Another Update from Ethiopia!

Rachel provided the following update over email from the Sheraton in Addis:

*We had our Embassy appt today and all of the paperwork was there. We "passed" the interview and should have her Visa in hand on Wednesday, as expected. We are so thankful to all of those who prayed for us that this would work out. We were so relieved to hear that the Embassy thought it would be resolved by out appt when we checked in on Thursday after our arrival. When we were told that, we believed them and have been able to enjoy our trip and not spend it worrying about her Visa. It actually feels like a distant memory. That was a huge blessings.

*We are healthy and will probably leave having gained weight in Ethiopia. The food has been amazing at the guest house. Every meal is delicious! Evie is having some GI upset which they feel is from the change in formula. We went back to the Ethiopian formula, but it's still not completely resolved, although she is still very healthy and happy.

*Evie has been bonding to us well. We carry her all of the time and she loves it. If Dan is holding her and I look at her and say "Nay" (amharic for "come") she gets soooo excited and bouncy and smily.

* Evie is even cuter and more perfect than her pictures. When we met her at the orphanage, she was clean and healthy and all smiles. She is very smart and curious. She babbles a lot. Her gross motor skills are a bit delayed. She's 10.5 months - She cannot sit up without support (she falls over), doesn't bear weight on her legs very well, and has a hard time rolling over. But she is really good at "creeping", has great upper body support, and I am sure she will catch up on the other stuff soon. We are not sweating it at all. She is very engaged and soaking in everything that is going on around her. We brought several size of clothing for her, but she wears 3-6 month sizes. She looooves to be held and played with and is extremely cuddly. We are absolutely in love!

*We have loved meeting the other adoptive families, either at our guest house or at the embassy. It is so much fun to talk with these other families, who are experiencing what we are experiencing. They have all been amazing and it is truly a blessing to have the opportunity to get to know hem face-to-face.

* Ethiopians LOVE babies. Even strangers come up to Evie and kiss her hand, touch her face, and want to hold her. They try to make her smile and laugh.

* Dan is going to head to Harar where she is from. It's a 9 hour drive or a 1 hour flight so if he can find a flight tomorrow, he will fly, other wise he'll be going with our amazing guide by car. We don't know how long it will be before we get back to ethiopia so we wanted to see her home town and document as much as possible for her.

Rachel and Dan