beehive

Check out the first picture I have of Megersa smiling:Okay, maybe 'smirking' is the better word for it. This baby will NOT give up smiles to just anyone. My only guess is that he is holding them all in for his Mommy and Daddy!
Anyway, enough about the smile -
Have you checked out his beehive?!?!
It's HILARIOUS - and adorable! I would have never believed that his hair was that long if I hadn't seen that picture! I guess he has really tight curls and someone brushed them out! :)
I LOVE IT...and looks a bit familiar:OR:Seriously though, this picture was the highlight of my day!
It's the new background on my computer AND phone.
Every time I look at it I giggle.

sharing my baby!

I can't believe I can share my baby with you!
I've always felt that he was my son, but now that it's legal, and I can post pictures, I just feel so free! :)

As promised, I am continuing to post pictures of baby Megersa.
Here is the first full-body picture we got of Megersa. It really gave me a great idea of his size!Speaking of size, we got another medical update on Megersa.
As of Tuesday, the 26th, Megersa weighs 13 lbs, 7 oz and is 25.5 inches tall!
He's still pretty tiny by American standards, but he seems pretty average for Ethiopian babies with AAI, so that's good! I'm actually quite happy to be bringing home a peanut!
You know what is strange? I was just looking at Tim's old medical records his mom sent to us (for shot purposes), and I found out that Tim weighed only slightly more than Megersa did at the same age! Neat, huh?
Here are some other fun facts about Megersa (according to the doctor):
1. Megersa can sit balanced with support.
As evidenced by this adorable picture of him in his traditional Ethiopian attire:2. He can turn 180 degree from back to front when he lies on his back.
And it looks like someone may have captured this accomplishment mid-way! I think that it's so great he's able to roll from back to front...it means he's getting stronger! Plus, rolling from back to front is a lot harder than rolling from front to back. Good job Baby!!
3. He smiles when you play with him.
4. He can reach for and hold objects.
5. He is playful and happy baby.

Pictures for points 3-5 will have to come when I can get a good one to represent each. I have 2 people who promised they would try very hard to get smiling pictures of Megersa, so I'm holding out hope they are able to accomplish it!
But until then, I'll go ahead and post some more of my favorite pics:
I love a good sleeping baby picture. They're especially great to look at when he wakes up that umpteenth time at night! :)This is a great close-up of his sweet little face. I'm not really sure about the pink cheeks. I have quite a few pictures that show his bright pink cheeks. Several people are telling me his cheeks are probably just dry. Hm...I don't know, but I'll try some good thick lotion when he comes home in 2 months!!Lastly, I wanted to post a picture of Megersa with the "name board" - sometimes traveling families will do this for either themselves, or waiting families. I've seen it several times with many other children, but this was Megersa's first time to be "white-board identified" - a right of passage, you might say! :) haha. Why is his name spelled differently? Must be just a typo on someone's part...his name ends with an A.

LEGALLY YOURS...

Doesn't that sounds better than "sincerely yours" or "truly yours" or...ANYTHING, REALLY!!
AHEM!.....We have an announcement to make:
WE PASSED COURT!

Megersa is legally our son.
I cannot believe it.
I am swelling with pride in this moment.
God has been SO good, and SO gracious to me.
I have been praying this past week for patience, and peace...and He has shown me more than that. I will never forget this day.
Thank you Lord for all of your blessings!

I want to share my blessing with all of you.
Introducing, Megersa Jace Nester:
WOW. The above picture of Megersa is the picture we got on the day of his referral! I instantly fell in love with my beautiful son! The above picture shows Megersa at 3 weeks-1 month (guesstimate)...it is the "youngest" picture I have of him, dated 9.30.09
And ONE more for fun!! I have so many to show you, but I want to save some for blog posts to come!The picture above was taken only a few days after our referral day. Tim and I debated over whether or not this was our son for almost a day. In the end I won (because I was right). We just couldn't believe how GREAT he looked, and how plain adorable he is!!

So, if I can climb down off this cloud, I'll try to answer the questions you may have.

