Day 6 - It's Official

Well Tabitha is officially ours. We went to the Civil Affairs office today for the offical signing. We stated why we wanted to adopt her and promised to never abandon her. We signed this and stamped it with our thumbprints. Tabitha had to put her footprint on the document as well - she was asleep through the whole process that is until we took her sock off for the official red foot stamp!



We had a good day today. She took a 4 hour nap. So did we. It was nice. We ordered the "American Special" from Pizza Hut today (Pepperoni Pan Pizza) and of course, a diet coke for Jacquie. It tastes just like home. The diet coke is another story - it is made with splenda and tastes more like diet pepsi - tolerable, but not like home. So maybe there is hope that Jacquie can kick her addiction!

Good morning Tabitha ! This was a day of many firsts for her. She seems to be doing pretty well - she slept all night until 5:30 this morning. She also took her first bottle at about 10:00 am at Civil Affairs. Mick and I were overjoyed at such a simple thing - yesterday she refused every bottle I tried - so I gave her some water with a medicine dropper and also let her drink from a cup - she lapped at the water as if she was a kitty. While we were at Walmart I bought a Chinese style bottle to try - guess what, it worked. The formula has to be prepared sooooo hot - and the babies here just suck it down - so I cut a whole in the tip of her bottle. She also had her first play date today. We went over to visit Linnea Grace Marsh in her room. Tabitha mostly ate her cereal but Linnea seemed to enjoy playing with Tabitha's feet. She had what I think might have been her first bath - she did not enjoy it! We have not yet had her first poop - so I might try some prunes tomorrow morning - she sure can toot though. We did notice today though - that she not only has an umbilical hernia - but also an inguinal hernia and it is quite large - she cried during her diaper change and it really was quite extended. She is still crying "Mama" and when she sees certain Chinese women she cries and sort of reaches that way. When we were back at Civil Affairs this morning she saw a Chinese women and tried to get to her - so we went for a walk and I keep referring to myself as "Mommy" - they say this often happens with children in Foster Care - she was just taken from her Foster Mama 2 days ago. We also found out that she lived in a home with a family that had 2 biological school-aged sons. Tomorrow we are headed out to visit the town where she has spent her last year - Yueyang. It is a 2 hour drive - we leave at 9 and should be back by 5pm.

Here are a few pictures of Tabitha's friend Linnea. They are supposedly about the same age.