A few pictures...

The hat was made by my friend Jessica. I was unaware that she had this hidden talent, but I am very impressed!

Half

We have known Meron for one half of a year today. It has been six months since Tewabech, a scared, quiet, sweet, meek little baby was placed in my arms in a crowded sitting room in Ethiopia. I can't believe how quickly time has passed. I can't believe how much she has grown. I can't believe how much I can't live without her.

Here are some things we have learned about Meron in the last 6 months.



Meron is:

Nothing like the little girl we first met who was too scared to show her real personality

Strong

Passionate in her likes and dislikes

Beautiful

Funny

A tease

A walking ray of sunshine

Crazy smart

Even crazier willful

Sassy

Focused

Driven

A girl who loves to shock me (well, it is mostly mock shock on my part, but I don't think she knows that...)

BUSY

Loving

Kind

Giving

Nurturing

Happiest if she is the center of attention and perplexed if she isn't

Stubborn

A delight

Half of my heart (maybe 3/4)

My daughter



We love you so much Meron Tewabech. We are so glad that you are our daughter.

Love,

Mama

Pictures to remind me of how sweet Meron is...

Even though she has been VERY cranky the last few days. In all fairness, who wouldn't be cranky when getting two more molars and suffering through intestinal and stomach flu. I can't blame the poor girl. Is it just me, or is she really looking older every day? She's breaking my heart! She doesn't even toddle any more... she's just a walker. I love the one of her and Nathan practicing serious faces. That is our new game; we say, "Let's practice the serious face." and frown and then she makes the best sad/mad/ pouting faces. Then we all laugh. It is really good fun. Plus, sometimes when she is yelling at me I can get her to laugh at herself by telling her she's making a serious face and copying her.

Ummm....

Flat twists? Would these fall under that category? They aren't very well done for numerous reasons: I'm a klutz with hair, Merrie gets irritated and swats my hands and moves her head around, and her hair is all different lengths. I am pretty amused, though, and I think she's cute. Although she is also not impressed with this hair style. I think she envisioned a mother who was better at hair...

Clearly thrilled....

About the little pigtails I put in her hair while she was eating lunch. Luckily, she forgave me in the end. It was a heck of a day... I think the first day that I was a little excited to go to work and take a break. Mer is getting two more molars, the dogs woke her up two hours earlier than she usually gets up, and they also woke her up 45 minutes into her usually 2 hour morning nap. She is trying out a new tantrum method since the others weren't working. This one involves 5 blood curdling shrieks, followed by sticking her bottom lip out so far that it is inside out. Wow. I have to give Meorn credit for creativity, as this is about the 4th method for tantrums she has tried. At least she has stopped hitting me in the face for the most part.... I saw a book in the library a while ago called something like "Parenting the Strong Willed Child;" I may have to check it out!

Valentine's Day

Well, Nathan and I both have to work on actual Valentine's Day so we celebrated on the 12th. This is Meron, all dressed up for Valentine's Day dinner. Ummm, yeah, she is pretty cute. We actually need to think about dressing her in less cute enhancing clothes, because several people stopped us to ask a million questions about Meron. They kept trying to pet her hair... which I think violates her personal space. Two people asked me if they could hold her. Really? Maybe I am too reserved, but I can't ever remember going up to strangers and requesting to hold their offspring. We're going to have to come up with a strategy to avoid being nasty to people, but still allow Mer to have some level of privacy...

16 months, baby.

Meron was 16 months old yesterday. She is walking, talking, making animal noises, using sign language, growing teeth like crazy and is more wonderful and amazing every single day. We love you so much Meron, and we are so glad that you are our daughter.

Some new videos for your viewing pleasure... Meron making animal noises while eating supper and Meron singing. She has sung like that since we met her and it is one of my favorite things. It is so sweet it makes me teary sometimes.

6 Months Post Placement Visit

We had another post placement visit on Friday. More cleaning, more bragging about how awesome our daughter is... lots of fun! These are the pictures we sent this time. I hope her other mom likes them, but I wish I could send her videos of her walking and talking.

Developing a Sense of Personal Style....

Okay, I picked out one of these outfits, Nathan picked out one, and Meron picked out one. See if you can guess who did which? No cheating... look and figure it out!

Okay, I picked out the dress, Meron picked out her tie dye outfit with sparkly shoes and wrist band (she brought me the shoes and the wrist band repeatedly and kept sticking her foot up for me to put the shoes on) and Nathan dressed her in her tie dye outfit, sparkly shoes and pajama pants and took the girl to the store. Wow. That's what happens when mom's at work, I guess.