Sammy's introduction to the potty!!

******Rules to follow******
(for mommy and daddy Bailey)
don't expect to get anything else done
roll up the rugs
have plenty of m&m's on hand
washer must be running at all times
have plenty of rags and cleaner in every room
throw a poopy party- complete with a poopy present
be very excited about every little drop of pee
expect to find "presents around the house"
DON'T GIVE UP

Lincoln's First Day of Pre-School

Lincoln has been anxious for this day. Last year when Isaac rode the bus to speech, Lincoln stated he was six, and it was time for him to ride the bus. So, if he was six last year, that puts him this year as an eight year old going to pre-school. He ran up to the school door, showed me where his class was, and that was that. He was VERY VERY ready to go to pre-school. Here are some cute pics!

Off to school

So this is what it feels like to have my first born off to school. I woke Isaac at 7 this morning. He usually sleeps until 8!! But he woke with a shot, excited that today was Kindergarten. The WHOLE family hopped in the car, and we headed to Rockridge. It is a quaint little school, nestled under hawks ridge and is just for Kindergarten and First grade. Mrs. Baker met him at the door, he hung his coat up, put his gym shoes away, and found his seat. And that was that! He was definently ready for school. As we were walking up to the school he said, "Can I walk in the door by myself?" He is enrolled in the all day Kindergarten, from 8:05- 2:45. He will be so exhausted these first few weeks.
Lincoln is at a loss this morning. He has asked me to play trains with him a dozen times. Isaac and Lincoln got to be excellent playmates this summer. Lincoln will be off to pre-school next week at the same little school. He will go Tues, Wed, and Thurs, mornings. I will blog next week with Lincoln's school pictures.

It all began with....

TWO- individuals who came together as one.
A POST about the two of us.

Last night, Nathanael and I drove to the cities for his 10 year high school reunion. My parents came over from the cabin and generously offered to watch all four kids. We don't often get so dressed up, so we snapped a quick picture before walking out the door.

So... when becoming a parent you become selfless, but you don't want to loss yourself. You may ask, what have these selves been up to lately? Through the chaos of four children, surprisingly we have had some wonderful time together as a couple. We spend time chatting on the couch, having friends and family over, watching movies. It seems our relationship has a renewed sense of humor, which is a MUST in our crazy house.
Nathanael was recently promoted to foreman of his shop. This means he continues to work on cars, but also is the leader and trainer in the back of the shop. Every Thursday morning he meets with a group of good friends for breakfast and accountability. He also has been running the sound equipment at church a couple of times a month. This is something Nathanael loves to do, and does and excellent job.

My sanity lately has been grounded by a few activities- baking and music. I have gotten into homemade breads- yummy!!! Two weeks ago I bought a new guitar, and I should have it any day. I play piano and guitar often, the kids love it. Writing music also is a great creative outlet for me. There is just something special about singing and playing a song no one else knows - especially as a praise to my heavenly father.
So that's the TWO of us lately- catch you at the next blog.

Amilia's ONE

It's hard to believe that yesterday, August 16, Amilia turned one. Since we have only had her for 3 months, it seemed so strange. We have a quiet day at home. We grilled dinner and had strawberry shortcake. Amilia would have NOTHING to do with her cake. No fun messes to take pictures of- oh well, we already have plenty of those. She is cruising along furniture, and crawling very fast.
Our hard wood floors are finished, but our kitchen is still under constuction. That project has been put on hold because some friends of ours gave us a nice wooden playground. So we have been landscaping our backyard to make room for it. It is now up and completed. We had a HUGE load of wood chips dumped in our driveway. The boys had LOTS of fun climbing and slidding down that. YES- slidding down a pile of woodchips!! Can you say- SPLINTERS IN THEIR CUT LITTLE BOTTOMS!!!

What does 5 days with 4 kids equal?
NEW HARDWOOD FLOORS!!!!
Back in May we had quite a hail storm here- golf ball size hail!! Our window trim had minor damage, but the insurance company sent us a major check!! After living with CARPET in the KITCHEN for three years we decided to use some of our insurance money and refinish our hard wood. Nathanael tore up carpet, 2 layers of linolum and pine hard wood before he got to the sub floor. Over the weekend Nathanael and I installed oak hardwood in the kitchen. Here are some pictures of our progress. The boys enjoyed sitting on the counter and watching Nathanael rip up the floor. We moved most of our furniture out to the garage, but the we weren't about to move the piano out of the house. It didn't make it around the corner to the living room, so it has taken up residence in the bathroom. HEE!!! HEE!!!

