September visit - first 2 days

This has been an especially difficult year for Haiti. We have been in Haiti on more than one visit when tensions (protests/riots) have escalated, and things can change rapidly from calm to tense and the other way around. So, as our September visit approached and tensions were mounting regarding the current gasoline shortage in Haiti it was difficult to know if making our visit was a good idea or not. I certainly knew that I ached to hold my girls, but realized it may be a last minute call whether we should travel or not. Everything worked out, but with how much the rioting increased within hours of us leaving Haiti I think that we were very lucky (or blessed) and if our travel dates had been a day later we would still be stuck there on lockdown. Talk of civil war is being thrown around. Two days before we left (on the other travel date we had considered) the airport caught on fire and lost electricity so international flights were grounded that day (and there were shootings outside parliament there in Port au Prince that day), so we weren't sure how that would all get resolved in time for us to leave. Obviously it did, but the window was very short for us to leave. Realistically, maybe we shouldn't have gone, but we did... so at this point I will relish in the documenting the memories we made with our girls and documenting the ways our attachment deepened and developed. And, since I can share their faces now that our adoption is finalized... I will include a lot of pictures in these posts!!

My mom and I left for Haiti on a redeye flight the night of September 19th...

We watched the sun rise over the clouds before landing in Haiti on September 20th...

We weren't sure what the roads would be like and if we'd be able to leave PAP after landing. Understandably they don't send their driver if conditions aren't safe and they won't be able to return back up the mountain, so we knew there was a chance that we'd have to scramble and figure out somewhere in PAP to stay until things were clear to get up to Kenscoff. Gratefully things were ok that morning and we were picked up just fine by our driver and we got right out of town without encountering any roadblocks. This country is full of turmoil, but it's full of vibrance and beauty also. Here are just a few shots we got from the car window while driving up to Kenscoff...

We made good time getting up to Kenscoff and didn't waste any time heading over to the crèche to see the girls! When we arrived the girls were both in the bathroom with a nanny getting cleaned up. I wish so much that I had a video of Abigaëlle coming out of the bathroom with her nanny...she was holding her hand and when she walked out and saw me standing there she dropped her nanny's hand, a huge smile spread across her face, and she ran toward me with her hands up in the air and threw her arms around me neck in a huge hug saying "Manman" (mama)! We've never received that kind of welcome, and these girls don't give that kind of reaction or affection to just anyone so it was so meaningful! Plus, it was a surprise for that to come from Abigaëlle specifically as she's generally been a bit more reserved, but that all changed this trip starting from the first moment there! She was so open and affectionate with me.

Abigaïlle was a little more reserved when she came out of the bathroom, but was still very snuggly and not hesitant to come to me. She was just more calm and questioning about things, which is her personality. Here she is getting cleaned up with her nanny before coming out to see us...

Right away I wanted to show them pictures of Mark and the boys and they loved that...

It had been 5 months since they saw my mom (I was there with Mark & the boys 2 months prior), so they were a little more shy with my mom, but El still went to her for a photo...

After not too long we headed across the street to the guest house to have a snack and spend some time together.

 Grandma, Abigaëlle, Abigaïlle.

Before long they wanted to head back to the bedroom. They know that we keep their clothes on the top bunk and started pointing up there wanting us to change their clothes! So we did. Then they ended up playing with flashlights we brought not knowing if the generator would be working on this visit. They thought that was a blast...

 Abigaïlle,  Abigaëlle.

They have obviously seen deodorant applied as they started pretending their flashlights were deodorant and were "applying" it. Haha! They proceeded to act that out with several different items over the week...

We were able to have Veronica cook breakfasts & dinners for us while we were there, which was awesome. We were able to provide a job for her that week and we were able to enjoy her amazing Haitian cooking! Win/win! Here was our dinner the first night...

September 21

Veronica made us her delicious eggs for breakfast. With fresh mango and banana. Mmm...

The crèche was having a hard time having enough clean laundry partially because the rain kept the fresh hung laundry from drying. We told them not to worry about finding Abigaëlle pants because we had clothes for her at the guesthouse. You can see clothing hung over the wall of the crèche in the background of this photo...

When we got to the guesthouse with the girls they were excited to put on new dresses, bows, and open their sparkly purses that we bring each time!

Abigaïlle pretty excited about her purse and sunglasses.

Abigaïlle putting on her "deodorant" aka chapstick...

The girls LOVE looking through their flip books with pictures of our family and naming everyone...

The girls also LOVE their baby dolls and chapstick...

Grandma with Abigaëlle.

El giving me kisses.

El putting chapstick on me...

El showing off her own lips slathered in chapstick...

This is Abigaïlle in the white unicorn dress & Abigaëlle in the pink rainbow dress... 

  

We could hear people outside and the crèche...

Grandma and El.

And later...snacktime!

The girls really have been taking well to remembering words with signing. In this clip you can hear Abigaïlle say more (she says it like "mone") while putting her hands together to sign more...

Um...do you think they're twins??

This cracked us up because it looked like Abigaïlle was dabbing (which the boys would get a good chuckle at), but she was actually trying to sign "dirty" because she dropped some cereal...

Here I am signing "dirty" to Il and she is getting a kick out of it. They really loved doing that sign. They used it frequently to let me know if they dropped food or if their diaper was dirty. It was awesome!

The girls are super interested in anybody's jewelry, so they often liked to look at my earrings...

Waving up at kids at the crèche across the street who were saying hello over the wall...

My mom with El. It was so special to have her come spend time with the girls and me. Our last trip was already too short to begin with and then was cut short on both ends and had a day in the middle that I spent the whole day in PaP with Abigaïlle...so we were grateful for a "re-do"!

The girls were su-uper into selfies this visit. More than before. Here was Abigaïlle asking for selfies with Manman!

We have some wonderfully scented shea butter we bring to rub into the girls skin each visit that we bought at our Haitian Creole boot-camp. They love it and it's super moisturizing. Here I am rubbing it onto their skin that day...

Looking out the back of the guest house where ladies are washing clothing...

Keeping just enough distance to be safe while looking at a wild chicken walking through the grounds at the guest house. The girls love to say "chicken! chicken!"...

The girls are among the oldest in the "baby room". Here are all the kids older than that lining up to sing praises while they walk to eat their main meal of the day...

The girls getting their hair done. It's impressive how fast these ladies can do hair!

Sweet Lyneda holding Abigaïlle.

These boys are such good kids. Smart, helpful, clever...and of course very cool.

B has a special place in our hearts. We just love her and love the way she loves on our girls...

I brought a polaroid camera to take pictures of all the kids and give them the photo to keep. Here are the kids trying to figure out which child at the crèche we didn't have a picture of yet!

The girls are really getting to the age where they want to do things themselves. Here is El wanting to hold the spoon during mealtime...

I love this video clip so much! Her little independence scraping her plate clean, her calling out for me to look and give approval, her little head shake no when I ask her if she's finished...

Abigaïlle and me.

My mom doing magnet dolls with the girls...

Abigaïlle

The girls always love to listen to messages from Papa. I love their little waves and whispers of "papa"

I was especially excited for my mom to try Pikliz at dinner that night! Mmmm!...