HOPE IS OURS!

Our paperwork is done and Hope is officially ours!!!! Hope is doing great, but she is afraid of Daddy. We can all hold her and then when Mike goes to pick her up she looks at him and starts screaming. This started yesterday morning when she woke up. She says 'MaMa' and 'DaDa,' but I don't think she has made the connection yet. She also makes these low, growling noises which are so funny. We have been doing a lot of paperwork and shopping the past 2 days. We are staying on Shamian Island which was occupied by the British until the 1940's so all the architecture is neo-classical; you don't really feel like you are in China. Then you walk over the bridge and everything changes. We walked all around yesterday where they were selling all kinds of strange things. I bought some different types of dried flowers they said were for making hot tea, but we haven't tried any yet. We went out for Chinese food last night where locals eat here on the island. It is really great food and we are thankful no one has gotten sick yet. We brought Hope back to the room and she screamed - like each time we give her a tubby. I think she is only used to getting sponge baths. When we put her in the crib for bed she had a big smile on her face, and then started to do all kinds of tricks. I think she thought "Oh, I'm home!" She can scoot all around this crib. It was great to watch but also sad because I'm sure this is where she spent most of her time. She has many scars on her head from the boards rubbing. She has one huge boil on the left side of her head, but it looks like it's healing now. Today we are headed to the botanical gardens and tomorrow we will drive three hours to visit Sophie.

It's Official, Hope is Ours

Hadyn and Eamon playing cards while we did paperwork

This is what happens to the boys when we are out in public

We walked over the bridge from our hotel and they were selling tiger paws, rhino tusks and all kinds of animal horns

Tiger paw

These spices are used as medicine

I think this monkey took the medicine

Dried snakes

Eamon found some Lizard Pops

Rylan and Hope

Hope loves to be held

Tired Girl

Grace having corn at breakfast

Curran with Miss Hope

Happy Baby

Hadyn having a milk shake

Gracie

Hope having her milk shake

Grace and Mommy

Curran's new friend Emma

Daddy and Hope

Grace loves her new umbrella

Hopie loving her jungle gym

Time for bed