Adoption Day Success!!!!

So many things to be thankful for today!  Where do I start?   For one thing, we have made it through the entire day with no tears!!!  At breakfast, which is the most wonderful buffet you have ever seen, I fixed his plate with things that I thought would be completely different from anything he would have had in the orphanage.  Since mealtime is a trigger for his memories and sadness, I thought "change would be good".  It worked!  We had a wonderful breakfast.  He sat between me and baba.  He let me help him completely.  We are finding we need to split the responsibilities to kind of sort the bonding.  Jeff is the walking around guy, holding hands, carrying him etc.  Mama is the food and care taker.  The girls are the playmates.  He is now bonding with each of us equally.  It is wonderful! 

Ian is an terrific eater!  He eats or at least tries anything you put in front of him.  He has a definite taste and opinion for just about everything.  He is a very smart little boy.  He has a ton of personality and an infectious laugh!

On our way to breakfast... I think the calendar is wrong on the camera!

 

Coloring with his big sister

After breakfast I broke out the coloring book and crayons just like I used to with the girls.  He colors pretty well and almost in the lines all the time.  He has a great deal of patience and is quite the perfectionist in what he works on. 

While we waited for our guide, Sarah and MuMu walked around the hotel lobby.

 

 

Can you tell what Emmy is saying to me???   "Really Mom??? More Pictures???"

 

 

Next we were off to the final adoption signing.

 

He loves to do puzzles on his Kindle Fire and he's really good at it and very coordinated. This was while we waited our turn.  MuMu also impressed the other families with his first lesson in English, counting to 5 with his fingers and giving Mama a "high five" when done.  Have I mentioned how smart he is???? 

 

 

MuMu with the orphanage director.  We were afraid it may have brought the tears on to see him again today, but instead MuMu said a perky "Bai Bai" and grabbed Baba's hand and started pulling him toward the door!!!!

 

 

 

After the final adoption paperwork we were off to the "baby store" to get MuMu some pants that fit and some new sneakers that he desperately needed, as well as do our shopping for the orphanage donations. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We purchased diapers and educational toys!

 

 

 

While the store helpers boxed up the goodies, MuMu took a ride on one of those Pleasant Goat character rides.  He liked it for a few minutes and then lost interest. 

  

 

 

He was a MACHINE helping us move the boxes into the van!

 

 

Tomorrow we will be delivering to the orphanage and presenting these donations along with 3 full suitcases of blankets, diaper rash creme, baby clothes and vitamins from home.  We also have personal letters written by Emmy's 5th grade class as well as about $2,000 Yuan cash for the orphanage to use for formula which they purchase special.   Because MuMu has settled in and is no longer asking to go back, we feel it would be too emotional for him to go back with us, so instead he and Baba will stay back at the hotel and play together while the girls and I go with our guide and driver to HengYang.  I'm sad to leave MuMu tomorrow but very excited to have the opportunity to go visit the place that has taken such good care of him for the past 3 1/2 years.  Celia, our guide, did explain to MuMu that the things we bought were not for him, but for his friends at the orphanage.  He was good with that, but we are not really letting him know where we are going tomorrow.  He thinks we are shopping.  We will have video and photos to share with him one day and show him what we did for his friends and nannies, but for now, he needs to just enjoy being with his family.

 

After lots of hard work shopping and loading, it was time for lunch.  We decided to try getting some McDonald's for lunch for his first time ever!  We brought it back to the hotel and he enjoyed it immensely and kept swiping Emmy's french fries!!!

 

 

Some play time was called for after lunch. 

 

 

But first Baba had to blow up the PENGUIN!!!  I'm sure you will see more pictures of the penguin in the future, as he is a major highlight as the newest resident in our hotel room.  We find him frequenting the shower and the toilet on a regular basis!!! 

 

 

He loves to build things and with this toy he was looking at the pictures and instructions to create something.

 

Of course it is much more fun with Baba!!!

At long last it was nap time... we are trying to get MuMu on a schedule. 

He is very obediant and compliant.  I'm working hard on my Mandarin and it is paying off.  We aren't nearly as clueless with each other as yesterday. 

Reinforcements were necessary when the munchkin fell off the bed in between the wall and the bed!!  YIKES!!!!  I scooped him up and put him back in the middle, piled the pillows around and he never woke up!!!!  Hysterical!!!!!  The girls and I were cracking up!!!

After nap time, we met Celia and walked about a mile or so to a Market and picked up a few things and then to a Pizza Hut!  Looked nothing like Pizza Hut that we know, but the food was just like Pizza Hut back home!  Another first for MuMu today.  He never had pizza!!!!  He really did NOT want to pick it up with his hands!!!  It was hysterical trying to teach him that it was OK!

This was the super cool shopping cart escalator we took DOWN with Mu in the cart!!  The kids didn't understand why I needed a picture of this, but I just thought it was the coolest thing ever!

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh.... back to the hotel... home sweet home... showers all around... mine is coming once I upload this blog update.  I now know why I was the only bonehead walking in Changsha with sandals!  ICK!  My feet are GROSS!!!

So to close this most fantastic day ever... here is our sweet boy sleeping in one of his unusual positions after he gave me my first kiss on the cheek at bedtime.  My heart melted...
Oh yes... and, the name/word that he was crying out yesterday for his nannie back at the orphanage, is the name he has been calling me today along with "mama".  It must be some term of endearment that I don't understand yet, but I have been honored and blessed with it. 

 I had to strategically position the chair and ottoman to keep him from hitting the floor.  Needless to say I am going onto Amazon.com and ordering the bedrails for his big boy bed to be delivered the day we get home!!!! 

Night All!!!   Wan an!!!