Okay, peeps. It’s time for another of our packing lists, from the Great Ethiopian Baby Odyssey of 2008: Miscellaneous Baby Stuff.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “Self? What kind of miscellaneous baby things could one possibly need?” Well, I am here to tell you, we took a buttload, and our daughter is just 5 months old. I can’t imagine the wagon train of stuff required for a toddler, for example.

So here’s our list:

• Teething keys: Packed and used. But not much. We brought along some teething keys, in case of… well, teething issues. Plus they were small and colourful, but didn’t make too much noise. Turns out, our daughter was only just learning to grasp things when we met her, so holding the keys was a bit too challenging to start with. She got better as the week went on. Now, she jangles ‘em like crazy. We tell her if she can get those keys to work in one of our cars, she’s more than welcome to take it for a spin.
• Ball: Packed and invaluable. Auntie Sherri to the rescue again! In her box of goodies, Auntie Sherri had sent along this fabric ball that has crinkly cellophane in it. It’s bright and colourful and soft, and The Girl took to it like a duck to water. She loveslovesloves that ball.
• Rattles (2): Packed and invaluable. We brought along two rattles. One is Mr. Toy, the famous toy of song and story, which she absolutely adores and could be contented playing with all day long. (It’s actually called My First Rattle.) The other was a soft, fuzzy animal-shaped rattle which was of no consequence whatsoever — again, because of the whole grasping issue. But Mr. Toy kept her amused for most of her waking hours during the week, and so it was the best $4.98 I ever spent (of course, I got it on SALE).
• Soother strap: Packed and didn’t use. Our daughter does not take a soother, so a soother strap, no matter how cute, was of no help whatsoever.
• Plastic pants (4): Packed and didn’t use. We brought along plastic pants for two reasons: 1) if the quality of Ethiopian diapers was sub-par, and b) if The Girl had the runs on the way home and we wanted a little extra protection on the plane. Turns out, Ethiopian diapers are fine — definitely not as high absorbency as we get here, but they were fine enough while we were hanging out at the hotel and all. And she had the runs, but nothing too much to handle, and certainly not more than could be handled in a quick diaper change on the plane. So one pair will be used for swimming lessons later on, and the rest we’ll pass on to somebody else.
• Loveys (2): Packed and used. We brought along two loveys for her to snuggle with, a teddy bear and a giraffe. The giraffe turned out to be too big for her little hands, and so was just a friend in the crib all week. But the bear, a simple little bear we got at Ikea, had a simple, friendly face which she liked and was small enough that she could grab his arms or legs and wave him about and such. They became fast friends. One night, when she did not want to sleep, we found her dragging Mr. Bear along the bars of her crib like he was a tin cup being dragged along the bars of a jail cell. We howled with laughter. “Noooooobody knoooooooowwwwws the trouble I seeeeeeennnnn…”
• Teething ring: Packed but didn’t use. Girl isn’t teething. And she would not have had the manual dexterity to use it anyway.
• Soothers (8): Packed but didn’t use. We brought a bunch of soothers — all ages, silicone and latex, everything. She would have none of it. Despite the nurse telling us she took a soother after her bottle, she had absolutely no interest whatsoever. Except for to fling them around like toys. THEN they’re cool.
• Bottles – 4 oz. (4): Packed and used. We brought both 4 oz and 8 oz bottles, because we were not sure how much she’d be eating, and a lot of families had advised the 4 oz would be plenty. As it turns out, she eats 6 oz. So, we did use them, but we doubled up. And quite honestly, without proper washing and sterilizing capabilities in the hotel, it was nice to have the extras. It meant we had to do dishes less frequently. We also thought they’d be a more space-economical packing option… yeah, well, we really could have done without and packed extra 8 oz bottles instead.
• Liners – 4 oz. (1 box of 100): Packed and used. See above.
• Bottles – 8 oz. (4): Packed and invaluable. Our daughter can eat like nobody’s business, so 8 oz was the way to go. And honestly? If we’d have been smart we’d have just taken the 8 oz, even if she ate less. It’s easier to throw out excess formula, but a hassle to make up bottle after bottle of the 4 oz size.
• Liners – 8 oz. (1 box of 100): Packed and invaluable. See above.
• Nipples – slow (5): Packed and invaluable. We brought the old fashioned, standard issue slow latex nipples, and they rock the house. We tried the silicone nipples when we got home and our daughter just hasn’t any idea what to do with them. Same thing with the newfangled high-tech, environmentally-friendly, BPA-free bottles and nipples we saw other parents TRYING to use while we were there. These babies are started on the basics in terms of bottles and whatnot — it’s what’s available in Ethiopia, right? — so anything else just causes “nipple confusion” or flat-out rejection. So it’s best to continue with what they know. I just wish we had brought about 5 more.
