I received an e-mail today from the director of the NGO that oversees Hope's orphanage. She is traveling to Ethiopia in early February and will be seeing our daughter while she is there! She promises new photos and video.
She also is allowing us to send a gift to our daughter and to her friends, if we wish. She will film our daughter receiving these things from us. It will be the first time Hope is told she has a family working hard to make a place for her. We are permitted to send a photo album to her as well. Here is what I have been planning to send since the moment I knew this trip and the gifts were a possibility.
For Hope: (this has to fit in a gallon-sized Ziploc!)
A Land's End dress that looks brand new, but has been lovingly been worn by both my girls.
It isn't this color or pattern (it's a purple color with teeny wildflower bunches on it), but it's this shape and material.
The girls love, love, LOVED this dress and I loved them in it! M1 insisted on wearing dresses for almost an entire year (from her 4th birthday until she was almost 5). This dress is great alone, with fun tights or even stretchy leggings underneath it. I think Miss Hope will love it! I may vacuum seal this in a Food Saver bag to make it teeny and flat.
A photo book we will make on the Walmart.com photo center website. These are thin and yet, have beautiful, full-color shots and the ability to apply captions. I'm going to include two, identical books in the hope that one of them could be given to Hope's biological family. It is my understanding that can happend sometimes. Just in case we don't meet in person when I go to bring her home, they will be able to see us, Hope's room, etc.
A soft cuddly. I will let the girls pick out something special for their sister. I'll post a photo of whatever they decide!
Hair do-dads...fun!
A small notebook and colored pencils or crayons.
For Hope's friends:
Sidewalk chalk!
Stickers!
Character band-aids!
We have known about her for awhile now. It is exciting to think about her finally learning about us. It also increases the urgency with which I approach every single thing I do regarding her adoption.
Sometimes, it is overpowering. The thoughts come quickly and wash over me in waves. All the paperwork, all the organizing and cleaning, all the money, all the what if's and unknowns. The doubts and fears build like big, angry swells in the ocean. They threaten to wash right over me sometimes.
But, just like I used to focus on the friendly face of my swimming instructor when I was a kid (her name was Holly Wood, no lie), I keep Hope's face in my mind at times like that. How could I run scared from a challenge when that sweet little girl is waiting on me to come find her? It is an obligation of a mother to do that for a child who needs it. I truly believe that. It's simply a matter of geography that this daughter of mine happens to be living in Ethiopia at the moment and not down the block. The mother who gave birth to her cannot care for her. It would be an honor to pick up the heart of this mother and little girl and tuck it into my own.
I'm blessed beyond measure to have a family and a supportive group of friends (some of whom were strangers a week or two ago!) who have stepped up to offer us a hand. We have enough for our home study and our references are all working on writing their letters. In fact, we had another $5 come in this week!
This is happening.
You're a part of it!
I loved this post! I think you are amazing and definitely doing such a good job at navigating this journey. Just thinking about all that is on your plate is exhausting. Knowing you are doing so well taking things as they come is awesome! I look forward to reading each step and can't wait for photos of all three daughters smiling together!! H
Posted by: wifeunit | January 08, 2009 at 11:09 PM
The dress is a great idea. It symbolizes continuity.
Your reference to a notebook makes me wonder: what language(s) does Hope speak (and read and write) now, and what linguistic challenges will she face here? Of course, that's just one aspect of her - and your - adaptation, but as a linguist, that's the one that interests me the most.
Posted by: Amritas | January 09, 2009 at 01:50 AM