UKEA Meeting (Sunday 31st May)

We again had a quiet morning just lazing around at the Guest House, enjoying learning about our gorgeous new daughter/sister.  Then at lunchtime we walked over to Kaldi's to meet up with three other UK families that are in Addis on either their first or second trips for their adoptions.  We were the first to arrive and pulled two tables together so that we would hopefully all have somewhere to sit together.  We ordered drinks while we were waiting, and didn't wait long before the first couple B&M arrived.  I had been in touch with them before they flew out and they had brought emergency supplies of Sudocreme - thank you sooooooooo much.  We had brought a travel size tub and we were almost to the bottom of it, so the new GIANT tub was very much appreciated :-)  Also very much appreciated was the lovely gift of a pair of hand knitted booties in the style of little shoes with straps, they are gorgeous :-)  Soon afterwards another of the families arrived and then there was a phone call from the last family asking where we all were, we had forgotten when we made the arrangements that there are quite a few different branches of Kaldi's dotted around the city!!  Luckily Mr Messy knew which one they were at and was able to direct them to the one we were all at, and they arrived not long afterwards.  We had a great few hours talking and comparing notes on each of our processes so far!!  And of course we showed off our new little one, as we are the only family that has (so far) been through Court and got custody of our child.  When we had (finally lol) finished chatting the other families all decided to go to Shromayda weaving co-operative and sovenier market.  By this time Little Prince wasn't coping and was very hyped up about new baby getting all the attention and having to sit still for so long, so we decided to miss this trip (although I would have loved to have gone) and take him back to the Guest House for some quiet, calming down time.  The trouble is no one had told the Guest House Manager that Little Prince needed to calm down and he proceeded to provoke and encourage Little Prince to get more and more naughty all afternoon/evening!  It didn't seem to matter how many times I told the Manager to stop, he wouldn't and it was getting very aggravating!!!  Eventually we managed to get Little Prince in bed and settled down, and hopefully tomorrow will be a calmer day!!! 

 

During the afternoon Mr Messy managed to squeeze in a mini photoshoot with the American couple and their new child.  He will process the pictures once we get home and we have a note of the familiy's address to post them a CD of all the photos once they are ready.  Sadly it was the family's last day in Addis and so they spent the rest of the afternoon packing ready to leave.  Then at 6pm the wife announced she was going to go over to the Boston Day Spa to have her hair done before flying!!  So the husband finished packing and getting him and thier new baby ready.  At about 7pm their driver arrived to go collect the family and take them to the airport (via the Spa to pick the Mum up).  It was quite sad seeing them go as they are a lovely couple and their new child is gorgeous and watching baby's personality emerge from the scared shut down child she had been the day baby arrived, to the happy smiley child that left was nothing short of miraculous.  We wish them all the best as for that long journey home and for their new life as a family of five (they had two young other young children who didn't travel with them).

 

Me and Mr Messy stayed up to give new baby her last bottle before going to bed.  Which meant we met the newest Guests, another American family.  Unfortunately the Mum of this family had been violently ill on the journey to Addis and was feeling very much the worse for wear when she arrived.  Although she was full of praise for the way their airline had helped them and whisked them through Customs at the Airport and straight to a doctor, where she had an injection that made her feel much better.  Despite their late arrival they ordered food and as we were still waiting for new baby to wake up for her last bottle, we got chatting.  We couldn't believe it when they told us where they live!!  CABBAGE QUEEN - they live in the South part of your city home!!!!  We discussed different Malls and places we were both familiar with, and were all blown away by the coincidence!!!  It definitely IS a Small World!!!!