Fun with cousins!

Yohanna had a great time going to Papaw and Nana's house. She was able to spend time with her cousins. We went to a waterpark and zoo! She can't wait to go back!

Travel, travel, and more travel

It has been a long time since my last posting....a lot has happened and Yohanna has been on quite the adventure! She continues to adjust well but Mommy and Daddy sure are tired! This has been the month of trips. We found out that she is a pretty good traveler, loves to be with friends and family, continues to LOVE swimming, and continues to need help to fall asleep. Here are some pictures and summaries of our recent adventures.

Trip #1 Meeting Great grandma (Nan)! We spent a day with Nan (on her 88th birthday) and Yohanna had a great time playing, shopping, and eating. Of course, she found an "Arni" look-a-like at Nan's house that she loved! What a joy it was to watch Nan play with a new great grandchild!
Trip #2 We had the privilege to take the seniors from the youth group on a trip to a surprise destination. We traveled with 7 teenagers and several other youth leaders to Gatlinburg, TN. We stayed in an awesome 3 story cabin and had lots of fun in the Smokey Mountains. Yohanna liked hiking so much that she fell asleep in the backpack carrier on Scott's back. It was a joy to be with friends and some of the most awesome teenagers we know!

Trip #3 Family gathering in Michigan for 4th of July. Yohanna had a wonderful time playing with her 5 cousins! She met 4 of them for the first time! Yohanna went to the beach for the first time and loved negotiating the waves head first! Celebrating the 4th of July with family - what a joy!

Trip #4 Camping! Again we got to hang out with cool teenagers. Despite a lot of nighttime rain, it was a blast! We did a bit of hiking (Yohanna fell asleep again while hiking), mountain biking, cooking over the fire, swimming, boating, fishing, and worship/fellowship around the campfire. Yohanna is just like her mommy - loves popcorn!

Well, the next trip is a visit to Nana and Papa's house to visit cousins Dakota, Grace, and Mikayla and Aunt Carla. Thank you Lord for all the fun stuff of summer!

Meeting Great Grandma!

Yohanna was finally able to meet one of her three living great grandmas this past weekend. Grandma didn't really get a chance to hold Yohanna as she was VERY active exploring her surroundings at our cousin's house, playing with baby Dean, and teasing a very large lab.

Yohanna is talking like crazy! She says so many words and phrases in English now - her brain is a little sponge soaking up everything it can. She says "I love you" but it actually comes out "I lo lu." A few of her other cute words are "Amen," "Good Girl," and "Puppy No."

Nap time remains preceded by a ride home in the car from a strategically scheduled errand or a stroller ride down the street. The other day I decided I was going to get her to sleep without the car or stoller.....well....over 1.5 later I gave up. I put her in the stroller and she was asleep by the time I got 6 houses away from my house! Bedtime is improving....usually she is asleep within 30 minutes now and resists much less!

Friends are fun and so is the dog water bowl!

Yohanna had her first photo shoot thanks to the youth group photo day. She had fun playing in the park with 5 wonderful children that belong to our dear, dear friends! Of course, all the attention from the teens was a blast!

Yohanna is really starting to enjoy the dogs.....well, a little too much. Today she managed to start playing in the outside dog bowl! Yuck! But before I could get her hands out of it she managed to dunk her face in the water! The girl LOVES water! At least it was bath time soon!

Adjusting well...I think

It has been a fun week. I am trying to adjust to being home all day long with a toddler. The day goes by soooo much quicker when I actually get out of the house! So far, I have found that she likes water, slides, swings, trampolines, and stroller rides. She went on 2 runs with Daddy this week. She also loves young people - other toddlers all the way to high schoolers! They captivate her and make her giggle. She experienced her first small group bible study at our house this week.

Yes, Yohanna is adjusting well to home, mommy and daddy, meeting lots of new people and the dogs! No, she doesn't like naptime, bedtime, or food being rationed or taken away from her. Sometimes she falls asleep well. Other times it turns into a 2-3 hour ritual. BUT, praise the Lord that she sleeps well through the night once she is asleep. We put the highchair away in the closet between meal times to avoid major meltdowns due to food - seems to be a good trick so far. Yohanna now allows the dogs to be nearby while she plays and occassionally tries to give "tea" to them - even including a slurping noise. Her favorite words right now are "Arni" and "Daddy." She is quite a climber as I have already witnessed her jump from a chair to a bed (Yes, I am an alert Mommy but that one got away from me) and stand on the dining room table (YIKES!) So far she hasn't climbed over baby gates so I can contain her a bit. Let's pray she never learns that trick. So, from what we can see....she will either be a runner or a gymnast. Ha, Ha! She has to learn to run without falling first!

Drew and Dinky in Chicago

Yohanna Dinknesh finally got to meet Aunt Carrie, Uncle D, and cousin Drew....of course, it had to happen with a fabulous trip to Chicago. Drew and Dinky had fun playing in the hotel, playing at the park, walking Navy Pier, and riding around in strollers! Aren't they sooooo cute in their Cubs floppy hats???? We can't wait to play with cousin Drew again!

