Buy This CD...Please

Dark Was The Night

Can't really go wrong with a compilation of new songs performed by Andrew Bird, Sufjan, The Decemberist, Stuart Murdoch (Belle and Sebastian), The National, Cat Power, Beirut, Bon Iver, Spoon...and lots more.

Not only is it a great CD, but it is one that raises money and awareness for HIV/AIDS.

So, go buy this CD, please.

Did I mention, we leave one week from today? Well, we do, and we can't believe we will have our Mezmur in our arms so soon.

Goodies For Mez

Here is another tiny thing for Mez's feet. My mom made these and presented them to me on my birthday. So cute!

Mez is almost all packed. Who knew such a tiny baby would need so many things? This has been so fun. I loved putting together her little outfits.

She has a lot of stripes and dots.

I finished this blanket for her. I loved the little French-Japanese fabric.
Today our visa appointment was confirmed. Nothing else will stand in our way! We leave on the 7th.

Chad After the Dentist

If you haven't watched this yet, then watch it before you watch this next video. We were basically rolling on the ground laughing.

A Couple Rhettisms

AUTUMN: After you finish your snack we have an important job to do. We have to go to the copy store to make some copies and I need you to push the buttons.

RHETT: Booooring.

AUTUMN: Ouch...why did you hit me with Osmund? (His stuffed owl)

RHETT: It is daytime and he couldn't see where he was going.

RHETT: I love you up to the moon, around and around, to the Earth, and all the way up to the dot-to-dot stars in the sky.

Generous Gifts

This adoption process has brought some wonderful people into our lives and we are so grateful for each one of them. Lori and April (to name a few) have been two friendships that I'm so grateful for and I know will last a lifetime. Abe is so loved by our family and baby "Z" is Mezmur's roommate at the HOH and will be friends forever.

The other day we got a package from April filled with many thoughtful gifts for our family. One was a hand knit hat for Rhett. He instantly loved it and had to wear it at the park. He even agreed to call April instantly to thank her, which if you know Rhett, isn't always easy for him to do. He left her a sweet message saying, "It fits me perfectly." This is Rhett running away when I asked him to smile for the camera.

Here he is picking me some flowers. After Rhett handed me the flowers Abe handed me a handful of grass with the sweetest smile on his face. I love those boys!

Look at these booties! Too cute. These were also made with love by April. I can't wait to get them on Mezmur's feet! I love them, April!

April also sent along a soft book to fill with pictures for Mezmur. Baby, "Z" also has a matching one filled with pictures of her family.

She also sent along these beads. These same beads signify something so special to April and will to me too. I will wear them with pride. Thanks, April, for all the generous gifts you gave our family. I look forward to meeting you one day and getting our girls together again.

We got our first box of "g" Diapers from a Mom at Rhett's preschool. I'm very excited to give these a try. We plan on a combo of "g" Diapers, 7th Generation, and Target and Costco diapers in between.

Thanks to all your support on the big brother issue. We know taking Rhett with us is the best thing for him and our family.

Again...About The Big Brother

Since our agency came out with a list of reasons why adopting families shouldn't bring siblings along to Ethiopia we thought we would give a list of reasons why we think it is a good choice for OUR FAMILY. First the reasons given by our agency...

1. It's important to have the 5-7 days to start the bonding process with the new child.

2. The trip is really not a vacation trip - especially after the family has the child.

3. What if the traveling sibling doesn't want you carrying around another baby (child)? What if the traveling sibling is vying for yourattention; how does the adopted child bond with you?

4. What if one of the children gets sick?

5. What if one or both parents get sick and can not take care of the children?

6. What about jet leg in the parents and the child? (You will betraveling for 24 + hours, one way alone.)

7. Consider the cultural shock that you and/or your child might experience?

8. The traveling child's immune system may not be strong enough to combat some of the situations that might be encountered in a developing country.

9. Will they possibly interfere with other families in the group who are traveling to pick up their child?

10. What if the child traveling can not handle the foods, or the high altitude of Ethiopia?

11. What if the adopted child bonds with the traveling child and not with you? That could happen if the children spend a lot of time playing together and not bonding with the parents.

12. Ultimately the trip is about creating the best possible situation to start the bonding and attachment process with the child.Sometimes when families return home that opportunity is lost for the child to have that time just the parents as many want to visit and be with you and your child.

