boy in my arms. Oh how they ache with anticipation right now.

I’m feeling ever so slightly better. After a few rounds of antibiotics, I think I’ll make it. This actually came at a good time seeings it made me just sit down and not do anything for awhile. It was perfect, really. Now once I feel back to myself again it’ll be time to pack and head to Ethiopia. Good timing, God. Nice work.

Good Friday. Well this day stirs up a whole lot of emotions in this gal. I am ever so thankful to be blessed as I am. Once I’m not on medicine that clouds my thinking I’ll be happy to share my thoughts with you all.

Until then, 12 more days. Yipeee!!