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Thursday, October 1, 2009

Our Trip To Ethiopia Day 5 - Wednesday

  • On the grounds of the Ethnic Museum
    Outside the Ethnic Museum


    Annsleighs favorite spot.....asleep in the sling :)


    Annsleighs favorite spot when awake.... caught digging in the food suitcase :)


    We got up this AM in our best dressed clothes for our Visa appointment. Brad wore Khakis and a nice button up shirt and I wore a long black and white skirt and black sweater. White sandals. We were still exhausted but adrenaline kept us going. We rode the bumpy van but it wasnt too long of a ride. The Embassy is a very unimpressive building. We were prodded along to all sit outside on rows of benches under a canopy. I remember thinking that I never read about this....maybe we dont have to sit in the hot stuffy room I had read about. They were taking in a few families at a time to go thru a security check point. Ahhhh! Thats what this line is about.....just to get in the building. It didnt take long for our turn and really all of our agency peoples turns to get security checked. You have to leave your cell phone there and any cameras. We went thru that area and did not know where we were going after that....they just pointed like we should know....we came to the end of that hall where there was an open door to the outside....& finally saw a very small arrow pointing to another little building.....so....you have to walk outside across a small area to the next building. Ok, this is where the long wait is... I recognized it by the descriptions reading other family's blogs...Not enough seats for everyone....dimly lit...hot room....We waited for about 1 1/2 hours. Annsleigh was a very good girl as she was making friends with everyone we sat around once a seat opened up. A little social butterfly! It really did not seem too long a wait as we talked with other families. Then they started the CHI agency group. Almost seemed like our large group skipped line...but finally our name was called. We went up the stairs to the window which is where you conduct your appointment. The lady in the window sounded and looked American. Was friendly enough. The entire time, CHI agency folk was right behind us to help answer any questions we stumbled over. But they prepared us well the day before, I must say..all was well as she thumbed thru the papers. She asked us all the questions we were prepared to answer....then the big hiccup!!! She looks at the papers and shuffles them around and says. "Oh wait just one minute!......." as she is flipping thru all the papers. Brad & I are sick to our stomachs....."Hold on...hold on..." she says... WHAT DOES SHE MEAN HOLD ON WAIT A MINUTE...EVERYTHING SHOULD BE IN ORDER!!!!!! NOW WHAT?!?! She says..."When was this child referred to you?" March 30 we said.... So she starts counting up on her fingers then says...."Oh thank God! I first read your request as for a child 0 - 6 years. Then saw it said 0 - 6 months and thought she was surely out of the range for age of child you requested. But she made it just by a biscuit!" I said yes, she was 5 1/2 months old when we got her referral. SHEW! That was a nervous moment. But all was well. And I dont know what would have happened if they did find some loophole....this was the baby we were taking home and thats all there was to that! After a BIG sigh of relief, we were free to go. Her passport should be ready by Friday AM. We went outside to get some fresh air because everyone has to wait for the entire group to be done before we all leave. We thought this was a perfect chance to change a very soggy diaper. But the only spot we saw was outside on this shelf like thing and another baby was getting changed. So we waited....then all of a sudden no time for that! Everyone in the group was finished with their appointments so it was time to leave and leave quickly for some reason. We were once again correlled along the way into the crowded van with one very soggy diaper. On the way back to the Melkam we made a pit stop off at the HOH (not sure why). Annsleigh's nurse comes up to the van and sees Annsleigh. She comes up to the van with a care package for her.....another beautiful traditional Ethiopian dress and wrap....and her name and email address.....that was so sweet. How touching. This nurse really does love our baby....I must find a way to send her pics of our Annsleigh in this dress.....Anyway, then off we go....to the Melkam. Got there with another soaked thru outfit on Annsleigh. As soon as we got there and chaged her we went to the kitchen to make lunch. I should have known better, but I carried Annsleigh down to the kitchen in a diaper only.They had the back door open and it felt so good. Not cold, not hot. Well, the sweet lady that cooks and cleans at the Melkam very very kindly looked at Annsleigh, rubbed her arm smiled at me and nodded and said..."It is cold..." I had read about how they do like to bundle their babys and I really should have know. So, I respectfully marched right back up the stairs and put some clothes on Annsleigh and went back down. Then we emailed our travel agent to try to change our return flight tickets so we can come home earlier!!! YAY!!! Cannot wait to see our 6 year old boy at home!....Cannot wait to get all settled at home!....We have to wait on a response....At about 2:30PM we got picked up at the Melkam so we could visit the Ethnic Museum. It is very beautiful...This was the only time during our entire trip where the electicity was out. But not for long. It soon came back on and we saw the entire museum. We thought we were then headed back to the Melkam but instead headed to the Hilton so some folks could use the internet cafe there. By the way, internet is free at the Melkam....it is dial up...but it was sufficient. We got to the Hilton....it is gorgeous. Wish we could stay there and have our baby stay with us. We are not allowed to stay in the public hotels with our newly adopted babys because the towns people do not like seeing "their babies" being adopted out, supposedly. Anyway, probably too expensive anyway. We went ahead and paid to use the internet at the Hilton and never even got on...we got a rain check to use the next time we came...but we never went back....and no one else needed it. So...finally back to the Melkam...Once again Annsleigh fell asleep in the sling in the van so when we got back to the room we learned that Annsleigh fights sleep when over tired and then gets just plain hyper. We also began to believe that all the excursions and pick up times were babys nap times. Made it for really messed up days and we were beyond exhausted. Again, when bedtime came we quickly fell asleep when she did, but for some reason after 3 hours Brad and I could not sleep. Still tired, but unable to sleep. What in the world? Then, laying long enough we finally fall back asleep just in time for the rooster to crow....end of day 5......

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