Today, Adam ran to me saying "Mama, mama!" This was music to my ears. I had arrived at Amani by taxi, was exiting the car when I turned to see Adam running towards me saying that one word that means the world to any mother. Now, he still calls me "Auntie", and sometimes "Mama Auntie" or some variation, but progress is being made, and that is all I could ask for.
Yesterday a fun afternoon was had by Tom, Hunter, Adam and I. We took a 1 hour boat tour around the Nile river and Lake Victoria. We got to see some pretty awesome birds, a very large lizard, a couple monkeys (from kind of far away) and a small monument which is right where the Source of the Nile is located.
I was really really excited to see a "Weaver bird". Do you know what this bird does? I am not a bird fanatic I assure you, I only know of this bird because my son Jay and I learned about "nests" last year. Okay, this very small, yellow bird is called a "weaver bird" because it "weaves" small twigs, blades of grass, etc. . together making a hollow, woven, ball-shaped nest. The bird leaves a small hole located at the bottom of the "ball" as to disuade snakes and other predators. The Lord gave these guys smarts I'm telling you. This woven nest dangles from tree branches--there were TONS of these nests dangling over TONS of trees. I took pictures. I can't wait to show Jay.
Today we went to Bujigali Falls. I am probably mispelling that horribly. Anyway, they were very powerful looking and beautiful. What was actually pretty neat was that there were only a few signs depicting skull and cross bones saying that you shouldn't go beyond a certain point or you may die. It was refreshing to see nature in its nakedness. I don't like it when the minority of stupid people doing stupid things dictate how the rest of the normal majority lives. I think in America so much of our life is like bumper bowling. Personal responsibility is a good thing and keeps us on our toes! Too many warning signs can clutter the view of living.
Tomorrow will be a full day of babies. Tom and I have relocated to the baby cottage itself! Upstairs there is a nice living space, complete with little kitchen, bathrooms, bunks, a TV for dvds and even a computer--slow, and often not working computer, but a computer just the same.
Thanks for your prayers! Love you lots my sweet family. =)
8.29.2008
8.27.2008
PINEAPPLES ARE THE BEST!!!
Hello family and friends,
Yesterday Tom and I took the boys to the Doctor in Kampala. This was their second, and final visit. He basically checked their "blue medical books" and made sure everything looked okay. It did, and we were grateful.
We were able to make it to the court house for Tom to listen to the judge read her positive ruling! Tom's case has been fast thus far and what a blessing! Court on Fri, ruling on Tues, and a written on Wed. Amazing!
The lawyer told me not to worry about the additional paperwork my judge wanted. He is new to these cases and was not understanding the process fully and he has since been made aware of what the process actually entails, apparently. He is a man who does what he says, according to track record, and the lawyers have no reason to think he will give anything other than a positive ruling 1 week from today. Good news indeed. So we wait for Wednesday!
We were able to make our way around Kampala to familiarize ourselves with where we will be needing to go for the next steps. Commissioner of Gender's office, Immigration, US Embassy.
Today I played with Adam and put him down for his nap. . . he did not like that! He seems to think that because I am there he can sometimes get away with not exactly following "routine". I have to admit, it is kind of funny to see his little face looking at me expectantly, like when he's eating his lunch, going potty, getting washed off, etc. It's like, "look, you say you're my mom and then you just let them do these things to me, what's up with this?"
ALL the children are super obedient kids. They have their moments of crying, but it's usually because they want to be held, or maybe another toddler took a toy away from them. But they KNOW what is expected of them and they follow their routine completely, it's amazing.
Today we went to an actual sandwich shop where they made smoothies and sandwiches (obviously), in Jinja. It was YUMMY! Put 'Blenders' to shame I have to say. The pineapples here are out of this world!!! I wish I could bring home my very own pineapple bush. Do pineapples grown on bushes? I have no idea. . . how sad is that.
Love to you all!!!!
Yesterday Tom and I took the boys to the Doctor in Kampala. This was their second, and final visit. He basically checked their "blue medical books" and made sure everything looked okay. It did, and we were grateful.
We were able to make it to the court house for Tom to listen to the judge read her positive ruling! Tom's case has been fast thus far and what a blessing! Court on Fri, ruling on Tues, and a written on Wed. Amazing!