When is your Embassy Appointment?
Well, I don't know yet. I spoke with one of our agency directors and asked the same question. She said that families are finding out about their assigned Embassy interviews around 2 weeks or so after they pass court. She said some families have only had to wait 5 days, but some have waited over 25!! (Let's hope we are in the earlier bunch.)
But WHEN will you travel?
We will travel the week of the Embassy appointment. It is required to be in the country from the Tuesday before the interview, until the Friday after it. Many families travel much longer, but I think Tim and his Dad will most likely make it a short trip. Susan told me that it is likely that we will be scheduled for March 24, 2010, or April 7, 2010. (Again, let's pray for the first date! I'd hate for Daddy to be gone on Cale's 3rd birthday - April 5th!, but if so, we can celebrate before he leaves!)
Did you say that Tim and his Dad are going? Aren't YOU going?
Well, that's a loaded question, but the answer is no. I am not going to be traveling to Ethiopia. It is a very difficult decision to make, but I am confident that it is the right one for our family. Cale hasn't had the pleasure of growing up near any extended family members (of Tim's or mine), so there isn't really anyone that we feel really comfortable with (asking, first off) and then leaving him with.
Even though I will really be jealous that Tim gets to experience this without me, I know that when he comes home very jet-lagged or sick, then I can swoop in, adrenaline pumping, and well-rested to take over. Plus, Tim is such a WONDERFUL Daddy. He is amazing with Cale. I am fully confident if anything happened to me, Cale would be WELL cared for (though Tim would need to learn to cook...something.)!! I know he will do a wonderful job in my absence, and on the trip to ET, Tim will be playing the roll of "Mommy" (nurturing, feeding, soothing, etc), and Megersa's 'Pop-Pop' will be playing the roll of "Daddy" (taking care of the logistics, etc).
Tim's Dad is a world-traveler. He sends out the overseas missions trips at Cedarville University, and has gone over seas MANY times himself (as well as living over seas in Hungary as a missionary) to many different countries. He hasn't been to Ethiopia yet, so he's very excited about it!
Lastly...will you keep us posted on your upcoming dates?
Of course!!! ((haha...I'm such a dork.))

save the date!

Okay, so I'm putting a hold on my Katie ramblings to tell you some important news:

We just found out today that we have a court date!!!
Wanna know when it is??
It's on Wednesday.
THIS Wednesday!
The 27th!.............circle that date, and pray, pray, pray!!
AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
You know what's crazy? This Wednesday is exactly 11 months from when our dossier was sent to Ethiopia!! On one hand that seems like so long ago, but then I feel like it was just yesterday that we sent in our application to AAI.
Wow.
What a great day!

Before hearing about our court date, I woke up to find that a friend who has just come back from ET with her 2 new daughters caught VIDEO of Megersa, and was able to tell me some great things about him!
So videos, court news...and then pictures! Someone just posted their pictures to Snapfish!
THEN...I figured out by the pictures that Megersa is in the bigger baby room!!
This is excellent news to me, because:
1. it means he's growing
2. He will be put on the blanketed area of the floor with toys to play with - and room to roll over! Plus, there are BUMBOS in that room! Awesome little "King Tut" chairs (as we so affectionately called them when Cale was tiny) that help a baby learn to sit up!
3. He will be with his buddy Tariku! (Okay, Tariku's mommy is MY buddy...but now they have a few months to get to be buddies too!) It's awesome!
What a GREAT DAY!

Plus, we got to squeeze in some free babysitting from friends so Tim and I could get some Chipotle and go see a movie. We saw Sherlock Holmes. Very good!

My heart is full today. :)

PART 3

Well, I have to admit, this is feeling pretty silly, but hey, this blog is really for me, and Megersa (some day he'll be able to read it all and actually prove that his Mother is a crazy lady, and the best way she knows to help pass the time is to blog about random stuff - which is true, so I won't blame him).

