THE Call!! (edited to add a the bottom)

Yes, it happened!  I am now Mama to TWO beautiful girls!!
Malia has a baby sister. A full on, REAL baby sister :)

Baby "I" (for her ethiopian name) was born on September 1st, 2010- she's 4 1/2 months old people! OMG!!  I was preparing for a toddler. (and I am sure God is laughing)

Sooo-----
Well, we went in this morning, like any other.I dropped Malia at her school, then went the 3 more minutes back to mine.
But, unlike most days, I felt called to our Chapel (we're a Catholic school) and went in. I immedately remembered that I had promised Mary, yesterday, that I would come in there and pray, and then in the busyness of the day, had forgotten.  So, I went up to her, kneeled down, apologized and then told her that I was so, so, ready to be a mother, again- that Malia needed it. I got up, kissed her hands (not sure what made me b/c it was the very first time I ever felt I wanted/needed to do that) and went off to class.

At 9:25 my cell phone was ringing, but inside my big LUG school bag, it rang out before I could find it. I had a student keep calling me until I located it, checked the number and sighed- it looked like a cell phone number-  probably just a wrong number, but what the heck, I called back.

When I heard my agency's name on their answering machine, I got crazy chills and was just leaving a message, barely able to remember my own info to leave, when one of our secretaries literally burst into the classroom. She was carrying a master key, shoved it into my hand, said, "I think this is it- find the nearest office, I'll watch the kids".

I ran into the students' council office, and heard our agency director say the magic words-  I had another daughter!

I burst into tears, then screamed, bringing 3 kids running in! LOL

Baby "I"'s pictures came in moments later, and though I had wanted to hold off showing her off until my family could see her, I let the kids gather around and look.

She is precious-  huge almond eyes, rose bud mouth and in one pic is laughing that fully joyous, bust a gut laugh that big sis laughs nearly every day.
 And oy- the HAIR!!
At lunch, I got the AP appointment to accept (tomorrow at 5pm in London) and the doctor's appointment to have her medical checked (finished today at 5pm with an all clear!) set.

Malia is at my folks' and still has not seen her, but she KNOWS and was screaming- She's REAL, Mama??! Oh My God!! Can we go get her NOW???

(yeah, I wish, but first there're all kinds of hoops still awaiting my successful jumps)

I can't post pics, as you know, until court, but then- look out!!

*And, in all this joy, I feel a little sad, too, as the adoptive moms out there, know. Her "story" is very different from Malia's and while there is always great loss that happens before a forever family can be made, there is profound loss, here...  One day, I will have to tell her. I am already wondering how.*

But, for now, I cannot wait to see my littlest Habesha in person, hear that laugh, do that hair and kiss those lips.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed or sent out a good thought. Please keep it up-  we need to get to and PASS court, and then there is still the VISA-  OY! 

Must visit Mary again, tomorrow :)
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It's 5:30am on January 21st-  and reality has set in- 4 MONTHS OLD-  Malia is 4 YEARS old. Eeek. Please pray for us. xo