We spent the afternoon at the Sheraton instead of hanging out at the hotel. Isaac's first day out with us was amazing and he is such a good, well natured baby. He had a 2hr nap on the lawn chair which is why I have so much time to do this blog.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Trip to the Doctor and to the Sheraton
Isaac has a cough and chest congestion so we decided we would take him to the doctor. We found out about a Swedish clinic here in Addis that is suppose to be very good. We booked an appointment for 11:30 this morning. The clinic was very nice and he doctor was helpful. She took a stool sample to do a simple parasite test which was negative. He had his finger pricked for a blood test and he was a real trooper and it was surprising how much blood they got from a single finger prick. His blood test for infection was negative. He does have a lot of mucous in his lungs s the doctor prescribed a decongestion to loosen up the mucous. She doesn't think it is bacterial so she didn't put him on an antibiotic. We feel better that we had him looked at since we have a 20hr trip home at the end of the week.
We spent the afternoon at the Sheraton instead of hanging out at the hotel. Isaac's first day out with us was amazing and he is such a good, well natured baby. He had a 2hr nap on the lawn chair which is why I have so much time to do this blog.
We spent the afternoon at the Sheraton instead of hanging out at the hotel. Isaac's first day out with us was amazing and he is such a good, well natured baby. He had a 2hr nap on the lawn chair which is why I have so much time to do this blog.
Our past 3 days in Ethiopia.....
You have probably been wondering why we haven't posted anything on our blog, it's not because we haven't tried, it is because the internet has been less than reliable. We haven't until now been able to access our blog and only occasionally our email. We are paying for internet at the Sheraton and it is excellent! So I'm going to try to recap our last three days for you and they have been incredible! We arrived Friday night around 9pm, the flight was great!
Day 1: Sunday May 8 (Mother's Day!) We got picked up at 10am by the transition house driver and he took us to go see Isaac. We went with another couple, John and Alicia, who were also visiting their son. We were so thrilled to finally be able to see Isaac again and for me it was even more special to have my son in my arms on Mother's Day. Isaac was shy at first but he came around very quickly. He really enjoyed swinging on the swing and it didn't take him long to fall asleep. We spent about 2 1/2 hrs with him and it was a really great visit. It was hard to leave but Isaac needs to adjust to us before we take him and we were also waiting for his visa to arrive.
We then had lunch at Lucy's and ate on the beautiful patio. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Sheraton just relaxing and swimming. Later that evening we went to a traditional Ethiopian cultural resaurant with our new friends John and Alicia. There was live Ethiopian dancing and the food was very good! It was a great first Mother's day being a mom!!
Day 2: Monday May 9: We were expecting Isaac's visa today but unfortunately the Canadian Embassy Visa Section in Ethiopia was closed so the adoption agency representative was unable to pick them up. We were disappointed but we had confidence that they were there and would be picked up on Tuesday. We got picked up today at 10am again to go see Isaac. Again he played a bit strange when he saw us but came around quickly. He loved the swing again and he fell asleep in my arms. He is a very cuddly little boy and loves to be held. We fed him lunch which was basically spaghetti with meat sauce pureed, he loved it! Once he got to feel comfortable with us he gave out lots of smiles!
After our visit, we went to the Merkato market again which is the largest open air market in Africa. Our favourite cab driver Markos was again our tour guide (he's the best!) We bought Isaac a little traditional Ethiopian outfit which he is going to look so cute in. We also bought a few other souvenirs, we had a great time. We then headed over to Tomoca coffee where James bought 15 kilos of Ethiopia's best coffee and the three us enjoyed Addis' best machiato! Later that evening we decided to go to one of the best Italian restaurant in the city to celebrate (hopefully) our last night as just the two of us. The Italians once occupied Ethiopia so Italian food is quite common in the city. The restaurant was very nice and has been frequented many celebrities and world leaders. The food was good and the price came to a whopping $35 with tax and tip. Ethiopia is extremely cheap which is good for us!
Day 3: Tuesday May 10 (Gotcha Day!) The visa is in! We were so excited because we get to pick up Isaac today! We were picked up at 3pm by Solomon (the transition house driver). He took us to the grocery store to pick up some supplies we needed for Isaac such as formula, cereal, baby food etc. We then went to the agency office where we met Marta (the agency representative). We received Isaac's passport with his visa, his birth cerificate, and original adoption documents from court. We then headed over to the transition house to pick up Isaac. When we saw him this time he didn't act strange at all so he was more than willing to come with us. We couldn't believe this day had finally come and the whole thing seemed a little surreal. The caregivers said good bye to him which was hard for them because they became attached to him. We placed him in the baby bjorn carrier for his ride home and he really liked it. In the van on the way back to the hotel, he was so busy taking everything in around him. He was so cute! When we got back to the hotel, he was just a happy baby. He spent a lot of time playing and exploring his new environment. He adjusted very well and we had a great time with him. We gave him a bath and he absolutely loved it! He had no problem going to sleep at 8pm but he did wake up 3 times in the night but I was able to get him back to sleep quite quickly. Overall, our first night as parents was great and not too difficult but he just might be easing us in.
