Photojournal: Ethiopia, Day Two

We woke up after a not so restful night and realized we had slept till after 9am. Our orphanage director was supposed to be there at 10am so we hurried up and got ready and called her to come pick us up. She arrived and we rode the very short 4 minute drive to the orphanage. I was a complete bundle of nerves at this point, along with a very puffy face from all the flying and lack of sleep.

We walked through the gates of the orphanage and went to the office to sign some final paperwork. We then walked towards the toddler section of the orphanage. It was so weird to actually be in the very rooms I had seen in photos so much. Everything was much smaller in reality.

Then our director pointed to a group of toddlers playing and said, "there he is". And there he was. Oh, the scowl he gave us. It was like he was saying who are you and why is everyone telling me that you are my family? I just wanted to take a few minutes and take him in. Look at him. But people were telling me to pick him up. So I did.

I was really surprised by how small he was. So much more frail than I expected. And his head was really oddly shaped. (Remember, I promised I'd be honest.) I couldn't believe I was holding him. After 9 months I was holding him.

































His room which he shared with fifteen others.
















We made a very overwhelming quick return with him to the guesthouse. More scowls and curious looks, but no crying.

















After we got back to the guesthouse it was just us and him. A very strange feeling. Here was this boy, our son, and we know nothing about him. He didn't smell like my child and he didn't feel like my child...but he was mine. Just like when I first saw his referral picture I didn't immediately feel feelings of love for him. I felt extreme compassion and protectiveness...and a sense of committed love. I was committed to loving him...and I was trusting the feelings would come.

The rest of the morning was spent trying to win him over. Or at least get him to stop scowling at us! We played ball, did puzzles, ate spaghetti, made attempts at tickling...and eventually took a family nap together.





















































































By the end of the day we were feeling a little more comfortable together. He with us and us with him. Still very overwhelmed...but slightly more comfortable. Jeremiah got the first real smile and laugh out of him. We took him out to dinner at a local restaurant with another adoptive family we befriended while over there and were completely amazed at how much food he put away. We even attempted some shiro wat and injera ourselves...and it was pretty good. About mid way through the meal Eli reached up and touched the side of my cheek. It was the first time all day he had initiated touch with me.

After dinner we headed back to the guesthouse (a 15 minute walk) and I'll never forget the image of him riding up on Jeremiah's shoulders quietly singing away in his oromian/amharic dialect.

I was anxious to be able to give him a bath and get him all cleaned up, but we had no water at the guesthouse. We ended up having no water at least 50% of the time and the electricity was very sketchy too. I expected some shortages...but not that much! At the risk of sounding like a spoiled american (and priss!) I'll admit I wasn't in love with our accommodations and felt it hindered our bonding that first week. So much was already new and unfamiliar...and adding no showers, no electricity, even no flushing of the toilets (I saw way more of other peoples turds than I ever hope to see ever again!) just made me even more uncomfortable.

Bedtime went smoothly and he went right to sleep. He had a terrible cough which would wake him up throughout that first night and every night while we were in Ethiopia. He coughed so much it would scare me that he was going to either stop breathing or throw up. Scary.

I remember laying in bed that night thinking...Eli is here. Here. In the room with us. It still didn't seem real.

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