• Nipples – fast (5): Packed and didn’t use. They’re just too fast for our little girl, and not what she is used to.
• DVDs (4): Packed and invaluable. We brought 2 Baby Einstein videos along, as well as a couple of Disney movies. And when we needed a bit of time to eat some lunch, or when our daughter needed a little bit of stimulation or something different than just us, we popped in a video and she was enchanted. Plus the Baby Mozart music was great lullaby music, because it is similar to what they pipe throughout the Transition Home during sleep times.
• Disposable washcloths (1 package of 15): Packed and invaluable. For convenience sake, these rocked. They have soap and shea butter in them, and get all foamy when wet, so it saved us packing bath stuff. And disposables freed up packing space on the way back.
• Disposable face cloths (2 packs of 30): Packed and used. They were also a great convenience item, like wipes but for baby’s face and hands. It was great to have these since we were skeptical about using the water when wiping her face and hands, since it might get in her mouth.
• Bibs (wipe and wear) (4): Packed and didn’t use. These are the plastic kind, you can just wipe off when you’re done. But our daughter just wasn’t that messy. Soon, when she eats real food? THEN they’ll be great.
• Disposable Bibs (2 packs of 15): Packed and used. For convenience, so we didn’t have to wash any bibs, these worked well. However, I much prefer conventional cloth bibs (and so does The Girl).
• Washcloths (10): Packed and invaluable. DUDE. They’re baby washcloths. They work for EVERYTHING. And you can wash ‘em and hang ‘em to dry in the shower.
• Burp cloth (1): Packed and used. Our daughter didn’t seem to get the whole burping thing when we got her. I don’t think they burp the babies as a matter of course at the Transition Home. So the burp cloth was really kind of useless — we could have used washcloths for that.
• Change pads (2): Packed and invaluable. We used our change pads for everything: as an underpad for the crib, to set up a change table in the hotel room, for using at change tables on the road, for lining the bassinet on the plane… They rocked. Versatile and portable. Should have brought one or two more.
• Sheet set (1): Packed and used. We brought an extra sheet set in case of midnight diaper blowouts, because we didn’t want to wait on housekeeping if a change of bedding was required. And it came in handy: one change of bedding, no waiting, and no interruption in schedule. Perfect.
• Diapers (1 72-pack of size 2s): Packed and invaluable. We brought a pack of diapers, specifically for the trip home. And they came in VERY handy. However, we also got caught in the rush of parents being carted to and fro and so our need to go to the grocery store for FORMULA AND DIAPERS was kind of shuttled to the side in favour of SIGHTSEEING AND MARKETS (don’t get me started!!!). So we made do for a couple of days on this emergency supply of diapers until we could get out to a store and get some.
• Wipes (1 package, 3 bricks of 250): Packed and invaluable. Who doesn’t need wipes? Also, see the shopping fiasco above.
• Travel pack wipes (1 package of 12): Packed and used. But unneccessary. We had TONS of wipes.
• Nipple/bottle brush: Packed and used. Great for cleaning the nipples, and the bottle brush worked for the juice bottles and formula mixing bottle we brought along.
• Mixing bottle: Packed and used. We used this to mix up formula for the 4 oz bottles since measuring was a pain. But once we moved to the 8 oz bottles we didn’t need it anymore.
• Snugli: Packed and invaluable. The snugli was an awesome thing to have, for so many reasons. For one thing, there are no baby car seats in Ethiopia, and some of the roads are unbelieveably rough. Having the girl in the snugli, strapped tight to me, made us feel at least that she wasn’t getting her little head and neck whipped about all the time. Plus it was nice to have to take her out for walks, and out on outings. And it’s a great bonding tool. Even still she loves to be carried like she is in the snugli when we go into a store or whatever.
• Play blankets (2): Packed and invaluable. It was great to have a couple of quilted blankets to lay down for her to play on.
• Cuddle blankets (3): Packed and invaluable. Our daughter likes to have a blanket to pull up and rub on her face whenever she is tired, so these blankets were a godsend to comfort her. One is a hand-knit one that she used primarily for sleeping and stayed in her crib, and we’ve continued that here at home. The others were just cheapola fleece blankets ($2 apiece) that she used to cuddle with with Mom and Dad or while she was playing, but we also used to cover her when we went out anywhere.