Day 1: Sunday May 8 (Mother's Day!) We got picked up at 10am by the transition house driver and he took us to go see Isaac. We went with another couple, John and Alicia, who were also visiting their son. We were so thrilled to finally be able to see Isaac again and for me it was even more special to have my son in my arms on Mother's Day. Isaac was shy at first but he came around very quickly. He really enjoyed swinging on the swing and it didn't take him long to fall asleep. We spent about 2 1/2 hrs with him and it was a really great visit. It was hard to leave but Isaac needs to adjust to us before we take him and we were also waiting for his visa to arrive.
We then had lunch at Lucy's and ate on the beautiful patio. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Sheraton just relaxing and swimming. Later that evening we went to a traditional Ethiopian cultural resaurant with our new friends John and Alicia. There was live Ethiopian dancing and the food was very good! It was a great first Mother's day being a mom!!
Day 2: Monday May 9: We were expecting Isaac's visa today but unfortunately the Canadian Embassy Visa Section in Ethiopia was closed so the adoption agency representative was unable to pick them up. We were disappointed but we had confidence that they were there and would be picked up on Tuesday. We got picked up today at 10am again to go see Isaac. Again he played a bit strange when he saw us but came around quickly. He loved the swing again and he fell asleep in my arms. He is a very cuddly little boy and loves to be held. We fed him lunch which was basically spaghetti with meat sauce pureed, he loved it! Once he got to feel comfortable with us he gave out lots of smiles!
After our visit, we went to the Merkato market again which is the largest open air market in Africa. Our favourite cab driver Markos was again our tour guide (he's the best!) We bought Isaac a little traditional Ethiopian outfit which he is going to look so cute in. We also bought a few other souvenirs, we had a great time. We then headed over to Tomoca coffee where James bought 15 kilos of Ethiopia's best coffee and the three us enjoyed Addis' best machiato! Later that evening we decided to go to one of the best Italian restaurant in the city to celebrate (hopefully) our last night as just the two of us. The Italians once occupied Ethiopia so Italian food is quite common in the city. The restaurant was very nice and has been frequented many celebrities and world leaders. The food was good and the price came to a whopping $35 with tax and tip. Ethiopia is extremely cheap which is good for us!
Day 3: Tuesday May 10 (Gotcha Day!) The visa is in! We were so excited because we get to pick up Isaac today! We were picked up at 3pm by Solomon (the transition house driver). He took us to the grocery store to pick up some supplies we needed for Isaac such as formula, cereal, baby food etc. We then went to the agency office where we met Marta (the agency representative). We received Isaac's passport with his visa, his birth cerificate, and original adoption documents from court. We then headed over to the transition house to pick up Isaac. When we saw him this time he didn't act strange at all so he was more than willing to come with us. We couldn't believe this day had finally come and the whole thing seemed a little surreal. The caregivers said good bye to him which was hard for them because they became attached to him. We placed him in the baby bjorn carrier for his ride home and he really liked it. In the van on the way back to the hotel, he was so busy taking everything in around him. He was so cute! When we got back to the hotel, he was just a happy baby. He spent a lot of time playing and exploring his new environment. He adjusted very well and we had a great time with him. We gave him a bath and he absolutely loved it! He had no problem going to sleep at 8pm but he did wake up 3 times in the night but I was able to get him back to sleep quite quickly. Overall, our first night as parents was great and not too difficult but he just might be easing us in.
Friday, May 06, 2011
We're off to get our son!!!!
Can't believe this day has finally come, it seems very surreal. We received confirmation from Canadian Immigration that Isaac's visa has been issued and is on the way to Ethiopia. It will arrive by Monday morning. We are leaving tonight and arrive in Addis at 9pm tomorrow. The flight is 20hrs including a 5hr layover in Frankfurt Germany.
We will need to transition Isaac a bit before we take him into our care. The plan is to visit with him at the transition house on Sunday (Mother's day), so he gets use to us. That's going to be a day I'll never forget! I just can't wait to hold him again! We will go back again on Monday and depending how comfortable he is with us we will take him with us that day or next. We miss him so much and it will be hard not to take him the very first day but the poor little guy has had so much change already in his very short life that we want to make this as easy for him as possible.
We will update the blog regularly while we are away so make sure you check in!
We will need to transition Isaac a bit before we take him into our care. The plan is to visit with him at the transition house on Sunday (Mother's day), so he gets use to us. That's going to be a day I'll never forget! I just can't wait to hold him again! We will go back again on Monday and depending how comfortable he is with us we will take him with us that day or next. We miss him so much and it will be hard not to take him the very first day but the poor little guy has had so much change already in his very short life that we want to make this as easy for him as possible.