Sorry so long...

since I have blogged!!! I have heard that there are many of you that still check our blog often! We are definitely settling into life with four children. Amilia is doing so well. She has been battling a double ear infection since coming home. We just finished our second dose of Antibiotic and have a recheck next week. The boys are loving their new sister. Before traveling to Africa, I was worried about how they would adjust. Isaac would say often, "I just want is to be three boys, and mom and dad." Today he told me, "I love my new baby sister!" They are very sweet with her, and she has gotten used to the amount of action around the house. When we first came home, she would get freaked out by the noise and activity level, now she is joining right in!!! Nathanael and I are missing the sweet coos and talking we first heard from Amilia. Now she grunts and sounds just like Sammy!! (Sammy still grunts and doesn't say much, even though just turned two!!)

Tonight we had a photo shoot in the backyard!
We actually got some adorable pictures of them all together! It is quite a trick to get everyone to smile and look at the camera! Ages for these pictures- Isaac 5 1/2- Lincoln 4 1/2 -Sammy 2 - Amilia 9 months.

Amilia has adjusted so well. When in Africa she learned how to sit up by herself, and just yesterday she began to crawl on all fours!!! She doesn't go very far yet- but it will be soon enough. She is also doing a great job at feeding herself. She hadn't ever until arriving home, and now she is a pro!! She doesn't have any teeth yet - but she can gum a lot of it. It is taking some time to attach to us. Obviously, she prefers me to Nathanael, just because I am always with her. She is waking up in the middle of the night to eat, which she NEVER did at the care center! Needless to say, Nathanael and I are getting anxious for her to sleep through the night!!! The middle of the night feedings, and our American food has helped Amilia to gain 3 pounds since coming home!!! She is still tiny compared to other American babies, but we are happy with the progress!

Hope you enjoy the pictures!!!

Out of the fog.....

And into reality!!!
**** Note- I started this blog on Thursday night, but didn't get to posting it until Saturday-
Today was the first morning that I had all four children to myself. I told Nathanael, "I bet you are excited to get back to work!!! HEE HEE!!!" He said no, of course. At one point yesterday,
Amilia was crying because she was tired, Isaac was chasing after the cat who had gotten outside, Sammy was throwing a fit because he didn't want his boots on, and Lincoln.... hummm... I don't recall what he was up too. But at that point I was thinking, what have I gotten myself into!! Can I really handle all four? Well, I made it through day one, and we are all in one piece. Amilia has started to cry a bit more, especially when she is hungry and tired. She has learnded to cry when she is hungry, which is great thing!! For the first couple of days we didn't know when she was hungry because she never cried.
***** Now it is Saturday, and there is never a dull moment at the Bailey's.. Yesterday morning I took Amilia to the doctor for her one hour appointment. The boys stayed with grandma at home, which was a good thing. We arrived at 8:45, and didn't get home until 12:30. Amilia was very well taken care of, and that was evident to the doctor. Although, he did find a double ear infection and ringworm on her scalp. The ringworm sounds worse than it is. It is just a fungus and we put lotion on it for the next 6 weeks. Then She got 4 shots, and had to get 11 viles of blood drawn for extensive testing. Well, lets just say it is the worst experience that I have ever had at the doctor. They couldn't find a vein in her tiny arm- so after 1 hour and 15 minutes of crying, we finally called it quits. We only got 5 viles of blood drawn, and I have to go back in on Monday to finish. The poor thing had a fever and slept the rest of the day. What a welcome to America!!!

She's almost home!!!!

Well, it is hard to believe, but we finally made it home! Well- almost!!! We flew in last night, and stayed in White Bear Lake before heading home to Duluth. Nathanael, Amilia, and I have some wicked jet lag. I will post our trip in more detail later, but I wanted to post a picture of our newest addition. She is wonderful!!!