SO that’s the miscellaneous baby stuff list. I TOLD you there was a ton of stuff.

Catching a catnap in the Marhaba Lounge at the Dubai Airport, 3 am or so…

Okay, as promised, I am going to post some of the packing lists for items we took to Ethiopia.

I’ve gone through each item and decided what we used/did not use, what was useful and what was not, and how much we took and what was really needed. I find that I am a massive over-packer sometimes, so over the years I like to get these lists pared down to what is really needed. To give you some perspective: for this trip, we took one suitcase full of items for myself, one full of BDH’s stuff, one full of baby stuff, and one full of miscellaneous and baby items. Probably, in retrospect, we could have done just one suitcase apiece.

I am sure these lists will generate all sorts of “yes-you-should/no-you-shouldn’t” sort of debate, and that’s fine. I am giving you what WE used, and if it helps, then great.

We’ll start with the most obvious (given the sick we’ve all been experiencing since we were there): Pharmacy and toiletries. Although I am sure we could have gotten a lot of these items locally, I didn’t want to chance being without some of our most-commonly used things, especially where meds are concerned. Just didn’t want the hassles, really.

• Advil (1 bottle of average size): Packed and used. With BDH’s migraines, not to mention just precautionary in case of headaches and other ailments, we couldn’t leave without it.
• Baby Advil (1 small bottle): Packed but didn’t use. Took it as a precautionary measure, in case the baby was sick. Glad we didn’t have to use it, but was glad to have it nonetheless.
• Advil Cold and Sinus (1 bottle): Packed and invaluable. With BDH getting sick about halfway through the trip, this was a godsend.
• Tylenol (1 bottle average size): Packed but didn’t use. I think we could have done with just the Advil, but I guess this one is personal preference.
• Baby Tylenol (1 bottle average size): Packed and invaluable. From everything to her cold to teething/the earache pain we thought was teething, Baby Tylenol made everybody a lot happier. We took the white grape (non-staining) kind, which comes with its own little dropper and is easy to manage on planes.
• Gravol (1 small package): Packed but didn’t use. We took Gravol as a sleep-inducer, in case we could not sleep on the plane or at the hotel due to… whatever. Turns out, we were so dead tired a lot of the time, we needed nothing at all to induce us to sleep.
• Baby Gravol (1 small bottle): Packed but didn’t use. We took Baby Gravol (on the advice of a pharmacist) also to help with sleep, should the baby not be a good traveller. Turns out, the kid’s a champ, so it was not needed.
• Anbesol (1 small tube): Packed but didn’t use. A couple people mentioned that teething might begin to be an issue with a baby of our girl’s age, so we brought the Anbesol just in case. Didn’t need it, and although she shows all the signs of teething, turns out it’s probably the ear infection that’s the culprit.
• Pepto Bismol (2 large packages of chewables): Packed and invaluable. We took two chewables apiece every morning to fight off whatever discomforts the change in diet would bring. It worked like a charm (until the trip home for me, anyway…)
• Immodium (1 bottle): Packed but didn’t use. The Pepto Bismol worked well for us, and once I got sick on the way home, the Immodium didn’t make a bit of difference.
• Cipro (1 prescription each): Packed and invaluable. If this ghastly intestinal bug had hit while we were away, I’d have been desperate. And it worked a charm, let me tell you.
• Boudreaux’s Butt Paste (1 tube): Packed and invaluable. With all the explosive farting and baby diarrhea, baby bum cream was always welcome. One less problem to worry about.
• Aveeno (1 tube): Packed and used. We wanted something gentle but long-lasting on her skin. Plus I use Aveeno, so it saved space and we shared it.
• Aveeno Lavender (1 tube): Packed but didn’t use. I thought it might be nice to have as a nice post-bathtime bonding ritual — a little baby massage with lavender — but the shea butter seems to work really well.
• Shea butter cream (1 large tube): Packed and invaluable. Baby’s skin needs to be regularly moisturized, and so each day after bathtime we had baby massage time. The scent was not overwhelming, and she enjoyed the bonding time. Seems to last about as long as Aveeno, too.