13. Unfortunately families who decide to travel with very young children may find it necessary to find accommodations at one of the Guest Houses or Hotels in Ethiopia, as the House of Hope may not be thebest arrangement for families traveling with young children.

While we understand and respect all these reasons...there are also reasons why families should bring siblings. Our choice to bring Rhett is what we think is best for our family. It may not work for all families and I respect that and I would think others would respect us for our decision to bring Rhett.

1. We are a family. I tell Rhett this almost daily...when he complains about going to the grocery store, when he doesn't want to go to the fabric store (again!), when Mom and Dad need a date night, when I ask him to sit at the dinner table for dinner...Families do things together, for each other, because that is what families do. We are going to Ethiopia together, as a family to become a bigger family and be there for each other.

2. Mezmur will be introduced to her whole family the day we meet and she will know nothing different. She will bond with Rhett as well as us at the same time and this will make us a very strong family unit. Rhett needs this and Mezmur will also benefit from meeting Rhett from the beginning. While I'm aware of the differences of bonding with an older adopted child and bonding with a biological child I truly don't think having Rhett there will hurt our bonding process with Mezmur. Also, we need to keep Rhett in mind. For Rhett to meet Mezmur in Ethiopia together will be a much smoother transition for him and will be a great start for their relationship. Having Rhett with us might even make it easier for Mezmur to bond with us as a family.

3. Rhett is always up for an adventure. Yes, the trip will be loooooooong, but Rhett will sleep anywhere and is easy to entertain. He eats all kinds of food. For lunch today he ate Pho and for dinner Ethiopian food. He would eat Ethiopian food everyday if we let him.

4. One of the things I love most about Rhett is that he sees differences in the world and has compassion for those in need. He tells me, "Everyone is different." This is such a great quality. I'm sure he will be exposed to much pain and suffering in Ethiopia as well as such beauty and love that come from his sister's birth country. I guarantee he will pray before dinner about each person he sees who needs a prayer. He has a passion for Ethiopia, because he sees the passion in us. For Rhett to see his sister's birth country...where she came from will be something he will never forget.

Here is a great pro list from AdoptionBlogs.com.

There are so many "what ifs" in the con list that we will keep in mind, but we feel that the pros far outweigh the cons.

1. What if one/or all of us gets sick? Well, we are a walking pharmacy and are fully prepared for any ailment.

2. What if Rhett gets bored or is distracting to others? First of all, we are sooooo prepared for any boring situation. Also, we are going to an orphanage to adopt our baby girl. I find it hard to believe that our 4 year old son will be such a big distraction, or that the people we will be with will not have the patience for a 4 year old.

3. What if Rhett doesn't want me to carry Mezmur? This might happen, but Rhett will learn very quickly that...that is what Mommy/Daddy does, holds Mezmur and gives her attention. We will teach him this from the beginning, while being sensitive to his needs and feelings.

4. "It's not a vacation"...No, it isn't. Nothing about being a parent is a vacation. Nothing about being a parent is easy. Would it be "easier" to leave Rhett at home? Probably, but leaving him at home would also give us a great deal of stress, sadness, and worry for the one we left behind.

5. It is expensive to bring Rhett along, but to have him be there for the adoption of his sister in Ethiopia...priceless.

I could probably go on. We have been thinking and planning for Rhett to come along with us from the very beginning. I have talked to others who have brought siblings along and have had many conversations with Rhett about what to expect. We are very proud and strong in our decision to bring Mezmur's big brother with us.

The Big Brother

Seriously, Mez is pretty lucky.

Finally!

Here is our baby girl! I can't believe how much she has changed! She is now almost 7 months and only 15 pounds. Much smaller than I thought she would be. They must have shaved her hair too. It was nice to talk to our agency's director this morning and come home to these pictures.

I long so much to bring our growing baby home...2 1/2 weeks and no matter what, she will be in our arms.

FYI

Ok, since this family wrote it on their blog...I will too.
The mistake? We passed court today...not on the 10th.
This has been the saddest/worst/most emotionally draining day of the process.
It could be because this is the second negligent mistake that we have had to suffer.
We are counting our blessings tonight, but still really sad.

Thank You Lori S.

