Embassy Day

Coffee Ceremony at Gladney Care Center

Abe with his special caregiver in the traditional Ethiopian outfit she gave to him.

Laundry time at the Gladney Center

Sights of Addis, notice the Eucalyptus scaffolding on the building, it was everywhere!

Wednesday 1/14/09

Today we began with an early morning. Abe had a much tougher night last night, and finally about 4:50 I gave up and decided to get out of bed. He had no trouble falling asleep, but he woke up fearful several times and would begin screaming. Because we’re staying in a guest house where other people are just above us, we ended up giving him bottles several times, just to get him quiet. I can only imagine what thoughts and feelings are going through his head, so I guess a little screaming is par for the course.

We started out the day at the Gladney Care Centers. This is where Abe has lived for the past 5 months. We were able to walk around and see the three youngest houses. There were SO many babies and toddlers. They are stuffed to the gills. Even with 105 children in their care, it was obvious that their standard of care is excellent. The facilities are not fancy, but they are adequate, the children were clean, and the caregivers obviously love the children. At least 10 different caregivers greeted our son by name as we were walking in and out of the various rooms. We are so thankful to Gladney and the amazing folks who work with them.

We then had a coffee ceremony at the care centers. Each child in our travel group of four families received a gift from their special caregiver. They each received a handsome traditional Ethiopian outfit. We watched a woman roast the coffee beans and create a super strong coffee which we then drank. It was served with popcorn. Traditionally, each person drinks 3 rounds of the coffee, although I must confess that Ryan and I weren’t able to make it through one. I’m sure it was delicious, but we don’t ever drink coffee, so it was a bit much for us.) Even though we weren’t that impressed by the coffee, we were once again impressed with the grace and beauty of these people and the rich tradition and history of this country!

After lunch, we headed for the US Embassy. This was the last hurdle through which we had to jump to get this boy home. We were a little worried, but we need not have been. It took about 2 minutes and it was done. We basically had to raise our right hands and swear that all of our adoption documents had been true and then we had to answer about 5 questions which helped to confirm that everything had been done ethically. Then we were told we would be able to pick up Abe’s passport and visa on Friday AM, making everything official. It was very simple and we both breathed a sigh of relief when it was over.

Normally, when we go out, a caregiver must come and care for Abe while we are out and about. Fortunately, Abe was able to spend the day with us since it was Embassy Day and our schedule centered on that appointment. Overall, he did great. He continues to manifest his love for food and eating in general. He also has showed us today that he is an excellent screamer, and it is his primary means of communication when he gets frustrated. Fortunately, Ryan’s bubble therapy was a hit!