• Ventolin (2 inhalers): Packed and invaluable. With the terrible smog in Addis, combined with the elevation, asthma meds were a must for me.
• Flovent (2 inhalers): Packed and invaluable. See above.
• Rolaids (1 bottle): Packed and used. Nice to have after spicy Ethiopian meals, or lots of Ethiopian coffee at the coffee ceremonies.
• Hand Sanitizer (3 small bottles): Packed and invaluable. We used it absolutely all the time — after we washed our hands, after we diapered, after we went anywhere. Interestingly enough, we only went through just over 1 60-ml bottle in the 10 days we were there… I thought we’d go through a lot more than that. The stuff lasts well.
• Baby nail clippers (1 pair): Packed and used. Kid’s got sharp talons.
• Adult nail clippers (1 pair): Packed and used. Duh.
• Travel pack Q tips (1 small): Packed and used. Handy dandy little items, these. Ears, boogers, all sorts of applications.
• Ovol (1 small bottle): Packed and used. We had a gassy baby one or two nights, and this helped fix the problem. I don’t think that burping a baby post-bottle is done there — at least, not that I saw, and our girl was certainly confused by the whole process. So having something to help with the gas was good.
• Mini-pack Kleenex (4 3-packs): Packed and used. We probably did not need as many as we took, since the hotelroom was well-stocked with a big box of Kleenex, and we did not go out a ton. But hey, they’re small, and it’s not like they go to waste.
• Antihistamine (1 box of 30): Packed and invaluable. I’m allergic to EVERYTHING. And with the smog? ‘Nuff said.
• Blistex (1 tube): Packed and used. Always a good thing. I guess you can take lip moisturizer of any kind, but hey, that’s what I had with me.
• Razors (1 each): Packed and used. Nobody likes a prickly parent.
• Razor power cord (1): Packed and used. Why is it that most hotels have a power converter built-in to the bathroom for razors, but not for things like, say, a hair dryer? Just sayin’.
• Razor cleaning brush (1): Packed and used. Dad’s got to look his best for his little girl, people.
• Deodorant (1 each): Packed and used. When you are sleep deprived, at least you won’t stink. Well, too bad, anyway.
• Toothbrushes (1 each): Packed and used. If you can remember to brush with bottled water, you’ll be fine. But if not, toothbrushes are easy to come by in the local grocery store.
• Toothpaste (1 tube): Packed and used. Also available in the local grocery store, but BDH is fairly particular about the brand.
• Dental floss (1 package): Packed and used. Don’t know if it’s readily available in the local store… I didn’t look.
• Hair product (1 bottle each): Packed and used. Without it, BDH just gets all poofy, and I get helmet head.
• Make up bag (1): Packed and used. Why, I do not know. It’s not like the baby cares. Maybe I just wanted to look my best when I met her. Could have done without it, probably.
• Brush (1): Packed and used. Hello.
• Hair elastics (some): Packed and invaluable. Ponytails are quick and easy and grab-proof for little hands. Plus, waggling them around makes my kid belly-laugh. So, functional AND fun.
• Baby soap (1 small bar): Packed but not used. We had some disposable washcloths containing soap and shea butter that rocked the bathtime, dude.

Other items of note:

• Mouthwash — BDH woke up with a black tongue one morning. Despite my assurances that this is a side effect of the Pepto he took before going to bed, he was a little wigged out, and had me run to the grocery store and get some mouthwash. So I did. It was this bizarre Italian brand, bright red. And it cost about 20 dollars. So, if you use mouthwash, I recommend packing some. (And after all that, BDH didn’t even use it.)
• Vaseline — The nurses at the transition home use this on the babies’ skin. We did not bring any, nor did we see any when we went shopping (although I am sure you can get it; we did not look too hard.) We had shea butter cream, which worked well, so we were fine.
• Hair dryer — I NEED a hair dryer most days, because I have truly uncooperative hair. And the Hilton had them in-room. Mind you, they are the 1960′s-style dryers that look like a vacuum, but the one we had was rarely used, it seems, and worked well. Plus, any hair appliances will require a power converter, and not only is that a hassle, but I cannot recall if there was even a power outlet in the bathroom for anything besides a razor.