Dinky's doctor's appointment went well - she is a healthy girl who just needs nutrition! By the way, she LOVES the swimming pool. Daddy took her swimming and she just wanted to stick her head in the water face first!

Meeting friends (and future babysitters!)

Well, Yohanna Dinknesh is starting to meet our friends here in our hometown! I have heard that people have been driving by our house very slowly in hopes of a "Dinky sighting." Sounds like a bunch of stalkers!!! Good news....we are out of isolation and open to visitors! So come say "Hi" to us!!! If Yohanna can't come out and play....I will let you know! Our friends and family are such a blessing to us - we just can't stay away from you any longer! This week Yohanna met Keren, Kristin, and Korie - which happen to be 3 of the sweetest ladies in the world (and of course, 3 of the best baby sitters in the world!) Keren was able to say a few words in Amharic to Dinknesh, Korie managed to get a kiss, and Kristin got the best smile from Yohanna. She was a little shy with Keren at first but by the end she almost got in the car with her! With the help of these ladies...Scott and I might be able to go on a date (in a month or two!)

Meeting (some of the...) family!

Sunday was a BIG day at the Klockow house for Yohanna Dinknesh! She was able to meet CJ's family and Scott's Dad and Step-Mom and......she was able to play with her cousin, Dakota! She was also able to "swim" in her kiddie-pool for the first time. (It is HOT! Summer has arrived!) The day was full of food, fun, and visiting.....and of course, a few grandparent gifts for Yohanna Dinknesh! It might have been a little too much excitement for her as she was afraid to sleep without touching one of us!

This week she gets to meet friends in our hometown! Yipee! On Friday, she will finally meet Aunt Carrie, Uncle David, and cousin Drew! I am expecting more great pics! Oh, and she also has to go back to the doctor on Friday...let's hope she produces a poopy sample for them!

This week has been a blast!

This week has been great! It has been so nice to be home and to have some quiet time to adjust. It has not been without challenges....trouble sleeping, daily meltdowns by Yohanna Dinknesh, and even a little cabin fever! We are slowly introducing Yohanna Dinknesh to our family! Grandma Jeanette came to visit on Thursday morning and Uncle Curtis (all the way from Seattle) came to visit Thursday night and Friday morning. She will meet my parents, sister, and nephew on Saturday and Gordon and Nancy on Sunday. So far Yohanna Dinknesh is doing very well with meeting new people. She is shy at first but no crying.....and slowly warms up. She will flash a smile then will share a snack then......she is ready to play and give hugs! Today is Scott's first day back to work....I think he was ready to get out of the house but I was a little nervous for a full day home alone. So far, so good! Thanks to Veggie Tales and popcorn, Yohanna Dinknesh and CJ are happy! Enjoy the new pics!

You want to do what???

Today we had our Dr.'s appointment in Chicago at the University of Chicago's International Adoption Clinic. Besides the fact that Yohanna Dinknesh is a typical girl and cannot stand getting her height and weight measurements, it went well. Oh yeah, and she wouldn't poop on demand so we have to take back a "sample." Turns out there are many similarities between the vet and the pediatrician! Of course the worst part for us was seeing them take 11 (yes, eleven) viles of blood from our little pumpkin! Actually, she didn't cry at all with the blood draw (was there sedation in her sippy cup? we will never know!) We gained a lot of good information and will go back in 1-2 weeks for a follow-up to determine if she needs any special treatments, vaccines, or diet. The two main things that we are working on right now is eating and sleeping. So basic, but for her to self-regulate those things is very difficult. Bye for now!

Hanging out at home

The three of us have been hanging out at home. We have visited the backyard garden and pond-not very eventful but maybe a little exciting for Yohanna Dinknesh. We went on a successful short car ride today - she actually didn't scream the whole time she was in her car seat. Our schedules are all messed up and we are trying to get settled to this time zone, easier said than done with a 19 month old! Our house was so neat when we came home, now I have never seen it so messy! (Sorry Mom!) Toys, luggage, presents, laundry, and souvenirs all over the place! Tomorrow we will see a doctor at the International Adoption Clinic for a full check-up. We are soooooo anxious to introduce her to our friends and family but....we need to take things slow for her sake. Allowing her time to adjust is the most important thing!

We are home!

We made it home! We wanted to post a message on Thursday before we left Ethiopia but we couldn't because the power at our guest house was out for several hours and our computer was out of battery. Sorry! We had a great trip home. Turns out our Yohanna Dinknesh likes to sleep on airplanes. She was asleep before we even took off from Addis Ababa and slept for 5 hours. She loved playing in the Amsterdam airport (they have lots of stuff for kids). She slept again for 4.5 hours on the trip from Amsterdam to Chicago. God provided 4 seats for us to spread out on during that leg of the trip.

She doesn't like anything that straps her down, like car seats and seat belts. They don't have car seats in Ethiopia! So, the trip home from Chicago was interesting. We did manage to have her tolerate the highchair this morning with some food bribery. All 3 of us fell asleep on the living room floor at 5:30 PM last night! Yohanna Dinknesh slept until 5:30 AM. Praise God. Hopefully the time zone transition will continue to go well.

