We're Gettin' It!

Well... here some updates.. I received a potty training pot last weekend.. so far there have been 4 pee's and 2 poo's in it.. now maybe it's a fluke.. but we're pretty excited.  I sing a pee pee in the potty song that he loves.  Basically every time I  change him I set him on it for a sec and sing pee pee in the potty!  Maybe it's working?  I also read him the potty book.

He absolutely hates mashed potato's and projectile vomited all over dad.. WOW.. that was a site. 

He stood for the first time last night.. the couch was kind of helping him but his weight was on his legs.. so that was exciting.  We've been doing some stomach exercises to motivate him to crawl.

Chris and I have both been sick with colds for several days.. not fun.. and we're looking forward to be healthy again.

Porter went to his first high school football game last Friday night to watch his cousin B.  He did great, and looked so cute in his hat Gram1 made.

The Sweetest Sound!

I used to think the sweetest sound was hearing the UofO band came to our tailgate. But, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that hearing my sweet boys little giggle makes my heart warm with delight. I wish I could package the way it makes me feel and sell it.. it's sure to be some sort of drug! His dimples, his sounds; make my heart rocket to the moon and back.

I realized today that I've exchanged my fashionable large hand bag for a diaper bag with only my wallet in it. No chap stick, no adult medication, no tweezers.. extra diapers, wipes, and other essential baby items are all that apply.

Chris and I listen to music in the evening.. always have.. it's our time to recap our day and spend time together. Porter- I realized tonight that there will probably be a lot of music we listen to that you don't like. However.. no matter where you are or what you're doing a universal song that you must love and play at party's (not at our house) is Elton John's Blue Jean Baby. There are many versions, artists twists.. but this is a song that I hope you will love and will make you feel good when you listen to it. We love it.. and we hope you do too.  I'm sure you'll hear us sing this song a lot growing up.

Today, we were at the doctors office and you discovered your belly button for the first time. You were curious and smitten with this part of your anatomy.  Oh how I wished I had our video camera to capture the moment. It was a small moment in time that I will hold in my memory forever and remember in the years to come.

I didn't realize I was a bull rider/wrestler until tonight. Do you know how many buttons and contraptions there are on a high chair? Seriously, people.. you have NO idea!!! When you are sleep deprived.. jet lagged, puked on, crapped on.. trying to collapse a high chair and put it away seems absolutely impossible. Well.. tonight I concurred it.. when I finally figured out all the buttons and switches.. I was like.. OMG.. it's like that movie 8 seconds.. I rode the bull for the qualifying time. There was no standing ovation.. no cheers, hoots, or hollers.. but I did it. Does this mean I graduated to parenthood?

One of my visions and dreams of being a parent was to dance with my child.. and tonight.. I DID!  It was to LeAnne Womack's- I hope you dance.. here are some of the lyrics.. it's one of my favorites.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth making

Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance

So Here We Are!

Home at last.. over a week into our adventure.

All I can say is thank goodness Chris was home last week.  I don't know what I would have done without him.  We had a VERY busy first weekend.. We had family in from out of town Fri, Sat, and Sun.  We were absolutely exhausted come Monday. 

We had his first doctors appointment on Monday.  Mostly routine but got some vaccines started.  Not sure if the stomach thing and temperature came back because of the vaccinations or because it was still lingering from Ethiopia.. but we've been battling it all week. 

He loves to laugh and giggle.  He hates to eat anything other than his bottle.  He's a pretty good sleeper, just gets up a couple times a night.  It can take a while to get him back to sleep.

Dad goes back to work tomorrow.. so I'll be on my own.. WOW.. that will be an adjustment too. 

The Rest of the Story!!

There are a few things that happened in Ethiopia that I didn't want to mention until we got home from our trip because I didn't want our family and friends to worry about us or Porter.

On Monday when we took custody of Porter they told us that he was running a fever and wasn't feeling well.  Once we got him back to our room we took his temperature and it was over 101.. we had no idea what to do.  I ran up to our friends room and they said to give him Tylenol fever reducer and put a cold wash cloth on his head.  After a few hours of him vomiting, having diarrhea, and a temperature we went back over to the care center with him; we all thought it would be best for him to stay there for the night.

The following day was our Embassy appointment.   We had to take him with us to the appointment.  I was very nervous that he was going to scream the whole appointment and be sick.  When we went to pick him up around 11 or so, they still didn't have any test results back yet on what was causing the fever and illness.  They had just given him his first dose of antibiotics.  Chris was not a happy camper during the appointment.. he was upset that we had to take Porter with us, because he was so sick.

Luckily, he slept the entire drive to and from the appointment as well as the two hours in the waiting room. We were allowed to go first in our group, and they all cheered once we were done.  You normally wait for your entire group to be done before you leave, but they let us leave early with Porter, since he was sick.  Once we got him back to the care center Sister Martha thought it was best for him to be admitted to the hospital and for IV fluids and more antibiotics.  It was scary but I was still calm.