So, that’s the first list. I think I got everything. Next up? Baby items. Probably. Or something.

Well, today we travel home with our daughter to begin life as a family home in Canada.

We have spent 8 days in Addis, and that was for us the right amount of time. We have gotten to know each other a bit, and gotten to know some of her likes and dislikes and signals, and so we feel a bit more comfortable about travelling. All the time we have spent cocooning with her has paid off, and making her our first priority has been absolutely the right decision. When she is older, we plan to travel back to Ethiopia and visit the country and show her this incredible land and its wonderful people. But for now, like any new parent of a very small baby, this time of discovery has been invaluable.

We have concerns about trying to take her on a plane because, after her last few diapers, she may be classified as biohazardous materials. But hey, she’s as cute as she is stinky, so perhaps flashing a big toothless grin will win over all the security people from here to home.

We’re also a little nervous about flying with her — okay, let’s be honest, flying with any baby — for the first time for such a long time. We start out tonight from Addis to Dubai, which is a short hop of 4 hours, so that should be a good test. And then we have an 8 hour layover in Dubai, where we could have a free hotel if we wished. But that would mean at least an hour off the plane to get to the hotel, then getting up and out 3 hours before our flight to Toronto, so we’d really only have a couple of hours at the hotel. We’re not sure it’s worth the hassle, jostling her to and fro, so we likely will be staying in some quiet corner of the Dubai airport for the duration (if one exists). And then the long 13-hour flight home. That will consist mostly of her daytime hours, and that also means the screechy cranky baby hours of mid-afternoon, and in an enclosed space that screechy baby may not win us many friends. So we’re stocking up — we have prepared 12 bottles by filling liners with formula powder and twist-tying them shut. Then, when screechy baby shows up… VOILA! Instant bottle!

We have enjoyed our time here, and made some connections with some wonderful people. Ethiopia has long been in our hearts, and so we are kind of sad about leaving this historic land, filled with some of the most generous, kind-hearted people we have ever met. As we leave, we want to say a thank you to Ethiopia and its people — these people who have been so welcoming, so friendly and kind to us, and these people who have nurtured and given us this beautiful little girl. From the traditional dances and the traditional meals we have experienced, and the sights we have seen, to the people who have befriended us and taught us bits and pieces of the language and shown us such great hospitality, we have grown to care about this place that much more. And we know we will return — we have another country that is a piece of our hearts now. But we are also looking forward to getting home, and seeing our daughter make her connections with the people who love her there, too.

We are looking forward to getting home and getting settled and into some routines. We’re looking forward to seeing how she will grow and introducing her to the people who will become part of her daily life. We’re looking forward to seeing our home filled with years of laughter and discovery. We’re looking forward to life in our home as a family.

This journey has been an incredible one (and no, you don’t just magically forget about those wait times!) and we are so glad to have been on it. We are also glad to be almost at the end of it. We are ready to embark on a new journey, one that lasts a lifetime: family life.

There are some interesting notes about this trip:

