A Change of Hotel Plans

So, we had it all worked out to go pick up Addison...perfect flight, perfect (free) hotel suite at the Sheraton, etc. but the CHI people were giving us a really hard time about staying at the Sheraton. First telling us that we would have to provide our own transportation to and from HOH (so what) and then telling us that we can't have Addison with us at all if we stay at the Sheraton...and that we have to pay silly crib, nanny, food, etc. fees to the HOH while we're there, b/c we are "unwiling to pick up our child when we come."

Needless to say, I've spent the whole weekend boiling, b/c I got the bullying email on Friday after work saying that we couldn't have Addison AT ALL, even after our embassy/exit interview when they have no rights to our child whatsoever, because "we were choosing not to pick him up like all the other parents." The language, threats, punitive fees, etc. has had me pissed for the past 36 hours.

Well, after asking several people's opinions and cooling off a bit...lo and behold, we just booked a reservation at Ethiopia Guest House - a place that CHI approves of, hence we get to take our child and not have to pay them and fight with them. They win. Now, instead of the free accommodations, we are shelling out quite a chunk of money to stay at a place where we "get" to share a bathroom with another family. Oh, the joys. But, hey, if that's what they insist on, then so be it. Since our son has been held prisoner for long enough, we might as well do whatever we can to make sure these people have no reason to end up denying us the rights to get him at the final hour.

We still have our Sheraton reservation - and wil probably keep it. But now that we're playing by their new rules, we get to do with Addison whatever we want in-country...well, except sleep and be where we want with our own child that legally became ours on August 5th, that is.