God, I love democracy.
“At this defining moment, change has come to America.”
- President-Elect Barack Obama, November 4, 2008
I’m not a weepy person, but as Senator Obama took the stage with his family to make his acceptance speech, I completely lost it with big weepy snotty tears. I went in to look at my sleeping child, who will one day hear about this night and what it means to this great country, and said a little prayer of thanks.
*** PHOTOS TEMPORARILY REMOVED ***
Announcing Elsa
She is 4 months old, and from southern Ethiopia – a small town called Aleta Wendo in the Sidama region.
She is 10 lbs, 13 ounces and 23.2 inches tall. (Very small for U.S. growth charts but quite normal on the Ethiopian charts). The int'l adoption pediatrician checked out her info and told me tonight that she looks like an “excellent baby”. Woo hoo! (I already knew that of course.)
Elsa is a name that I’ve always loved (although it sounds Scandahoovian, it is also Ethiopian). Burke is my mother’s maiden name and my sister’s middle name and (very soon!) my daughter's middle name.
I got the call telling me about her this afternoon, although her information arrived at my adoption agency on Christmas Day (Merry Christmas to ME!).
I was getting ready to leave the house to drive mom to the airport shuttle – we were almost out the door when the phone rang. Mom sat down when I gestured wildly to her that this was THE CALL.
So…. what comes next?
I don’t get to go to Ethiopia just yet, I’m afraid. First, the attorney in Addis Ababa (the Ethiopian capital) goes to court on my behalf to formalize the adoption – I’ll let you know my court date, but it will likely be in late January or early February.
Then I wait my turn to get the all-important embassy date, at which I must appear with her at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa. That will likely be in late Feb or (more likely) early March. This date will determine when I will travel to go get Elsa!
Please keep Elsa in your prayers so that she stays healthy and happy, and that the court date is successful so that I can officially become her mother.
From cloud nine and feeling like I won the lottery,
P.
p.s. Did you SEE the dimples?!?!?!?
