Seriously...

I'm so emotional about all this. It just feels so official now! We got the call that our embassy appointment is definitely Feb. 21st, so we booked our airfare to leave the 18th (less than 2 weeks away!). Finally, last night, we put the baby bed and changing table up in my son's room. I pulled out some things I had tucked aside for the baby and went through it (realizing that I am totally unprepared!).

For some reason, it is all just now hitting me...we are going to ETHIOPIA and bringing home a BABY!!!! Hello?!?! Did I not realize that before now? I guess, I just kept feeling like this paper pregancy would never end and there was no reason to get my hopes up for anything to actually happen quickly. However, I am thinking it's time to engage and seriously get something ready for this new addition to our family! Seriously, we are leaving the country in 12 days - I have got to go make a list or something. I just wanted to laugh when I read someone's blog the other day, saying that they were leaving in 2 weeks and their bags weighed 40 and 45 lbs...should I being weighing bags already?! I don't have anything in the bags...that's the problem!!!!

I have too many other things to do this week to start all that, anyway. Plus, my husband's to-do list around this house is insanely long. I think I see a few all-nighters coming up... Thank goodness Wal-Mart is open 24 hours!

It's time to get packing

Our household has been hit pretty hard this week. My husband said this is the worst he's ever seen me...it's been miserable! And I was so excited last week to start packing and buying baby clothes, and all that fun stuff; but I've felt so miserable I've barely been able to take care of my poor babies who are sick, too!

So, the antibiotic is beginning to kick in (still not 100%, but definitely better). It's a gorgeous snow day of 8 inches, so all my kids are home. I think it's time to get planning! I'm off to check out what I have stashed away in the closet and then compare that to my packing list. Then, I'll make a very long shopping list, I'm sure! It's going to be fun. I'll probably run out of energy long before any of this is done today, but at least I feel like thinking about it again!

It's Official...We have a baby boy!!!!!

Our court date went through successfully today and we now have a baby boy!!! Ashenafi is now a Mager! Here are some photos introducing our precious son...

Our tentative travel dates are Feb. 18-25. That's less than a month away...Oh my goodness! I can't wait! What an exciting day!

Tomorrow...Tomorrow..

Tomorrow's the day! Hopefully, we will even hear news tomorrow. However, I am prepared for the fact that it might be Thursday or Friday before we know what happened.

Lord, please let everything go through so I can go meet my baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One Week to Go!

In exactly one week we have our court date for Baby A. Hopefully, on Wednesday, January 23, we will have a decision and not a postponement. For some reason, it is all I can think about today. Partially, because I see his face and just know he's getting older by the minute and I want to be able to hold him when he is still tiny! Partially, because I feel like I have so many things on hold for the spring (as far as the calendar goes). I am responsible for many retreats, trips and events that happen at our church and Christian school so it is hard to know what I'll actually be in town for and what I will be missing. I don't mind missing any of it, if it means I am in Ethiopia; but, I don't want to schedule myself out for February if we aren't going to be able to travel until later. None of these things are a big deal, but I would like to just be able to plan something!!! I don't even know what to do to get ready for the trip, yet. Not that it matters, because I usually do things like that closer to the last minute. I guess I just work better with a deadline : ) But, I feel like I'm in limbo and I wonder what the baby must be feeling. I'm sure he is well taken care of at the HOH; and, of course, he's too little to "think" anything. I just wish I knew who was holding him, where he was sleeping, what he was hearing...all of those things! Hopefully, it won't be too long before I see for myself!

Lost in Translation

So, there was a little mistake...apparently, the director in Ethiopia emailed our offices the date on the Ethiopian calendar for the day of our court appointment (which is the 14th of their current month); however, according to my calendar, it is actually the 23rd. Therefore, we wait again!!! Praying, praying, praying that it goes through with the first court date. I really want to travel in February!

Court Date Scheduled!

Just got a call from our social worker Julia and she said that we have a court date for January 14th...Yeah!!! I was expecting it to be the end of January, so that's good news. That means, if all goes well the first time through (which is praying for alot!), then we will travel about 2-3 weeks after that. So, I'm planning to travel in February, maybe even as early as the first week!