Ethiopia Day 1 and 2

The trip to bring our guy home started with us landing in Addis around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday morning after starting our journey Wednesday morning at the Atlanta airport.  Neither of us slept great on the plane but we were too excited to sleep once we arrived.  We knew we’d get to see Wogene that morning, so we freshened up at the guest house and were picked up around 10 a.m.

Dad’s phone–a much better solution 🙂

The staff had prepared a coffee ceremony for us and we had coffee and popcorn with Ato Teklu (our attorney in Ethiopia) as well as a couple of visiting WACAP families who had previously adopted from Ethiopia and were bringing their daughters back to visit their extended families.

We loved that he put his arm around L for this picture!

It was a short visit (about 1-1/2 hours) and we were able to spend the rest of the day to ourselves.  We decided to try and stay awake instead of nap and about the only insurance we had in doing so was to keep moving.  We walked and walked and walked around Addis, shopping for a few things.  I honestly don’t remember much of the day beyond the time we returned to the guest house.  I’m sure I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow!

The next morning we returned to the transition house where we played with him and the other kids for a couple of hours.  I was so thankful all the kids there had families returning for them (this is our agency’s private facility where the kids who have been adopted wait for their families to return for their US embassy appointment).  The two little girls waiting for their families were both so sweet to Wogene and I am quite sure I would have felt compelled to return for one of them had they not already been adopted. (not sure L would have felt that strongly though)!

The WACAP Transition House

We knew we would take Wogene into our custody the next day, and we were a little nervous about having five days with him and not much to do to pass the time, considering we were confined to the guest house neighborhood.  It was a little like being at the end of a pregnancy–you’re so ready to not be pregnant and to spend every day with your child, yet you know the hard work that awaits you once the baby is born!

One of Wogene’s buddies had just left the transition house with his family before we arrived and his family was leaving that evening for the US.  I had really enjoyed emailing with his mom as we both went through our own debacles with getting our sons’ visas.  It was so wonderful to meet her in person and I know we’ll keep in touch going forward.

The next day…..he’s really ours!!