Skin Saviour

by Liz

Went to Florida with my Habesha babe. Logged some pool and sun time (yes even in these chilly days) and got some dry dry baby skin.

Found Cetaphil in my Momma's cabinet. Slathered down the babe and Wow! I'm a big convert. Her skin has never looked so great. It doesn't smell as delicious as my previous Sally Beauty Coconut Oil lotion (in fact it doesn't smell at all)... but she just glows! Thought I'd share the secret. Oh, and the cheapskate in me also found out that the Walgreens store brand works wonderfully too! Shine on Sisters!

One of my Favorite Souvenirs of Ethiopia

by Liz

Our stay in Ethiopia afforded us some travel time to the city of Awassa, a drive around the legendary Mercato in Addis and many trips around the hills and streets of Addis mainly from the viewpoint of our chauffered Landcruiser - (we're sad to say it was our gilded cage).

Still, we did manage to grab some time to gather some treasures to bring home for our little one's yearly celebration of her homeland - which we've yet to find a good name for. The best contender so far (and far better than "Gotcha Day" is the Amharic word "mels" which I found in Rebecca Haile's book "Held at a Distance." She defined it as "literally a homecoming." In the context of her story it applied to a party being thrown for newlyweds... that's the best I've found yet... let me know if you've come across anything better?


Our favorite souvenir is this painting of an angel- an iconic image referrencing the fresco artwork from the church at Gondar. We had admired similar paintings on the ceiling of a small shop in the Post Office Square and the owner offered to have his friend, the artist, make us our very own version. We picked it up a couple days later; custom made just for us!

Tribute to Toukoul Orphanage in Addis Ababa Ethiopia

by Liz & Dan

(For more photos click on our slide show at the top of the page)

A photo tribute to Ru's first home in Ad

dis Adaba Ethiopia and the nannies, nurses, staff and doctors who held her, calmed her fears, wiped her nose, rocked her to sleep and taught her that the world is not such a bad place. To a staff that held her in their arms and in their hearts (some even had photos in their wallets)... there were tears shed on both sides as Ru took her leave. We will be forever grateful for your kindness.

Imported & Moved

by Liz

The silence is deafening right? Ok, maybe just to me, but its been months(?) since my last post. New parenthood, work, renovations and moving... we bit off a bit much! I just thought I'd post this photo that I'm quite fond of. Someone actually asked a friend of ours if "that's the box she came in?" I just hope they were kidding! So, now we're moved into our new castle just down the street from our old one (don't forget to update your address books!). Next step; baby-proofing; this gal can cruise!

A Model Baby

by Liz

Dove International, our agency, called and wanted to profile our Ethiopian Adoption t-shirt and announcement designs for http://www.zazzle.com/adopttees*.

They needed photos...so it was time for Ru's first "commercial" photo shoot.

Wardrobe: I suited Ru up in her "mimi" onesie and thought to try it with a jean skirt (ummm, nope) and then a plaid skirt (still nope)... they "bound" her up like a rich mans' sausage. Not wanting to undermine her Ethiopian authenticity we settled on the straight onsie.

We waited for the sun to sallow out around 7pm and readied to head down to the neighbors with the idea of getting a family photo with all of us in our "We are family" coordinated shirts. 

It was hot out. 93 degrees... Africa hot. We called for the Diva, and she had a whole list of demands before she'd "step out of her stroller" for the photo shoot; there was a mandatory swim session in the plastic pool, then a bit of a crawl to work out the kinks... then a big 10 oz bottle was requested (she was afraid she'd look a little too lean) and so we finally went to work.

Denise, our star photographer had clocked out for the evening and her dutiful assistant, Mike struggled to work a smile out of the little lady. After a brief discussion, Papa and Mama, the other two "props" stepped out of the photos... it turns out that rolls only look cute on babies... and took turns alternatively shooting or flailing madly at the 

Diva to elict a smile... you see the best of the efforts here with the agent's signoff. 80 shots for three winners. Let the public enjoy... and as Ru would say (if she could say more than "Di Da) "eat cake!"

Its all about Ru

by Liz

I'm sure I could wax on about the small joys of parenthood; the special delight she shows when I come home, rocking her to sleep in the creeky rocking chair, the smell of her hair after a bath, the way she curls her toes when she smiles... but I know y'all just want to see the photos... so here goes:

Ru styling in a "little Miss Trouble" t-shirt from the Moss crew - yes - cell phone courtesy of our own favorite "Early adopters..." its a "retro" model (Brett; when are the kiddie I-Pods out?).















Ru, dressed for dinner at Fiesta Charra - Ole! Nothing like changing diapers on the floor of a Mexican Restaurant bathroom. Three cheers for hand sanitizer!







Rubber Ducky, Ru's the one. We all love to splish splash in the bath!




Got Rice?

And yes, Thank Heaven for little girls like Ru.

