Day 1 - 9/19/2007

We’re safe, sound and HAPPY!! View from the Hilton On the way to Sophie - a typical sceneWe arrived late last night, and by the time we got to the hotel we basically just crashed to prepare for our big meeting this morning. We arrived at the Gladney house at about 10am. We met Belay, Ryan and Abby and made small talk while my nerves calmed down a bit. I was shaking, I was so nervous! With Ryan and Abby armed with our video and regular cameras Belay brought down Sophie and it was love at first sight! Well, she was woken up from her nap to meet us, so maybe she had to warm up to us a bit, but we thought she was amazing from the first second! We were able to hold, hug and kiss her without completely freaking her out while we asked a few more questions. Belay told us that he did have her birthmother’s phone number, so he could contact her when we were ready to meet her. No more than 5 minutes after being introduced to Sophie, Belay was called into the “milk kitchen”. He came back with a very strange look on his face. He said, “well I am totally shocked by this, but Yordanos’s birth mother just arrived here”!!! I think that Belay, Ryan and Abby were way more surprised than we were by the coincidence. Since we had no idea what the timing of everything would be, we had tried to fully prepare ourselves for anything. Apparently, she had come to visit Sophie a few times since relinquishing her (and since going to our court date to do so legally). She knew we were coming sometime soon, but didn’t know exactly when. She gets one day off a month, and even though this was not her day off, she woke up this morning and told her employer that she could not work today because she HAD to come see Yordanos, but didn’t know exactly why. I think she was shocked that we were there. I will leave out the details of our meeting, but she was very sweet and loving towards the baby and I am actually very happy to have seen their interaction and to have met her. Of course it was very difficult for everyone, but am relieved to be able to show Sophie how loved she has been from day one.

After we spent more time with Sophie, we got a tour of the house and saw all 20 other babies. Yes, the house is very full right now (with 20 caregivers on shifts). For all of those waiting families – they are onto our ploy, so I didn’t get any specific info, but I do know that of the 20 babies, only 3 have already been referred, but all 17 others have been matched!! Sooo, as soon as the paperwork, medical testing, information gathering is complete, you will have your referral! Of course, this takes time for each child, but I can promise you that they are working very hard to get all of this done soon so they can take full advantage of the courts reopening. And amazingly, every baby there is under 9 months – and a few are only a month or so old!! Soo teensy – but not from lack of food – just from age!

They really want to see me RIGHT NOW?!?!?!?!

Belay on his way downstairs with Sophie!!! Sophie, her two moms and Daddy. Coffee ceremony to help us celebrate meeting Sophie and her birthmother. (I was shaking too much to eat popcorn or drink coffee!!) Gladney older home - girls' bedroom. Again, SO neat and bright. The "dining room" in the older Gladney house - it was SO clean, bright and airy - very cute! Caregivers at the older Gladney home - so nice! Gladney house neighborhood (very nice neighborhood compared to others in Addis) Rainy season

Watching the sights with Daddy Content in the car Holy Trinity Cathedral with Mommy

Meeting Sophie!!!!

After that, we went to the older children’s house with 12 kids aged three to eight there. They were all so sweet. One sibling group had two sisters and one brother (ages 3-8) and there was a set of sisters (probably 7 or 8). We did not get a chance to meet Abel (he was out having his haircut!). He was already referred to the Mestas family with his twin sisters (who are in the baby house). We did meet the twins and took lots of pictures. So cute!! We hope to return to the foster homes, so we’ll try to get more. The older kids were so outgoing and friendly, which apparently is a little different from how they were three weeks ago when the foster home first opened. They are all doing great. Although a few have been matched with families, these children tend to stay at the foster home much longer than the infants, so we will pray for loving families for them as well.

After the foster homes, we had lunch with Abby and Ryan (and Sophie) at a restaurant high above Addis called Top View. I think it poured rain every time we were inside today, but was totally clear when we were outside. Someone was looking out for us :) After that we visited the Ethiopian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral and learned more about their religion (an ancient form of Christianity (Ethiopian Orthodox) – a varient of Koptic) and some other things about Ethiopia in general. Then, we came back to the hotel to walk around, hang out with Sophie in the room, eat pizza and go to bed. Sophie started to lose it a little while we were eating, so John finished up while I brought her upstairs and while I was walking her from the hotel room door to her crib she fell fast asleep! We’re pretty tired but looking forward to the orphanage visits tomorrow.

It probably took a full six hours or so for Sophie to fully warm up to us. She was very quiet and just watching our every move. After her settling in period, she now can’t get enough of babbling, smiling, laughing and touching us. She has a very strong grip and loves to touch our faces while she eats. She seems very mellow righ tnow, but who knows how much of that is sensory overload and pure shell shock!!
Toby & Neile, please give the kids big hugs and kisses from us and tell them that we miss them like crazy. We can’t wait to bring Sophie home and all be together!!! xoxoxo