We're Home!

We've been home for 4 days but she's been sick as have I. We are both battling exhaustion and getting our internal clocks on Hawaii schedule. But, besides that, we are attaching and having a lot of fun. We both laugh a lot, she is a bundle of hillarious baby. It seems surreal how easy it is to be her Mommy, I was definately expecting more difficulty. God has blessed me with my precious Medhanit. More later on the trip.

Embassy! Embassy! Embassy!

Amazing day for me and Medhanit. Last night I got clearance to go to Ethiopia for our embassy appointment on July 6th.

It went down like this:
I harrassed the embassy daily this week asking if they had any update on my paperwork (I knew it had been submitted this week). I even went so far as to call them repeatedly in Ethiopia last night. Needless to say, they did not answer my emails nor did anyone answer the phone or return my phone call.
But I digress, around 8pm I received an email saying I was cleared to go to my embassy appt, but the earliest available date was July 13th. Then 30 seconds later a new email popped up saying please disregard the previous email allowing clearance as my paperwork expires as of July 14th and I would have to renew it before they would allow me to go. I was on a high then a low and I could only think to beg them to let me come earlier. So that's what I did. I sent an email begging them to let me come a week earlier because otherwise I would be delayed a month renewing my paperwork. I didn't hold much hope out, but I did pray. A half hour later, a new email popped up saying they had an opening July 6th and they could fit me in. I literally yelled with joy and immediately emailed them back to say thank you and YES PLEASE SAVE THE DATE!

Today I confirmed with my agency and purchased my plane ticket. I am ready to go!

Embassy submission coming soon (again)

This Monday, my paperwork will once again be submitted to the U.S. embassy in Ethiopia for review. Maybe it will be accepted this time. Hard to believe it will be right this time, after so many submissions, but I am praying.
Meanwhile, my paperwork expires middle of July, so I have started the renewal process of my I600 and an updated homestudy. More money, more time but after two members of my agency got delayed going to the embassy because of expired paperwork, I am highly motivated to make sure it doesn't happen to me.

Medhanit may be channeling my feelings about this long wait:

The police report saga continues

Today my agency told me to call to get further details about this missing police report.

I called and was told the following:

The embassy did not like the original police investigation and is requiring the original police officer to make a new report. The problem is he has been assigned to a new police office so they are requiring him to do the following:

1. He is taking a 6 hour bus ride  to Addis Ababa today and spending the night because he has to go to the foster home and make a video with my daughter Medhanit for the embassy.

2. Then he has to go all the way back to his old police station and make a new police report.

3. Then it goes to the orphanage who gives it to our attorney who can resubmit it to the embassy.

I was speechless and feel terrible for the police officer and grateful that he is willing to do it. One thing after the other, but I am amazed at what goes on behind the scenes to get our little ones home.

Still waiting for an embassy date

All paperwork collected and fees paid. Now the U.S. embassy is allegedly holding up the process. Apparently they are asking for a police investigation report from the region my daughter is from.

The problem? It doesn't exist. So, now I wait for unknown people to create and provide said document for the embassy.

How long? Could be tomorrow, could be next week (how often I have heard that and it has turned out to be more like next month).

Sorry for the whining, it's discouraging 7 months after referral to still not have her home.

At least she looks happy and healthy.

My daughter's face

I love my daughter's face. I think it is the most beautiful face I've ever looked upon. I catch myself staring at her pictures and I'm amazed. I've held her in my arms so I know how real she is, but sometimes, there are moments I can't believe it.



April 2011



A timeline since referral

 I first met my daughter Medhanit via photo when she was 6 months old (I suspect it was 7 months if her birth certificate is correct). They were photos of her taken at 2.5 months old during her intake to the orphanage. I thought she was the most beautiful creation God ever made (never mind the crying sad baby they sent me in the photos who I later found out was hospitalized for pneumonia for 50 days during this time). All I could see was her beauty. Those big eyes stole my heart from the moment I looked at them.

 

 Thankfully, they also sent me a photo taken a few weeks later for her birth certificate where she looks much more content. I wondered how I got so lucky. How could God bless me with such a gift?

A few weeks after that I received a photo of her at 6.5 (probably 7.5) months and realized how much she had grown and was sad to be missing out on these early months.








The next one was sent to me about a month or so later at 8 months. She looked so tiny and I wondered if the weight measurement was wrong (I was correct, she was much smaller than they said).









I received one last photo the night I left for my Ethiopian court visit of her at 11 months. She looked so beautiful and healthy. It was a great way to head out in anticipation of seeing her in person. In none of the pictures I received was she ever smiling. I kept telling everyone she was waiting to meet me in person to show me her smile.

 

And she did show me that glorious smile. And it was worth the wait.

Thank you God for blessing me with my daughter, I can't wait to bring together our little family for good.