• I’m dying for a blog fix. The Ethiopian government blocks a lot of blog sites here in Ethiopia — sites like Blogspot in particular; WordPress seems to be ok — where a lot of the people I like to read post their blogs. So I have been unable to keep up on people’s blogs the entire time I am away! (Unless of course we beat the Ethiopian government’s ban, which is fairly easy to do… when BDH does not have his hands full rocking the babe and walking her around the room, that is. Like right now. Little stinker won’t nap. Too busy gurgling and smiling at us.)
• The pollution in Addis is awful. It’s like being in the smoky part of a bonfire all the time. It comes from all the diesel cars which would give an emissions tester in Canada nightmares for a year. It’s best up by the transition homes, which is comforting since the children are there; and while it is tolerable here at the Hilton, down by the Weygoss, where it is close to a main drag, it’s awful.
• All the babies at the transition homes have a terrible rattle or cough. ALL of them. It is not that they are sick, but it’s a result of the terrible pollution here in Addis. And seeing BDH after yesterday’s outing, I can totally see that — he is suffering. (My asthma has been ok, but breathing is still a challenge. The air is THICK.) Apparently, after the kids are home in Canada for a few days in the fresh air, it clears right up.
• Dianne? Cutest baby pigtails EVER on your little one. I visited with her for a few minutes when we were picking up our girl the other day. She’s got a bad cough (see previous point) and did not look impressed to see me, because I think she would rather have been cuddling with her caregiver and getting ready for a nap. But we had a little chat about how her mommy and daddy would soon be coming to see her, and I eventually got a smile out of her (or it could have been gas, it’s hard to say). She’s clearly happy and healthy and thriving, and her caregivers and roomies love her dearly.
• The bakery-slash-coffeeshop here at the Hilton rivals any in Canada. We go every day for breakfast of cappuccino and a croissant. The staff is so friendly, it’s a nice relaxing spot, and the food and coffees are womderful. Apparently you can’t go wrong visiting a bakery here in Addis.
• Going shopping for groceries and want something “western”? Go to Bambis. It rocks the selection of North American stuff (yay for Pringles!) but you will also see a ton of European goods… and even diet Pepsi from Dubai for BDH! It’s also the best place to get diapers. We have a grocery store here at the hotel (more like a general store, really) and while it has a good selection of stuff, it doesn’t carry diapers. It has lots of formula, just not the brand we were told to use.
• We made the decision based on the accounts of some of the staff at our agency that we were not going to distribute stuff to the local kids who invariably come begging. A lot of foreigners do it, but I have seen how one kid can become a swarm and I am not comfortable with that, most particularly when I have my child with me. I have followed the lead of the liaisons and drivers and just firmly told them no. There are agencies where you can get food vouchers downtown, which I think would be a better option, but we have not gone out enough yet to warrant that. I am not heartless; I know there is need and it IS hard to say no to the little faces at the window. But I think, for me, I would be much more inclined to give my support to an agency that can offer a broader relief, such as an HIV orphanage or an AIDS program or the voucher program.
• There IS such a thing as too much Ethiopian food. And while tasty, 3-4 times in a 10-day stay is MORE than enough.
• It is possible to spend time in Addis rather cheaply, since food, lodging and shopping can be done on a relatively low budget. But I am glad we spent a little extra to stay at a big hotel. The staff here are fantastic, and fawn over the baby whenever we come by. We like our creature comforts, and when trying to learn to parent a new baby, the small things like room service and internet access and grounds to walk the baby in are nice things to have indeed. And it will still be way, way cheaper than the same amount of time at a moderate hotel in Canada. Another great thing is the ability to cocoon and learn to be a family and have some quiet time, which is hard to come by at some of the busier guest houses, which I am hearing are much like living the college dorm life (without the booze, that is).
• I am glad we came as prepared as we were. Yeah, we packed a ton, but some of the stuff has been invaluable. Bringing the laptop was inspired — we have movies we can watch, internet, storage space for pictures and video, and the wee one is positively ENCHANTED by Baby Mozart. Some things we were totally overprepared for, but that’s ok. I’ll have to post a comprehensive list when all is said and done and we are home.
• You can set your watch by the rains here in rainy season. Sometime around 2 pm, it starts to rain, and soon thereafter you have downpours of fantastic proportions, and big rumbling thunder… It refreshes the air and makes everything look a *bit* cleaner. And while you are cocooning with a new baby, napping while she naps or cuddling in a chair or whatever, it is very relaxing. I love the rains.

Hello from Addis Ababa. Sorry for the lack of updates but it would appear that our daughter had some things to teach us, and that our liaison here is active in planning activities.

We have, as Cinn mentioned, not been getting a lot of sleep but I think we are getting better at managing the lack of sleep and the baby’s schedule. Sunday was quite nice… except for the screaming baby parts. But, that was our fault. Around noon time, the little one started to get fussy, and that fussiness eventually stretched into crying for hours, unhappy unless we constantly carried her around the room. (Dude. The football hold ROCKS.) After trying everything we could think of — you go through the checklist: is her diaper clean? check. has she been fed recently? check. is she due for a nap? and so on) we gave her another bottle and eureka! Despite the fact that she had had a bottle on schedule at noon, she was hungry an hour later. It seems that although she was fed on schedule at the transition house, she has a different appetite depending on the time of day. We have been documenting all her feeding times since we brought her home but we are still trying to figure out how much she likes and when.