We're back as three

by Liz


She's a peach. A total peach. We're so very lucky and so very in love. She just sparkles and you feel lucky to be in her presence.

Ethiopia gets in you. Its intoxicating, beautiful, perplexing, haunting and elusive. Something about it gets lost in translation and leaves you feeling a bit incomplete. I know we'll never get over it, but we'll definitely go back. The pictures don't describe it; they leave out the smell of the eucalyptus fires and the lilt of the traffic, livestock and prayer chants. Its modern and ancient, current and rustic, welcoming and disconcerting. Through our daughter we'll be forever related to it, but never truly a part of it; always ferenge (foreigners).

We are forever grateful to the people of the Toukoul Orphange, admins to nannies to guards who daily open their hearts for the children who live there. They are as happy and secure as you could hope. The grounds echo with the happy sounds of a summer camp; hardly a place of last resort.

The staff truly cares and there were tears when Ru left her nannies. We'll have to send more photos for their walls and wallets.

Nap time is ending... mama's gotta run!

Day of departure

(by dan)

up before the alarm!

I'm sure that does not surprise anyone? not even me and I'm a sleep junky.
A habit that I understand will end cold turkey with baby Ru's demands.

I wanted to leave enough time this morning to spoil my dog Lola as I understand she'll be taking a back seat for attention when we get back...

and she's responding very well to the bologna that I've decided to eat for breakfast. Should we eat the entire package?

Must load up now on coffee and get crackin! Selam!
See you soon grandma and grandpa!
xo dan and liz

can't help falling in love

(by dan)

Ah... finally the bags are packed... (sort of, almost)
and we're winding down a bit having a glass(es) of wine and setting up the auto emails to read: "In Ethiopia meeting our future, back on the 23rd. in case of emergency, please do not hold your breath."

iTunes is on and Elvis is singing in the background:
"I can't help falling in love with you" while we gaze at our 6 jpegs of our Ru, how appropriate?

No! NO! now the shuffle just jumped to a song by Rage Against the Machine!

thus prophesizing my destiny as a papa, am I in for it? a rebel? Blamey.

We've packed 8 pairs of socks and underwear, (I cannot stress the importance of these 2 items for a Renuzit kinda feeling) 8 T shirts, one pair of jeans, sneaks, one pair of shoes, two nice shirts and lots of Immodium, for das shits. There is no way I'm going to Ethiopia and NOT eating goat. As long as it's not goat sushi. "Pardon me? Selam! Got microwave?" Seriously I'm very excited about the cuisine- anything beats the food here in Ohio- (Sorry Ru!) and there's a lot of new things to try.

now- it's 11:12pm- and the really nice pair of dress linen pants I was planning on wearing to the embassy meeting with one of those "nice shirts"- are still waiting to be hemmed... hmmm... I'm pretty sure those 2 shirts both match the jeans.

Liz does not plan on sleeping this eve. I'm more of a traditionalist.
good night! (unless I get insomnia?)

Upon our return, some wonderful pictures for you.
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back drops

(by dan)

I have in my wallet a very dog eared little piece of paper that I've been carrying around since Wednesday, April 23rd- it's the first picture of Ru we received with her referral.

I've been starring at it for 75 days and the little girl in the photo has been starring back. She looks a little unsure of what's going on and seems to be hesitant to respond to the photographer. She is not smiling but not unhappy either. Just a little dazed- like the way I've been feeling this past week with the upcoming trip.

She has very big eyes and short curly hair. Her right hand is open and resting on her tummy and her left hand is slightly curled under. Both feet are in white socks. She's wearing a purple onesy that has long sleeves with white trim. She is sitting in a baby seat that is on a tile floor. She looks somewhat like a sweet little grape.

We are looking foward to taking many smiling pictures this coming weekend to share with you!

A Tribute to our Village

(by Liz)


They say "It takes a Village to raise a child" and our Eaton Cheerleading crew of "37 Aunts & Uncles" headed up by the "Whirling Willis Wonders" proved it, and then some, with an awesome baby shower and party. The decorations were a multi-masterpiece of the Willis Women (Miss Sarah and Kathy), the food delicious, the company stellar, and the booty... oh, the booty... it's out of this world!

Our crew suited us up with not only the coolest most safety-advanced convertible car seat with a "Moo" pattern that would drive any stylish gal to drool (even the ever-dazzling Lady Libby who knows her furs).. but went completely over the top with a off-roading JEEP (that's right... JEEP) stroller with integrated IPOD speakers... are we the object of stroller envy in Eaton or what?

Although they might have wanted to set their pants on fire before admitting it (CRAIG) I think every man in the party wanted to take that number for a ride! (Shawn is still researching an additional rider policy). Even Dan's not sure which of his two "Jeeps" he wants to take for a spin (and that's a good problem to have!).

