Baby Formula

Dear Family and Friends,
We just got some great news that we will be leaving January 24th to go to Ethiopia and pick up our baby girl. We will be home just in time for her birthday in early February. We are so excited and have a ton to do.

Sadly though, we have heard some distressing news from our adoption agency. Currently there is a baby formula shortage in Ethiopia and none of it is being brought into the country. Third world countries don’t really use baby formula because it is so expensive compared to breast milk. So it is only the orphans that use it and need it.

The orphanage director of Hannah’s Hope (which is the small orphanage that our baby girl is in) has even started buying formula off the black market and says she will do anything to keep the 30 babies in her care from starving. Our baby is okay since every time parents come to pick up their children they are bringing formula. We are all really worried though about the large orphanage in Ethiopia that is near by our small one. I can’t even imagine having hundreds of babies who could starve just because there is no formula to buy in Ethiopia.

All of us parents who are adopting are determined to do something to feed these babies. We are collecting as many cans of formula that we can and are bringing them over ourselves (this is the cheapest way since mailing anything to Africa is so expensive). Even if we have to pay the extra baggage cost that is cheaper than mailing it.

If you would like to help here is how you can:

- Next time you are in the grocery store just pick up a can of formula (no liquid) for babies 12 months and younger to donate.
- Ask you friends to do the same or get your kid’s school involved.
- If you live here in Atlanta you can get them to me either at church on Jan. 11th or some other way.
- If you live in another state, we have families all over the U.S.A getting ready to travel and you can mail it to them (or to me of course).
- You can also donate money to All God’s Children (http://www.allgodschildren.org) and specify that you want it to go towards formula. They will buy it and send it over with families as well.
- We can always buy some formula for you as well if you want to donate money.

Please email me if you can help. Even just one small can of powdered formula will feed one baby and I will personally deliver it to the orphanage. Thank you for all of your support and love during our adoption process. We are so excited to finally go and bring Jessa home.

Blessings,
Sarah

Travel Dates!

We have travel dates and I am so surprised and excited. We are suppose to be in Ethiopia on Jan. 25th-29th. We have yet to buy plane tickets since we have to wait for the final say on the dates. So much to do, but in less than a month our beautiful baby Jessa will be in our arms. We will also get her home a week or so before her 1st birthday. Perfect timing.

Family pictures

All of the family is in town for Christmas and so that means family picture time. My sister's best friend (and a close family friend) Abby was visiting and since she is an amazing photo journalist and travels all over the world for it, she took pictures for us.

The picture above is the whole family - my grandparents and Uncle Paul are in town for Christmas as is my brother Jeff from Japan, my youngest brother Jared from Costa Rica, and my sister from NYC.

Here is the family picture of just us 8 (soon to be 9). Christmas is the only time that we are all together since Jeff doesn't get home from Japan more than once a year.

Okay so these pictures are so funny! This is the progression of the three of us trying to get a quick family picture. Tobin was tired and was crying and then throwing a fit.

First the lip came out and then he threw a fit and kicked Clark in the groin because of the way that I was holding him (I thought it was pretty funny!)

Finally got a good one. In a month or so we will have a new little one to add the picture!

Oh My Gosh!

I just got the surprise of my life! Today was our court date in Ethiopia and usually it takes a while for you to find out if you passed or not, but I got a call this evening from our case worker telling us and we passed! Jessa is officially our daughter. I can't believe it! I am stunned and still spinning. I had set myself up for not passing and having to wait longer. What a great Christmas present.

We don't have travel dates yet, but it will more likely be the last week in January or the first week in Feb. That means that we will have her home before her first birthday (just barely before). We have so much to do and Tobin is not really ready to be left for so long (since originally we did not plan on leaving him). I am starting to pray really hard and I know that everything has been in God's timing. But, we are just so excited to actually be bringing our baby home!

Ethiopia, here we come (in a month that is).

Merry Christmas everyone!

Today is the Day

Well, today is December 23rd which was our first court date in Ethiopia. This morning I woke up and realized that at that point court was already going on. I have no idea if our case even made it to the judge in time. If it did I think that we have a pretty good chance of passing. Of course there could always be a problem with one of the parts of the paperwork. If that happened than we wouldn't pass and it would be a month or more before we got another court date. But, since our baby doesn't have any birth parents we could get through court easier (so our case worker says). But, who knows what the courts will do. I know that it could be weeks before we hear if we passed or not. Oh boy that feels like a long time away. I am trying to just wait and not think too much about it.

A court date is a really big deal because if we pass it means that Jessa will be ours legally and then we would travel 3-4 weeks later. If we do pass, we will have to be a crazy hurry to get everything ready and tickets bought that quickly. I am still a little worried about leaving Tobin since he is so young. I suppose that if we don't pass this first time (and most families are not passing the first time round) it will be better for Tobin. We would then have some more time to get him ready for us to leave him. Either way God is in control and is taking care of our little baby girl. I will post more about it when I have more news.

Happy Birthday to Me

Today is my birthday. I am 29 years old. Next year I will be 30. I am okay with that, even though it does sound pretty old.

Yesterday I had to go to the doctor and get my first set of shots for traveling to Ethiopia. Tobin didn't feel good and seemed to have a low fever an hour before my appointment. Knowing that I couldn't cancel (or I would have to pay money) I left him with my brother Jared who is home for Christmas.

On my way out of the doctor's office I get a call from Jared. I can hear Tobin crying in the background and Jared states that he is throwing up everywhere. Poor Jared, a lot to handle for a young college guy. So I rush home and clean everything up and then sit with Tobin all day and catch more throw up.