On Wednesday he still was not better so they kept him the entire day and another night.  Under normal circumstances they probably wouldn't have admitted him but because we needed to get on a flight Thursday evening.. they thought it was best. 

Our packet of paperwork from the Embassy was ready for pick up at the Holt office on Thursday morning.  Once we were there they told us that we could go to the hospital since Porter was ready to be discharged.  They armed us with medication and off we went.

One thing I didn't mention is that I fell down some stairs a few days before.. luckily I just had a huge bruise on my rump-shaker.  But, I had been hobbling around for a couple days.  Once we got the hospital.. I was like.. GAME ON.. I want my boy.. and am ready to take him home.  There was no hobbling to get him.. you should have seen how fast I was walking!

There were other Holt families with us at the hospital since we had just come from picking up our Embassy packets.  Everyone was so patient and didn't mind waiting for us to get our boy.  I was just so glad to finally have him and READY to get goin' home!

INTRODUCING!!!

Porter J Alaro Mackin weighing in at 20lbs 11 mo's old

We chose the name Porter because Willy Porter is our favorite musician.  Chirs's Dad has the initial J in his name for Joseph and Alaro is Porter's birth father's name.  Chris and I also fell in love listening to Willy Porter's music, so it has a lot of meaning to us.

We're so excited to be home.  There's nothing better than being back in your own space, especially after this long journey.  What an amazing trip.  He was truly amazing on the flights.  He slept, he played, he ate!  Even the flight attendant said he got the gold star.

We got bumped to business class on our first 8 hour leg to Amsterdam.  At the time we had no idea how or why this happened.  We were so exhausted we didn't even acknowledge it because we thought for sure it was a mistake and that we'd get kicked out.  We found out later that Gram2 travel agent status pulled some weight and hooked us up.  We had lounge seats with tons of leg room.  It was wonderful and very unexpected!  THANK YOU Gram2.

The last 2-3 hours of the second leg of our flight was filled with anticipation to see everyone at the airport.  After a long wait through immigration we arrived in the baggage area with cheers, signs, balloons, and many friends and family!  To see everyone was absolutely wonderful after our long trip.  Everyone couldn't wait to see our beautiful boy.

Almost Last Day!

We said our goodbyes to the the care center today. They have a traditional coffee ceremony.

This includes strong coffee, roasting the coffee beans, popcorn, cookies, and cake. The kids all sing songs and Sister Martha the head nanny gives a speach telling us how much she appreciates and trusts the children in our hands. It's hard for these nanny's to say goodbye to these children they have cared for, for months.  Sister Martha is the head nanny; she is a warm and beautiful person.

I got a hold of Sirak and he's going to come early. Chris and I decided to pass on the shopping trip this afternoon with the group and lay low.

Sirak was scheduled to come at 6, but I was able to talk with him and let him know that we'd be here and he can come any time. I can't wait to see him and fill him in on our trip.. I feel like I have so much to tell him. He kept trying to tell me that we just have to see for ourselves to understand Ethiopia.. it's really true. I know I've tried to explain everything.. but unless you're here it's hard to understand.

It's going to be sad to say goodbye to all the great new friends we have tomorrow.. I'm not looking forward to that.. but I am looking forward to seeing all you at the airport, having American food, sleeping in our own bed, and many other things I miss about home.

Baby Jo is doing great.. I love his little rolls. I know many of you may be worried about the flights tomorrow night.. but I'm just glad that I'll get to hold him that long. I feel prepared for the journey.

Update

I miss home lots!! So ready to come home.. but being a trooper.
I gave him his first bottle yesterday, diaper change, clothes change, and bath. Chris got puked on, he's now broke in.

We have our embassy appt is today.. it sounds like it'll be from noon to 5.. a long time to be in a waiting room.  This is the last of the final things we have to do here.

I know that I already sent an email about the Durame trip.. but it was truely insane. The people we are with are fantastic.. I will really miss them when we leave.

We've met some great friends for life.

It's raining here today... sort of like P-town.

Miss you all SO much!
Hugs from Ethiopia.

Counting the days/hours till we come home.
xoxoxo
Shan

Meeting Alaro

I'm currently drinking the beer of choice.. St. George.. woo hoo.. beer in Ethiopia yum!

This trip would not be absolutely 100% amazing if it weren't for the wonderful people that we're with. The bond we have together is like nothing else I've experienced. To be able to discuss and process the day with people who just went through it is profound.

We got to spend time with Jo yesterday morning.. we were decked out in Duck gear. We put Jo in his new duck hat a pic taken of the three of us in lieu of the first game of the season. The group loved it.. He didn't fuss about it much. We watched him get his diaper changed.. thank God because I had no idea how to do it.

We ate lunch; piled in the vans and headed to Durame/Hawassa(pronouced O-wassa)-

It was a 5 hour drive to Hawassa.. Hawassa is 2 hours away from Durame. They normally have you stay in Durame and have the birth family meetings on Sunday. You stay over night because it's too far to go there and back in one day. Per the last group; the Durame Hotel was awful, so they found a hotel in Hawassa for us to stay in. The hotel was great.. flat screen and down comforter. However.. they must have just remodeled because the shower kept overflowing and we had a flood in our room.