So, as promised, here is Part 3 of the Katie info:
My quirks/pet peeves?
~Sorry babe, but this one is all about you - SNORING! Actually, Tim doesn't even snore...anymore. (I made him go to an ENT doctor, and they found out he had basically no breathing room in his nose, which was causing the open-mouthed snores!) So because of the habit Tim formed breathing out of his mouth for, oh, 20+ years of his life, he still does it...and I just can't sleep when there is any sort of unfamiliar noise.
~Yikes, that brings us to my sleeping habits:
They're bizarre...be warned.
I have to have 4 pillows. 2 big, 2 small. It initially started with one pillow under my head. Then I added one under my legs (for support)...then during pregnancy I added 2 pillows to both sides of me for comfort...and now I need all 4.
But that's not all. Because Tim sometimes gets loud at night, I started putting a small baby blanket, folded up over my face/ears.
It also needs to be COMPLETELY dark for me to sleep.
((Growing up my mom called me a vampire. ha ha.))
So, where are we? 4 pillows, the blanket on my face...I need my sheet (no sharing for me!) covering my toes up to my lip. And a fan on for 'white noise'.
That's all. It's normal, right?
Not convinced? Check out the picture below and then make a decision! ;)
I am actually in that bed. Can you see the inch of my face that is uncovered? This is actually how I sleep! :)Other interesting tidbits about me:
((Sleeping situation weird enough for you?...it gets weirder))
Try to relate to this song:
"How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad,
Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad,
I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral,
Can't understand what I mean?
Well, you soon will"....
You've heard this song right? I can relate to this singer on a smaller level. I have a nervous energy about me when I'm hearing or telling bad/sad news.
It's TERRIBLY awkward! I just sit there and smile...and stifle laughter like a goofball! I don't know why either! It's horrible... (But, even now, I'm starting to giggle thinking of the uncomfortable situations that have happened because of this quirk!! AHH!! :) ((And I do have stories, but I shouldn't share them for fear of shame!))
So, moving right along -
~I have had 5 surgeries.
1st, in 1994, I had brain surgery. I was 14. 9th grade. A great time for someone to shave your head right? WRONG! :)
I had a tumor in my cerebellum. I started complaining of headaches at age 11. By age 14 they had gotten so bad, I had a headache every day, pretty much all day. Usually I would wake up with a headache, but one night I woke up BECAUSE of the headache. I was shaking uncontrollably, then started dry-heaving.
We went to the hospital for a CT scan (which hadn't been ordered up till this point) and it revealed I had a "life-threatening tumor the size of a golf ball, in my cerebellum." I found this out on a Friday morning, and my surgery was scheduled for that Tuesday.
The recovery took awhile, but I do not experience headaches to that degree anymore. Many people have asked me if it's likely I'll get another...the answer is no, it is not likely. The surgeon's chipped a chunk of my skull out, and I have no plate, but I do sport an awesome scar running from the bottom of my neck to the crest of my head.
2nd, I had surgery to take my wisdom teeth out. I'm pretty sure I was 17 at the time. (I know it's not that big of a deal, but they DO put you under, so it counts, right?)
3rd, Age 21...I had to get my broken nose re-set. I got into a car accident the year that Tim and I got married. I was running late for nursing class, wasn't wearing my seat-belt, going too fast, and fishtailed on black ice. I went head-first into a ditch and smacked my face on the windshield (almost went through) and ended up in the seat next to me. I broke my nose in 2 places and got 8 stitches in my chin. I walked around for weeks looking like I had been beaten up. No fun.
4th, in 2007, I had a C-section. Best surgery! Weird statement, I know! But, I got to meet Cale when it was over. (And to be honest, it wasn't as bad as I was told it would be.) I was 23.
5th, 2009, a D&C...after my miscarriage. This was the worst. Even though I know one day I will meet my baby in Heaven, the whole surgery felt wrong. I was 25.
~Lastly, I like to hear myself think. Can you do this? Well, you CAN if you write it out, and then edit it till it sounds perfect...to you anyway! I feel so much better sometimes when I put my thoughts/feelings into words.
I'm sure it's not surprising that I like to blab on and on....

Moving on...