The lawyer told me not to worry about the additional paperwork my judge wanted. He is new to these cases and was not understanding the process fully and he has since been made aware of what the process actually entails, apparently. He is a man who does what he says, according to track record, and the lawyers have no reason to think he will give anything other than a positive ruling 1 week from today. Good news indeed. So we wait for Wednesday!
We were able to make our way around Kampala to familiarize ourselves with where we will be needing to go for the next steps. Commissioner of Gender's office, Immigration, US Embassy.
Today I played with Adam and put him down for his nap. . . he did not like that! He seems to think that because I am there he can sometimes get away with not exactly following "routine". I have to admit, it is kind of funny to see his little face looking at me expectantly, like when he's eating his lunch, going potty, getting washed off, etc. It's like, "look, you say you're my mom and then you just let them do these things to me, what's up with this?"
ALL the children are super obedient kids. They have their moments of crying, but it's usually because they want to be held, or maybe another toddler took a toy away from them. But they KNOW what is expected of them and they follow their routine completely, it's amazing.
Today we went to an actual sandwich shop where they made smoothies and sandwiches (obviously), in Jinja. It was YUMMY! Put 'Blenders' to shame I have to say. The pineapples here are out of this world!!! I wish I could bring home my very own pineapple bush. Do pineapples grown on bushes? I have no idea. . . how sad is that.
Love to you all!!!!
8.24.2008
Ruling on Sept. 3rd?
Hello from the Hurleys once again,
Here and the internet cafe are the only places we can get any internet access, so communication has been slow in coming!
Our court hearing went pretty well. Our judge said he would give us a ruling Wed, Sept. 3rd. This is a good thing! I am always hesitant to jump for joy though, only because we are in a foreign country after all, and anything can happen.
Adam was a trooper and did great, not making a peep the entire time...snacks help that way.
The judge did ask me a few questions and spoke with our lawyer about our paperwork. When Aaron was in Uganda 4 months ago he gained foster custody of Adam. Our application to foster had been approved and we were given a stamp and signature indicating as much. However, the judge asked, "what was the result of the application?". Our lawyer Sam said, "it was approved".
Basically, the paperwork we already possess is enough to satisfy anyone that we have been approved to foster, but our judge wants to see another piece of paper indicating this. This paper does not exist.
Sam will speak with the judge on Monday, the 25th and we pray the judge will be satisfied with what he's got.
Once we get a written ruling we can move forward. Ugandan passport for Adam must be obtained, as well as a Visa. Sounds easy enough, but not so. Please pray that ALL the people who need to be in their offices would be, and that they would see the joy in efficiency. =)
Tom and I had church with the Hurleys this morning which was great. Everyone is so very nice and loving. What a blessing to stay here as "extended family".
I miss you my sweet family. Love you loads. Be good!
Here and the internet cafe are the only places we can get any internet access, so communication has been slow in coming!
Our court hearing went pretty well. Our judge said he would give us a ruling Wed, Sept. 3rd. This is a good thing! I am always hesitant to jump for joy though, only because we are in a foreign country after all, and anything can happen.
Adam was a trooper and did great, not making a peep the entire time...snacks help that way.
The judge did ask me a few questions and spoke with our lawyer about our paperwork. When Aaron was in Uganda 4 months ago he gained foster custody of Adam. Our application to foster had been approved and we were given a stamp and signature indicating as much. However, the judge asked, "what was the result of the application?". Our lawyer Sam said, "it was approved".
Basically, the paperwork we already possess is enough to satisfy anyone that we have been approved to foster, but our judge wants to see another piece of paper indicating this. This paper does not exist.
Sam will speak with the judge on Monday, the 25th and we pray the judge will be satisfied with what he's got.
Once we get a written ruling we can move forward. Ugandan passport for Adam must be obtained, as well as a Visa. Sounds easy enough, but not so. Please pray that ALL the people who need to be in their offices would be, and that they would see the joy in efficiency. =)
Tom and I had church with the Hurleys this morning which was great. Everyone is so very nice and loving. What a blessing to stay here as "extended family".
I miss you my sweet family. Love you loads. Be good!
