Watermelon Picking

We are done picking Watermelon's for the season

Ella running around the garden

Hunter and Ella

Sunday School and Other Weekend Events

Ella went to Sunday School for the first time today. We picked up Zak (our godchild) and his grandma on our way to church. Zak and Ella are in the same Sunday School class. One of the first people she saw when she got to church was Mary Jo Peterson. She is such a warm and welcoming person that I am happy she was probably Ella's first impression of Calvary. Ella was not sure of Sunday School. At the begininning, she would not let me go. I was excited to see that Grant Dresser was in her class too. Grant's mommy, Tara, has always been a tremendous source of support. She definitely did not like the singing. However, when it was snack and water time she was all about that. She then sat in my lap and her and Zak worked on an art project. Then Winston Peterson came to see her. She was all gigles and laughs with Winston after awhile. :) So I would say the first day was a success!

It's amazing how God put's the right people in your life on a specific day. It was great to have Arlys and Zak come with us. If Ella was going to be a handful, it was great to have reinforcements. One of the first people we saw when we entered Calvary was Mary Jo Peterson. She is such a warm and welcoming person so I am am happy she is Ella's first impression of Calvary. Mary Jo and Winston are the parents of Elsey. Elsey was my precious Sunday School student last year. Unfortunately, Elsey passed away at the age of 11 last winter. She will forever be in my heart. When we entered Ella's Sunday School room, Tara was there. Tara and her husband, Doug, were instrumental in going through the grief process when Ethan died. They had lost their child a month before. Their son, Grant, is in Ella's class too.

Ella was able to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Hagelin on Saturday. She also got to see Uncle Mark briefly. We went out for the afternoon. Ella loved feeding Grandma red raspberries. It's kind of funny because she begs to eat the yellow raspberries at home and would never share. She played with Grandma and Grandpa and had a fun time. When it was time to leave, she didn't want to go home.

Hopefully, she will be medically cleared soon so she can spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Litfin too. They have come out to talk to her when she is in the car but she hasn't had much quality time with them yet.

Updates: Ella is sleeping better. She is sleeping about 10 hours at night and 2 hours for an afternoon nap. She still does not like Cheyenne (our dog) but will at least be on the floor or near her. Prior to this weekend she would only sit on the kitchen counter if Cheyenne was out.

A small update

In general, things are going really well with Ella. The one item that is not going well is sleep (which is totally to be expected).

Sleep: Due to the combination of jet lag and change of environment right now, this is the hardest part of the transition right now. She has been averaging about 3-4 hours of sleep since we have arrived home. I'm hoping tonight is the change of this. She slept from 7-12:45 and hen I put her down at 1:30 again. Please pray we are turning the corner on this. 3-4 hours makes Ella and Mommy very cranky.

Medical: Ella has an infected sore on her tummy that is currently being treated with antibiotics. She went to the University of Minnesota International Adoption Clinic yesterday. It was wonderful that she had an Amharic interpreter so she could speaker in her own language. This enabled the University to get a more accurate assessment. She was assessed by multiple practioners there and is developmentally on target. She is a little small in the height/weight category; however, the doctor believes she will catch up in the next 6 mos. Poor little girl had like 20+ vials of blood taken. Ella is currently 24.2 pounds.

Attachment: Ella is showing a preference for Steve, Hunter and I so this is good.

Hunter: Ella thinks Hunter is like a supreme being. If Hunter is around, no one else needs to be in the room. This weekend she would call him "Unter". She would walk around "Unter, Unter, Unter". When we dropped him off at school in the am, she would point to where he sat and say "Unter". Last night, she got to see Hunter again. The first thing she wanted was to be held by him. She also nailed down the word "Hunter" last night with the H so that was good.

Please keep Hunter in your prayers. He started both junior high this year and confirmation. He also got a new sister. Although he is doing well with all these changes, it's a lot of change for a young man and we would appreciate your prayers for him.

English: We're making progress. She says Mommy, Daddy, Hunter, parts of her ABC's and No. I believe she is saying yes, but it's not real clear yet.

Ella's Room. Our friend,Dolly, designed and decorated Ella's room. I know this is a repeat for those of you who saw it on Facebook. We will be buying Ella a white bed and dresser once she is ready to transition out of the crib.

People: Ella has started to meet new people. We are deliberately expanded her world slowly. She has met Bernetta briefly. Mommy needed a Caribou coffee after one of the "sleepless nights". She has also met Lisa & Zak. They stopped over for a couple of minutes after daycare one day.

Hair: Mommy needs to learn to do her hair ASAP. The great braids that Meheret put in, have begun to fall out since Ella pulls at them when she is cranky.

