CWA's Spotlight Child: Asher Ewing

Just eight months ago, we were in the midst of an incredible journey to Africa, to the country of Ethiopia, to adopt a seven month-old baby boy. They called him Mamush, which means “little boy.” While it is an affectionate term, it also told us that no one knew whether he’d ever even been given a name.

Leading up to our trip, we had only a few pictures of him and his sweet little face and we found ourselves often staring at those pictures and wondering what his early days must have been like, what were the circumstances that caused him to be an orphan, and what sights his little brown eyes had seen in his first five months of life. But while the answers to those questions were difficult for us to imagine, what we could imagine was the smothering love he was about to receive not only from us but from his brother and sisters back in Cincinnati. We had an incredible first meeting in a hotel lobby in Addis Ababa and then a joyful and tearful airport reunion as a new family of six, which is one of the highlights of our lives. We named him Asher which means “happy and blessed.” And this is surely true of his life, but actually of ours as well, because of the great joy that he has brought to our family.

As we think back on the last eight months it is amazing to us to reflect on the changes that we have seen in Asher. In a recent doctor’s appointment, Asher was described as "sensory-seeking." Exploring this phrase, we’ve decided that sensory-seeking can mean many things. For Asher, it means lots of normal one-year-old behavior, but also some things that just make Asher the special boy God created him to be. So here are a few sensory-seeking moments in the life of Asher. He loves to put everything in his mouth which includes leaning over the hearth and not only licking it, but scraping his top two teeth on the bricks. This is not something we encourage! He bangs everything with his hand. His favorite past time is banging a pot with a wooden spoon - future drummer we suspect. He loves all water (yes, the toilet) and hates to get out of the tub. Every meal is enjoyed by Asher and he loves most food. You know when it's not his favorite food because he will smack it on his head and make a sour face - thus, more baths or wash downs. With the cold weather, Asher enjoys experiencing the cold in many ways like sticking out his tongue when it's windy and taking his first sled ride. While waiting for the older kids to come off the school bus, Asher loves to press his face up against the cold window which makes him smile and laugh. We love his excitement for life and how he explores everything.

We have found that it is through these everyday moments of life that God has been showing us how “happy and blessed” we are. We know it and feel it when we see his older brother Caleb snuggle with him at bedtime, when we hear Asher say “B-a-b-b-a” as he calls for his five year old sister Abby, or in the grin of his red-headed big sister Caroline, when Asher greets her every morning standing at the edge of his crib. What we know for sure is that we can’t imagine life without Asher.

Would you like to allow your child to be featured as CWA's monthly Spotlight Child? Please let us know by emailing Tana Alfrey, Communications Assistant.