I'm so grateful that we were able to go to Ethiopia twice! I've fallen in love with Judah and Addise's birth country. Here's a quick 90 second video from the balcony of our guest house of Addis. I simply love everything about Ethiopia [except the poverty and orphan state] - the sites, smells, sounds, and mostly the people. I miss it so much. Pray for a day soon when we can take Judah and Addise back to the birth home.
I've had a lot of requests about what to pack for bringing your kids home. Here's what we packed for the kids - along with some adjustments and lessons learned. This list was in light of bringing home a 2 1/2 year old and 11 month old. Hope it helps!! :)
Kids
□ Travel First Aid Kit
□ Pedialyte – 3-4/day, individually packed
□ Medicine – Neosporin, Benadryl, Ibuprofen, Triaminic
□ Diaper bag – diapers, wipes, changing pad, Tide-To-Go, Band-Aids, hand sanitizer, baby Tylenol, mommy Tylenol, floss, teething gel, butt paste, bibs, formula, change of clothes and socks
□ Burt’s Bees Shampoo + Conditioner and Shea Butter Moisturizing Hair Lotion
□ Diapers + Wipes: Addise: 8-10/day; Judah: 5/day = 75 Diapers
□ Clothes – 1 outfit/day + 2 extras
□ 4 pairs of PJs
□ 1 pair Shoes
□ 4 Bibs
□ 2 Blankets
□ Stroller
□ Ergo
□ 5-6 Toys – stackable, stuffed animal, nothing that rolls
□ 3-4 Books
□ Blank paper – Washable markers and Stickers
□ Communication Photo Album
□ Portable DVD player + 1-2 Baby Einstein DVDs
□ Food
o Cheerios
o Crackers
o Snack foods
o 4-6 jars of baby food – fruit & veggies [Addise didn’t eat any of it!]
o 2 plastic bowls & spoons
o 4 bottles
o Formula: 32 oz/day
Pack for Airplane
We ended up bringing on the plane the diaper bag, roller suitcase with changes of clothes, and 2 backpacks
□ Diaper Bag stuff [see above]
o 8-10 diapers/kid
o Snacks – cheerios, crackers
o Pedialyte
o 2-3 Toys
□ Ergo and Stroller
□ 2-3 changes of clothes for parents and kids [in case of diaper blowouts, vomit, or whatever!]
Final Travel Tip: If you fly Ethiopian airlines, your first flight will be 17 1/2 hours! We learned the VERY hard way that it's a L-O-N-G flight for little ones who've never flown before [much less for adults!!]. We ended up postponing our 2nd flight to LA and spending the night in DC to give everyone a breather, rest, and get out of airplanes with recycled oxygen. It was one of the best parenting decisions we've made to date. I'd HIGHLY recommend taking an extra day to fly to your final destination, especially if it still entails several hours of flight time.
I can hardly contain the fact that we are leaving on Friday morning to be re-united with our children [one of our friends is house sitting for us in case you're thinking of robbing us...ha]! This past week has been a blur of activity as we've prepared to travel to Ethiopia [it's crazy how quick you can plan a trip to Africa!], worked myself into 10-week maternity leave [for the 2nd time], and celebrated our last days as just "Brian and April" [some days have been better than others].
[another picture where we aren't all looking in the same direction!]
If you'd like to pray us through the next 10 days, here are some things to guide your prayers...
PRAYER REQUESTS ::
CELEBRATING :
See ya on the flip side. Can't wait to share this next season of life with you!
GENERAL DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this site are April's alone and do not represent the views of any ministries or organizations in which she is affiliated. (I'm told this is important to say.)
Coaching and training leader to their fullest potential. Author of a youth worker book. Available for speaking to teenagers, youth workers, women, and churches.
