We're Home!

We have been relaxing at home for the last few days. It was wonderful to get off that plane! I was dreading the flight and we had to fight for a bassinet, but it didn’t end up being that bad. A tip for travelers: ask for the bassinet as soon as you walk up to the counter. We handed the man the tickets and let him get started. He had already issued the tickets when we asked if we had gotten a baby bed. He basically lied and said they were all taken. We wouldn’t have known, except that the other family with us got one after us. We then spent the next two hours begging and pleading for them to change our seats. We thought we didn’t get one and were preparing for a long and hideous trip home. The baby does not sleep well when she is being held, which meant no sleep for her. When we got in the air, they pulled it out for us and I almost kissed the flight attendant! When we arrived home, our mothers and my husband’s uncle were waiting for us. I’ll never forget my mother running and crying through the airport toward us. My mother had dinner ready and one of our best friends came over with her daughter to welcome us home. It was wonderful.

Friday, we took Saida to her first doctor’s visit since being in her new home. They re-vaccinated her which I was very nervous about. They did not trust that vaccines she received in Ethiopia. She screamed so hard, at one point she didn’t even make a sound. Her little tongue just shook in her mouth. I couldn’t stand it! Luckily, she recovered quickly. I wish I was over it!

Our Last Days in Ethiopia

Sunday: I had an awesome Mother's Day! Our neighbors at the New Flower bought a sheep and we had a huge feast with everyone. It was a beautiful afternoon and the baby was in good spirits. The staff slaughtered the sheep (I know, very sad) and made it traditionally on a huge outdoor stir fry. Normally, I would feel bad for the poor sheep, but we were living like the locals! We checked into the Hilton and had a nice dinner with the other travelling Gladney family.

Monday: Today was horrible! The baby didn't sleep and was sick again. It was worse than when we got her. She had a fever and was throwing up. I was so scared. It didn't help that I was sick also(stomach cramps). Chris ran some errands, while the doctor from the Hilton made a house call. He said she looked great for being in the orphanage. He thought maybe we didn't do the dosages right on the other antibiotic. To be safe, he prescribed another one which we started right away. We stayed inside the whole day and went down for dinner when we both started to feel better. Tylenol had saved the day, as it made her feel better.

Tuesday: We are leaving today. It is bittersweet. We will really miss Ethiopia and plan on coming back when Saida is a bit older. Right now, we are having breakfast at the Hilton and we are going to do a little shopping. The baby was not hot this morning and she is sleeping soundly. We are praying that we get a bassinet on the plane, so she can get some good sleep. I also hope that she increasingly feels better. She was cranky this morning, but better than yesterday. I'll update next when we are home! Attached are some pictures! Enjoy!

Day 6 and 7 (Saturday and Sunday)

On Saturday, we went souvenir shopping and went up Entoto Mountain.The capital city was once found there, until Empress Taitu moved it down the mountain because of the hot springs. The baby seemed to have a cold today, but her skin is clearing up. We decided to stay our last two nights at the Hilton. I'm actually very sad to be leaving the New Flower, but I wanted to make sure we got showers before we goton our 24 hour flight home. I know we would lose power at least one more time and the Hilton is some how immune to this. We are checking out this morning (Sunday) but we are coming back to the New Flower for a Mother's Day lunch. They are so wonderful here, I know it won't be the same at the Hilton. For those thinking about staying at a guesthouse, we would recommend it! I think the power outages are occuring only in the late spring/early summer, but you can always check on it before leaving. The people here feel like family and they are so helpful. It is also very affordable. Can you tell I feel bad about leaving? The good thing is, you will soon see some pictures. We can get online using the laptop, so we can send some images of our prettygirl.

Day 5 (Friday)

The cultural night was great! We had wonderful food and got to see the traditional dances of Ethiopia. The baby did fine with the caregiver. She was sound asleep when we got back. Elsa (the caregiver) had made her a little pillow and covered her with blankets. Today we toured the orphanages. It was hard to see all of the orphans. They have an older boys home, Kolfe, where the conditions were very bad. Gladney is the only agency giving them any attention.The boys are pretty much forgotten. It was heartbreaking. They also have an older girls orphanage, that was much better. I loved seeing all of the school aged children. They were so sweet and held my hand. They did not speak English, so our communication was difficult.There were also babies there that we held. The babies are adopted right away, but the older children wait. I hope that we can one day adopt one of these children. Today was my husband's birthday and we celebrated at the Beer Garden Inn. When we got home the power was out again! It comes back on at 9pm. The worst part is, we have no water when it is out to wash up with.

Day 4 (Thursday)

We are back from a busy day. We went to the Leprosy Center. This was an amazing building that was donated by the last Empress over a hundred years ago for people with Leprosy. The people there make wonderful crafts they sell there to support themselves. We bought many things there! The baby is blooming and we can't get enough ofher. Our mothers are going to fall over in love. She is the most beautiful little girl. We have to get our pictures put on a disc before we can post, so I'm sorry you can't see for yourself. We also went back to the foster homes to drop off our humanitarian aid. We were able to visit with the Thornes little boy. He was wonderful and hated to say goodbye. We are resting now because we are going for the traditional cultural dinner tonight. Saida's caregiver is coming to watch her. I am going to have a hard time leaving her, but I know she is in good hands.

Day 3 (Wednesday)

Today was the Embassy day. We went to the Gladney Foster Home for a coffee ceremony. It is something the Ethiopian people do regularly.They hand roast and grind the beans. Very good! The caretakers came in and scooped up the babies (ours and another family's). They dressed them in handmade traditional dresses, which the girls get to keep as reminders of their culture. Saida was calm, but they said she wasn't herself. They attributed this to her being sick. You can tell how much they love these kids. Next we toured the houses and I got totake pictures of all the babies. I can't wait to send them to their family's. After touring, we headed to lunch at Top House (great views of the city). The embassy was after that. It was pretty uneventful. Saida was feeling much better and we got to see her sweet personality later in the afternoon. We couldn't get online due to the weather. In Ethiopia, you need to go with the flow!

Day 2 in Ethiopia (Tuesday)

We went to the doctor's office today. It was a pretty restful day,which we really needed. We had no power, which is common here. In neighborhoods, they loose power every fourth day. It wasn't a big deal, but we couldn't get online. They did have power in other areas(like the doctors!). The first visit to the doctors was unsuccessful because there was a long wait. I was feeling tired and a little ill, so we went home and napped. Then we went back at 4:30 in the afternoon. It only cost five dollars! They said Saida has a fungal infection and they gave us a prescription for cream. At the pharmacy,it took about two minutes for us to get it and a dollar fifty. For dinner we went to a nice Italian restaurant that was also an art gallery. We bought some beautiful angels for the baby there. The baby was a trooper, as we came home to a dark house. We had the hat flashlight out to get her dressed for bed! Saida is starting to feel better. We are in love!