PART 2:
Here's something that I don't think I've really ever discussed...but because I've read other blogs that are bold enough to mention it, I figure - WHY NOT!! -
I struggle with infertility.
Getting pregnant with Cale wasn't as hard as I thought it might be (with some mild fertility treatments)...and I see now that that was a true blessing from God.
He was born after Tim and I had been married 2 1/2 years.
Below is Cale at 1 day old. So tiny!When Cale was about 18 months, I got pregnant again (with the same treatments), only to lose that baby when he/she was 10 weeks old.
After that, I was diagnosed with PCOS, and my body has decided that it is "taking a break" from the idea of pregnancy.
We decided to "pull the trigger" on adoption.
Just so you know, adoption was not a 2nd choice for us.
We have always talked about it, but just didn't decide on the exact timing of it...but God let us know last year in November...that the time was perfect.
And how about this: We didn't have 1 penny saved for the adoption before we began the process!!
Kinda scary, isn't it?
God has PROVIDED!! We do have some of the balances remaining on our credit card, but comparatively, it is not too much.
(I didn't really intend this to be a "plug" for parents thinking about adoption, but if it helps - then that's awesome. You CAN adopt. Don't think about the money...it's not yours anyway. All things come from God...including money, AND children!) :)
Climbing off soapbox now.... :)Other things:
~My style of clothing: well, it's basically whatever I'm in the mood to wear that day. I did mention I enjoy thrift stores...I can find some cool things there name but I also love outlet malls, Target, Old Navy, and Kohls. A smorgasbord of style.
~I am VERY picky about music. I don't really like listening to anything new (and unfortunately my son has developed this same tendency)...which is hard for my husband, the biggest music fan I know! :)
I usually like one song that I play over and over. When I finally get tired of listening to it, perhaps I'll let the next song on the CD play. I then get used to that one, and EVENTUALLY I'll end up listening to a whole CD.
It's weird...and I know it.
~I am kinda the same way about movies. Tim is much more open-minded about flicks, and I tend to steer toward happy movies, cartoons, old favorites and chick flicks. I think I mentioned in one of my posts that I like to pretend the world is made of marshmallows, and nothing bad happens...well, with my selection of favorite movies, I can. :)So...2 parts down, 2 to go.

Who am I?

This may seem random, but I've noticed that in the past 2-3 posts, I've gotten comments from people I don't know...which is AWESOME! I kinda thought, for the most part, I was writing for myself...to myself.
Sure, I knew of some close friends who may read it from time to time, but I didn't really think that there were..."others." It actually makes me feel pretty cool. :) Like what I say is amusing, or important or something. haha.
Then I stopped to think that these people don't REALLY know me. And well, how could they? They are following a story.
Have you ever read a book thinking it'd be cool to meet the author?
I have to admit, that I haven't thought much of it until now because it was never a possibility.

So, to that end...meet me:
PART 1 - I had to split this up into parts, because I actually wrote it all out and it is EXCESSIVELY long!

Katie Nester. Maiden name: Dudick.
Age: 26 - Birthdate 7.31.83
Married at age 21 to Tim Nester on 11.27.04
Mommy to Cale, who will be 3 on April 5 (scary!!), and Megersa, who is probably between 4-5 months old now.

Living in IL, but grew up in Northeast PA.
((Ever watch the office? W-B is near Scranton - and yes, all the places that Michael Scott talks about ARE real!))
Siblings: 4 - sister Elizabeth, brother Chet, brother Jeffrey, brother Bobby.
Mom: Joan, Dad: Chet, Step-Mom, Jannell (mom to Bobby & Jeffrey)
(Picture below: my mom, my sister and me.)(Picture below: me & Bobby)(Picture taken 2 months after Cale was born at Chester's graduation. in picture: Me, Tim, baby Cale, Chester, Elizabeth, Dad, Jannell, Jeffrey and Bobby.)Schooling: went to a TINY (I mean it - in 8th grade I was 1 of 5 students) Christian School, elementary through senior year.
Went to a TINY Baptist Church.
Got saved at age 7, I think.
Testimony: I have to think that I got saved for "fire insurance" ...at that age, the topic of Hell scared me...and faith and trust in God (who gives salvation as a free gift) for a child comes easily. Over the past 20 years I've grown in my relationship with Christ and have fully come to understand his sacrifice for us.
I long to serve Him and represent Him as a daughter in Christ.
(not sure what this all means? PLEASE ASK ME!!)
Went to college at Cedarville University for 2 years.
Majored in Nursing. Didn't finish.
Went to Clark State Community College, for nursing...didn't finish.
Both have stories attached, but I'm gonna try to edit this before it gets to BE a book! :)
Tim and I got married in his senior year of College, then he accepted the position of Associate Pastor of Student Ministries at the church we are currently at. But then, I went to...and finished....Cosmetology school! That's right, I'm NOT a beauty school drop-out!! Wahoo! :)
Need a haircut? Some highlights? Let me know! :)
Oh, and if you're wondering if I can cut my own hair...the answer is no. I can cut bangs for myself, and I have dyed and highlighted (partially) my own hair, but that's it......although, I bet I could perm it if I really wanted to. (I was an EXCELLENT permist!)
The picture below is one of my manikin...in beauty school all of your manikins start out with long, ugly brown hair (even the man manikin). Each day we learned a different cut/or color. This was one of my favorite days.There's more to come, in another post (if you're interested).