Favorite activies: Making the house look like a disaster. She loves to take things out of the cupboards and put them in bags (and carrying them around) or stack them on the stairs. Last night, she had every box of Mac N Cheese (we shop at Costco so I think it's a 6 pack) out and stacked on the stairs. Hunter, Steve and I took her to the park yesterday. She was laughing and giggling as she chased Hunter around the park equipment. Hunter was an awesome big brother. He took her down each slide in his lap the first time and then she would do it on her own.

Blog: This blog will begin to transition to our family blog with details of Hunter & Ella's life. Occasionally, I think there will be something about Steve and I, but our lives don't include as many picture/posting opportunities. So one day when I have time, I will redesign or have it redesigned as our family blog. I will keep the same blog address for ease though.

Freaky Friday

Friday was the day we left Ethiopia and with that there were a lot of goodbyes to be said.

In the morning, Layla House (the care center Ella was at) had a good bye party for her. All the kids sang songs for her and Tigist and Mekdes (two other children leaving).They also served coffee, soda and rolls.

As thoughtful as the going away party was, it was very hard on Ella. I took her back to the environment where her primary caregivers, friends and roommates were for the past two years. When we had to leave she had a meltdown. :(

The rest of the day we just hung out at the guest home and talked to people at the other guest home. Since we had a flight in the evening, we wanted a low key day.

When we first got to the airport, Ella was in very good spirits. She fell asleep about an hour before we were ready to board the flight. She slept through takeoff and for about an hour into the flight. I guess she needed more energy for her airplane antics. The majority of the flight Ella was unhappy. She was crying and screaming. The only time she would calm down is when an Ethiopian person would hold her and speak to her in Amharic. I am so grateful for the flight attendants and passengers who volunteered to help with her.

Thursday

This morning as I was starting to wake up I heard some noise. I thought people must be cleaning the hall or something. I looked in Ella's pack n play and she was there. So then I just started to wake up. I roll over and I have these two beautiful brown eyes staring at me. Note to self: put on glasses/contacts before looking in the pack n play. It also would have helped to turn on a light.

This morning I needed to wash her hair. Meheret was going to braid it when she came in, so all I needed to do is wash it. You will notice her au natural hair in the pics.

After showertime, we had breakfast and then went to another guest house for a visit. It was nice to see some people before they left on tonight's flight.

Some of the people were going shopping and I thought it would be fun to go with. One of the other guests, offered to watch Ella for me. Unfortunately, Ella was not interested in me leaving. I am grateful though that the people who went shopping bought Ella a traditional Ethiopian dress. It was very thoughtful of them to do some shopping for me.

While some people went shopping, others stayed back. It was fun to talk to everyone. The kids had fun playing together. Ty is going to be a soccer super star. Ella and Abdi were having fun talking to each other and playing.

Tonight, Meheret braided Ella's hair. It looks super cute and I'm grateful she did it. Ella will now look cute for her going away party at Layla tomorrow.

It is sad it is my last night in Ethiopia. However, I am happy to be going home to. It is time for Ella to see Steve again and to meet Hunter.

Wednesday's Happenings

Steve best watch out, Ella is both a neat freak and a coffee lover. This morning at breakfast I was brought a cup of coffee. Ella drank all of it. She wanted seconds but I thought that was a bad idea. I'm blaming the coffe for a lack of a nap. Anytime her hands get dirty or she spills she cleans it up right away.

We stayed at the Guest House in the am. It was nice to have a quiet morning. Ella wanted to be held every second of the day. I not only have to hold her but she wants me to stand up and do it. If I sit, she screams. The habit of screaming will eventually have to be broken, but this point her wanted to be held is a good thing and will help her develop a bond with me (and eventually Steve and Hunter once we get home).

This afternoon we went back to Layla, our agencies care center, for a quick visit. At first she was really upset and thought I was going to leave her there. However, as she saw familiar faces and kids she was very happy to be there. She was running, playing and the having a blast. Unfortunately, she was very mad at me when it was time to leave. I took her away from something familiar.

We went to visit my sponsor children this afternoon. It was so wonderful to see them. Their spirit, gratitude and faith are just humbling. They were happy to see me, Ella and Miriam (the social worker). They were so thankful for the tennis shoes that I brought for them. They all went and washed their feet before trying their new socks and shoes on. The oldest is getting great grades on his national exams and will go to college. The youngest and middle are working hard so they can go to college too.

We had a small playdate tonight with friends and that was fun. Ella had a blast running around with the other children. She was very sad when they left.

At the beginning of the day, I was her favorite by the end she was very mad at me. However, such is the life of a toddler.

Embassy Date

Today started out with good news, Ethiopian Airlines had located my luggage! Yeah! Also, we got a call from our agency director that the embassy switched our appointment from 130 to 1030. So the agency quick sent a driver so we could make it on time.

