Our last day in Addis (for now)

April 12, 2017

We had a leisurely morning at our hotel. This was the first time during this trip that I've felt tired during the day. After one last Ethiopian hotel breakfast, I went back to bed to rest while Dave had coffee with Yared. Not sure why I was so tired. Maybe because I was thinking about the fact that I won't have a bed to lay in for like 48 hours!

Eventually I got over my laziness and showered and packed up. I had a delicious cafe mocha made by the friendly girls at the hotel's coffee shop. Dave and I sat on the porch and read our Bibles for a little bit enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of Addis. 

For lunch Teddy joined us at the hotel. I decided I was a little tired of Ethiopian flavors and chose the cheeseburger and fries. It wasn't bad!

Since checkout was at noon, we left our luggage at the front desk and headed out the door to go visit L lugging along a suitcase of stuff for the orphanage-- baby blankets, kids' vitamins, snacks etc. 

We left around 1:00 and didn't make it to Edget until after 3:00. If nothing else, this culture definitely teaches you patience and flexibility. Hahaha. We got sidetracked on the other side of town because Teddy got a call from another adoptive parent needing a ride. It was fine though... we had time to kill. Our flight out of Addis wasn't until 10 pm. However we did want to maximize our time with L!

The traffic today was especially congested. Easter is Ethiopia's biggest holiday. They fast from meat, dairy and eggs for TWO MONTHS leading up to it! Since the holiday weekend is almost here, they said the roads would be extra crazy.

We probably had about 2 hours at the orphanage in the afternoon. It warmed my heart to see L carrying around his new family photo album when we first arrived. L started crying the minute he saw us. I feel so badly for him. I don't think he likes the extra attention at all. The nannies are well-intentioned and I can tell they just want him to be comfortable with us. But when they try to force him on us, it really upsets him. My guess is that he's going to need time to warm up. And we'll let him set the pace. 

And in all reality, I think he's a little scared of us. I can't imagine being in his shoes. He's been living in the same orphanage for over a year with the same nannies caring for him. Then out of the blue, without warning, these two strangers waltz in whose skin is a weird color and whose language he can't understand. They're called "mommy" and "daddy" and for some reason everyone gets excited when they arrive. 

Just like the other two days, he followed us intently as we walked to our car. He waved and gave us sweet smiles while holding onto his beloved bucket of toys. It was hard to say goodbye to him, but we know he is in good hands at Edget and this brings a lot of peace. And we also know that it shouldn't be too much longer before we can travel back to pick him up. Probably 4-6 weeks.

The whole thing still feels surreal. Legally, he is our son. Our firstborn. And we love him so much already. And yet, practically-speaking, we hardly know each other. I am so excited to start building a strong bond with this little boy. I know it's going to be very challenging at times. This is uncharted territory for us. There will be a lot of trial and error, but by God's grace we will learn together as a family. I'm thankful for my husband who is willing to do this crazy journey with me. Everything is better with him around.