Kebebe Tsehai Government Orphanage Project

NOTE (in case anyone checks this blog anymore): My poor blog has been very neglected... That may have something to do with my two small (and very busy) children! I think I may finally have the energy to update from time to time... No guarantees... :)



BUT I must update about something very exciting! The Bellemes are starting a new venture- Fundraising for caregivers at Kebebe Tsehai Government Orphanage in Ethiopia. I have written about Kebebe here on my blog several times. It's the government orphanage we visited a few times while we were in ET adopting Elyana that we will NEVER forget. Here's how it works, you sponsor a caregiver at Kebebe Tsehai for $50/month ($600/year). They care for and love on babies. That's it! Here's what I love about this project: (1)It allows babies and kids the love and care they NEED and DESERVE AND (2)It gives young women jobs, which will help break the poverty cycle! It's a win-win.

We have recently partnered with Adera Foundation, who's goal is to improve lives of people in Ethiopia. Our part is to find sponsors for caregivers at Kebebe! You can read more and get involved at Adera's Website: http://aderafoundation.org/programs/kebebe-tsehai-orphanage-project/

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here are a few pics of my cuties this morning, right before we delivered a mocha to Daddy at work! Ely was "reading" her book to Titus, who was very interested in following along! They are so cute, and love each other so much...

Here's big sister, Elyana- Age 2 years 2 months (almost)






And here's our tiny baby boy, Titus- Age 7 months
(Really, he's tiny! He's wearing 3-6 month clothes here, and they are HUGE on him!)

I sure am a lucky Mama!

Update on Kebebe Tsehai- Caregivers and Diapers!

CAREGIVERS
In August 2010, we started the Caregiver Sponsorship program at Kebebe Tsehai Government Orphanage in Ethiopia after our visit there in July 2010 (when we adopted Ely). You can read about that HERE and an update HERE. Within 10 days of starting this project, somewhere around 24 new caregivers had been sponsored! Praise the Lord- this helps those babies SO much and was SO needed! Many of those caregivers were hired out of the girls government orphange in Addis- Kechene, meaning those girls had aged out of the orphanage and were looking for a job, which can be very hard for a young homeless orphaned girl to find!

Recently, I asked Sara, our caseworker at Gladney how this fund was holding up. She said it was running low! So I'm asking again- will you help? Can you sponsor a caregiver at Kebebe Tsehai Orphanage in Ethiopia for only $35/month? (Note for families who have given before- I believe it was originally thought that it would be $70/month- If you paid that, which many families did, you paid for 2 years, which would be up this coming August).

Here's how- Send a check (tax deductable) to:
The Gladney Center for Adoption
ATTN: Sara Cox
6300 John Ryan Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76132

It can be any amount, but to sponsor 1 caregiver for a year, it costs $420. Write "Kebebe Tsehai" in the subject field. This is an ongoing project that you can donate any amount to at any time.



DIAPERS
After Joe's trip to Ethiopia in November, he said "Something has to be done about the diaper situation at Kebebe Tsehai." The 75 babies At Kebebe are only changed twice in 24 hours- 4AM and 4PM regardless of the condition of their diaper (full, wet, dirty). If they are leaking- Oh well, have to wait until 4:00. Most of the babies (including several under a month old) had soaking wet diapers and terrible diaper rash! So very sad...

So I started researching diapers. The problem is that disposable diapers always run out! Especially with 75 babies using them! 10 (or so) per day- that makes 750 diapers A DAY! Even their 2 per day plan= 150 diapers a day! My contact in Ethiopia suggested I find re-usable/washable diapers, and assured me they would be able to wash them daily. So I began searching. Within days, I got connected with another adoptive Mom who had organized diaper donations in the past, and The Little Bee Company, a cloth diaper company who's mission is to donate diapers to orphanages around the world. To make a long story short, Christie happens to be going to Ethiopia in MARCH to do a "Diaper Drop" (where they deliver diapers and teach staff how to use them) through The Little Bee Company, and the orphanage she was planning on delivering them to had fallen through! So she switched to Kebebe Tsehai! Great timing, God!