ATTENTION: kids will listen!!

Okay, it's a give-in that babies and kids are listening to the world around them...specifically their parents.
But when do they begin comprehending?
I'd say, at age 2...somewhere in that year of life, they begin to realize they can listen, understand, and REPEAT everything that they hear.
Kinda makes you take a step back and think much harder about what you say...and listen to! Cale has been repeating us, other people, things he hears on television, etc. for months now; but he recently entered the phase of toddlerhood that he repeats the same thing OVER and OVER and OVER.
So, when you're trying to get him to stop saying "Oh my gosh!" (Which sounds much worse on a 2 year old with a lisp), he ONLY wants to say it. Ahhh!
Tim and I have been more aware of this recently, and it has helped.

Anyway...to my WONDERFUL surprise, Cale has been picking up other things...
For instance:
Today, I asked him to do something. I can't remember exactly (there are so many things :)...maybe "please pick up your crayons, and put them in the box"...to which he promptly responded "No."
This request went in circles for awhile until I decided that I would take another approach.
I would sing a song to him...A good ol' Sunday School song that I sang as a kid (and perhaps guilt him into it! (jk...it was strictly for the lesson!!) :) -

So, I started singing:
"I will OBEY the first time I'm told...
I will obey RIGHT AWAY... ((emphasis on the important words...;))
and to my joyous surprise, Cale finished for me:
"never asking why...
never with a sigh!...
I will obey right away!"
(I mean, sure the words weren't perfect, but he knew the song!)
WHOA!!!! My first thought was, did I teach him this already?
No, I didn't think so. I called Tim, he never sang it to him either.

I guess they're still using the good ol' songs in Sunday School...20-some years later. AWESOME!!

Honestly, I am so proud that he is my son and is already learning to love the Lord. The other day he reminded us to pray before eating (to be fair...we hadn't even been sitting yet...I guess he just wanted to pray because HE had his food. ;)
He also LOVES Christian music. Maybe that's because it's all we listen to, but still...
He's learning Bible verses too (when I remember to teach him!)!

Another story:
We were in church early, listening to Daddy lead our Worship team, and he was checking out the pews in the front row. He discovered that the hymnals and the Bibles are located under the seats.
When he discovered the Bible, WITHOUT my prompting, he told me, "Mommy, 'dis the Bible." - and then he said his verse (with the motions I taught him).
"John 17:17...Your word is truth."

I am SO proud of him!! I can totally see him being a Youth Pastor or Missionary when he's grown. He's definitely got the personality and energy! (quiet moments with Cale...rare, but beautiful to capture.)

boys vs. girls

Have you ever met one of those women who ONLY wants to parent little girls?
((Not to be confused with women who just so happened to only HAVE girls...there is a difference))
I'm sorry if you fall into the first group...but you are sometimes offending those of us with boys!
I have encountered this on more than one occasion:
while shopping, at a baby shower, general conversations with friends...where these baby-girl-crazy-women tell me how "thankful they are they had a girl, not a boy"...(and yes, people have said this!)...and "Aren't baby girls clothes SOOOOO cute?...don't you wish you could buy some?"
Um...no? I have a BOY, remember?
I even had one person say to me, while I'm GIGANTICALLY pregnant with Cale, (who I knew was a boy) "I'm SO glad I had a girl...girls are so much cuter and sweeter"....
Um? What was I suppose to say to that?
I think I said, "that's nice...I'm having a boy! I think boys are cute and sweet too!"
And it's TRUE! Sure, boys are loud, stinky, and sometimes confuse Mommy for a napkin (seriously, Cale JUST did this!)...but they are loving, and sensitive, and they also have some ADORABLE clothing to buy!
Occasionally I come across an "I only want boys" women, and I have to say I'm always taken a-back..."REALLY?!" :)...they are few and far between!
Don't get me wrong, I'm not the kind of women who wants all boys...I would love to parent at least one girl - adopted or biological...but I just wanted to tell women who can't fathom having a boy that, as a Mom of 2 boys...there is nothing to be afraid of!
And yes, you CAN find cute clothes!!!!
Observe:outfit for Megersa, and something that currently fits Cale. Awe! I can't wait to get them both together to take a picture!Crazy crazy Cale. Always putting on a show for Mommy.

