Can you believe it???

They both LOVE their daddy!!!

Holding his babies is Shawn's favorite thing to do. It even beats playing basketball on most days. Bethi knows if she cries, her daddy will stay home instead of going to join his basketball friends. I think I'm finally getting him convinced that she's fine once he leaves!! Hmmmm.....can you say "SPOILED"???
Mommy has her figured out!!! Her crying doesn't work on me! LOL! The next book we buy is going to be THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF!!! She can turn her tears on and off at the drop of a hat! Other than that, Bethi is a pretty good little girl. She loves to play with her dolls and stuffed animals. She loves to look in the mirrors and practice crying faces! She loves her clothes! And she eats ALMOST all kinds of foods I cook. Just some alot more than others. Tonight we had porkchops and I thought she was going to eat the bone too! We gave her another pork chop instead. Afterward, she pranced around showing off her "fat" belly! Size 4 slim!!! Bethi is learning English really well. She uses language at funny times too. She hit her head on Shawn's chest pretty hard. She popped up and said "I'mmmm OKeyy"......
We always tell her good job when she says something correctly or does something good. She had a Dora the Explorer paddle ball, showing it to Amanu. I pointed at the paddle and told Amanu, "Dora!" Bethi said " good job mommy!"
Amanu is such a sweet baby. He is no longer just a daddy's boy!
Sometimes he reaches out for me when Shawn has him. He has battled alot of sickness. In Ethiopia, and continued here at home. He is finally acting like a baby that feels well!
He pulls himself up, but doesn't walk around holding onto furniture. His little bitty legs....
He turned one year old September 16th. He is much smaller than a one year old. He now weighs 18 pounds. That means he has put on 2 more pounds since being home.
He really doesn't know HOW to play with toys. What he does like, is the doggie toys. He know Sophie our Miniature Schnauzer, will play keep away with him if he has her toy. Amanu sometimes trys to grab the furry porcupine, but accidently pulls on Sophie's schnauzer mustache. Sophie is pretty good with him and even lets him plop down on her for a pillow. I think she realizes that's where all of her extra food comes from!! Smart dog.
Bethi doesn't like the dog, and the feeling is a mutual one. Maybe someday. (when Bethi quits kicking her)
Amanu likes to be in his walker sometimes. He can really get into alot more when he's in it. I had a table runner with a plant on it. I heard a crash......Amanu has now taught me not to use a tablerunner!!! I did go grab the camera!
I think Amanu's hair is finally growing, Bethi's hair is HARD to take care of! I would hate to think of doing two girls hair each day! Good thing a boy can go to the barber!! Shawn has been back to work for 2 weeks now, and met a new coworker when he got back. She is African American, and is going to come braid Bethi's hair!! Yayyy!! She said we can leave braids in for 2 weeks. So I am happy! What wonderful timing!
Speaking of Shawn and work..... When he comes home from work at night the kids are so glad to see him! (tired of mom) Amanu gets SO excited when his daddy comes home!! I definetley need to get a video camera! Amanu's little face looks like it's like Christmas morning!!! It's so cute!

WOW! Time is flying by! Two Kiddos are keeping us really busy!!
To top it off, as I'm writing this Amanuel has really found out he can scream for no reason!!

A few pictures

These are random pics of our first few days in Addis.
Shawn was definetly learning to change diapers. Bethi loved smiling for the camera! CHI friends Kate and Nathan, with their new baby girl. Lots of city pictures.























We flew EMIRATES AIRLINE. They were wonderful. On the way to Ethiopia we had a stayover in Dubai for the one evening. It was kind of nice because we were rested and fed before our meeting with the kiddos. Nothing like a shower at 3:30 in the morning!! We couldn't sleep!!

