blog apologies and point form style

i love that i now have a record of the many events and feelings that marked our journey to AJ (formerly known by us as Zake).  as i've mentioned before, my memory has become sketchy, at best, so to have these early days recorded to some extent will prove to be such a gift as time passes and details become blurred.  so glad i did this for AJ's sake. 
as any remaining readers have noticed, however, my blogging is slowing down some as life has picked up speed.  so understandable and expected.  i apologize for my blogging neglect.  but hey, it's just a blog, right?  better to keep my family clothed and fed than obsessing over my lack of regular posts.  i know, i know...
as you probably can surmise, my lack of blog material is not due to a true lack of blog material.  you following this?  i mean, on any given day there are three possible blog topics whirling in my brain that may be worth typing out.  but time simply doesn't permit.  and i'm not sacrificing my sleep, thank-you-very-much....it's not like this is a paid venture for me (still waiting :) ).
there are so many humourous or frustrating or endearing or crazy things to share~ sometimes within the span of two hours.  at any rate, this is why i appear this evening with my first ever blog post in point form.  i'll try not to make a habit of it.
~ first and foremost, my heart is heavy tonight for the entire adoption programme in Ethiopia.  to put it simply, the latest word is that international adoptions from Eth. are going to be drastically reduced starting tomorrow.  I ache, literally ache, when i consider the implications this MOWA (Ministry of Women's Affairs) decision will have on the many kids there in country.  those already in the initial phases of the adoption process that will see their wait for a family be dramatically increased, as well as their time institutionalized. and those not yet in an orphanage, but needing family nonetheless. even more, i ache for families i know of that have endured years of this adoption rollercoaster and are facing yet another bump in the road, that quite honestly must feel impassable some days.  you know who you are, and all i can offer is that i am praying.  this latest ruling hasn't surprised God.  not one bit.  i'm with you and will continue to dream of the day that your hope is realized...
~ok, that last "point" was long.  i'll work on that. 
~today was AJ's first trip to the dentist.  hopefully someday i'll get over the guilt of leaving the camera behind at home.  the very camera that was sitting out, by my purse, for the purpose of bringing to the appointment.  yep.  it's true.  anyway, AJ was a champ.  enthralled by the chair, the massive sunglasses the hygienist put on him, and the new toothbrush with an actual picture of a "makeenah" on it.  his teeth look really good we're told, which came as a bit of a surprise and brought welcomed relief.  some of the children are coming home to North America with lots of dental issues.  she also noted that he has space between his baby teeth, which might actually mean that child #6 is the first one to not present with massive spacing issues anticipated once adult teeth move in!  one for six is our record.  not great, but we're thankful still.
~AJ's spleen is also reportedly a centimetre smaller than on previous assessment.  this is good.  we will, however, be seeing a specialist to get some further advice around this topic.  the doctor was pleased this week with AJ's overall health and development since being home.  he has gained a bit more than two pounds in two months, and his language is growing a startling amount every week. 
~Jeff was commenting on the funny things AJ already knows.  he can look at all five of his sibling's lunch bags and tell you who they belong to, without hesitation.  just odd, random facts that he's retaining simply by living in this house.  he hears the garage door open at suppertime and says "dad's home" like all the other kids do.  they race to be the first one to say it.  he hears the doorbell ring and without even looking says "Nick's here".  Nick is our dear neighbour friend that comes over often to play with the kids.  it's quite adorable to see how his mind works and how real the "sponge theory" actually is.
~AJ is more eager than ever to wrestle.  last week the kids were rumbling on the family room floor.  coffee table pushed aside, cushions blocking the brick hearth, and there's AJ~ just so eager to be in the mix.  he had on a swimsuit we'd been given by friends who passed it down to us when their son outgrew it.  it's a full wet-suit style design with a zipper up the front.  just regular fabric, but the style really does resemble a bit of a wrestling singlet/wet-suit combination.  well, this delighted AJ...he was zipping around in that suit with such joy.  it looks adorable on him with his big round belly protruding.
~the update on Jonas is that we have no official update yet.  i did learn today that Eyob is out of town and we will hear more when he returns. 
there's the latest.  more pictures soon! :)