Best Valentine's Day gift ever

An update on Melkamu and a fourth picture! We hadn't gotten an update since the beginning of January (though there was a new photo on his birth certificate), and then it was a picture + his measurements. This time we got a full evaluation of him at 14 months, 5 days old! Our baby just gets cuter every time we see him. I just want to nuzzle those cheeks. And his eyes--oh my gosh, his eyes are so beautiful I can hardly believe it! I have two sons with the most beautiful brown eyes and longest eyelashes ever. I can't wait to see him smile, as he's not smiling in any of the pictures that we have.

The update told us that he's up to 21 lbs and 31" tall, so he's been growing a ton since getting to the care center (he started at 17 lbs 5 oz and just under 30" tall) three months ago. He's still not walking on his own, but he is pulling to stand and will walk holding on. Since children in Ethiopia tend to walk later than children in the U.S. anyway, we're not particularly surprised. I would imagine that he'll be running around the house chasing the dogs in no time. I'm not sure what that will do to daycare, though, since the kids need to be walking well to be in the 1-year-old room (it's really more like a 15 month-24 month room). You know what, though? We'll figure it out later. I refuse to stress out about something over which I have absolutely zero control, like when my child walks. And since I plan on carrying him as much as he'll let me--which, as I recall from Patrick, wasn't a whole lot at that age--it may still be a while. I need that snuggle time as much as he does!

He's a chatterbox, though. Even in his one-year evaluation, he was using 2 words together "meaningfully", not just babbling random words. He still is, and he's still described as understanding new words weekly, understanding feelings, combining gestures with words, vocalizing with expression, etc. Somehow, in some realm, I think he knew his family would be big talkers and that he needed to start early in order to get a word in edgewise!

Since his last evaluation at a week past his birthday, he's developed new skills: turning the pages of books, stacking two cubes, scribbling, using a cup, and trying to use a spoon. He was already putting marbles into a bottle and taking them back out, and stacking cups in each other. He sounds so perfect, even with the "yes" written by "occasionally tantrums when displeased" on both evaluations.

I can't believe that I'll be in Ethiopia two weeks from today. I alternate between elation, panic, and being on the verge of tears. This is really happening--in just a couple of weeks, I'll have both of my boys.

Here is the progression of pictures: