God is Good!

I have gone to write about our time in Ethiopia, and every time I try, I get caught up in the timeline.  We are home.  We have all fallen, hook, line, and sinker for our sweet boy. He is funny, smart, sweet, and busy.

When we adopted Bella, Bella preferred me to Jason.  So we knew to expect that Efa might prefer one of us over the other.  I just did not expect that to be someone other that me!  Well, it gave each of us perspective on the other's experience.  Hard.  My feelings were hurt.  Truly wrestled with what the other parents on the trip would think of me.  Aren't all kids suppose to love their mom?  Childish, I know.  Because we went through it before, I was patient.  Efa rewarded my patience with such sweetness that it got me through the next day.  When we got home, he started to warm up to me.  He wanted me at 3 in the morning.  He wanted me when he ate.  So I went to bed earlier than I have in years and was up at 3 to feed and snuggle.  We have built on that time and now, I would say he is pretty balanced between us, Jason and me.

Efa loves his siblings and they adore him.  Bella needed to be reassured that we would not have to bring him back to Ethiopia.  After that, it was lights out.  She loves that they are both from Ethiopia and that they both have curly hair.

He loves:

our grace that we sing before every meal...so we inevitably have to sing it several tiems.
cream of wheat, mashed potatoes, cheerios, buna
balls (he sleeps with one)
playing jokes
books
a baby doll that he has named Mamita (after his BFF at the TC)
moving his eyebrows in funny expressions

Watch out!

Got you!

Big sister, finally.

We are truly blessed to be his parents.  Like labor, the pain of the process has lost some of its edge.  We will be working to get all 5 children (or at least 4 of the 5) in same spot for a complete family picture.