Heading Home Tomorrow

Hey everyone

It still amazes me that with a click of a button, you all
can get this email half way accross the world. Today is Thursday, 5 pm our
time, 9 am for you all- we have a a great couple of days. We went to
the Crown hotel two nights ago for traditional cusine- injera and wot(stews and
large round flat pancakes). It was ok- but we have loved the food made
by the cooks at the guest house. The traditonal song and dance was
amazing!!

Amilia is doing so well. She slept through the night again, and is
always smiling and happy. She is know at the care center to always be happy
and contented!!! We are so thankful she is such an easy going baby. She
will fit right in with the chaos.

Everyone here is so nice!!! The driving is crazy- cars, goats, people, donkeys, horses, and cows share the streets. But we have not seen one accident. On the walk to the care center we pass the goats being slaughtered on the corner. It is amazing what you get used to so quickly. It doesn't bother us at all anymore. The food is all organic and fresh- delicious, but we have to be careful what we eat.

Our ride is here to take us back to the guest house, so the next time I
write, I will attach pictures of our Amilia- she is absolutly wonderful!!!
love you all, Anna

We're in Ethiopia!!!

Hello. This is Erin posting for Anna and Nathanael.

We arrived in Ethiopia and met Amilia yesterday. She is very beautiful, healthy, and thriving. We had her with us for about 3 hours. She is also extremely active and crawling already! We were happy that she didn't cry when we held her and that we were able to get her giggling. When we don't have her she is well taken care of by loving nannies at the care center.

Today we took an eight hour trip south to meet Amilia's birthfamily. We spoke with them for 1/2 an hour and took a couple of pictures. We are so thankful that we had this experience and will be able to share it with Amilia when she is older. The people of Ethiopia have been kind to us. We are amazed at how gracious everyone has been even though so many live in extreme poverty.

Back to Erin: At this point, Anna's phone minutes ran out. She was calling from a roof top. We cannot wait for them to come home and to finally meet precious Amilia. We know that you are all excited as well.

The boys are enjoying their time at Grandma and Grandpa's house. They are keeping us all very busy! My parents took them to the cabin this weekend. They will be going to Grandpa and Grandma Bailey's house on Tuesday.

The Storm... before the calm

Believe it or not, I am throughly looking forward to the day long journey to Amilia. Sittting on the plane sipping pop, reading books, and snoozing sounds wonderful to me. The last week has been a whirl-wind. Our packing list has gone from 4 pages to 1/2 page. The donations for the school in Ethiopia were bought and packed. OUr boys are ready to go!! (not with us of course, but to grandma and grandpas house) The paperwork is completed. Our house is somewhat clean. The last minute errnads have been made. The wash is caught up. Sheets are fresh. Our fridge is empty. (hum- that reminds me- what's for dinner- ????- how abount pancakes)
The picture posted here was just taken on monday. We are bringing it framed to the birth mother. It is crazy that everyone is smiling and looking at the camera- This has never happened before.
I am really starting to ache for Amilia- it is so close and I just want to hold her.
Thanks so much for your support and prayers! We love you all!

SO SOON....... IN MY ARMS

We just received our birth certificate for Amilia. This is the photo on it. She has hair now, and the most beautiful eyes! In two short days we will begin our journey to her. We also got an updated weight and height. 13.2 pounds and 25 inches. She is rolling over, and scooting!! I have got to get Isaac from school, but I will post more later today!

Travel Details

Hey everyone!!! The last two days have been a blur. We have so much to get done. We booked our flight today, but not without a little scare. We were put on a wiat list for our flight home- and didn't get a confirmed flight until today! We fly out of MSP on Thursday night at 6:50 and arrive in D.C. around ten. We will stay over night there, and then take a direct flight on Ethiopia Airlines Friday morning at 9:45. We will arrrive in Addis Ababa 8;15 am their time. We stop in Rome for fuel, but we don't get off the plane. Bummer!! I think they are 8 hours ahead of us. We we arrive at the airport, we will apply for our Visa's- and someone from the orphange will be their to pick us up. We will meet Amilia sometime on Saturday. On Sunday we get to travel to her birthland and possibly meet her birth mother and some other relatives. WOW!!!! Aside from meeting Amilia, this is what I am most excited for. I am not quite sure what we will be doing the rest of the week. One day we have to go to the Embassy and present some paperwork for Amilia's Visa. I think we will also go shopping sometime during the week. Amilia will be in our care from the beginning of the week on. They really bundle the babies there - even though it is very warm. Here are some pictures I found on-line-
Thanks everyone who has leaft comments- I love to know who is reading these posts!!