8.19.2008
In Uganda, safe and sound =)
Well, I made it to Uganda!! After 4 different airplanes and plenty of layovers, I am finally here and doing great. The Lord was so faithful the entire trip, from crossing my path with people from various walks of life at the perfect time, to even giving me a window seat when it mattered most to me--the flight from Nairobi, Kenya to Uganda. Such a beatiful country our boy comes from.
My brother Tom, my son Adam and I are staying at the Hurleys home tonight. The Hurleys are wonderful, generous missionary friends who live right between the Kampala (the capital) and Jinja, where the babies home is located.
Amy, our foster coordinator, brought Adam to me at the Entebbe airport this afternoon. She handed him to me, and he kind of protested. I grabbed some snacks and then I became his best friend. =) It's amazing what a little food will do. She left me with a bag of clothes and diapers and was on her way. We thought it best for me to spend some time with Adam a day before the court hearing instead of a couple hours. That might not have looked so good to the judges!
I had fun just holding him and talking to him and watching him eat for a while. I was kind of suprised at how normal it all was. I had dreamed of what our first meeting would be like and thought I would be more emotional. It was so natural for me to walk around with him, tell him that I loved him, talk to him, eat his face up with kisses and cuddles and feed him some posho, yams and chicken (or "coco" as he likes to say in Lugandan). I am already learning much about our little man. He definitely likes to talk. Hmmm....do you think he'll fit in to the Swaney household? He repeats almost everything I say, even very short sentences.
He makes his will known, but is for the most part pretty content. I think he thought it was weird when I was trying to feed him the posho with a fork. (I don't know if i'm spelling that correctly, but it's a kind of more condensed mashed potato type food) He eats all his food with his hands at the baby home, so I eventually let him just dig in for a while. Whenever I would try to offer chicken on the fork he would redirect it to my mouth and kind of smile. It was pretty funny. No "coco" for that boy.
Tonight after dinner I tried to put Adam to bed in the pack and play. He was having none of that, so I just held him until he fell asleep with me on the bed. He was in the jammies I brought for him, the blanket we brought too, and we cuddled for a while. I layed him on my bed under my net and he has been completely passed out since then. He is adorable. I mean, big doe eyes, yummy face adorable.
He and I had a practice session where I point at myself and we say, "Mama", or "Mommy". Then point to him and say, "Adam". He kind of calls me that sometimes, but I have noticed that when he is distressed, he calls me "Auntie". Makes sense, every other Mzungo he has seen has been an "Auntie" to him so what makes me any different? I can't wait to be different. =)
Tomorrow is our court hearing at 9AM!!!!!!!! So, 11pm Tuesday the 19th for you folk back in Cali. Please pray that our judge's heart would be softened to our case and that he would give us a positive ruling. . . swiftly!! It would be wonderful if I were able to bring Adam home THIS trip.
A note for my little people:
Jay and Eli--Adam really enjoyed watching the video you made for him on the camera. He smiled really big right when I showed it to him and began pointing at your faces. He can also say your names! Be good boys for Daddy while he's home and Grandma. I miss you so much already and am sending you a gigantic sized ***KISS*** Love you boys. ~mama
Shanny--I think you and your brother are going to duke it out at first, and then become the dynamic duo, tied at the hip, forever after. I love you so much baby girl. I will be home and smooch you soon. Be a good girl and feed your babies. Love you little mama*
A note for my lover:
I can't email you right now, but I love you so much. I am safe and enjoying my time with Adam. You're right, I love it and the people I have met so far have been just wonderful. Tomorrow is court. pray pray pray. I miss you and will call tomorrow or once we can get a card. xxoo =)
**Check back for photos sometime soon I hope!
My brother Tom, my son Adam and I are staying at the Hurleys home tonight. The Hurleys are wonderful, generous missionary friends who live right between the Kampala (the capital) and Jinja, where the babies home is located.
Amy, our foster coordinator, brought Adam to me at the Entebbe airport this afternoon. She handed him to me, and he kind of protested. I grabbed some snacks and then I became his best friend. =) It's amazing what a little food will do. She left me with a bag of clothes and diapers and was on her way. We thought it best for me to spend some time with Adam a day before the court hearing instead of a couple hours. That might not have looked so good to the judges!
