One year ago today, July 19, 2010 we held our son in our arms for the first time. It has been an amazing journey and we feel very lucky that Jack is our son. So many people were involved in making this happen and helping us become a family but we can't forget the most important person in all of this...Jack's Ethiopian mother. She made the ultimate sacrifice and gave us the most precious gift of all...her son. We will always be eternally grateful to her and while we are filled with happiness for this gift we also know that it is with a bit of sadness that all of this is possible.

Jack has come so far in the past 12 months. He has gone from a scared infant who was taken away from everything that he knew to an outgoing and active 18 month old who is filled with laughter and love.

We miss Ethiopia and are already making plans to take Jack back to visit and to learn more about his culture and his country. We miss the smells, the traffic, the incredible amount of history and most of all we miss the people of Ethiopia. I never understood how people could miss a third world country but Ethiopia gets in your heart and you just can't ever forget it. Maybe because that is our son's birthplace or maybe because despite all the adversity that the people of Ethiopia encounter they are so happy and outgoing and welcoming. And despite all of the suffering that they endure they seem to understand the bigger picture and they make you realize what it is to have faith and what it means to have a more simple life.

Thank you to everyone for this wonderful journey that has only just begun.

The Baker Family.

The first time we saw your face.


The first time we held you in our arms- July 19, 2010


One year later!