This is our meeting for the first time!! We didn't know it was about to happen! Amanuel is a daddy's boy! I plan to change that soon!! He was sick with upper respitory and ear infection when we arrived. Luckily I had taken an antibiotic for him and Bethi, just in case. His poor little ears were draining. his chest rattling, and fever and snotty nose. Bethi seemed pretty healthy.
Amanuel was handed to Shawn, and Bethi jumped right into my arms. Definetly love at first hug for Shawn and I.
Not to say everything is sunshine and butterflies!!! With a sick baby and a giggly little girl that likes to try her limits, and her parents patience, it has been just this. Fun, exciting, happy, sad, exhausting, exhilerating, stressful, and an amazing journey.
We love our little ones so much!
Foods are not a big problem. Sometimes Bethi won't try something new. Once she finds out we don't care if she trys it, she will eat it.
Amanuel will let us feed him pretty much anything. Mashed potatoes, which Bethi wouldn't try, he LOVES!

I shouldn't complain about not trying foods. We stayed at the HOH. I really don't like to try new foods either. Since we stayed there, I did try more foods than i ever had before.
My tummy did not agree with some things i ate, or i just got a bug from Amanuel. Amanuel and I both were pretty icky at out tummy's for a day or two.
One of my really awful days, Shawn learned how to take care of two kiddos on his own. He was wore out. He did so well though!! I really was proud of my hubby!
Amanuel did learn to like me a little bit better after Kate and Nathan loaned me their Ergo for a day. It was enough time to at least let me hold him later a few times around his daddy. (thanks guys!)
I am rattling on in no order, but just wanted to post and say hi to everyone!! Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!

(sorry for this pic Shawn!)

EMAIL FROM LISA!!!! FINALLY

Hey Stuck in Cincinattie.  Borrowing hotel computer.  Did not have a way to email in ET. That bummed me out.  About had to kill someone to get 10 minutes of cell phone time!!!  It was a good trip, "cause I got to meet and keep my kiddos.  I am SO in love with them!!!!  Amanuel is a daddy's boy!!  Seriously!!! I guess they say they are supposed to be in ET from what we were told.  Bethi loves us both!  But really , she's a mommy's girl.  She definatly is onery!! In a smart way.  I'll have to ecplain more on that later.  They are both tineir than we thought they would be.  Amanuel was sick with upper respitory and an ear infection.  Luckily we took and antibiotic with us.  Bethi hasn't been sick.  Amanuel REALLy scared us. Because he got to where he wouldn't eat or drink.  I KNEW I wouldn't take him to a ET hospital.  The cook at the HOH tried her own remedies (or wanted to try) as did others there.  

Okay I have been typing with a sweet sleeping baby over my shoulder at the Marriot in Cincinati, so need to go check on kiddo in pool with daddy..  I was trying to explian to Bethi that this insn't our home, becuase we have been doin the "so many nights sleeps" till home.. Hmmm.  I do need room service everyday..   It has been hard, rough, amazing, sickening, be we made it back to US anyway!! Thank God!!!

(Sorry about any typos, I am writing this in a hurry, but know as you, many of us have been so eager to hear from Lisa!!!!!!  Thank you Lisa! Can't wait to hear more! Elise)

We're off to get our babies!!!!

Our baby Amanuel!! Ahhh!

Our precious daughter, Bethelhem! My last day of work was the 22nd of August. My wonderful bosses bought the kiddos a ton of toys. A bike for Bethi, a walker and riding/pushing lion for Amanuel. Plus LOTS of other smaller toys. It really was wonderful!Then Shawn came home from work Wednesday, and they had a shower for him! I thought that was so cute!! They had champagne and glasses for Shawn and I,
gift cards for Chucky Cheese, Applebees, and Video store! Disney blankets for both kids, stuffed monkey and lion, and a beautiful Enesco lamp. How wonderful we are to have such great workplaces!

While we are in Ethiopia, my friend Elise will "co-post" for me!!(thanks Elise!)

Shawn and I are trying to fit everything in the suitcases, but the weight has to be 50#'s or less! That isn't working for us! Remember, we are bringing home two little ones! We need clothes for both of them, and of course a few toys. We don't know for sure what sizes our kiddos are,so we have to take more clothes than we really will need.We are also taking toys, and other donations for House of Hope.
Luckily I have been talking to another CHI couple that will be traveling with us. Kate and Nathan will be traveling to their 10 month old baby girl!
We are all excited and nervous!It is so funny that another person is having the same feelings about the same thing. It is so weird that after all the paperwork, all the wanting, wishing, praying,crying,praying some more,that it is finally TIME!!!!
Goosebumps for sure! And this last 2 weeks have flown by,and seems i don't have anything done, yet it is. Just little things going through my mind!
Thanks everyone for helping me through to this point!XXOO

Here's how things are going, plus i HAD to get a new haircut!!