This brings us to our schedule. Things work a little bit differently here than we are used to. We will get a call from our liaison indicating that he will be here in two hours to take us to a traditional Ethiopian meal, or that he is downstairs and to please come down so that we can go sightseeing around Addis today. This is all wonderful but it is not how we are used to operating. We are used to knowing what the plan is going to be and being able to prepare accordingly, or to opt out — especially now with a certain little someone whose plans (calling it a schedule, as you have read, is a bit of a stretch right now) trump everyone else’s and can change on a whim. And also, we came here with the plan to NOT do any of that stuff — our focus is on our little girl and so we had planned to just spend our time in and around the hotel getting used to being a family. We are extremely appreciative that our hosts want to take us sightseeing and do all these things to show off their country, but this is not our priority. Ten years from now, when our child is old enough to appreciate it, then absolutely, but now? We have different priorities.

So, yesterday’s call came just as we were feeding herself and getting ready to settle her in for a nap. Cinn had showered, I had not, neither of us had seen a toothbrush in a long time, and the wee gasbag was farting up a storm. The phone rings: “Please come down to the lobby. We are going to go to Entoto Mountain and also to do some shopping.” We explain that we are just getting ourselves settled and that we are not prepared but to no avail: “You should come down immediately.” Well, okay then.

So we rushed around like crazy people getting a diaper bag together, getting ourselves dressed, and fighting to get our daughter clothed in the 12 pounds of clothing appropriate to the locals for an Ethiopian winter. She was NOT happy about this plan, and really, we could not blame her. Carting a 5-month-old around in a crowded hot minivan through appalling pollution, jostling her about on unbelievably rough roads, and putting her in a crazy amount of clothing, when all she wants to do is sleep, is totally unfair to her. But we did not want to be ungrateful to our hosts and so off we went.

And it was not bad. Well, except for the fact that the thick smog has now given me a terrible cough and burning in my chest to rival a career smoker, and that our daughter decided about 2/3 of the way through that SHE. HAD. HAD. ENOUGH! and started screaming for all she was worth. Another bottle appeased her a bit, despite the gymnastics it takes to feed a little girl in a Snugli in bumper-to-bumper traffic. And then, to put a point on her displeasure, she peed on her mom’s leg.

So, we are slowly learning who is boss around here. And that what the boss says, goes… despite any preordained schedules, plans for the day, or cultural conflicts that may arise.

Oh my doG. We didn’t know we could function on so little sleep. But starting the first day of this trip and until last night, we’ve had next to no sleep, and we’re doing quite well, actually. And last night we got about 6 hours all told, so we’re doing great today.

Well, not really. We’re still totally tired. But we’re pretty happy despite it all.

Part of it has to do with having The Perfect Baby. I know, people always say that about their own kids. But I tell you truly, I have never met a happier, less fussy kid. She’s just as happy as can be, all the damn time. Right now, she’s dead tired, and what is she doing? Lying in her crib, nomming on her blankie, and squealing and burbling and blowing raspberries.

I don’t get it. But I am NOT complaining. Not one tiny bit.

She’s absolutely been the easiest baby I have ever seen.

A lot of it has to do with the excellent care at the Transition Home. They have rooms full of about 8-10 babies, with 3 or 4 caregivers working the room, and so she has a great schedule and she’s very patient when her schedule gets thrown off by something. I would expect that she got used to it. And part of it is that it has made her very social. She only tends to squawk when she wants to have some company, or she wants to be picked up, or when she is just in need of a change of scenery, which means a walk in the Snugli which she absolutely loves.  And because the staff there were so wonderful, she adores them all and is quick to smile and laugh whenever she gets attention.

But a lot of it has to do with the fact that she is just a happy, social sort. She coos and chatters all day long, and especially at strangers who pass by. She loves the man in the cafe where we have breakfast, and she adores Misrak who cleans our room each evening (we put out the Do Not Disturb sign all day, just to give Misrak the opportunity to visit with us in the evening while she cleans our room — walking around the bed to make it provides an excellent opportunity for peek-a-boo between the two of them). And she can just lie on her blanket and play and chatter to her toys for an hour at a time — but it’s much more fun if one of us is lying there too so she can giggle at us and blow raspberries.

Blowing raspberries and doing this happy squealing babble are her two favourite ways of showing her contentment.

She kills us. 2 am, and we’ll hear “ah-goooooooo” and 6 or 7 raspberries all in a row emanating from somewhere in the dark in our room, and we laugh ourselves silly.

