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Monday, March 28, 2011

trip recap: Day 1

Hello from Ethiopia!
We arrived safely this morning around 8:00 Ethiopia time. Wow...we were tired, hungry, and crabby. We had a 6 hour layover Sunday morning in Washington DC, so our wonderful friends, The Fiore's, graciously picked us up and took us to their house. They used to be stationed in El Paso and moved almost a year ago. It was soooo great to see them.
And great to leave the airport and have real food too. :)

Our flight from DC to Ethiopia was long and uneventful. We were able to score bulkhead seats which means there was no one sitting in front of us and we had extra leg room. Neither one of us slept very well and the flight seemed never-ending. We made it through customs and got our visas fairly quickly and then headed to our guest house. Its amazing how the smells and sights of Ethiopia greeted us the second we stepped out of the airport...it was like we never left. We checked into our guest house and called Hope. They did not answer and since we were both starving, we left for lunch shortly after getting showers. We finally made our way to Hope at 1:00 this afternoon. Levi is forever in our arms!!! What a great feeling!!! His hair has grown a lot since we were here last time. 

We met two other families and exchanged info with them. We did our paperwork at the Hope office for tomorrow's Embassy appointment and paid a few fees. We ended our day at Hope with a coffee ceremony with the other family. I loved our time there but was anxious to get Levi to the guest house. Jason and I both are running on fumes. Which is why this email is so choppy. I'm forcing myself to stay awake for dinner and then hopefully we'll get some good sleep tonight. I was a little emotional driving back to the guest house with Levi...I kept thinking...this is really it!!! We've been back for about 2 hours and have successfully given Levi a bath, a bottle and a nap. I'd say we're off to a good start. :) Tomorrow is the embassy appointment and after talking with one of the families today, who had their appointment this morning, I'm not worried.

I can't hardly see to type this email, so I'll let you go. The bottom line is we made it and Levi is with us forever!!!  A great day for the Glover family. :)


Friday, March 25, 2011

home

well, we've been home since saturday. levi is napping so i'm taking advantage of some me time. although, as soon as i finish this post i need to fold laundry and mop the floor.

how are we doing? hanging in there. not because he's a bad baby but because I. AM. TIRED. wow! i think i'm over the jet-lag and he has slept all night 2 nights this week. so i don't really have a good excuse, but man am i tired. i guess its because there is a really cute little guy who needs me all day long. :) all things considered, Levi is doing great. people keep asking me how he's adjusting...but its really hard to tell. i think he's doing ok. he seems to still be that same happy baby we met in Ethiopia. he does want to be held all day long. but, i see that as a sign of attachment and maybe he's making up for lost time of being on his own. i don't know...i try to not pick him up every time he cries. he is sometimes content in his exersaucer, but not for too long. and sometimes he's ok in his high chair if he has things to play with. but again, not for too long. its hard to get things done unless he is napping. yesterday i came to the realization, that he isn't being a bad baby...i was just overly tired and out of my normal routine. plus, we came home to water damage. the hot water heater boiler (or something) busted while we were gone and the house smelled like mildew and there was water damage throughout our kitchen/hall bathroom/dining room. housing was able to come out and make the repairs on sunday afternoon, but they sent a cleaning service to dry up the water. that meant for the last 5 days we've had big blowers everywhere. that didn't help my mood. i like for my house to be clean and orderly for the most part. but, the blowers and repairmen in and out kept me from being able to clean. the guy finally came yesterday and picked up the blowers and i was able to mop! i hate mopping...but i felt SO much better after i had a clean floor and peace and quiet. those blowers are LOUD. so we're adjusting and getting used to our new routine. Levi is a cutie and we are in love with him. i feel bad for taking my frustrations with jet-lag and the water issues out on him. i probably gave some people the impression that he's a bad baby. he's not. i was just a mommy with a bad attitude. but...things are looking up!!

in other news: we took him to the doctor yesterday. i was anxious to get him checked out by a doctor here. he of course pooped on the way there and i had to change his diaper in the car. but, he was so good at the doctor's office. he babbled, smiled, and showed off for the nurses and the doctor. his scabies are all cleared up. he does have an ear infection now. and his congestion that he had when we got him from Hope is much better. he weighs 14.8 pounds. he is 25.6 inches long. and i forget how big his head is. he is under the 5th percentile in every category. the doctor was not worried and neither are we. he loves to eat and i'm sure will catch up in no time.

hopefully, i'll be able to post about the trip soon. i just wanted to recap how things were going since we've been home. our lives have changed big time, but we are loving every minute. he's such a sweet baby and his smile melts my heart. :)
the blowers

in the exersaucer. and yes. he got a haircut. jason cut it a couple of days ago. 

breakfast his first morning at home

headed to church on our first full day home. we were up, we figured we might as well go to church!