What a day...Thanks to Lori for the huge laugh.

Hey, I just realized...I thanked a cat last time I had a day like today.

Again?

Our agency made a mistake and we won't be traveling for a week longer than we thought. We are upset and angry. At least we now know why we haven't gotten our updates on Mezmur yet.

Sunday Morning Was Fun

This morning we made our cinnamon rolls. They are pretty tasty and so easy to make. Rhett loves to spread the sugar and eat the nuts and sugar that don't make it in the roll.

We set up Mezmur's crib this morning. It was very exciting for us all!

We are less than two weeks away from having our baby girl in our arms. Can you believe it?

It's A Sickness

With all we have to do and think about to get ready for our trip, I still feel the need to make all of Rhett's Valentine's. They turned out cute. Honestly, it seems less work to me to just make them, rather than go to the store and buy them. For Rhett, in order for him to do anything like this we must get out of the house and have no distractions. A little bribery helps too...vanilla steamer or gelato work great. Next we need to work on thank you cards from his birthday. I'll give him a couple of days to recoup after the Valentine's. It was like pulling teeth! They were made with fabric and Rhett colored on them with sharpies.

We feel so blessed to be here in our adoption process. We are leaving in 2 1/2 weeks! Seriously, I can't believe it. Mezmur is finally coming home. Now, if only we could get that long awaited updated photo so I can stop checking my email a million times a day.

By Popular Demand

Wow! Thanks to everyone and all the kind words and prayers you have given our family! Here is the other referral picture we received on November 19th, 2008.

We Would Like To Introduce....

Mezmur Mimi Lapour!

(aka: Mez, Mezzy)

At sometime in the middle of the night the judge in Ethiopia reviewed our case and approved us in court! Mezmur is our daughter in the eyes of the Ethiopian courts. Our tentative travel date is the first of March.

Mezmur is her given name which means "Gospel song" in Amharic (the language spoken in Ethiopia). We have decided to keep it. Mimi is a nickname for little girls in Ethiopia meaning "sweetheart", "darling" and it is also what I have grown up calling my Grandmother. We knew we had to use Mimi in her name.

In this photo she is 3 1/2 months old. This week we really hope to get an updated photo of our 6 month old baby girl. When we do...I'll post it, because I can!

Thanks for all your prayers and positive thoughts! It worked and we are going to Ethiopia!

Oh, isn't she perfect?

Almost There

All I have really wanted to do the last couple days is work on M.'s sweater. Well, it is done. Now what?

We are very close now. Tomorrow we will either learn that we can pick up M. in 2-4 weeks or we will learn that we will have to wait another 10-15 weeks for another court date and time to travel. I know to some 10-15 weeks doesn't sound very long, but to me...that is an eternity.

Soon this little hand will be inside that little sweater. I hope I can share all of M. with you tomorrow.

Ode to Abe

Seriously, how lucky are we that we have this little boy in our lives?...and we get to baby-sit him? Yes, we baby-sat Abe on Friday for a night of fun and cuddles. First was "the band." I love that Abe goes straight for the guitar and Rhett goes straight for the drums. They might just have a band later...like when they are 8 and 11, maybe.

Abe loves Rhett and Rhett adores Abe. It is really love. Rhett loved how Abe says "meow" when he asks, "What does a kitty say, Abe?" Abe got so many hugs and kisses Friday from Rhett.

Abe loves are child size cleaning tools.

I made Dan drop what he was doing to capture this moment... I was very lucky that it lasted a lot longer than I expected.

This time was so special on Friday and it was just the thing I needed. We love Abe and can't wait for him to meet his new friend...M. Oh, his parents are pretty great too.

Another Birthday Party?

Rhett had another birthday party. I must say it was a great distraction! I have been busy planning, organizing, cleaning, and baking for the last few days. This is one reason I planed this party. I knew it would do me good. Not sure it did Rhett (the spoiled 4-year-old) any good, but it was a good time had by all. Here are some of the highlights.

5 dozen berry muffins.
Generous gifts.

Stories to tell.

Bina.

Good conversation.

Noisy party blowers.

More conversing.

A tough game of musical chairs...you're out!

Old friends...reunited again.

Uno in the sunshine.

A good friend and his birthday card.

A sweet girl on the step

It was fun, but he isn't getting two parties next year....