Six Months Ago Today ...

... we were taken into a large playroom in an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and saw this tiny, scared and curious face in person for the first time. It doesn't seem possible that it's been six months already and yet it feels like he's been with us forever. Just look at those eyes. Now we know them so well ... we can tell if he's about to cry or break into a smile or do something mischievious.


He hardly looks like the same boy in this photo ... Simon's personality has blossomed so much! There are days when it feels like he's grown inches overnight but we think it's mostly how his personality has flourished. He has actually grown almost 5 inches this year, since we received his referral on January 4th. Hard to imagine!

And here are a few recent photos of Simon to prove just how spunky he is! Now I know just how courageous and resilient he is. Simon is tough and he is strong. He has a sense of humor, something that I didn't expect in a two year old. He 'gets' what is funny and loves to make others laugh. He loves to play games like "get you" and "where'd it go?" We can even have small conversations with him, mostly about trains, buses and animals. His child care provider, Sarah, tells us that Simon is very bright. She said that when she asks the children to show her a sign (as in sign language), Simon is the first one to answer correctly. He is trying very hard to count but gets his numbers mixed up. And just this week, he has been starting to sing songs for us that he learns at day care. It makes me cry it's so cute!

Speaking of cuteness ... back to the photos. Here is Simon getting ready to go out in disguise.

And from a trip to a local pumpkin patch ... Simon loves to wear hats and his 'dudes' aka sunglasses. Notice the Target sticker on his forehead ... he loves stickers and he usually will wear them on his forehead. That reminds me of something else that makes me smile about Simon ... if he tells you he's going bye-bye and you ask him where he's going, he'll always tell you "to Target." Just in the last week, he'll tell you that he's going there to get cake. : )

Simon is really into trains. He loves all things trains: books, toys, driving over railroad tracks, hearing trains in the distance, train pajamas, and the list goes on. A new favorite activity is lining up his cars, trucks, etc. to make trains. I like this photo because he chose the smallest little truck to head the train.

My heart feels like it's going to burst at least 3 times a day ... I love my son so very, very much! Simon Kebebe is pure joy and I feel blessed and humbled that I get to be his Mommy.