Ivan is adjusting so well. He is quite the celebrity around here--the older kids love to show him off at school, sports practice, etc. and he honestly eats it all up...(we have a charmer on our hands for sure).
Speaking of eating, our little man continues to eat almost everything we offer--with only a few exceptions, he loves it all. And he eats lots of it. And he loves to ask
for more. And sometimes even more. Being a first time adoptive parent, I asked my doctor about this. "He would eat all day if I let him...Is this a problem?" My doctor's kind reply was, "He has some serious catching up to do so LET HIM EAT!" And now speaking of catching up, Ivan has officially added 3 full pounds since "gotcha day"! He literally looks like a different child...full, rosy cheeks, more hair, and a few yummy little fat wrinkles here and there. He has the smiley-est eyes and a glowing grin. He is full of life.To recap a bit, Thanksgiving was simply splendid as Ivan
and I flew to be with almost my entire side of the family in Tennessee. It was such a treat to show Ivan off to my parents, siblings, nieces, cousins, second cousins, my dear grandmother (see super cute photo to the right!), aunts, uncles, friends and other loved ones there. We had a huge reunion-type gathering. It was unforgettable. Some highlights of the trip were: Ivan playing in leaves for the first time, enjoying the wide open spaces that make 
Tennessee so beckoning (translation-me running after Ivan as he realized he could literally run FOREVER there!), meeting his huge new family, and honestly just about each and every moment in-between. He loved every dog he saw (please remember that he thought our 6 pound dog was going to devour him when he first came home), he laughed and laughed with his deep belly laugh that is so contagious it makes my cheeks hurt, he couldn't get enough of the swing or really just the outdoors in general, he brought so much joy. He reminded me constantly how much we have to be thankful for.As I mentioned, Ivan is thriving. There are almost too many stories to tell. He is funny and silly, curious and active, snuggly and super
sweet. He gets whiny, mad, stubborn, 
and pitches little fits. And I love it all. It is still really hard for me not to bite his little cheeks and nibble on his yummy little neck--all the time. He gets into everything. EVERYTHING. He is holding his own in our busy house--even with the dog who is a bit irritated that Ivan has taken a liking to his crate and cozy dog-bed. He is picking up some sign language and never wants to get out of his bath. He gets perfectly still when I start to give him is bottle just before bed. My brother's family gave him a sock monkey and he adores it. He carries it around and cuddles it in bed. Seriously, there are just too many stories.With this being the first week of Advent (which happens to be my very favorite time of year), I have been doing a lot of reflecting. This is the Hope week. We lit the Hope candle on Sunday and get to live in this space focused on the Hope that Jesus is and brings all week long. I had the chance to share a bit about our journey to Ivan in chapel at the University where I work last night and in preparations for my talk, I was overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed with the LONG list of prayers answered and miracles experienced during our journey to Ivan. I was overwhelmed at the sweet and tender mercies that God showed me over and over and over again. I was overwhelmed at all of the times God stepped in and blessed and encouraged me when my hope was almost gone. I was overwhelmed at the thought of what a miracle Ivan is. He is hope realized, seen, smelt and held. Hope. Here. With us. Sleeping soundly only a few feet away. Again, I am overwhelmed.
I am so excited to travel through the rest of this Advent season as we prepare to celebrate Jesus' birth. I feel so full, so blessed, so thankful. So overwhelmed with hope.
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