Cookies

Yesterday’s news was tough to hear, but after some chocolate, a lovely husband, four episodes of the Office & a good night’s sleep, I feel ready to face the continued wait. This was a minor setback; not a calamity. Our agency has already re-issued the correct paperwork to the Ethiopian courts, so now we wait on a new court date.

And we got this update today about our little guy from our agency:
“When I come in a child’s room, I will walk past the child I am visiting rather walking directly up to the child so I do not startle him/her; [Baby Barto] reached out and grabbed me before I could get by! He seems particularly happy with a cookie in his hand and as I write this he is attempting to overwhelm his neighbor and take her cookie! I think he has been successful in the past judging by his figure!”

P.S. Cindy, please add me to your list. I had been meaning to e-mail you and then was all sad this weekend when your blog went private. I'm such a slacker. My e-mail: livewithlaughter@ hotmail.com

Not today

We didn't pass court today. There were some issues with our paperwork. Once those issues are resolved, we will be issued a new court date.

I know so many of you were holding us in your hearts today, and I want to thank you so much for all your well wishes.

I'm off to eat M&Ms and watch trashy TV.

The wait continues...

Tomorrow

The day has started in Ethiopia. I'm off to bed. So much may happen while we sleep...

Our little Wolverine

Any guesses where Jose & I both went to college?

Our friends and family are so sweet. We'll have Baby Barto saying "Go Blue!" in no time.

Two Days

I opened my e-mail to find this on Thursday…

“Hello! Your child is ADORABLE! You will LOVE him. I didn't know which house he was located in (there are 3) and the workers saw his pictures and went nuts and started kissing it. They took me to his house and I could see why. He has the greatest personality and was so much fun. We had a blast taking pictures and enjoyed him so much. He is CUTE personality and looks.”

This added to my excitement for the possibility of Monday. Monday could be it, the day, the next step forward. We could be meeting this little guy in a month. Or, as Jose says, things could be punted. There could be more waiting. But in the end, at some point, we have a 99.9% chance of bringing Baby Barto home (even if he is Teen Barto and needs a driver’s permit).

Two more days.

One week

With only one week (168 hours) to go until our first court date, the magnitude of all that may unfold next week is starting to sink in. Friday evening after blog reading and stroller/carseat searching, I was hit with a wave of exhaustion. I just needed to close my eyes. I curled up on the couch and woke up 2 hours later. I made a pledge to try very hard not to read any more blogs between now and next Monday. I think they were adding to my anxiety. (I made it all day Sunday blog-free, but I must admit I did click on three tonight - just people who are about to travel.) Then yesterday I had a moment of heart pounding panic as I tried to grasp the logistics (remember we only have a crib, a handful of other stuff and 8 words of Amharic) of all we must accomplish between now and "then" (whenever "then" may be). I had to do some major deep breathing to calm myself down. Tonight I was cleaning in the garage (it's like cleaning your dorm room when you have a major paper to do. It needs to be done, so you feel good that you're being productive, but it really shouldn't be a priority). As I moved some Christmas stuff to the green and red tubs, I pictured Baby Barto looking at the Nativity my mom painted or sitting on my lap as I read my childhood holiday books to him. And I was wrapped in a moment of peace.

Time to go to bed. Then it will only be six more days.

Weekend Fun

As part of the last-hurrah-before-child-tour we spent a whirlwind 48 hours in New Orleans last weekend. (We need to pass court just so we don't go broke from these one-more-before-child-trips.) New Orleans is one of the most vibrant places I have ever been. There is an energy to the city that is incredible. We had a blast listening to music, eating way too much food, watching all sorts of interesting people and catching the Gay Pride Easter parade.

The Wait of April

Two years ago I waited. I waited on blood tests and ultrasounds. I waited to learn if a little embryo was going to be a baby. I waited in a doctor’s office that became too familiar. I waited to go into surgery. I waited for my heart to stop hurting.

It’s April again. And now I wait on court dates and travel dates. I wait for paperwork to be checked. I wait for phone calls from our case worker. I wait for someone else to give up her rights, so I can become a mother. I wait for a judge to decide if the three of us can be a family. I wait for our son.

Hello April!

It’s April! Our court date is 20 days away (and since it's already Wednesday in Ethiopia, does that make it only 19 days away?). Sometimes it feels like April 27th may never get here. At other moments I mumble some choice PG-13 language when I think of all that must be accomplished once we get the word. So I’m making an attempt at getting prepared.

My first order of business is to finish my lessons for the rest of the year. A part of me wants to tell them to open their books, read and answer the questions at the end of each chapter. That would make my life way easier, but that’s not any fun. So, I’m making visually stimulating presentations and trying to figure out how my students could create a children’s book as part of my Texas & the Civil Rights lessons. I’m thinking an Alphabet Book and each group gets a word/person that they research and illustrate. Of course this would require me to think of 26 words and people related to Texas and Civil Rights. But then we could donate it to the library at the elementary school next door. I guess I better get busy. Any ideas for those hard letters like Q or Z?

I have also started to think about things I need to buy Baby Barto. I registered at Target with my friends Renne, Carli and Renee’s son Erick. Who knew Target could elicit so many emotions? One minute I was all excited and giddy, the next I was totally overwhelmed. Luckily I had great help. Erick was in charge of the scanner and picking out cool boy stuff. We had to call our friend Alyssa, who is the mother of toddlers, for recommendations on practical stuff. Who knew there were so many types of sippy cups or toilet training seats? And seriously, is there any need for a little toilet to play music? Really?

I haven’t done the greatest job on the Amharic. I ordered a CD of words/phrases for adoptive families. I can handle some of the short words, but a whole phrase is another story. I think I know 8 words. There will be a lot of pointing going on in those early days.

And I’ve started baking and cooking things. I’ve made homemade noodles, cookies, black bean empanadas (with homemade dough), bread (with help from the breadmaker), salsa and tonight I made muffins (not from a box). I have all these visions of making healthy foods for Baby Barto with produce I pick up at the farmer’s market as I push him in the stroller. (moms, stop chuckling at my naïve expectations).