Our Second Ethiopian Daughter: Bizunesh
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public
07/13/06
Our Second Ethiopian Daughter: Bizunesh
Posted by : Mary Owlhaven in Ethiopia Adoption Blog at 07:44 am , 477 words, 372 views
Categories: Adoptive Parenting
Categories: Adoptive Parenting
We began the process for our second Ethiopian daughter in February 2005. We requested that, if possible, she be from Kidane Mehret, the same orphanage that our first Ethiopian daughter was from. We didn't know if that would speed or slow our referral wait.
But the previous June we'd actually been able to host Sister Camilla, one of the Kidane Mehret nuns, in our home for a few days when she'd come to the US escorting a baby for our agency. So our relationship with Kidane Mehret was an important one to us and we really liked the idea of people who knew our family being in charge of caring for our next baby during the wait.
In February, our agency director let the nuns know that we were hoping for a baby from them. And in March 2005, I sent a brief email off to Sister Camilla, letting her know that our dossier was headed for Ethiopia.
A few days later I got a cryptic email from Sister Lutgarda, the head of the orphanage, saying that 'Sister Camilla has prepared a sister for Tsion' and that our agency needed to bring the baby for the HIV test. I was utterly thrilled, and yet there was so much I didn't know. How old was she? What was her name? And, since I hadn't yet heard from our agency, was this baby actually meant to be ours?
It was a long 10 days before we heard anything else. And then the answer came from out agency director, in an email on a Sunday evening, no less! It was a baby girl, almost 3 months old, and her name was Bizunesh.
We were overjoyed. A tiny baby! Since our two previous adoptions had been toddlers on homecoming, it was delightful to think about having a teeny baby in our home again.
A few days later I sat at the computer, breathless, waiting for her picture to arrive via email. When the file turned out to be a type that I could not open, I was ready to scream. I frantically phoned my sister, and forwarded the file to her.
"Oh, Mary!" she breathed, as she opened it.
"Don't tell me anything-- just send it." I wanted my first impressions to be all my own.
Within seconds she had the file saved in a format that I could open and sent it off to me. And finally, finally I was looking at our new little daughter. She was teeny and gorgeous. The kids all gathered around and oohed and aahed, as I called my husband at work and described her in every detail. What delight.
We brought her home June 15, 2005, at nearly 7 months of age. She is a wonderful fit for our family and a delightful little girl. We are so blessed!
******
Don't forget to share your referral story! Contest ends Monday, July 17th.
But the previous June we'd actually been able to host Sister Camilla, one of the Kidane Mehret nuns, in our home for a few days when she'd come to the US escorting a baby for our agency. So our relationship with Kidane Mehret was an important one to us and we really liked the idea of people who knew our family being in charge of caring for our next baby during the wait.
In February, our agency director let the nuns know that we were hoping for a baby from them. And in March 2005, I sent a brief email off to Sister Camilla, letting her know that our dossier was headed for Ethiopia.
A few days later I got a cryptic email from Sister Lutgarda, the head of the orphanage, saying that 'Sister Camilla has prepared a sister for Tsion' and that our agency needed to bring the baby for the HIV test. I was utterly thrilled, and yet there was so much I didn't know. How old was she? What was her name? And, since I hadn't yet heard from our agency, was this baby actually meant to be ours?
It was a long 10 days before we heard anything else. And then the answer came from out agency director, in an email on a Sunday evening, no less! It was a baby girl, almost 3 months old, and her name was Bizunesh.
We were overjoyed. A tiny baby! Since our two previous adoptions had been toddlers on homecoming, it was delightful to think about having a teeny baby in our home again.
A few days later I sat at the computer, breathless, waiting for her picture to arrive via email. When the file turned out to be a type that I could not open, I was ready to scream. I frantically phoned my sister, and forwarded the file to her.
"Oh, Mary!" she breathed, as she opened it.
"Don't tell me anything-- just send it." I wanted my first impressions to be all my own.
Within seconds she had the file saved in a format that I could open and sent it off to me. And finally, finally I was looking at our new little daughter. She was teeny and gorgeous. The kids all gathered around and oohed and aahed, as I called my husband at work and described her in every detail. What delight.
We brought her home June 15, 2005, at nearly 7 months of age. She is a wonderful fit for our family and a delightful little girl. We are so blessed!******
Don't forget to share your referral story! Contest ends Monday, July 17th.
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2006 Jul 13