How can you help?
*If you buy cloth diapers, buy them from the Little Bee Company! (They are REALLY cute, too!) For each one a customer buys, one is donated to Kebebe Tsehai (Buy one, Give one). Sidenote: I'm told cloth diapers make good swim diapers, too, which are really expensive! Maybe try one out for that purpose! I think I'll do this!
*If you DON'T buy cloth diapers, but want to help, you can buy one and TWO are donated to Kebebe Tsehai (Give one, Give one!). Just write "donate" in the comment field of check-out! They are roughly $20 each! Check out the link, consider buying one (or more!), and spread the word to friends/family! The goal is 275 diapers by March!


Check out these cute little diapers and buy some for Kebebe Tsehai HERE:
The Little Bee Company

Big Sister

I really was worried at one point that Elyana would never learn to love her little brother. Afterall, she was the "only baby" before he so rudely came along! :)

Here's a hilarious (to me) picture from the hospital just after he was born.

There were many more Ely crying photos in the first few months... And all those times she said "All done baby!" or "Baby fwing!" (Suggesting I put him in his swing so I could hold her).

BUT I am happy (and relieved) to say, that after only 6 months, Ely now loves her baby brother.

She asks for him every morning when she wakes up.

She calls him "Tytee boo" and "Tytee boy."

She talks to him and sings to him.

She can make him smile and laugh like noone else can!

She tries to hold him, burp him, and wants to know where he is at all times!

But getting a good picture of the two of them is totally rediculous... Oh well... Maybe in a year! :)

SIX MONTHS OLD?

Am I really 6 months old already? Can't believe it!

Titus is such a sweet and easy going baby. He loves to be held and look around. He smiles and laughs a lot. He's great in his carseat, or the ergo, or recently the stroller. He rarely cries. He LOVES to watch his sissy! He takes great naps, and sleeps pretty well at night (Although he has started a new lovely habit of getting up 2x every night to eat! But atleast I have been able to train him to sleep in until 10- that is a necessity in our family!).

Titus a little guy, currently weighing 15 pounds and 4 ounces. He has just started rolling, and is nowhere near sitting on his own. He's just happy laying on his back taking it all in...

We're so blessed to have our "Tytee."

Rejoicing in HIS plans!

You may remember just after returning from Ethiopia, I talked about a sweet sibling set we met in Mekele at the Bana Center (where Ely spent her first 6 weeks). They had been there only a few weeks. They had recently lost their parents. We played with them, ate with them, and they sat in our laps. They were so sweet, so healthy and loving. The little guy had the tiniest squeaky voice that made us laugh! The second day we were there, all the babies were picked up and taken to Gladney in Addis, leaving only these three and one other older toddler behind. The director of Bana told us "Today... they feel something in their hearts." That was for sure! When we walked in, they were sad and quiet. Probably confused that everyone else got to move on and had left them behind. We played with them and cheered them up- they were happy (and really sweaty!) by the time we left! But we knew they needed a family to love them and help restore their confidence! I talked about them HERE and HERE and thought and prayed for them all the time. I felt called to advocate for them and be a part of their story in some way, but I didn't know how.

Well, YESTERDAY a family I have never met in person, but love, accepted their referral! I'm so happy for the Knight Family AND for the "terrific trio!" Praise be to God, the only one who could redeem this story and these precious lives! Praying that court and embassy go quickly and these three sweeties can come home to start their new lives!!

Ely's Birthday

Elyana had a great 2nd birthday! She got to have 2 parties, since all of the people she loves are not in one place! We decided to do a music, dancing, instruments, parachute party, since these are all the things she loves! It was so fun! Here are a few pics from her party at home:

And here are a few pictures from her party at Grandma and Grandpa's house a few weeks later:

I really can't believe she is TWO! She's so much fun, so adventurous, smart and funny! We love her so much! We're so blessed to be her parents!

In honor of Elyana's birthday (and instead of gifts) we raised over $300 for the Bana Center in Mekele, Ethiopia, where she spent her first 6 weeks of life! Thanks family and friends!