I had fun just holding him and talking to him and watching him eat for a while. I was kind of suprised at how normal it all was. I had dreamed of what our first meeting would be like and thought I would be more emotional. It was so natural for me to walk around with him, tell him that I loved him, talk to him, eat his face up with kisses and cuddles and feed him some posho, yams and chicken (or "coco" as he likes to say in Lugandan). I am already learning much about our little man. He definitely likes to talk. Hmmm....do you think he'll fit in to the Swaney household? He repeats almost everything I say, even very short sentences.
He makes his will known, but is for the most part pretty content. I think he thought it was weird when I was trying to feed him the posho with a fork. (I don't know if i'm spelling that correctly, but it's a kind of more condensed mashed potato type food) He eats all his food with his hands at the baby home, so I eventually let him just dig in for a while. Whenever I would try to offer chicken on the fork he would redirect it to my mouth and kind of smile. It was pretty funny. No "coco" for that boy.
Tonight after dinner I tried to put Adam to bed in the pack and play. He was having none of that, so I just held him until he fell asleep with me on the bed. He was in the jammies I brought for him, the blanket we brought too, and we cuddled for a while. I layed him on my bed under my net and he has been completely passed out since then. He is adorable. I mean, big doe eyes, yummy face adorable.
He and I had a practice session where I point at myself and we say, "Mama", or "Mommy". Then point to him and say, "Adam". He kind of calls me that sometimes, but I have noticed that when he is distressed, he calls me "Auntie". Makes sense, every other Mzungo he has seen has been an "Auntie" to him so what makes me any different? I can't wait to be different. =)
Tomorrow is our court hearing at 9AM!!!!!!!! So, 11pm Tuesday the 19th for you folk back in Cali. Please pray that our judge's heart would be softened to our case and that he would give us a positive ruling. . . swiftly!! It would be wonderful if I were able to bring Adam home THIS trip.
A note for my little people:
Jay and Eli--Adam really enjoyed watching the video you made for him on the camera. He smiled really big right when I showed it to him and began pointing at your faces. He can also say your names! Be good boys for Daddy while he's home and Grandma. I miss you so much already and am sending you a gigantic sized ***KISS*** Love you boys. ~mama
Shanny--I think you and your brother are going to duke it out at first, and then become the dynamic duo, tied at the hip, forever after. I love you so much baby girl. I will be home and smooch you soon. Be a good girl and feed your babies. Love you little mama*
A note for my lover:
I can't email you right now, but I love you so much. I am safe and enjoying my time with Adam. You're right, I love it and the people I have met so far have been just wonderful. Tomorrow is court. pray pray pray. I miss you and will call tomorrow or once we can get a card. xxoo =)
**Check back for photos sometime soon I hope!
8.17.2008
Nothing Fancy
Greetings!
Being the perfectionist that I am, it's taken me quite a long time to muster up the gusto to actually post our first blog entry. I wanted it to be perfect. I have decided that I can't live life that way, so instead you are getting real news from a real me, nothing philosophical this time, nothing fancy, just me telling you all about our Swaney life, which at the moment includes our son's adoption!
Today I am Uganda bound. Precisely 4 days ago Aaron and I were called with the news that our son's court date was scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 20th. We have been waiting for this day for a long time!!!!
Many of you know the whole story of Adam's adoption thus far, and many probably don't. When I have the time I will fill you all in, but for now, it's off to the airport!!
Please pray for a swift "yes" ruling from the judge. Remember: Wed. Aug 20th, 9am!!
Being the perfectionist that I am, it's taken me quite a long time to muster up the gusto to actually post our first blog entry. I wanted it to be perfect. I have decided that I can't live life that way, so instead you are getting real news from a real me, nothing philosophical this time, nothing fancy, just me telling you all about our Swaney life, which at the moment includes our son's adoption!
Today I am Uganda bound. Precisely 4 days ago Aaron and I were called with the news that our son's court date was scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 20th. We have been waiting for this day for a long time!!!!
Many of you know the whole story of Adam's adoption thus far, and many probably don't. When I have the time I will fill you all in, but for now, it's off to the airport!!
Please pray for a swift "yes" ruling from the judge. Remember: Wed. Aug 20th, 9am!!
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