Birth Parent Embassy Appointment

D's birth father's embassy appointment is June 5. If all goes as expected, we will be bringing our son home the next week!

Embassy Requests Birth Parent Interview

Today we received word of "movement" on our case. The U.S. Embassy in Addis has requested AGCI's assistance in facilitating a meeting with D's birth father. AGCI responded with an appointment request for next Tuesday, May 29; however, we know from others in the process that the Embassy appointment calendar is full all next week. Likely, the meeting will be the first week in June which would put our appointment the next week. That probably will mean I'm not going back. I have very mixed feelings about this. Hayden and Chase leave for Brazil and Mexico, respectively, on June 14 and 15. I want to be here to help them prepare for that. But I don't want to miss those first moments with D. I had some friends tell me there will be benefit in having one parent well-rested. Probably true. We should receive confirmation tomorrow of the birth parent interview date; then we'll need to make the decisions.

Submitted to Embassy

Today we learned that our paperwork had been submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Addis. This was the first time that our last name was connected to D's on anything official. That was cool, but we're definitely not keeping his middle name as "Dennis." We could be called to Addis as soon as May 28, if everything goes as smoothly as possible. A more likely scenario would see travel the first or second week in June. We still haven't decided whether or not I'm making the second trip. I think unless new information surfaces that pushes the decision one way or another, I'll let timing of the trip decide for me. Hayden will be in Israel until May 29, then Hayden and Chase both leave on mission trips mid-June. If I could get to/from Ethiopia while both boys are in the U.S., I could see myself deciding to go. If Chase is on the verge of leaving for MX, I'll stay and help him with that. Something inside me is hesitant to have family members on three continents at the same time. When I told Dennis we could be traveling as soon as May 28, his response was, "Whoa!" We've been giving people "We hope to have him home by the end of June" as an answer to their questions. I guess in our minds, that's the timeline we've come to think in terms of. Are we ready? Hmmm... I'm not sure how to answer that. This week a mom of a similarly-aged child shared a story that involved tantrums and the child making airplane gestures and sounds that could only be interpreted as, "Take me back, now!" Am I ready for that? I plan to take significant time off of a job that delights me. Am I ready for that? We plan to coccoon for 6 weeks to three months, keeping D within about six feet of us, and rarely leaving the house. Am I ready for that? I have four different hair products for African hair but only three outfits that might fit him. I still don't know how to make injera! That doesn't sound ready. I'm not sure "ready" is a foreseeable feeling. I am, however, willing, and with God's help, I am able.