So it has been a fun birthday so far. My arm still really hurts from the shots (wow, that hep A hurts like the dickens) and poor T is feeling better but pretty fussy. I did get a nice surprise though this morning when I woke up - the dishes had been done, the laundry folded, and the guest bed made. I have the most wonderful husband. A clean house is the best birthday present ever!

Next year I will be 30 but will get to spend it with both of my kids! I am always wishing that baby Jessa could be home already with us. Today Tobin told me that he wanted to kiss "his baby". But, instead of kissing he makes the sound. It was really cute.

Sleep Blessed Sleep

I have one of those kids that won't sleep. From the minute that he was born, Tobin screamed like he was on fire if he was ever put down. The kid wouldn't sit/lay in a stroller, car seat, swing, bouncy seat, or any type of crib. We read every book and tried everything but he just wanted to be held. I slept sitting up for the first few 6-8 months of his life. Then he would finally sleep beside me in bed.

When he was around 12 months he finally started sleeping 4 or so hours at a time. I remember feeling like a whole different person after getting 5 hours of sleep at a time. My brain could work and I could think clearly for the first time in over a year.

Now at 2 years old, he still has trouble staying asleep for very long. I have tried everything and read all of the books out there, but nothing doing. The only thing that works is to slowly work him towards a goal. Consistent baby steps is the only way to get him to do anything.

So I have not had more than 6 hours at the very most (and that is only every other week or so) of sleep in over 2 years. Every time I look confused or say something that doesn't make much sense, my husband just nicely tells my family to remember that I am always sleep deprived. I can hardly believe that I use to be one of those people who had to have 8 solid hours or I fell apart.

When you have a kid that won't sleep, you get a lot of advice from other mothers (and it is all good stuff and I have tried all of it out there). I have noticed though that when another mom finds out about Tobin not sleeping through the night there are two types of responses:

- the first mom type always says something like "oh yeah, my kid did that for a few weeks. I tried ______ and she now sleeps through the night."

- the second just looks sadly at me and says "my kid didn't sleep through the night til he was 5." That's it, no suggestions or sleep theories, just one short sentence. Why? Because moms with kids who really don't sleep know that there is no answer. You just keep trying and one of these days your kid will finally be ready on their own to sleep all night long.

Anyway all that to say that the other night I actually got 7 hours of sleep because Clark and I spent our first night away from Tobin. Since we have no choice but to leave him when we travel to Ethiopia to get the baby, we are trying to get him ready. Our first step was to go away for a night and let Grandma and Grandpa sleep with him. Tobin was pretty excited about the idea of GaGa sleeping in his room and my mom said he was like a kid at a sleep over. He actually did really great and only asked for me a few times. He of course woke up about 4 times, but always went back to sleep. So maybe leaving him won't be too horrible.

Christmas Tree Time

Every year we pick out our Christmas tree together. This year we got it right after Thanksgiving. Tobin loved running through the trees. Clark got his way this year and we got one of those white trees with the snow on them. I think it looks trashy, but for some reason he swears that last year I agreed to get one this year.

Poor Tobin had pink eye that he had caught from his cousin during Thanksgiving, so he wasn't in the best of moods.

I was excited that this year Tobin would be old enough to really get into decorating the tree, but he mostly took them off the tree and threw them (especially the Christmas balls).

Last year we started the tradition that Tobin put up the star on the top of the tree. Here is the picture from last year when he was only a year old.

It is amazing to see how much he has grown in just one year.

Here is 7 week old Tobin at his first Christmas. I have forgotten how little he was. Wow he could really hold his head up well at an early age. He does not look that young to me

Our Christmas trees and Tobin over the last 3 years:

10 Months Old

Today our beautiful little baby is 10 months old so here are 10 things that I am thinking, loving, and praying about her:

1. I love her big brown eyes

2. I love those soft looking curls

3. I can't wait to kiss her big chunky cheeks

4. I was glad to see that in her 9 mo picture she could sit up now

5. I love that in most pictures her mouth is open is a big smile

6. I love the two little teeth I can see coming up in her 9 mo picture

7. I pray that she is happy where she is

8. I wonder when we will see and hold her for the first time

9. I love the fact that she and Tobin are so close in age, it will be crazy but fun

10. I hope that we will get to see her take her first steps

We love our baby Jessa so much and can't wait to bring her home. Until then I will keep praying, looking at her picture, and loving her from the other side of the world.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was spent in KY at Clark's sister's house with that whole side of the family. This picture was taken after the game on Saturday. Most everyone except Tony and I went to Auburn so we all have to wear the team shirts on big games days (though our team spirit didn't make them play better).

Tobin loved getting to help me make pie crust before we left.

Tobin and his cousin Maggie have birthdays within a month of each other and Maggie's cousin on the other side also has a birthday near Tobin's. So we have had cousin birthday parties and had another one this year. This time we went to a park, played and opened presents.

Clark and his Dad.

Addie with new baby Lily.

Fun at the park.

Grandma Taltha wanted a "jungle picture" just like last year with the kids in their Halloween costumes. Tobin was not happy about it and they all had this look like "are you people crazy?"

Maggie and Tobin painted with Daddy outside too.

Making pies with Grandma Taltha

Clark's grandma loved to hold Lily

Thanksgiving dinner. What is not in the picture is me having to sit there and eat too since Tobin would cry if I didn't. Whatever to keep the peace on Thanksgiving.

Waking up Mommy (me) every morning was such fun for the two toddlers.

Clark with Lily and Tobin.

Playing outside.

There is always some sort of project to be worked on. This time it was the sink.

6 weeks old and so much hair!

It was great to spend time with family and just relax. Tobin and Maggie (who are only a year apart) love playing and chasing each other. Though by the end they kept finding a toy (or even a person) grabbing it and yelling "mine" over and over again. They staked claim to everything around them and it started to drive us adults crazy.