Friday, March 11, 2011

tomorrow!!

i can't believe we leave tomorrow!! i have surprisingly not stressed out for this trip like i did for the last one. maybe because i was so focused on jason getting leave approved. btw, we have a signed leave form!! there are lots of last minute things to do today. mostly pack. i know, we leave tomorrow. but i do better at packing last minute. i already have some things laid out. jeans are in the washer. and i never fully unpacked from the last trip. basically, anything besides clothing stayed in the suitcase. i need to check the amounts of shampoo and whatnot, but for the most part, that little stuff is taken care of. everything i need for levi is out, folded, and ready to go into the suitcase. i have struggled with how much to take for him. i tend to overpack, but this time, i think its a good thing to overdo it a little.

even though we are leaving tomorrow, i still don't know if it has totally sunk in yet. i mean, in 3 days, levi biniam will be with us...forever! everything about our life is going to change. obviously for the better! i am so stinkin' excited to see his precious little face again. i look at the pictures from our last trip everyday. i watch the videos everyday. but, i can't wait until he's IN my arms. i often think about what that moment will be like. however it ends up going, i know it will be AMAZING.

so, Levi Biniam, momma and daddy are coming for you!! we love you and cannot wait to see you and love on you. and bring you home. forever!! your little world is about to be rocked. and so is our's. we can't wait!! 

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

not gonna get me down

so, it's wednesday. our issue with Jason being cleared to leave isn't totally resolved. i'll save you from the details and from me speaking badly of commanders and the army. the bottom line is that we have verbal confirmation that Jason can leave. we will believe it when we have a signed leave form. all i can say is i am thankful for friends who are there to help and to encourage and to hug. one thing i will say about the army is it is family. living 19 hours away from family definitely has its down side, BUT, the friends i've made here are as good as family. one friend today told me that Satan is trying to steal my joy. and until she said it, i had never really thought about it. i just let him steal it. it helps knowing that things are looking up. but, i'm changing my perspective and focusing on this sweet face:
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in all the stress of worrying about Jason getting to go and booking flights and confirming flights and worrying about Jason getting to go, (did I already say that?) I lost sight of what is really important. in 3 days, we are on a flight to go pick up our precious baby boy. on Monday, Levi will be FOREVER in our arms. we are not leaving him there this time. he is coming HOME!!! i don't know about you, but that makes me smile. :) 

our travel agency called me today to tell me that when he was trying to do our seat assignments, he discovered our flight was full. we had held off booking the flights until yesterday, because we were unsure of Jason's leave status. and, these flights aren't cheap! so, we are now leaving on saturday, which puts us there monday morning. i was trying to avoid arriving the day before our embassy appointment, but maybe this is the way is was meant to be. it does work out better for Jason's work situation. i'm still waiting on a total confirmation that those flights are booked. i have had a headache for 3 days now...i wonder why. 

but...there i go again. shame on me. I know that God is in control and for whatever reason, I am needing to learn that lesson. Satan will not get this victory...it belongs to Jesus! 

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Monday, March 7, 2011

drama & weekend recap

well, here we are, 4 days away from leaving. our flights at this point are just reservations. why? because Jason's commander told him he can't go. he's in a new unit and when we found out friday that we had our embassy appointment, he went straight to the S2 to ask for leave. (in my opinion, the army sometimes has too much control on personal matters) anyway. its a long story and not very exciting. today is monday. we still don't have a definite answer. jason spent his entire day tracking down higher-ups, trying to get approval. the brigade commander said yes, as long as the brigade S2 says yes. we're still waiting to hear that final yes. i called our travel agent this afternoon and told him the deal...he said we could hold off on payment until tomorrow morning. it's just cutting it a little too close for me!

