One Month Home

Dear Grace Yeabsira

We have been home a month and what a month it has been!
You are the cutest and sweetest baby!  I really have to pinch myself.  I just can't believe that you are finally home and that we are so lucky to get to be your parents!

You have done so much in this first month!

You have had so many visitors (  I did not get all of your guests pictures but I am sure we will visit with them soon and this time I will remember to take pictures)

We went to Oneonta to see Grandma Bowen

Then of course had to go to Brooks'

You now play in the swimming pool.

You are a very happy baby, you love to giggle, and give lots of kisses!

You now have a routine and you now enjoy taking naps.  At night you take a bath and then we have a bottle and read your favorite book and then you fall asleep all on your own.  A huge change from when we first became a family of three!

You have gone to lots of graduation parties and are most likey the only kid that gets presents at other peoples parties!

We have spent lots of time exploring the house as you are an excellent army crawler and love to move!

You have started solid foods and have gotten much better at not wearing the entire meal.

Sweet potatoes are your favorite!

You went to Rudy's and loved it (to be honest you only got to enjoy the view but still loved it)

You have been to starbucks just a couple times.

You celebrated the fourth with mommy, daddy, mimzy and grandpa.

 

You went to the doctors and you did so good with all your shots and blood work!  All of which has come back all clear!!

Your social security card came! ( You were not please I would not let you eat it)

We are so lucky you are our daughter.  We love every moment with you even our 3am parties!!
We are so happy you are home!

 Our baby girl is seven months old today!!

Embassy Week June 15th to June 23rd

Dear Miss Grace Yeabsira!!

We were overjoyed to hear we could come get you!!  We left Syracuse on the 15th, flew out of Dulles on Saturday and on Sunday the 17th we were back in Addis. Small problem -- no one told the Ethiopian office we were coming.  After some calls and some quick moving by T we were picked up and brought to the house!!  They had to call in the staff because as we said no one knew we were coming.  Upside that meant we got to go get you right away!!

This is our last time going through the gates to see you!!

Happy Father's Day 

Daddy (and mommy) got to hold you on Father's Day!!  

It's going to be hard to top next year!

Pure Joy

Saying goodbye to her favorite nanny!! 

She was so wonderful!

First time in your temporary new bed!

Playing in the guest house

Big girls hold their own bottle -- you love being a big girl!

Tuesday we went to the Embassy!! 

Mommy and Daddy were a little stressed going to the embassy and more stressful it was our first outing with you!!  You were not so stressed you slept through the whole thing.  

Then two days later Mr. Alemu delivered your passport (with visa) and the important package!! 

Friday Morning we packed to go home -- you helped (at least with comic relief)

There was a coffee ceremony in your honor!

It had rained all week (silly rainy season) but on the last afternoon it was beautiful out so we went up to the roof to take the famous rooftop picture!!

The great staff at the house also wanted to be in the picture with you.

Not going to lie i was a little stressed when they put you on the edge of the roof.

These are the beautiful views we were surrounded by.

Getting ready for your first flight!

Baby's first airplane

The bassinet seat I had hoped and hoped we would get for you.

You didn't think it was for sleeping but it was still very helpful!

HI

This is your first picture as a US citizen!  They were not so keen on pictures in immigrations but customs was ok with it!

First escalator ride

First tram ride

Security was also charmed by you and let me take a picture

We are so happy you are home with us forever and ever!!  June 23rd was a such a great day!!  We got to introduce you to so many people who had loved you for so long!!  We are a very lucky family!!

We love you baby girl!!

WELCOME HOME

Craziest but BEST Week

Grace Yeabsira we are coming to get you!!
It has been such a crazy crazy week I want to share every moment of awesomeness with you!

As you know Mommy and Daddy wake up every morning about three am to check email to see if we can bring you home.  Monday there was no emails and we were sad.  We want you home!!  We are very lucky to have lots of great co workers who were there to support us that day and every day in this almost two year journey.

Tuesday morning I almost didn't check email but lets be seriously I couldn't not look.  Much much much to my surprise we had an email saying they had met with the people officer and we were all set to be cleared but this was not the official email.  I went to work happy but was keeping our little secret between the embassy, you, me and daddy.   It was a great senior day with many cute seniors asking about you.  I am not promoting lying but I did not say a word.  In the afternoon Mary and Amy were throwing us a baby shower and Mimzy was coming into town for the big event.  I sat down in the lobby to wait for her and checked email one last time (because why not? ) and there in the email was our clearance from the EMBASSY.  It is official!!  So I called your daddy to see if he knew and he said he had checked email but was on speaker phone and Mimzy was in the car.  So I met them outside and we got to tell Mimzy in person that we were cleared to bring you home!!  We got to tell everyone at the party too!  I was pretty excited and bouncy the whole party.  We have so many people who love you!!  That evening we submitted three days to come pick you up next week.

Wednesday found out flights might be an issue because well Saturday was only three days away so we asked to move our days out but we found.  Just kidding we had been approved for an appointment on Tuesday the 19th and would therefore have to be in the country by the 17th and ps it is now 7:30pm, every travel agent has gone home to be with there family so they could not help us bring our family together.  Then we found Solomon thankfully he picked up his phone at 8pm and he worked magic Grace Yeabsira -- MAGIC!! He found us flight so we could come see you Sunday morning!!!

Thursday I bounced around school trying to get everything organized and then in the evening Aunt Amy and I went to a Sugarland Concert!!  Thanks to Aunt Amy we had front row seats and a beautiful sign made just for you asking the band to play Baby Girl.  Well the posters went up and Grace Yeabsira you took Jennifer's breathe away, she stopped in her tracks to pick up the poster.  The song Baby Girl is about a girl who pursues her dreams, it isn't always easy but if you try hard you can achieve your dreams!!  This is what we want for you baby girl!  You will go out into the world and do amazing things and remember we will always be here to support your dreams!!  The song was beautiful the concert was amazing and at the end of the concert Jennifer leaned down to sign the poster ( the only poster she signed that evening)!! As if it was not already magical evening a Sugarland woman came up to us and asked us to come backstage to be interviewed.  We were told we would just be doing the interview.  As we were about to start in walks Kristian to come chat.  It is not often stars of bands just come into chat but he also signed your poster gave us a big hug and said over and over again how beautiful you were.  Aunt Amy is very excited to take you to your first concert (Sugarland of course)
When we got out Mimzy was still up and already knew you had been on the big screen!  She was so excited to see pictures of you!!!

So now we are here at Friday, we are packed and putting the finishing touches on the house to make sure it will be perfect for you!  We fly out tonight to Dullus and then to ADDIS tomorrow morning and we will see you SUNDAY!!

Tuesday is our embassy appointment and the rest of the week we just get to hang out and wait for your visa.  On Friday night we will get on a very big plane and fly home.  I promise we will come back to Ethiopia so you can see how beautiful the country is, how wonderful the people are and why we love Ethiopia so much!

Saturday we will fly into Syracuse and you will get to meet lots of new people.  You already know Mimzy and she is excited to see you!!  You will get to meet your grandpas, your aunts, your uncles, your cousins, lots and lots of relatives and lots and lots of wonderful friends who love you so so much!!!

CLEARED

Guess What??  Guess WHO is cleared by the embassy??

 

This GIRL!!! 

We found out today our beautiful girl, GRACE YEABSIRA BOWEN is coming home!!