3 Years Ago

Three years ago this week we met E for the very first time. You can read about it here and here … what a life change we have made since then!

We learned about faith, patience, joy, humor, and hiv about g-tubes and medicine and trusting God.

When we first saw his little face on the DVD we were taken with his tiny little self and funny little shoulder shrug (not so funny when we got home and realized what it means). Nothing could have prepared us for the wonderful little guy he is now.

E-man loves him some daddy! Thinks daddy hung the moon… He’s taken to randomly just saying “I love you daddy” He’s always repeated I love you when it’s said to him, but now he randomly and frequently says it to daddy. He still wants to work with daddy when he grows up and still wants to be with him when he’s home. I often wonder if he would be the same if still in Ethiopia? Would he be a daddy’s boy there too?

He has also found himself a new hero. The same one as me, and didn’t even tell him!!  He has found that he thinks pap pap created the moon. :) It’s been a joy to see how he reacts to my grandfather when he’s around. He wants to be next to pap pap. When getting food, he wants what pap pap has, when doing almost anything when Pap pap is around it must be the same. I can’t tell you what that does to my heart since I pretty much feel the same way. Yesterday he was playing outside with some airplanes he’d gotten from Pap pap and was telling his friend where he’d gotten them and who from. He repeated it a couple of times just to get the point across that it was important stuff!!!

He’s fun and funny and stubborn and indecisive and creative and just a cool kid!
He LOVES Legos and can build almost anything from scratch.

His new thing is to do headstands, but with his feet tucked in, or legs bent and odd angles…. all those things that require MAJOR core strength. It always seems like a miracle to me to see him do things like that. Thinking of the day we met him and wondering what he would be able to do with himself as he grew? We had so many “if’s”… yet he’s surpassed everything we wondered.
He starts 1st grade in a couple of weeks and I can hardly believe it. His fear right now is that he can’t read. We’ve tried to tell him that he will learn. But he’s concerned, so we work on that with him.

He loves to play, he would rather do something creative or be outside than on electronics…almost the opposite of N. :)

His lab numbers are all good, and in fact at this past ID appointment they didn’t even draw labs because they felt he was doing so well they didn’t need to. The funny thing is that this time most of the people in the office were commenting on his growth and how amazing he looks and is doing. I just smile and say a quick praise to God.

Psalm 68:5 He sets the lonely in families…

My little E that wasn’t the favorite, wasn’t the cutest, wasn’t the best liked, was teased because of his molescum and waited more than 2 yrs in an orphanage has blossomed, grown and now shines! He’s the favorite of most of his teachers and is loved by everyone. He’s even won over my brother who wasn’t ever going to have anything to do with him because of his hiv.
I LOVE how God works, I LOVE that he gave us E, I LOVE that we were given this opportunity…and most of all I LOVE my E.

P.S. No news on the adoption front…apparently my agency isn’t giving anyone any word…so not sure what’s going on? Prayers would be appreciated!!!