We will update the blog regularly while we are away so make sure you check in!
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Update #3 and Last Day at Work!
We received an update on Isaac from the transition house yesterday. He is almost 10 months old and is changing so much! He weighs 9.2kg and is 73cm tall. He definitely is growing and we can't wait to see him! Mommy and Daddy are coming soon Isaac!
Today was my last day of work, yay! So I will be taking a year off. We booked flights to Ethiopia and we are leaving this Friday! It looks like I will be with my son for Mother's Day, so happy!
Today was my last day of work, yay! So I will be taking a year off. We booked flights to Ethiopia and we are leaving this Friday! It looks like I will be with my son for Mother's Day, so happy!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Isaac is Officially a Canadian!
For the past few weeks I have been trying to log on to the Canadian Immigration website to check the status of Isaac's citizenship but with no success. I spent some time on the phone with the call centre but no one could tell me why I was not able to view the status. Finally this evening I tried to log on and to my surprise I got in and this is what I saw:
We received your application for Canadian citizenship for a person adopted by a Canadian citizen (after February 14, 1977) - Part 2 Adoptee’s Application, on April 8, 2011
We received your application for Canadian citizenship for a person adopted by a Canadian citizen (after February 14, 1977) - Part 2 Adoptee’s Application, on April 8, 2011
The adopted person became a Canadian citizen on April 26, 2011.
Needless to say I did the biggest happy dance you have ever seen. I was expecting to see still "in progress" so I was totally shocked to see that our son had already been granted Canadian citizenship. Awesome! Now we just have to wait for the facilitation visa to be issued which should be soon. I hope to be able to be in Ethiopia and with my son for Mother's Day, that would be great!
Tonight our small group from church had a shower for us. It was great and we had a lot of fun! It was perfect timing since we just received the news of Isaac's citizenship just before we left the house so we had lots to celebrate! They are a great bunch of people and we appreciate all the support they have given us. One of the lady's seventeen year old son, Colin, made a beautiful cake for the occasion. He is very talented young man and this cake is amazing, it tasted great too!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Second Update: Chicken Pox but Still Smiling!
We got our second update from the Transition House in Ethiopia. Isaac is 81/2 months old and as you can see he has the chicken pox. It has been going around the transition house for the last couple months so it was just a matter of time before he got it. He certainly has a lot of spots even on the bottom of his feet but this doesn't stop this cutie from smiling. He gained 0.3kg in the past month and weighs 8kg now and he has grown 3cm which makes his height 73cm. It's nice to see him thriving and looking so healthy with exception of the chicken pox. We were also told that he goes to bed at 7pm but needs to be rocked to sleep and he wakes 2-3 times a night for a bottle (yikes, no wonder he's looking so healthy!) We can't wait to get him home, come on visa!
All our paper work arrived at the Canadian High Commission in Nairobi on March 9th. We are exactly 7 weeks and counting into the wait for the visa from our court date. We are hoping it comes within the next few weeks but there is no way of knowing. We are staying busy by getting all the projects done around the house because I'm sure our time will be limited once we finally get him home. We love you Isaac and can't wait to see you soon!
All our paper work arrived at the Canadian High Commission in Nairobi on March 9th. We are exactly 7 weeks and counting into the wait for the visa from our court date. We are hoping it comes within the next few weeks but there is no way of knowing. We are staying busy by getting all the projects done around the house because I'm sure our time will be limited once we finally get him home. We love you Isaac and can't wait to see you soon!
Monday, February 28, 2011
First Update...
We’ve been back for 2 weeks now, time is flying by. We received Isaac’s birth certificate last week. His name appears as Munir James Boyle and we are named as his parents. Seeing our names on his birth certificate made everything seem even more real to us. We can’t legally change his name to Isaac until he has lived in Ontario for 1 year. We also received the translated court decision documents that states that our adoption was approved and the file is officially closed! The last document we are waiting for is Isaac’s Ethiopian passport. Once we receive it, all the documents will be sent to the Canadian Immigration in Nairobi. We will then be waiting for his facilitation visa to be issued so he can enter Canada. We are hoping the timeline is still around 8 weeks from our court date but unfortunately the process is very unpredictable. Since Isaac will be entering Canada as a Canadian citizen, we will be able to apply for his Canadian passport right away.
We also received our first monthly update for Isaac from the transition home in Ethiopia. He will be 8 months on March 7, he weighs 7.7kg and his height is 70cm. He is in good health. Below are a couple updated pictures. We can’t believe how much he has changed in such a short time and it looks like he is being fed well! We miss him so much and can’t wait to see him again.
We also received our first monthly update for Isaac from the transition home in Ethiopia. He will be 8 months on March 7, he weighs 7.7kg and his height is 70cm. He is in good health. Below are a couple updated pictures. We can’t believe how much he has changed in such a short time and it looks like he is being fed well! We miss him so much and can’t wait to see him again.
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