Babies, Babies Everywhere

Last week we received an email from our agency about the recent influx of babies to the orphanage. If you click here, it will take you to a copy of the email. Please read it, enjoy the pictures, and see if there is any way you may be able to help the orphanage. Anything from donating the money for a can of formula, to traveling to Ethiopia to volunteer in the orphanage would be awesome.

As sweet as the pictures are to look at, I was shocked at the amount of diapers and formula! Granted, 60+ babies would obviously raise the numbers of supplies, but to put it so exactly was staggering.

I am finding myself wishing I was at a different point in my life and I could hop on a plane and head right over. Honestly, I'd love nothing more. I'm still having a hard time with the mixed feelings about so many babies being in the orphanage. I would rather not get a referral for two years if it meant that those babies could stay and live with their families.

Last week I was at Costco with my kids. My four year old, Mckenna blurted out, "Mommy, look! They're Ethiopian!" Now, my 6 year old has said this many times...and none of those times has that person actually been Ethiopian. Mckenna - up to this point - had never said that. I brushed it off, said, "They may be from Ethiopia, but just because they have dark skin doesn't mean they're Ethiopian. Lots of people have dark skin and are from different places all over the world, many are from right here in (insert hometown, state, country, etc)." Then I finally turned to see the most beautiful babies, a boy and a girl, strapped in the front of the Costco cart, a mom wearing a Bob Marley t-shirt, and a grandmother wearing very traditional Ethiopian clothing. All of them had beautiful, bright, shining eyes that shouted Ethiopia. I just laughed and told Kenna that I thought she might actually be right!

Later we stopped for drinks and I struck up a conversation with the mother. As soon as she began speaking, I could see and hear my sister-in-law, Tuni(from Ethiopia), in her voice and expressions. At that point I had no doubt she was Ethiopian. We had a lovely conversation. I told her how beautiful here babies were, she was excited for us to adopt - and has many friends who have adopted from ET., and we just really had a nice little visit. I walked away just beaming! Those babies just made my heart want to leap out of my chest! And she was such a nice lady. I'm still kicking myself for not getting her contact info.

That encounter made this adoption a lot more real. It was feeling real before...but distantly real. Kind of like when I got pregnant the third time - I had been through it twice before, so I knew then end was a long way away, and I just didn't really even focus on the baby at all. We were busy moving and dealing with many other things. After the holidays, when life got back to normal I was about 1 1/2 months from my due date. That was when I finally allowed myself to realize I was having a baby and needed to get ready.

That's kind of how I feel now. OK, Christmas is over, family has left, it's time to really start thinking about this. I need to start figuring out travel stuff, money, shots(round 2), and all that jazz. Oh yeah - and I need to be ready for a referral. I'm not expecting it tomorrow, but another month or so...and it never hurts to be too prepared, right?

So, check the link I posted above, see if there's anything you can do, and please know how grateful I am for all of your support on our journey!