180

Degrees, that is. Our little man is learning how to get where he wants to go...independently...way too soon! I really think he may be crawling any day now. Just this week, he's learned to pull his knees under him, only to slide back down to his comfortable position of cobra (for all you yogi's out there :-) after a few seconds. And it is amazing how I find him in his crib when he wakes from his naps. We don't have a video monitor so it's always a fun surprise to see where he's going to be and which way his head will be facing...and yes, sometimes it's a complete 180! Below are pics from the first time I saw that he knew how to "move." They are from a few weeks ago (I know, bad mommy) and the progression of pics will have to do, because I had the camera and not the video recorder in my hand at the time.

Why is mom always flashing this light in my eyes?

It makes me tired

Hey, what's back there?!

Let's find out

I think it's my favorite play mat

Yes!

I'll use the pole to help me turn around (my little problem-solver :-) 

Almost there!

Yay!

So tired, I'm rolling over to rest 

Half-Birthday!

Our baby boy had half of a birthday on Saturday...that's right, Judah Wells Nix is now 6 months old! When I briefly become sad about how fast time is flying by and how quickly he is growing up, I am reminded to be thankful that we were able to celebrate his six months of life TOGETHER as a family of three. I am thankful that I am touching his soft skin, hearing his laughter, and smelling his sweet scent. I am thankful that within two months of meeting him, he knows I am Mommy and Jeff is Daddy. I am thankful that he looks to us for assurance when in doubt. I am thankful that he is strong, alert, and very inquisitive. I am thankful that he eats well and makes lots of noises when doing so. I am thankful that he sleeps through the night and still takes multiple naps during the day. I am thankful for all of the "firsts" that we've gotten to experience because we met him at such a young age~something we never thought we would be blessed to see, due to the nature of adoption. Here are just a few highlights of the firsts:

Rolling over

Sitting up

Eating cereal

Eating first veggies

Attending church for the first time

Making raspberries with his lips...since he discovered this sound, it's nonstop! More video to come...

Hopefully Judah will thank us one day for his 6-month birthday present....attending his first college football game, featuring the National Champions~Mommy and Daddy's alma mater, The University of Alabama! Unfortunately, it was not on UA's beautiful campus (tailgating on the Quad will have to happen when he's a little older :-), but the Tide rolled onto Duke's campus, which happens to be 15 minutes from our house in North Carolina. It was super hot on Saturday with no shade in the stadium, so we only stayed until half-time...appropriate for his half-birthday I guess:-).

All decked out in crimson and ready to head to the game at Duke

KK and MeMe (my BFF's, Nancy, mom) join us for the game!

Judah and Daddy in front of Duke Chapel

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT 6 MONTHS, LITTLE MAN! 

Enkutatas!

Well, I'm a few days late (thanks to our faulty computer) but I wanted to wish everyone a very happy Ethiopian New Year! As the rainy season fades away, Ethiopians enjoy celebrating the coming of spring and their new year. The day is called Enkutatas meaning the "gift of jewels." When Queen of Sheba returned from her visit with King Solomon in Jerusalem, her chiefs welcomed her back by replenishing her treasury with enku or jewels. This spring festival has been celebrated since these early times, and as the rain ends the festival culminates with dancing, singing, and fire light on the Eve. It is also a main religious celebration, including the Feast of St. John the Baptist. Three days of prayers, psalm, hymns, sermons, and massive colorful processions mark the advent of the New Year.

Jeff and I were actually in Ethiopia during the rainy season/winter. This picture is perhaps one of my favorites from the trip. Yep, that's my husband drying his boxers with a hair-dryer! There were no electric clothes dryers and needless to say, with all of the rain our clothes weren't exactly getting dry on the outdoor clothes line...so we had to improvise for the necessities!

Good-bye rainy season!

So as we welcome Fall here in the States, let's welcome Spring in Ethiopia and celebrate all things new!

Calla lily, the national flower, in the backyard of our Guest House in Ethiopia

To celebrate the New Year, I dressed Judah (and myself!) in traditional Ethiopian attire and we enjoyed a great dinner and celebration with friends and family...minus Daddy b/c he was working :-(....at none other than Queen of Sheeba, our local Ethiopian restaurant. 

All dressed up and ready to go!

Showing Judah what's good on the menu

I love my Uncle Trent!