The drive to Hawassa was absolutely amazing. I cant even articulate what it's like to see the countryside and people. The beauty is epic. The people are true and satisfied. It was very overwhelming to see these sites.
I don't know how to put into words what I saw.  There are people every where on the roads.. it's like driving on HWY 26 to the coast and there are people on the side of the road the entire time. Mostly they are walking to fill up their water jugs. There are huts, mountains, rivers, cattle, people, and too much to take in.  Some are herding their goats or cows. Including 5 year olds. We stopped and took pictures with a group of three children on the way.

There are many huts.

MANY MANY MANY.. too many to count children... 2,3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 year olds on the side of the road.. selling live chickens, carrying their siblings, herding their animals, carrying water, getting firewood, bathing in the streams. I can't even tell you what's it's like to truly see a 4 or 5 year old with a 2 year old on their back. Or maybe a 5 year old on the side of the road holding his brother or sister so that they don't run into the road. Every hut had 1-4 babies/children outside with no parent around. The children have a heart of gold. They are happy with nothing and you can see it in their face when you drive by. They are eager to greet you when you stop and always have a smile on their face. Many do not have shoes.. and their clothes are old and dirty, yet the gratitude they feel for having another day under their belt is amazing. It was obvious that if they are old enough to contribute to their household, they do.

There are no ipods,tv, phone, music..they help their families with grace and ease. We think the youngest ones probably didn't wear pants because they aren't potty trained?

When we got to Hawassa last night.. we were eager to shower.. it was a long drive. We showered and then headed to a group dinner. Holt has you running from 9am - 10pm.. it's been hard.. but we are doing ok.

We were up and at'em today at 6am.. we had a 2 hour trip to Durame.. we ate breakfast and then we were off. Today was the day we would meet Jo's dad Alaro.

Once we got to Durame there were children every where that were curious and eager to see us.  They run right up to you. This is where I handed out all the fruit snacks. Their faces illuminate with happiness. It was amazing to be surrounded by these little people who are happy without anything.  I showed them the secret Mackin handshake. I could have stayed their all day. It was wonderful. I wanted to sing and dance with them. They linger around us until we leave.

We arrived in Durame around 9:30.. we were to meet with group families 3 at a time. Chris and I were in the last group. They allotted 15mins per family.. which didn't seem like much time. We had to wait about 45mins before it was our turn.. so they were running late. It was hard to sit still that long.. but I was very calm.. and felt really positive about the meeting. They have a coffee ceremony with popcorn while we waited. Coffee is HUGE in Ethiopia. Ethiopians believe that they were first country to make coffee. I actually drank some and it was good. Although I felt like Crammer afterwards.

Our turn came and we went into this little room; where here sat a man. He seemed shy and timid. Holt had given us a list of sample questions. Chris and I had tried to prepare ahead of time.. but nothing seemed right.. so we didn't force it. We made introductions and here the conversation started.

Again.. it's so hard to articulate what we were feeling and the meeting of the man who choose to give up our son. He is a warm, gentle soul that we will forever be grateful for. By the end of meeting he was very relaxed and you could feel the love in the air. He absolutely, loved the photo album that we made for him. As soon as he saw Jo's picture he kissed the book. We told him about us, we asked him about him. We asked about his wife, his children. I can't imagine adoption without this information or meeting. It's absolutely impossible to tell you all the feelings that over come you when you're in this situation. I just can't even explain it.

After the meeting.. we had pictures taken together.. and then toured the child intake center. This is where many of the children come in when then are given up. The children are amazing.. there are so many.. and they are so small. There were about 40. The nannies are amazing. There are many small rooms with tiny beds.  I told the nanny's that we were Abush's parents.. and they remembered who he was. It was exciting to know that that's where he was taken care of by these warm kind hearted women.

All the families were able to meet a birth parent. One of the families here, is on their second adoption.. their first child's mother came; they didn't have the program when they adopted the first time. The birth mother ran into their arms.

After we were done in Durame, we stopped for lunch.. and then on to the over 4-5 hour drive back to Addis. We arrived back at the hotel at 7pm.

We were able to eat dinner at the hotel and process the day's activities with the other families.

Tomorrow Beth, who is also adopting a 11mo old is going to meet me in the lobby at 8am and we're headed to the store to buy formula and rice cereal. We take custody tomorrow evening. Beth is single and her Dad will come with us to the store.

We road to Durame with staff from Holt and Donna & Matt from N Carolina. Donna is a hoot.. we completely connected. We're 15 days apart in age. We sang half the way home today. Lots of Garth Brooks. We were two peas in a pod.. a blessing to meet a friend for life.

Every day seems to bring another adventure. Although we are completely exhausted I wouldn't change a minute of our journey. This is our last night as Mackin's party of two.. so I'm going to go take advantage of the last few hours that I might be able to sleep.