She talks in her sleep, so the first night, at around 4, we heard a squeal. I blew a hamstring jumping out of bed to see what was the matter, only to see her sound asleep and grinning.

And she loveslovesloves to lay around in her diaper. She hates to be hot, so laying in her crib in a onesie where she can kick and wiggle and feel cool brings on an hour of babbling. And of course, more raspberries.

Right now, she’s doing just that. “Ah-gooooo” and a squeal, followed by a string of noisy raspberries, which make her laugh. And her Daddy is lying on the other side of the crib bars, so she has an audience.

She loves a bit of an audience.

So yeah, between the feeding and the dirty diapers and most of all the talking and goofing around, we’re getting little sleep.

Best week I’ve ever had, I’ll tell you that.

We’ve arrived.

We are currently shaking off the incredible tired of a nap after our nearly 2-day journey to Ethiopia. The trip was a good one — 13 hours in the air to Dubai, 13 hours layover spent largely at a hotel in Dubai where we got a precious several hours of sleep, and another 4 hour flight to Addis. The trip was made so much easier by flying Emirates Airlines, quite possibly the best airline in terms of staff, service, amenities and planes that I have ever experienced. Honestly, it was fantastic.

But still, our days and nights are turned almost upside down, as we are on the other side of the planet, so we are tired. VERY tired. I think after a good night’s sleep tonight we will be ready for our big day tomorrow: the day we have waited for since I don’t know when. The day we finally get to hold our little girl.

The people we have met so far have been unbelievably lovely. Barring the usual idiots you meet while travelling, who we have decided to just ignore, we have come into contact with fantastic people right from the minute we stepped out onto our front porch to meet our driver for the airport transit service.

The staff of Emirates have been, without exception, wonderful — two of the staff on our last flight from Dubai to Addis even took our picture and put it in a little souvenir card with a note of good wishes while meeting our daughter, and both of them are hoping to be on the flight back to meet her.

Our agency liaison here in Addis, Solomon, met us at the airport with a smile, a hug of welcome, and bouquets of roses, and is one of the kindest, gentlest men you could ever want guiding you through an experience like this. And the staff at the Hilton have been accomodating and gracious and we feel comfortable here in our home for the next 8 days.

And so, we sit in the city of our daughter’s birth, where it is New Year’s Eve, and realize how blessed we are to be here, safe and sound, with such wonderful people helping us along the way. And tomorrow, we start a new year with the country of Ethiopia and we start a new life with our daughter (who may or may not think meeting two frankly pale and tired-looking strangers is the best way to ring in a new year).

New day, new year, new family. All in a country as old as humanity itself.

I did not know we could be so blessed.

In a few short hours, we’ll be heading out to the airport.

We are somewhat packed. Our daughter’s stuff is packed. BDH is mostly packed. Our suitcase full of miscellany (snacks, diapers, odds and ends) is packed. Me? Not so much packed.

It won’t take long. I know what I am taking and I am not taking much outside t-shirts and yoga pants. I don’t plan on going out much… we mostly want to stay in at the hotel and get to know our daughter.

OUR DAUGHTER.

Our daughter is already a fashion plate, I tell you what. And she’s got some pretty nifty toys, too. She’s got bottles and outfits and all sorts of stuff in that suitcase. I know we are missing something important — it always happens — but I can’t be bothered to worry about that now.

Still have a cat to take to the “spa”, and some clothes to wash, and a lot of coffee to drink. I am not taking my mask for sleeping — between carrying it, getting bottled water for the reservoir, and keeping it on the power converter all night long, it’s just too much of a hassle — so I took last night to get used to sleeping without it. And needless to say, I slept like ass.

Well, might as well get used to the sleep deprivation early, because it is certainly coming.

We’re taking a billion cameras. Our daughter, as Kelly has often said, will come to think her daddy’s head is camera-shaped. Well, we’re not going to miss a MINUTE. Also, we’re taking our little inexpensive laptop to store pictures and video, so we can just keep taking MORE. And access the internet, of COURSE. We’ll post what we can of our journey. You’ve shared this much with us, you might as well see it through.

The cats know something is up, and they’re a little freaked out. DUDE. They have NO idea what’s in store. Their little worlds are going to CHANGE.

OUR little world is going to change. In a couple short days.

Our five-year-long journey to become a family is almost over, and a new one is just beginning.