A baby?

I think I've mentioned before that I don't have the strongest recollection of how big babies were at certain months, or how small clothes really are made...
The other day I was asked when Cale started talking, and to be honest, I had to give them a ballpark. I remember that Cale had few words (and some sign language words) to let us know what he wanted. I don't really remember the progression from when he would 'point and grunt' to now (where he is never quiet!). I think that he went from only a few words, to full sentences in only a matter of time. I BELIEVE it was around age 2, but again, I can't remember these things! My friends who have babies at only months old ask me when Cale started doing 'this' or when he stopped doing 'that.' AHHH! I wish I had written it down. I guess I always thought I'd remember. I am determined to record Megersa's growth and milestones more carefully!
I only hope I can dig deep into my memories to remember how to parent a young baby without words...
And just for fun, I thought I'd pass along the sentence that Cale said last night.
Tim was laying in his bed with him, trying to get him to sleep...but Cale wanted to talk. This is word-for-word the conversation Cale had with Daddy (well...himself, really) - try if you can, to follow the train-of-thought:

"That's the ceiling...and that's the wall. No that's the floor...and that's the wall. Oh that's a light switch...it doesn't work. Turn it on?...no it doesn't work...turn it off. Pictures...little tiny baby...getting big...getting big....getting big...(while holding his hands up high he says) I'm really tall!
(after laying back down, Tim sighs, and Cale continues)..."Daddy's sleeping"...*sigh*...Cale's sleeping. I'm breathing. Daddy's mouth open? Daddy has a mouth...Cale has a mouth...Mommy has a mouth. Daddy, Mommy, Cale has a mouth...(pretending to yawn:) "ahhh!" (he touches Tim's lip divet)...Daddy has a lip...Mommy has a lip...Cale has a lip.
Daddy: shhh!
Cale puts his finger to his mouth - "shh!"

So...he completed that ENTIRE run-on sentence without a break, until Daddy interrupted him with a "shhh". I wonder how long he would have continued.

Less Words Wednesday

Cale in his jammies (that are now getting snug on him!) It scares me slightly that my 2 year old's 3T clothes are now too snug, and the 4T clothes I had for him for NEXT fall, are fitting surprisingly well.....Tim & Cale. 2 of my 3 favorite guys.
Me and Cale playing with the timer on the camera. :) ((Excuse how horrific I look in the picture.))
It'll be strange when it's not just me and Cale. Strange, and GOOD! But I'm so used to my little shadow. Funny/grosse Cale story: yesterday Cale was suppose to be napping, when I hear him yell from his room - "Mommy, I have big poopies in my pants...That's yucky!" Funny that he already knows what my response would be, and since I was ignoring him, he answered for me! What a kid.

passing time...

