Happy Anniversary

January 21, 2008, was the first time I met Welansa. Happy 2nd Year Anniversary.

Be Careful What You Wish For

On Tuesday evening after Welansa’s bath and getting her hair “did” I told her she would sleep with mommy tonight. She was super excited because co-sleeping is reserved for the weekends only. I average five hours of sleep per night. I need the five hours to be uninterrupted. I can’t tell you the number of times I have awaken with a foot or arm in my face. So co-sleeping is reserved for the weekends.

As soon as we got in the bed she said to me “mommy lay on me”. What she really meant was “mommy I lay one you”. Ever since Welansa was a little baby I would place her on my chest so she could hear my heartbeat as she feel asleep. I think she is getting too big to lie on top of mommy but I don’t have the heart to tell her no.

As she listened to my heartbeat I described to her what would happen tomorrow. I whispered in her ear and told her that she would be going to Grandma’s house for a couple of hours. Then I would pick her and grandma up and take them to the train station. I asked her to make the sound of a train. I then told her that she would spend sometime on the train playing with her toys and eating lots of snacks. At around 9pm she would fall asleep and when she woke up she would be in Atlanta, GA. Her uncle John would pick her up from the train station and take her to his house where she would see her auntie Akilah, her five cousins (John Jr. , Charles, Akil, Amir, and Asan), the dog (Rocky) and the cat (Yankee). I told her she would be gone for TWO WEEKS and that I loved her dearly, would never forget about her, and we would see each other soon. I gave her 3 kisses the Ethiopian way and we went to sleep.

Welansa is in Atlanta with my mother for two weeks. A couple of months ago I wished she could spend a week in GA with my brother and his family. However, things did not work out. I was told on Monday that my mother would be going to Atlanta on Wednesday and she wanted to take Welansa. My heart started racing, I started sweating underneath my arms and the room began to spin. Two weeks. That’s a long time. In my mind I knew that she would have a great time with her cousins and this would be the beginning of her forming a really close relationship with her uncle. As it stands he is the closest male figure in her life.

In my heart I knew I would miss her dearly. I am doing well. I have only cried twice and I am using my time wisely. I am taking care of myself and giving my apartment a good “winter” cleaning.

Praying for Haiti

Please keep all of the people affected by the earthquake in Haiti in your PRAYERS. I was reminded again today to shut up and stop complaining. I am so blessed. Someone in Haiti just lost a son, a daughter, a mother, a father, an aunt, an uncle, a cousin and a friend. Someone just lost their home, their job, or may be in need of medical assistance.

Today I contacted my friends who may have been affected by earthquake. Milian was an older gentleman who worked in my Department for a number of years. He was forced out of Haiti because of his political beliefs but continues to travel back and fourth to help those less fortunate in his country. His family in Haiti are fine but he can’t reach his childhood friend and part of his home collapsed.

Welansa and I went to check on the neighbors the Bobo’s. When the weather is nice Mrs. Bobo meets Welansa outside and walks her to the car. She loves Welansa dearly. All of her family members are fine.

My sister’s neighborhood has a high population of Haitians. When Welansa is outside in the yard she loves to greet people as they walk by. Tonight I can hear some of the Haitian neighbors speaking to Welansa with their French accents. “Hello darling have a good day”. I hope and pray the neighbors loved one are okay.

The Earthquake affected 1 out of every 3 people in Haiti.

HAITI YOU ARE IN MY PRAYERS

Mommy & Me Swim, Two Piece, & “AE” Herbal Tea

“It” had been on my task list long enough. The “it” was enrolling Welansa and I in a “Mommy & Me Swim Class”. I had my reasons for delaying the enrollment. The class starts at 8:30am on a Saturday morning (way to early for me) and who wants to go swimming and then afterwards step out into 30-degree weather (surely not me). Lately, Welansa has been all over the place so I figured the swim class which has a 30 minute gym session afterward would help her channel some of that energy in a more positive direction.