That not being overindulgent enough, they also cared enough to provide a baby monitor in order for us newly responsible parents to keep up with both our "parental AND social obligations!"

The gals also loaded us up with enough outfits, books and blankies to make a Jolie-Pitt jealous and then proceeded to regale me and the two pregnant gals with enough delivery room stories that, if it wasn't already too late, would have probably gotten two more adoption converts... lucky me, at least I could wash it down with a glass of wine! Stay strong Anna and Amy - we'll all be able to toast to little Ru showing your kiddies around the sandbox!

So on the final lap into our travel adoption adventure we have all the goodies, all the advice and all the love and support this great little village has to offer. How lucky are we?

Thank you Eaton Aunts and Uncles.

Selam. We'll sleep well.

Stranger Anxiety...

(by Liz)

Today's Milestones:

ON OUR END: the first PACKING dry run for Ethiopia has been surmounted (ie. we spread out a bunch of things on the bed for major editing). It looks like we would be wise to invest in two pack mules and lots of duct tape...

ON RU'S END: according to the helpful emails from Babycenter.com... on the eve of our arrival, she will be reaching the developmental milestone of... "Stranger Anxiety."

Oh. good.

So you're also probably imagining the kind of welcome that we strange, smelly foreigners speaking gibberish will be rewarded with after our 22-hour, 7-time-zone spanning journey, right? Feel-Good Family Movie goes Horror-Show before the words "Mommy's here" can even hit her ears.

Well, on the bright side, I guess we can leave the video camera at home and lighten the load for the ever-suffering pack mules.

Expect the first photos to roll in a bit late (how long does it take to convince an infant you're not a stranger anyway?). We'll let you know (or maybe we won't!).

All my fears wrapped up in one sentence...

(by Dan)

Like many of you-

I have my favorite parts of movies- songs, poems, and for some of you- BOOKS EVEN! I do try to read books, occasionally- but... I guess I'm more of a magazine guy- or enjoyer of my own dreamscape at night... unless I've eaten too much pork and then I get my "porkchop nightmares..." which Liz claims might be from whatever I washed said porkchop(s) down with...

anyway...

I heard this one tonight from a movie called "OLD JOY" on the Sundance channel and it defined to me in movie words my own current set of fears and anxieties and the reason I've gone to bed the last 3 nights wearing my rubber mouth guard (the kind you get in 5th grade to avoid dental trauma in sports- or the kind you get as an adult that's "fitted" at the dentists office cause you grind your teeth that costs over $200 dollars- or the kind you still get if you're like me- at Walmart- the one from 5th grade- that only costs $3 dollars cause at 39 years old you're a bit price concious and paying for your own healthcare in America...)

So these two old friends are out camping- sitting around the campfire enjoying a couple beers- and the one guys says to the other- "So are you looking forward to fatherhood?"

and the other guys says "Well, yea man- definetly"

and the response: "Wow, you're really brave- I've never gotten myself into something I could not get myself out of!"

Parenthood anxieties defined for me at this moment!

I know these worries will change- evolve, etc.- Just like me- when I said oh- what 2 years ago? "I'm totally fine without having kids- not for me."

oh look out!

Just who is this "Biscuit Gang?"

(by Dan)




Our gang consists of 2 artists, one genius baby, a dog that skips and a very evil cat.

The genius baby has not arrived yet- we are adopting her from Ethiopia and going on an adventure to get her that starts on July 9th. Her name is Rukiya (Roo-kee-ya), or Ru for short. Ru will be 8 months old when we arrive in Addis Ababa. Stay tuned for more details about our new director of inspiration when we meet her.

Until then look for writing from me- her papa Dan Robertson that will be nervous in tone and at times highly exciteable or simply confused.

Actually that will probably be the way most of my writing usually sounds.

The other gang members: Liz Robertson- my wife. the other artist, (formerly known as a Stotler), who is also a graphic designer, writer, marketing guru, momma to be and believer in the good karma that floats around the universe that can occasionally be contained if you try hard enough to add to said karma. Also, she can also run with scissors.

The dog that skips is Lola. She's a rescue dog from Puerto Rico that is 8 years old. She's the original companion to our recently lost friend Otis the Chihuahua. (piss, vinegar, and foundly missed) Lola is very shy, screwy, dramatic and obsessive compulsive. When she's in a happy mood on a walk, she'll skip every 4th step.
She also looks a bit like Sandra Bullock.

Backing up Lola's timidness, and giving no quarter is our all black, slightly damaged cat Sinclair St. Claire. (aka Doom) He found Liz while relaxing on his deathbed under a bush downtown. He'd been hit by a car but couldn't be bothered to go to a vet. So we took him, "a cat, barely alive... Gentlemen, we can rebuild him, we have the technology... he will be better than before, Better. Stronger. More evil." Doom spends much of his time pouncing on Lola, stalking Lola, and grooming Lola. He loves Lola.

We look forward to sharing with you!
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