So, what have I been up to for the past few weeks? A lot of stuff. Some good, some bad...and some EXTRA fun!
I love, Love, LOVE to find a bargain! And I always find one. How do I get clothes so cheap? Easy. I just don't buy them if they aren't on sale. And I mean REALLY on sale...especially baby clothes. Kids burn through them so quickly, I just cannot see spending the amount of money some will.
Today I found a shirt at the thrift store (yep...I love me some thrift stores!!) for $.22, you read that right - twenty-two cents. Oh yeah!
Ever since Christmas, I've really been feeling like I will see Megersa SOON. I know I probably still have another 2 months or so before I can actually hold him, (and dress him)...but knowing that I'm THAT close makes me crazy! :)
Crazy in a good way. A "get-organized-now-so-I-can-focus-on-mothering-when-he-gets-home" way.
I went through all of Cale's clothes again to see what would line up with Megersa. Cale was a MONSTER, he came home from the hospital in newborn clothes, but by the time he was 2 months old, he weighed 14 lbs!
The last person that checked Megersa's size told me that he was still wearing 0-3 months clothing and that it fit okay.
I'm thinking he'll be at least in a size 3-6 month clothing when he gets home, but all of Cale's 3-6 month clothes are summer clothes - basically onesies.
So I've been on the hunt for 3-6 month clothes....THEN I thought, maybe he'd be in 6-9 month clothes, and I thought it'd be better to err on the larger size, then to buy clothes that wouldn't end up fitting him. He looks teeny, but he IS 4 months old....and how much will he gain in another 2 months or so??? AHHHHHH!
At any rate, I bought a smorgasbord of 6, 6-9, 12, and 18th month clothes...various seasons that I think may line up with where he is weight-wise. I hope they're right!
Just for fun - here's what I bought:Oh, and when I was at Walmart the other night...killing time with Cale, as I often do (Walmart is only 4 minutes from our house), I noticed that cards were on sale. Usually I don't care, but a lot of them were the ones that play music or have special sound effects. I even found some that LIGHT up!!! One in particular was just perfect for Megersa.
On the front of the card it says "I didn't planet this way, but I'm glad our worlds collided!" (Sure, it's suppose to be a romantic card, with 2 people holding hands on top of a world...but I just wrote "Mommy & Daddy" on them, and put a dot in Africa on the world, and put "Megersa")....Anyway, when you open the card, the world is a heart and all around it are little stars that actually light up! The card is set where the stars take turn lighting up while this sweet little music plays - VERY mesmerizing!! I also covered up the little "happy birthday" saying with pictures of Cale, Tim & I.
I hope it gets a smile out of him! (Can you see the little lights on some of the stars? Cute, right?) :)
It's been hard to see the past few pics of him looking so scared, or startled, or unhappy. I mean, I don't think he's unhappy, but it kinda looks that way, and it's hard to see!
Someone volunteered to take this card to Megersa and open it and read the little note inside...which is very nice of her!
As long as it doesn't make him CRY, I'll say that it's $3 well spent!

So yeah, that's what I've been doing to feel connected to my baby who's on the other side of the world.

2 months

It's been 2 months since our referral.
Megersa is 2 months older.
He's been a part of our family for 2 months, but he doesn't know it yet...
I have to admit, that makes me a little sad. But, of course, considering the alternative of still waiting for a referral I'd gladly take this.
2 months down, hopefully only 2 months left.
(This is just a guess based on previous referral to travel times.)
Though we got new pictures yesterday, and the day before, and the day before...I am constantly craving more. I feel as though I did much better in the beginning, when I only had the 2 pictures of him...it's like a Megersa drug! :)

This is a wonderful week for referrals. It's only Tuesday and 4 families from OAEG got their referrals!!!!! 2 boys and 2 girls! It makes me re-live the day I got to see Megersa's face for the first time...a day full of smiling and shrieking! Plus, I've been looking at pics of these babies, wondering who they belong to, and now I know! :) Congrats, families!

my startled Megersa

THIS is how Megersa looks in oh, about 75% of his pictures recently. Seriously. (except picture his lips curled in)
I so desperately want to see him smile!
We are so very fortunate to have access to a short video clip of him smiling, so at least I know he does smile from time to time.
I spoke with my friend who took the pictures and she said that he does smile alot, but when he sees the camera coming - the startled face is what we get.
Awe, poor baby!

Court news:
None yet. But my friend who is in the same Group letter as me called in to check about our court date. Apparently AAI hasn't heard anything about it yet, but "they should be hearing very soon." Which is good news. Hopefully AAI will hear something before Ethiopia's New Year (which is Jan 6), because they take holiday time off for that.
Rachael was told that the court date tends to be about 2 weeks after AAI is informed. So, basically, we don't know anything yet, but it's LOOKING like our court date may be in 2-3 weeks! "Mid-late January," she said!
Very exciting!

I soooooooooooooooo want to hold my baby!
He needs his Mommy...and his Mommy needs him (maybe one more than the other ;)!