This is how life has been lately...
There is a picture of me with the little photo albums that were taken to our babies.(Thanks Brooke)
A picture of our new rocking chair! Gotta rock the babies!!!
Sophie the wonderdog, is in one of the pictures. She knows we are preparing for something....she is being so good, she even started sleeping on the rug at the foot of our bed.Sometimes she'll sneak back in bed with us. The kids room she notices, have went through alot of change. She checks everything out.
We leave the 23rd! I can't believe it!!! We are flying out with at least one other CHI family. I have been emailing back and forth with Kate.We are both ready to get our kiddos. We will be spending Saturday night in Dubai. I hope the airport hotel isn't to bad. When we wake up we will get to see our little ones, in about 5 hours!! I can' wait, i am so excited! I am having a hard time packing! Hard time sleeping.
I do not like our travel agency!! No help at all. They act like they have never done this before. Yet, they are a popular agency! Uggh!
Friday is my last day of work. I am going to miss all the people!Boss,(best friend) Coworkers
(i now love our blondie) and the people we insure are mostly wonderful people. So many have made me tear up this week, they tell me I can't leave,or I have to bring the kids to their house. I got a big hug from one of our guys today, and i think one of my ribs moved!
Anyway,I should be able to get everything finished with the week before, off work.
Big change is, I was growing my hair out so i could have it in a ponytail in Ethiopia. I really got sick of it! I got 8inches cut off! The stylist said 2 more inches, and i could have donated to Locks of Love. Let me know what ya think! Shawn loves it!
If i figure out how to blog from ET i will!!! Thanks everyone!!

We're getting ready to go!!!

I LOVE MY BABIES!!!
We are trying to pack all that we can! Yep, we're fighting over space in suitcases and duffel bags!! We are taking clothes,toys,and even a toaster for the HOH and orphanage!! And did i mention toys? LOL!It's summer clearance time!!!WOO HOO!
I had 2 baskets full at Walgreens this morning. Now i have to see how we are going to organize and FIT everything!Shawn is a LITTLE upset because we have so much stuff.He says "we need to get stuff going, and you just keep buying more!"
He says, that's what upsets him. But me? I can't pass up toy bargains that we can take to Ethiopia!
We leave 2 weeks from today! EEEKKKK!!
I always imagined we would fly Ethiopian Air.This is a very busy time, so tickets when available,are VERY expensive. So,we are going to be on Emirates.Still expensive, but the dates are good! We will leave Kansas City flying to JFK, then hopping on the Emirates to Dubai. Long flight.
We have to spend the first night in Dubai,then leave the next morning for the short jaunt to Addis Ababa!
We just found out we will have another CHI couple on the trip, same itinerary.
Hey,K&N!!!!
Also just met via phone another nearby couple that are adopting from Ethiopia!!
She loves to talk adoption, like i do! Imagine that!!I think we will become quick friends. (Hey Jessie!!)She is waiting for their referral.
I have wonderful updated pictures!!! You can see Amanuel holding(crumpling)the picture of our house. Bethelhem looks mellow in one picture...ready to GO in the next!
Shawn and I are SO excited about our upcoming travel! Don't know where we are going to stay now, we just heard recent news from another adoption agency(IAN)that Hilton, Sheraton, and Ghion doesn't want adoptive parents staying there with their children!
If anyone else has heard this,or anything about it, let me know please!

Stay tuned for our travel adventure!! Shawn and I are BOTH bad navigators!!

Wait....one more thing!!!!! CHI hasn't had any referrals for over a month! Tsegay, the in country coordinator, will be in the U.S. for 2 weeks beginning August 29th.

My theory is he will be making referral calls while in the U.S. I hope so!! I have lots of friends that have been waiting a long time! YOO HOO, COME ON REFERRALS!