I enrolled in the class this week only to have a “light bulb” moment. I have never seen any of the mommy’s wearing a two-piece bathing suit in the class. Oh no. I don’t have a one-piece bathing suit. That’s right I said it. I still wear and love my two-piece bathing suits. Some are more scandalous than others. So now I have to find a one-piece bathing suit.

Now where does the “AE” herbal tea come into play? After I had Welansa, women would approach me and want to know my “secret”. “What secret? ” They wanted to know how I lost so much weight after “having” Welansa. According to them everything was where it should be, my stomach was still flat, and I still had my coke bottle figure. My response was an “AE” herbal tea I purchased from the health food store. I didn’t want to lie but I didn’t want to tell the entire truth. After all I don’t have to share how Welansa and I became a family to every stranger on the street.

AE herbal tea is not really a tea but a culmination of paperwork, money, emotions, and the greatest gift God could ever give me, Welansa. “AE” is ADOPTION ETHIOPIA. The adoption process kept me slim in trim between waiting, worrying, preparing, planning, decorating, shopping and all the other things associated with adoption I ate less or at times over ate. Most of the times I ate less but there were times when Chocolate Hagen Daz ice cream, puffy cheese doodles, Pepsi and I met in the kitchen for a late night rendezvous. One of the best things about adoption is the ability to keep everything tight and standing upright.

Well gotta go get me a one piece. But thank God for “AE” herbal tea, I can still wear my two-piece if I want to.

Grandma's Love/Happy Birthday

Only a Grandmother Would:


Watch Welansa from 7:15am – 7pm. While I am at work I have no worries about who is watching my child and what she is doing. I know she is safe, loved, spoiled, and well taken care of.

Purchase ALL of Welansa’s clothes once I got my referral. Everything from head to toe, barrettes and shoes included.

Organize all of her clothes before I left for Ethiopia. She was so meticulous about everything.

Make headbands because my girl did not have enough hair for barrettes. And my mother hand washed all of them when that got dirty

Make hand made hair bows. She loves to see little girls with pretty bows in their hair. My mother had never made a bow before but she learned. Welansa has all different colors. And my mother hand washes all of them when they get dirty.

Stay with me for 2 weeks after I returned from Ethiopia. She wanted to bond with Welansa and give me an opportunity to rest.

Takes care of Welansa even though she spends a lot of time in pain (degenerative arthritis). Her daily prayer is to give her the strength to take care of Welansa. I have tried to make other daycare arrangements but my mother is not having it.

Convert the porch area into Welansa’s play/learning room. The room is decorated with all types of educational posters, toys, games, etc. She spares no expense when it comes to purchasing learning material.

Take her passion for learning and education and TEACH my daughter. Welansa knows almost every fruit, counts to 20, knows her ABC’s, can receipt almost 12 Nursery Rhymes, recognizes almost all of letters, knows a lot of her shapes, etc, etc.

Remove the hem from 10 pair of pants for Welansa. These were the same pants my mother so graciously hemmed without a sewing machine 7 months ago. Not only did she take the hem out but she ironed out the crease and used spray starch. I had not idea people still use starch.

Purchase all of Welansa’s church clothes including the patent leather shoes and Rothschild coat. My mother loves taking Welansa to church. She wants her to look a certain way. The other day my mother told me to go upstairs and pick out a dress for Welansa. I opened the closet door and found several dresses and all of the dresses had a matching sweater, socks, and hair bow.

Be so supportive of me being a single mom. From day one my mother told me that on the days she baby sits I don’t have to dress Welansa or pack her breakfast or lunch. She will take care of it. Rarely have I taken her up on her offer because I like dressing Welansa in the morning. But it is a testament to her never-ending support.

Offers her time, energy, and support if she senses I am stressed out and feeling tired.

The list could go on and on. The reality is parenting is a little easier because I have my mom’s support. She loves Welansa to the core. Welansa is her only granddaughter and the only grandchild she sees often.

On January 7th, 60 something years ago God created an awesome mother and grandmother. Mommy thanks for EVERYTHING and Happy Birthday.