10 days until.....

We can hardly believe it, but it is a mere 10 days until we are on are way to Ethiopia to pick up Amilia. Today Nathanael received a phone call from agency around noon. Our adoption went through the courts with no delays. We were not expecting a phone call for awhile still. At the very earliest we were hoping for was the second week of May. I was gone all morning long, and didn't even have the cell phone on to receive a call. We were totally shocked.
So the next 10 days will be a whirlwind. We have to finish the last set of paperwork to obtain her Visa. Along with packing and getting the house organized. We will be heading down to the cities next Thursday morning. The children aren't traveling with us. Both sets of grandparents are taking care of them. We fly out of MSP at 6:45 on Thursday, April 26th, and arrive in D.C. where we will stay the night. Friday morning we are flying Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Abba, the capital city. We stop in Rome for fuel, but don't get off the plane. BUMMER!!!
We haven't gotten any new information about her, we still are looking at the same pictures. We are thinking she will be around 12 pounds (pretty tiny for 8 months.) In her referral picture (the one posted here) she doesn't have any hair. We think they shaved her head when she came to the orphanage for sanitary reasons. I hope we will recognize her when we see her!!!
I will post more later about the detail of our trip.

Amilia Abera Leigh Bailey's Nursery

So after a week long search for the perfect name for our baby girl- we have finally decided. It is Amilia Abera Leigh Bailey, and we will probably call her Lia. Whew- it feels good to have that decided. It has consumed my thoughts for the last week. Lia is african and means, bringer of the gospel.

Ok, so this is my first girl! I have been dreaming about decorating her nursery for five years. I started with one adorable crib bumper from pottery barn (clearance of course:)) and let my imagination run wild. Here are some pictures of the finished product.

The picture on the wall is in her native language and says "Praise God."

Degensh Abera

Last Tuesday, March 6th, I received the best phone call of my life. I had just finished painting our new babies room and was cleaning the brushes in the basement when the phone rang. It was our social worker!!! Let's just say she heard an earful. I screamed!!! It took awhile for me to calm down and let her tell me about our little Degenesh Abera. She was born on August 16th (my Grandma Tschetters birthday). Her mother relinquished her on February 15th. At that time she weighed 11.5 pounds and was 24 inches long. She is under the 3rd percentile for her height and weight. When taken into care she had pnemonia, but is now healthy. I wish that I could post a picture of her on the blog, but I can't yet because she isn't legally ours. Let's just say she is adorable. She has big brown eyes, beautiful dark skin, and no hair. :):) I think they shaved her head when she came to the orphanage.

The wait to travel is 8-12 weeks, so with one week down, we are getting busy!!! We will get 1-3 weeks notice before we leave. In preparation for our trip we got our travel shots on Friday. OUCH!!! I got six shots, and Nathanael got five!!! So if anyone needs an international travel companion for the next 10 years, our shots our taken care of!! Let's see- there was the flu shot, Hep A, yellow fever, meningitis, tetnus, polio!!!! And lets not forget the Malaria Medicine and antibiotic for diarrhea. And tomorrow we will start our live Typhoid pill vaccine.

Since things have really started moving on the adoption front, I will be posting more often.
Thanks all for going on this journey with us!!! We love you all!!!

Let's Catch Up!

Happy New Year! Wow- have we ever had a busy last month and a half. Apologies to those who check the blog often- I haven't had a lot of extra time to post. One of the main reasons for the delay was Nathanael was scheduled for a double hernia surgery on the 20th- but instead of just 2 hernias, the surgeon found 4! So, for about three weeks we were taking care of him!!
Two days before the surgery Isaac celebrated his 5th Birthday. And the best news of the season, Henry our Nephew arrived from Guatamala. I will dedicate a whole post to that wonderful news.
Then there was Christmas- we were crazy and went down to the Twin Cities to be with our families. Nathanael was a trooper, but still in a lot of pain. The day after Christmas, Nathanael needed a refill on pain meds, and the process of calling it in and dealing with the pharmacy took almost all day. So the girls decided to waste the extra time and go shopping.
Hope you had a great Christmas and New Year!!!