in other news, we had a low key weekend. jason helped out with a work day for church on saturday, and i organized, did laundry, and got most of levi's stuff set out to pack. saturday night we went out to dinner with our friends, Pace & Emily. sunday was church and a church baby shower. we had a great time! yes, i said we! all the men were there too. it was a small, intimate group, but i think even the guys had fun. levi is already spoiled rotten! 

i've been making lists like crazy. thinking of all kinds of weird things that we need to do. for instance, we need to put the car seat in the car. :) some how i remembered to call the dog sitter this morning, and she is looking forward to keeping rudy. i did a target run today. there were so many little things i needed: a bottle brush, formula dispenser, pacifier (just in case we need it on the plane), extra bibs, vitamins (because i ran out of mine), dog biscuits, toothpaste, etc. 

i don't know if it has really sunk in yet. i find myself thinking about how levi constantly. has he grown since we saw him last? will he sleep through the night? how will the flight home be? and then other times i find myself thinking about what it will be like once we're home. getting ready for church on sunday mornings will be so different than it is now. i am beyond excited to bring my baby home. i know that life is about to change big time for us...but we're ready for it. we've waited a long time for this. 

hopefully i survive this week. i think the suitcases with the donations for the orphanage are mostly packed. i just need to pack for us. levi's stuff is all laid out, i just need to put it in his suitcase!!

that's all for now. a bunch of random rambling. i can't really focus on one thing for too long these days...

what i can focus on...is i'm gonna see my baby SOON!!! 

Friday, March 4, 2011

We have a date!!

I got an email early this morning...we have an embassy date of March 15. :) I have a mix of emotions right now!! We are in the process of booking flights, guest house, etc. I will update when things settle down a bit.

Levi, momma is coming for you!!! 

Thursday, March 3, 2011

WHAT?!?! We're clear?!?!

We received news this morning that WE ARE CLEARED by the US Embassy!!! I almost fell out of my chair when I saw the email. I am still shocked. It happened so much more quickly than I thought. We officially passed court only 3 weeks ago. Our agency director said he needed our choices for them to schedule an interview. Jason and I kind of laughed...we were like duh...as soon as we can possibly get it. :) He told us next week is already booked, so we asked for the following week. I am hoping that we hear something tomorrow morning. If we can get an interview for the week of the 14th, we could be leaving as early as next weekend. CRAZY!!!

I went to the gym and pounded out a little over 4 miles on the treadmill...I guess I was going on adrenaline. :)  While I was running, I couldn't help but think about how our baby is FINALLY coming home. Oh how we have longed for the day he will be in our arms FOREVER. It's weird that we are almost to the finish line when I think back to when we first started this race. And I can look back and see God's hand in it all. He has chosen the perfect child for us and the perfect time to bring him home...and that happens to be very soon!!!

I think it will really sink in when we know our actual interview date and can make our flight arrangements. I have a feeling that I'm in for a sleepless night, praying that we wake up to a date.

    "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."  
    Psalm 107:1

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

running

I've decided to take a break from any adoption related posts. I recently started running. I say recently, but it has been on and off for almost 5 months. Its a love/hate relationship. One of my goals while Jason was deployed was to become a runner, so that we could run together. I was really into this kickboxing class and then several events happened that led to me not going to the gym and never becoming a runner. I was out of town several times. I got sick. I almost broke my foot. blah. blah. blah.

Jason used to be a bigger runner. I say used to because he now has stress fractures in both legs and before that he was having major hip problems. But, before he was too broken to run, he would run the loop by our house and I would walk Rudy. When we met up, we usually walked back together. The last few times we did this, I ran the rest of the way with him. That was the kickstart I needed to get going again. That was roughly October. Ever since then he's been on profile and can't run. But, I have kept it up.

I'm very sporadic. I have really good weeks and really terrible weeks. It helps that I have a couple of friends here who run and like to run with me! Michelle even convinced me to sign up for a 5K. Which we did a few weeks ago. But, since I'm sporadic, the week before the race, I realized that I hadn't run since before we left for Ethiopia. oops. I got in two or three runs before the big day. It was a miserable windy El Paso day...not ideal at all for my first race. But, we finished and we had fun.

I wish that I was better about running everyday. I'm not. In fact it has been 5 days since I last ran. Oh well...I do think I'm to the point where I can call myself a runner. Maybe I should go for a run right now...