Child Brides in Ethiopia

The Girl Effect

Transcending: Words on Women and Strength by Kelly Corrigan

What does "Ebba" mean?

The girl's name Ebba \e(b)-ba\ is of Old Norse and Old English origin, and its meaning is "brave, strong boar". Also possibly (Old English) "fortress of riches". Edburga was the name of a seventh-century saint.

Ebba has 1 variant form: Ebbe.

For more information, see also the related name Eve.

Baby names that sound like Ebba are Abba and Eba.

Ebba is a very rare female first name and a very rare surname (source: 1990 U.S. Census). Displayed below is the baby name popularity trend for the girl's name Ebba. Compare Ebba with related baby names.

Wow.

Dry your eyes, then click here for ways to help kids in Uganda.

Now Ebba sez:

• Da-bee (for Darby, our dog)
• Ba-da (for bottle)
• Hi
• Bye-bye
• Poo-ay (her attempt at "poo-ey!", which I say when she has a dirty diaper)

My Fathers' Daughter

In 2004, Hannah Pool knew more about next season's lipstick colors than she did about Africa: a beauty editor for The Guardian newspaper, she juggled lattes and cocktails, handbags and hangouts through her twenties just like any other beautiful, independent Londoner. Her white, English adoptive relatives were beloved to her and were all the family she needed.

Contacted by relatives she didn't know, she decided to visit Eritrea, the war-torn African country of her birth, and answer for herself the daunting questions every adopted child asks.

What Hannah Pool learned on her journey forms a narrative of insight, wisdom, wit, and warmth beyond all expectations.

Available from Amharic Kids.

Playing for Change

Visit: www.playingforchange.org

Unlikely Friends

Sisters

My First Real Stab at "Doing Hair"

Altho I did once re-do Ebba's bobble-y pigtails (about 12 of them) while were in ETH, since then I have left her hair au naturel. In honour of our 1-mo anniv (tho mostly bec we were all up at some ungodly hr and had lots of time on our hands), yesterday after breakfast I decided to try putting in some simple twists.

It went fairly well - Mei Le handed me the beader & snaps, and Ebba mostly co-operated.

Here are the results! A bit loose & fuzzy, but I am pleased for the first try! And if it saves on the daily comb-thru hassle for a few days, I'm all for it!

One Month In - Corner Turned

Saturday, Jan 17 was the 1-mo anniversary of my "taking possession" of Ebba, and her joining our family. We've come a long way since then, and I believe I can safely say we've turned the corner and are settling in well as a family.

Ebba seems much more comfortable with us, is attaching wonderfully, and the girls are well on their way to becoming sisters - with all the ups and downs that includes. Thankfully, I seem to be attaching well to Ebba, as well, and am feeling a lot less tired and panic-y. Each day seems more normal and manageable. There are still some moments of exhaustion and frustration - but I think that's normal!

Phew!

Ebba sez:

• Mommee
• Daddee
• Mei-me (for Mei Le)
• Da (for dog)
• Ffff (for woof)

I Need Africa ...

Ethiopian Orphans

The girl can eat!

Finally - after a couple of weeks home, Ebba is developing an appetite for solid food. At the transition house in ETH, she reportedly ate several solid meals a day; but since I've had her, she has mostly preferred bottles (comfort, I suspect) to other offerings (cereal, yogurt, applesauce, eggs, anything). (Tho Ian did report that she LOVED Tim Hortons chili!)

For the past couple of days, however, she has finally started to consume some Real Food with gusto:

• porridge
• shredded chicken (no molars yet)
• Cereal with a bit of ETH green pea stew in it for flavour (Thanks, Sandra & Mimi!)
• rice with cheesy sauce on it
• pureed fruit
• scrambled eggs
• cheese
• well-steamed cauliflower florets (mushy)
• graham crackers

Phew! Feels good to see your kid actually enjoy eating, instead of the frustrating dance of offer-spit-mop up. Am hopeful she will continue to welcome new tastes in the days to come.

Goodbye, Old Friend

Yesterday, we said goodbye to Cree, our Jack-Russell/Corgi-X. She was 14 years old and had been suffering from arthritis for several years. Unf, she was sensitive to the best available anti-inflammatories and so our ability to manage her pain was limited.

In addition, yesterday am she showed blood in her urine, and tests suggested it was either a severe urinary tract infection or a tumour. In either case, we were again limited in our ability to safely control the inflammation and pain - leading me to the difficult decision to end her suffering.

Cree had been with me 12+ years - pre-dating Ian in my life by One Day - which I never let him forget.

We will miss you, old friend.

For all the Moms out there!

Yes - we're still alive!

And doing fairly well, actually. Tho Ebba has had a head cold that started Mon eve and was feverish and pukey most of yesterday and all last night. Not much sleep was had - at least by the adults in the house. Thanks to the gods for acetaminophen (sp?) suppositories!

I started back at work on Monday - the curse of the self-employed: no parental leave. At least I work from home. So, Ian and I are juggling, and on the days she's here, Mei Le's babysitter oversees the girls playing (tho we change and feed Ebba). It's not ideal, but will have to do until the end of the month when my work situation improves.

My daily nap program has fallen by the wayside this week. Sigh. But am managing to continue to feel a little more normal each day. As we settle into our new routine, I find myself feeling more capable and confident about the demands of this new parenting (two kids!). So, each day our family of four evolves and solidifies.

Still haven't had a minute to download my pics from the trip to ETH - hopefully soon!

Thanks so much to all of you for your encouraging comments & emails, for sharing your experiences, and for your offers of virtual casseroles! All much appreciated - and helpful!

Here she is!

(Thanks to my mon who took & tweaked this photo!)

One week later ...

So, we've been home just over a week now ... and I can honestly say this was one of the hardest weeks of my life - no exaggeration. Don't worry, Ebba is fine ... but the stress and fatigue of the trip took its toll on me, leaving me virtually crippled with exhaustion and panic.

It wasn't pretty. At my worst, I was convinced we had made a terrible mistake adopting again, and was trying to figure out how to undo it all. Too tired to be rational, I was not able to see Ebba as my daughter - rather as a disruptive force. I did not feel at all maternal towards her - and it scared me.

I met with our social worker to talk about the adaptation process, and my difficulties. We reviewed the lead-up to the trip (rushed!), the trip itself (draining), the travel home (hellish), and the settling in at home (normal but stressful) and came to the understanding that the rush, stress, and upheaval of it all had simply worn me to a frazzle. So, I was "prescribed" to rally the troops to help out, nap 2-3 hrs/d for a week or two (I like that part!), and let Ian hold down the fort. So, more or less, that's what we are doing.

Mei Le is really coming around. When we first got home, she was sick with a bad head cold - so extra needy - which made it very hard on me to balance competing demands. However, she is now healthy, and despite the occasional grumble, is seemingly enjoying her new role as big sister.

I feel a lot better already, and Ebba and I are doing better, too. She is settling into our routine pretty well, considering, and seems quite at home here. Still not sleeping the nights as she did in Addis (sigh!), and when she wakes in the night, she will not tolerate being put back into the crib, so one of us sleeps on the extra bed in her room with her on/beside us. Can't do that forever, but for now it works.

I can't say I'm in love with her yet, but I get glimpses of it ... I am optimistic we will muddle through these early weeks/months, and be ok in the end.

Off to nap!