Our embassy appointment was kind of anti-climatic. Visual waiting for your license tabs or driver's license renewal (it has the same feel). You wait until your number is called and then you go up to the window to complete the adoption. Ella will have the necessary paperwork to enter the US on Thursday.

After the embassy, we came back to the Guest House and had lunch. Ella ate up her rice, carrots and green beans. They were super yummy.

Then we decided after lunch, to take matters into our own hands with the luggage. Since I had not received delivery of my luggage, I went to the airport to pick it up myself. It was really humorous. I had was holding Ella because she was so tired (since she only had a nap in the car) and pulling two 50 pound suitcases. After they were complete on the scanner, someone offered me a cart to put them in which helped a lot.

Ella went to bed early tonight since the day was so overwhelming for her. She was in bed and sleeping by 6 pm. I'm hoping for a good sleep tonight too.

Pick Up Day

Today has been a great day. I still don't have my luggage, but I'm doing o.k.

I started off the day by going to the Hilton. It was so nice to pick up a comb, toothpaste and a toothbrush. It's amazing how that can change your whole day!

Next, I went to Layla House to see all the kids. It was so much fun. Ella was much better about hanging out with me today. By the end she wasn't letting me put her down. I had her take her nap at Layla so I knew she got some good rest in the day if tonight didn't go well.

While Ella was napping I headed over to Ritmo Guest House to visit some other adoptive parents. It was great to see the Gaines, Welch and Connelly families. Praying that the Gaines and Welch families pass embassy soon. Ed Connelly and I go for our embassy appointment tomorrow.

After naptime, Ella and I played some more at Layla. Plus, I think I held every kid in the toddler room twice. When it was time to go Ella left without any tears. We loaded up in the Dawit's van and off we went. Ella was staring out the window all the whole way.

When we got to the guest house, we were quickly informed we were having dinner at another guest house. It was good to have dinner with other people, but it was a bit overwhelming for Ella at first. She warmed up to people by the end of the night. We celebrated Ethiopian New Year with coffee, popcorn and a bonfire. Nothing like freshly roasted coffee beans for coffee. Ella tried the coffee but did not care for it. The whole thing tuckered her out and she went to bed quickly after we got home.

Prayer requests: That Ella's transition goes well & that my luggage arrives before I leave.

Some Day 1 Pics Of Ella

Here are some pictures of Ella today.

Day 1 Ethiopia

Well, I didn't get off to the best start in Ethiopia. I only slept about an hour during a twelve hour flight. I got to Ethiopia and I have no luggage. I'm probably going to wearing the same clothes for 7 days. I have nothing for Ella as far as clothes and supplies. I am just praying my luggage arrives tomorrow. I need clothes, a hairbrush, etc.

Thankfully, I am at a wonderful guest house. I came here after the flight and took a nap. However, I do miss my companions at the guest house from the last trip. It was so nice to talk to someone over dinner and share our common experiences. As of now, I am the only one at this guest house. Hoping someone arrives before I leave. I'm happy that Ella will be here with me tomorrow.

I went over to Layla to see Ella today. At first she wanted nothing to do with me, eventhough every other kid was crawling all over me. There are about 8 toddlers in her room now. They are all so fun but they just crave so much love. Ella had warmed up to me by the end and was sitting in my lap, "doing" my hair and kept showing me her buddha belly.

The other great part of today was seeing everyone else's kids. Pastoor kids, Rodgriguez kids, Hertzfeld boy, etc! I'm going to try and upload pics from here but not sure how it will go.

Today is the Day

Today is the Day (Makes me think of Elsey). After work, I leave for Washington DC. Saturday, I will board a plane to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I am so excited and nervous all at once. You should all pity the people who work with me, I am an absolute space cadet. In so many ways, it seems like this long journey is almost over!


However, the reality is the journey is just beginning. Ella will be mourning and experiencing grief in the way a toddler does. We are taking her away from everything that is familiar and comfortable for her. As much as we believe that we will be a good family for her and we look forward to her joining our family, this will be very hard on her. As most everyone knows two year olds are emotionally volatile and then you throw grief on top of it. Wow!


Also, she is losing the opportunity to grow up in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a beautiful country with beautiful people. Thankfully, we have a wonderful Ethiopian community here in Minneapolis so she can continue to learn about her heritage and be somewhat immersed in her birth culture.



We are going to try and keep Ella's world as small as we can at the beginning. Her world will start with Steve, Hunter, myself and Cheyenne. (Shayla will come later) We will gradually introduce her to new people and places so she is not overwhelmed. I'm sure our first major Sunday School.


We hope our families and friends will make an honest attempt to incorporate positive adoption language as they speak/learn about adoption. Unfortunately, the media does not always teach us good habits. You can "google" positive adoption language and learn a lot.

We appreciate everyone's prayers for Steve, Hunter, Ella and myself during this transition. We will do our best to keep everyone informed of how things are going.