Guardian

I got the best Christmas present today.
It came late, but seriously, it is THE BEST.
I am looking at it now, and I can hardly keep from crying.
Crying from the sentiment of it. It's a beautiful thing.
Are you curious yet? :)

This is what my Mother & Father-in-Law got me:
This is the "Guardian" Willow Tree Figurine.

I own a few other Willow Tree figurines which I also love, but this one just touched my heart SO much this time. I wish there were several angles available to show you, because when you swirl the figurine around you get a better idea of how protected the baby is:
Her back is arched in, her arms are wrapped tight. Her knees protect her arms. Baby's face is nuzzled in her neck.
The Mommy will not let anything happen to her baby.
THIS is how I feel about Megersa.

On the little card that comes with the figurine it says:
Guardian - Love and protect thee, forever.

And I will.

Honestly, this small figurine has stirred up so much emotion and I feel like while words sometimes fail me, the "guardian" can say it all.

(I only wish the baby's face was brown. :)

About a boy...

...a baby boy named Megersa:

I'd love to share with everyone the things I have gleaned from a traveling family over the past week or two. It has been a WONDERFUL present to me to be able to hear these things. It's hard knowing you have a baby on the other side of the world who you love so much, but who doesn't know you.
So, until we can meet face-to-face Megersa, I'll live vicariously through those people who are there to hold you and love on you!

Dec 21, 2009 - "Katie, Megersa is a sweetie, and loves to cuddle. Both of my kids held him and he gave us some sweet smiles."

Dec 23, 2009 - "The last 2 days we have been there Megersa has been sleeping all morning so we haven't been able to cuddle much with him. He is not in the same room as Tariku. Megersa is in one of the rooms with the small babies and Tariku is with the middle-sized ones right now."

Dec 28, 2009 - "Megersa was cooing at me at lot yesterday, it's the first time I've seen him awake much."

Dec 28, 2009 - "I got to cuddle with Megersa for awhile today and feed him a bottle. He is such a sweetie! One of the nannies told me that he is a very good baby."

Dec 29, 2009 - "There are about 5 rooms at Wanna and they are roughly grouped according to age. There are 2 rooms with the very tiny babies. The rooms are also very tiny, so there are only about 5 or 6 babies in each room and there is no floor space to put them down because they are too small for that anyway. One of the tiny baby rooms has Megersa in it. There are several other babies who are 4 months or younger.

ME (Dec 29, 2009):
Do you know if they move the babies out of their rooms at any point? It concerns me that Megersa will not be put anywhere but his crib ever.
Rachael and I compared ages/weights, and our guys are only DAYS apart in age, her baby being older and coming into care almost 2 months after Megersa. Is Megersa that much smaller than the others? What does his chart say with respect to age? Maybe they're thinking he's younger than they originally said.
Two more questions about him, if you don't mind:
Do the nannies have any sort of nickname for him?
What size clothes is he wearing now?

Dec 30, 2009 - "Katie, I think they move babies around as they get older since the rooms are grouped mostly by age. Megersa's chart says that he is 3 months. He does seem little and seems younger than Rachael's baby. There are two bouncy seats in each of the little baby rooms so he is put in there sometimes. I haven't heard the nannies call him by any nicknames and they don't speak much English, so I don't think they would understand what I was asking if I tried to ask them. The outfit that he was wearing today was a 0-3 month and it seemed to fit okay. You cannot believe the outfits that they put the baby boys in! One of the little boy babies was wearing a pink sleeper with flowers on it! My husband just laughs and tells the kids they'll have to wait until their parents come to dress properly."

Wonderful information, isn't it? I am so so so SO grateful to Jennifer Anton and her family who is in ET on vacation. She is another adoptive family member part of OAEG and her information is PRICELESS! I only hope to be able to pay her back when we travel.

We also got some sweet sweet videos of Megersa! One is a short clip, about 20 seconds and he's sleeping, but still, you can tell how tiny and beautiful he is, even when asleep.
The other clip is about that same length of time, but the nannies got him to smile! They were repeating his name over and over again and he was smiling at them. ADORABLE! When he turned his head to look at the camera he got this "deer-in-the-headlights-look" which Cale thinks is hilarious. Cale asks to see "Megersa, Megersa" over and over! I think we both have the clip memorized! :)