A Mother's Right: Bragging :)

He really is such a special little guy. Here is my most recent bragging list.

• Jacob is really coordinated. He catches, bats balls, and climbs up rock walls and other playground equipment with ease.
• He picked up English very quickly and expresses his ideas often. He says, "What's its name?" as he points to different objects. His memory is amazing.
• He is very sweet and loving. At night he says, "Rock a baby?" when he wants to be rocked.
• He loves books and already has many favorites including Pajama Time and Snuggle Puppy. Books about lions (his favorite animal) are also popular.
• He loves spicy food. We enjoy Thai, Chinese, Indian and of course Ethiopian food with him.
• Jacob loves technology and figures out DVD players and anything with buttons or gadgets.

We are blessed to be his parents!

Our New Family Member

Jake is thrilled with his "new" dog named Coal. He is a six year old lab who needed a home. Coal doesn't seem to mind the rough and tumble of a two year old. Already the two of them seem to be friends. It will be a while until Jake is strong enough to hold the lease on walks.

Visiting VT Again

We have traveled to VT for the second time with Jacob. He is enjoying time with his Aunt Dianne, Uncle Chuck and Cousin Caroline. The weather is warm for skiing, but the four of them went out yesterday while I spent time with Jake and worked on my paper (final clean up). I think I am going to pass on going out until next year. Spending time with Jacob suits me fine. Don't you love his smile?!

Joy!

What joy he brings into our lives!! He loves to play outside and asks for his bike or slide (park) almost as soon as he wakes up. I treasure his hugs and kisses before I leave for school and when I get home.

Fun With His Cousin

Yesterday Jacob and his cousin, Joshua had fun at an Easter egg hunt and playing at the playground. Jacob has a bunny sticker on his forehead. :) Enjoy!

Jacob's Antics

Last night I came home late from work and expected Jacob to be asleep. It was about 9pm. Well, he was peeking at me from around the stairs. We snuggled and I put him back in bed. He didn't settle down and we repeated the cycle several times. Finally, all seemed quiet. It was nearly 11pm and Jim and I were ready to go to sleep ourselves. Jacob was STILL awake!! We put him in bed and turned in.

We couldn't understand him. He usually goes to bed easily and falls asleep by 8pm. But, last night he cried off and on and just wouldn't settle. I started to think it might be because I was away for two nights (nice, guilty feelings). Finally after 11pm, we were all asleep.

I woke up early and went to make sure he was still covered. As I reached for his quilt, my hand hit something in his bed. There was a can of Coke nearly empty under his covers!!! No wonder he didn't fall asleep; he was full of caffeine. Not one of our brightest moments as parents. Apparently, he took an opened can out of the frig. When?? Who knows!

PS... The can he is drinking from in the picture is full of water. I know, probably NOT a good idea anymore!

The first picture is how he uses his musical leap frog. (as a stepping stool)

The last picture is of him acting like a lion, which he often does. (scary :))

Here is a picture of Jake and his friend Abel (Baley) and Ababa (Daddy). Jake and Abel knew each other in Ethiopia, so the reunion was really special. A group of about 10 Ethiopian adoptive parents met at a local Ethiopian restaurant. Jake knew Baley and his Lancaster friends Malachi and Emma. The kids had a lot of fun eating injera and running around. At one point Jake put his arms up to the owner for Addisu to pick him up.

Snowy View

We spent last weekend with friends in NY who adopted a little boy at the same time as us. We met in Ethiopia and shared the experience. It was wonderful to bring the two boys together and catch up. Out of respect for their privacy, I won't post the pictures of them together, but I like this one of Jacob. He is looking out of the window of their ski home. The weekend was very snowy and beautiful.

Bath Time Fun

We bought Jacob some googles and he loves using them in the bath. We are planning to bring him to the YMCA for swim lessons this spring. He already loves the water and pours it over his face and sticks his face in the water with no prompting. I think we have a swimmer!

Baptized on Valentine's Day

What a perfect Valentine's Day! We celebrated Jacob's baptism with friends and family at St. Peter's Church in Lancaster. Mike and Bernadette officially became his Godparents. Jim and I cried through the hymn of "Borning Cry". What a touching song that says that God was taking care of our son even before we knew him.

Pastor Bonnie was so thoughtful. She even used a cloth from Ethiopia to wipe his hair. The connection to his birth country was especially important. We wanted to honor his first family. They entrusted us to raise him to love God and honor him. We will, with the help of God.