Fun with Gran'ma

All tuckered out in Gran'ma's arms...and Auntie Susan loves Ethiopian coffee!


Enkutatas Everyone!

Coming Home

Monday & Tuesday, July 26th and 27th, 2010

Well, after a wonderful week in Ethiopia it was time to pack up and head west. We fell in love with the country while we were there and there was still so much to do and see. However, we were also ready to settle into life back home with our new addition to the family. Good-byes to all of the Gladney staff and the wonderful families who traveled with us were sad. Here we are sharing one last meal together at the airport in Addis. 

Many people have asked how our 18+ hour plane flight was with a baby on board.  Well, let's just say it was interesting to say the least. I kept wanting to take pictures since it was Judah's first ride in an airplane, but that's rather difficult to do when your 4 month old has a massive case of diarrhea and the worst diaper rash in history. I'm sorry, but Jeff and I should win an award for changing his diaper (while he screamed ferociously due to the diaper rash) in the airplane bathroom every hour for 16 hours. Not to mention the waking every few minutes by the screaming toddlers beside us...big fun. Judah was a trooper, though, and actually did better than we did! Needless to say, we were exhausted both physically and emotionally by the time we returned home. So the greatest gift was to see the smiling faces, happy tears, and open arms of our friends and family when we stepped off the plane. Thank you to everyone who made the day so very special. So good to be home!!!

Family and friends starting to gather

Happy and Anticipating Grandmothers!

 

Hi everyone

Grandmothers get first peek

Happy tears

Hi Gran'ma

Hi KK

Stealing their hearts already

Jeff and his dad (aka Pop) embracing...so sweet

Dad still can't stop kissing me!

Let's go see your new crib :-)

Shopping, Sightseeing & Dinner with a View

Saturday and Sunday, July 24 & 25th, 2010

With only two days remaining in Ethiopia, we wanted to take in all that we could...and take home all that we could from this beautiful country! With amazing crafts/items and a great exchange rate for the US dollar, we shopped til we dropped! The experience was neat as well....I'm now a fan of open air shopping with bartering as most prices aren't fixed. 

A row of shops in one of the districts

Thanks to suggestions from friends (mostly Elizabeth, a Gladney mom who traveled with us), there are a few things I recommend purchasing there if you are traveling anytime soon to meet your child:

Silver cuff links (or other handmade silver jewelry to give your child). We bought Judah some beautiful cuff links with the Lion of Judah engraved on them to give to him on his wedding day, or perhaps another important day like his graduation or first job.  The silver there is amazing; there is one long street in Addis with nothing but side-by-side jewelry stores! Be sure to shop around, though....prices definitely vary and some are not local/handmade. 

Traditional Ethiopian Children's Attire. We bought infant and toddler sizes for Judah to wear....beautiful white linen outfits adorned with interesting and colorful designs and trim. 

Coffee, Coffee, and more Coffee!  We bought tons of bags of the most amazing coffee ever at Tomoco to enjoy for ourselves and to give as gifts to friends. 

Artwork from Makush Gallery. Beautiful African artwork/paintings from over 40 different local artists with amazing prices! We will enjoy these paintings in our home for many years to come...and maybe even give one or two to Judah one day if he's lucky ;-)

Okay, so we bought more stuff but these were definitely my favorite purchases. And yes, I did a little shopping for myself as well! 

We also did quite a bit of sight-seeing, including visiting the National Museum where Lucy lives.

Ironically, however, Lucy was on tour in the States while we were in Africa...ha! Oh well, at least we saw a replica :-)

We also got some pics of the various Lion of Judah statues around town...very cool. 

One morning, we drove atop Entoto Mountain, the highest point in Addis. It was beautiful and peaceful--such a stark contrast from the busy city below. 

We saw some pretty cool things while atop the mountain, including the first church built in Addis Ababa. 

It's amazing the amount of wood these women carry on their backs down the mountain!

And our driver, Eyatsu--along with a cute kid we met who lived there--, even taught us how to play a game using a whip to make a loud cracking noise. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of it...it was cool though :-) Eyatsu was awesome; we, on the other hand, not so awesome :-(

And what's a final Gladney weekend in Ethiopia without a trip to Dreamland Restaurant?!

Check out the view that awaited us at our table. 

Just beautiful!

Happy Family!