God's provision is amazing through our family and friends. It is wonderful to come home to a clean home, cut grass, boxes of diapers, new baby clothes, stocked refrigerator, meals in the freezer, and a gigantic welcome home sign! You are all amazing!

Well, we are going to make some Ethiopian coffee now! Yum!

Looking forward to visiting with many of you soon.

Embassy Day

We have been spending A LOT of time in a van traveling around the city - Dinknesh likes riding in the van (and hanging the sippy cup out the window!)

Yesterday we went to lunch at a great Italian restaurant. Yohanna Dinknesh loved the food - tortillini and soup. Mommy and Daddy loved the food also! We went to the Embassy for her final appointment so we can get her passport and visa. We waited for over 2 hours but Dinknesh slept for 1.5 hours of it on Mommy's lap. So, it could have been much worse. We got her birth certificate. On Thursday we can pick up her passport and visa and come home! Today (Wednesday) is market day...we will go shopping! Tonight we will go to dinner and traditional dancing. Dinknesh cannot go to dinner so only one of us will go. Hope all is well at home, missing all of you!

Look at our cutie!

Busy Day

Monday was a busy day - which was a little hard on Yohanna Dinknesh as well as us. We started the day by traveling to the Bethany office for paperwork and meetings with the social workers and nurse. It was informative but took a long time with a toddler. We are with a group of other families who are adopting. It is fun to meet other people and their new children! We went to lunch as a group. Later we went to the orphanage for a fairwell ceremony. They dressed the children in traditional clothing and the children sang some songs in Amharic. They had a big cake to celebrate. When they took the cake away to cut it to serve, Dinknesh had a major meltdown! She doesn't like food being taken away from her. The nannies gave her a huge piece and she shoved in in her mouth! What a mess. Dinknesh really loves the nanny that has been taking care of her. Going to bed last night was brutal but....she slept well through the night. Today (Tuesday) we go to the Embassy for her BIG appointment.
Yesterday Dinknesh said "mommy" to me! Today Dinknesh said "daddy" to Scott!
Blessings to all of you!

Pictures!

First Few Days with Dinknesh

The past two days have been AWESOME! We have been enjoying time with Dinknesh - playing, eating, changing diapers, playing, eating, changing diapers, and napping! She is a great sleeper - loves to fall asleep on Mommy or in the car. Last night she slept all night....almost 11 hours! She is also a good eater - you know what that means.....lots of poopy diapers! She says a few words in 2 languages. The first word we heard her say was "Abeba", which means flower. (Gotta love that Keren!) We have also seen a lot of Ethiopian culture! We ate dinner at Fikadu's house with his family...they send greetings to America! Yesterday we traveled 4 hours to a town called Hosaina to meet Dinknesh's birth mother. It was a wonderful and emotional experience. Many things were confirmed with the information she shared....we can tell you more about that later. We went to church this morning - the whole service was in Amharic but we were still able to listen, pray, and worship. Dinknesh did great for her first 2.5 hour church service! The next few days will continue to be very busy! Hope all is well at home.
P.S. Happy Mother's Day to all our family and friends! We love you!

First Day With Yohanna Dinknesh

We met Dinky today! We were introduced to her at the orphanage - some crying occurred (all Dinky) but she soon warmed up to us! She is very, very shy and unsure of new people. We were able to bring her to the guest house today. We ate lunch together, took a 2 hour nap together, played together, and ate dinner at a cafe. So far she is a very quiet, shy, and cuddly child! Over the course of the day she has gotten used to us and now she feels the need to be touching one of us at all times! Right now she is sitting between us and practically falling asleep. Tomorrow we will play and bond all day! Saturday we will travel to Awasa. Feel free to email us...we are checking it occassionally.
Blessings to all of you.

We Made It!

We finally made it to Ethiopia! The trip was long but went very well - no problems along the way. We slept in the guest house last night (well, CJ slept but Scott didn't so much!) Today we were blessed to spend the day with Fikadu and Sami (friends of Ron and Carolyn). They showed us around Addis Ababa a bit and then took us out of the city. We were able to see water wells in small villages and an irrigation system with gardens. What a difference clean water makes! We also visited Mekenesa. Tomorrow is the BIG DAY! We get to meet Dinky! Hope to tell you more soon. Love you all!

Our Bags Are Packed!

We leave tomorrow for Ethiopia! SO EXCITING! Our bags are packed. Dinky gets one big suitcase all to herself for her stuff and Scott and I are sharing one! I never knew a child would require more space than 2 grown adults! Hope to let you all know when we arrive in Addis Ababa. Thanks for all the prayers!

We Got The Call!!!

We finally got the invitation to travel to pick up our little girl, Dinky! We leave Monday May 3rd and will return Friday May 14th. SOOOOOOO excited to meet our little girl and see Ethiopia! Hopefully we will have internet access at least once in a while to give you updates! Thanks for all your prayers! Love you all!