Home...for a Little While

Last night as our plane touched down in Oklahoma City, I couldn't have been more excited to be home and closer to my own bed than I had been in twelve days. I was also a little sad to be deplaning without Micah. Not that we had expected any different; however, it was difficult none the less.

Last Monday we became the legal parents of the most perfect little boy. He is happy healthy, and developmentally on target. He is receiving outstanding care and is loved by his nannies. As Rebecca predicted, between us I had the most difficultly leaving Micah. During the ten days we spent in Ethiopia, I grew incredibly attached and I am anxious to bring him home. I have also found myself missing the sounds and smells of Addis Ababa. I miss teenage boys yelling from line taxis, the smell of Ethiopian food, the constant reverberation of traditional Ethiopian music, and macchiatos (yes, I know a macchiato can be procured at any Starbucks, its just not the same).

Addis Ababa and the people who inhabit it are wonderfully beautiful and unique. In many ways, I think we were surprised by how truly amazing both proved themselves to be. I have never been immersed in a culture so richly diverse and so oriented toward the service of others - especially outsiders. On more than one occasion we requested directions or asked about some particular item in a shop and we were personally escorted to the place about which we inquired several blocks away or a shopkeeper from several stores away with a better command of the English language was recruited to converse with us. Time and again, I was astounded by the complete generosity of the Ethiopian people. Their love for others and their love of their country is in many ways unmatched. I am proud to be the parent of a child with ties to such a beautiful culture.

Today I am glad to be home. I have enjoyed the sounds of American pop music and the taste of coffee brewed in my own coffee pot. I have also missed a little person, who I cannot wait to bring home. It has been a long journey, and it's not over yet, but we are again one step closer to being three instead of two. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in the next few months in preparation of Micah's home coming. In a short time he will be home and ours lives will forever be changed.

Ryan