Let’s see, what did I forget…

She does seem to really be potty trained. I have her in PullUps, but she either whines and points to it or whispers something I can’t understand, and then I take her to the potty. I did ask her a few times if she had to go and she shook her head “no”, and she hasn’t had any accidents. We’ll see how she does during the night (and I am not completely convinced yet, as I know the back of her dress was wet when we first got to AHOPE.)

She is a peanut…we had a waitress try to bring her an infant high chair (she wasn’t buying that). Quite a few Ethiopians have asked if she is a boy (I am sure because of her hair). However, short hair or not, you’d think that the pink dress, pink and purple sweater, pink tights and pink and white sneakers MIGHT tip them off that she is indeed, a girl.

She is not letting Josh hold her more than to move her from point A to point B (especially if point B is me), but she is laughing and playing with him lots…even feeding him and letting him tickle her. So she is doing a lot better with that than Amanda did. It will be no time at all before she is all over him too. She is doing so much better than we expected at this point. She is definitely a bit shell-shocked and is just starting a huge adjustment, but she is such a sweetheart and so much fun.

She is a lover…someone has loved her. She knows what a mom is and what a mom is for, and she knows she wants one.

Tomorrow we are taking her to the doctor in the morning. She has a nasty cough on and off, and we want to have it checked (also, we want to get all of her medical records).

We’re hoping to go visit Wanna and Layla tomorrow or Wednesday and hopefully back to AHOPE too. I am not completely sure though…I worry about upsetting her by going back there…At least Josh will be going back though to bring donations and take pictures.

I do love this place. I love the people. I love the sounds and the smells (most of them anyway) and the food. I love how friendly and kind everyone is…how beautiful they are. It is an inspiring place.

Oh, and a waiver update. Keep praying. Our Senator’s office emailed over the weekend and got a response that as of then, they had not received our waiver. Interesting, since I have a DHL tracking number showing that it was signed for on Oct. 11. It was pointed out that it had been delivered, and then all of a sudden the officer was willing to go in on her day off and “look for it”. She did say she could get it done within 24 hours, but then we would have “courier time” and of course…say it with me everybody…tomorrow is a holiday. (Well, in Ethiopia the holiday was today…in Kenya it is tomorrow). So, if she did indeed go in on her day off on Monday as she told the Senator she would and got it done and in the mail, it is possible we will still be leaving on Wednesday evening as we have planned. It is also possible we will have to stay an extra business day or two to get it all finished. But the good news is, either way, we won’t be stuck here for a long period of time, and things are finally moving (again.)

Can I say again how frustrating it is that a process that could easily have been done in 3 weeks or less is on week six because people don’t care enough to do their jobs?? (since it is my blog, yes, I can say it again). :)

Seriously…at least a week has been added to every “leg” of this waiver process because of “oversight”.

Anyway, that is all for now. I am off to bed. Hi to all at home…all of you that have my kids, please give them hugs and kisses for me and tell them that Belane loves to look at their pictures.

Thanks so much to all of you that have taken the time to post on the “Dear Belane” post. If you’re reading this and haven’t yet left Belane a message, please go back to that post and do it. :)

More soon!