Expanding Our Borders: Two Years Home

Monday, January 27, 2014

Two Years Home

Lately, my mind has often went to our time in Ethiopia two years ago, our plane ride home, and that very emotional meeting at the airport with Bereket, finally a family of eight! The number in itself was not significant, but the battle and countless hours of worry and prayer were remembered when our family all was finally joined together!!

Little Bear has truly adapted well! He is such a happy, content little guy who is not very needy. He smiles and giggles so easily! Yet, I won't forget how he came to America. His cheeks were plump, his belly too bloated, yet many people thought he looked fairly well and healthy. The truth is he was not!! Our family doctor wrote on his check up sheet, "failure to thrive." It broke my heart and I thought is would be an easy turn around. It was NOT an easy turn around! Broken bones because of such severe malnourishment, eating issues, lack of any coordination or sense of normal stage behaviors.....

Two years later, I believe it is safe and true to say, he is finally thriving and even growing naturally as well as mentally and emotionally!!! It is NOT A SMALL THING!!! We tend to compare Eden and Little Bear but they are so uniquely different!! Bereket's journey to being healthy has been LONG! Eden's journey to being healthy emotionally will be LONG!

For today, I want to cheer and celebrate how far we have come with Little Bear! He is truly a light and gift to our family and brings us so much joy!!!