Noah's First Full Day With Us

I like dumplings!

Noah slept for 12 hours last night. I wish I could say we did too but his coughing and congestion kept us awake. We are giving him some cold medicine and an antibiotic to help him get well.

Noah eats ... like a horse!

This morning he woke up crying. He was hungry and took his bottle of for

mula readily. We tried a different brand than he was used to (milk-based and protein rich) w

hich resulted in a rash two hours later ...so we will stay away from milk products for now just in case he has a milk allergy.He ate a good breakfast - half a scrambled egg, a bun, pieces of toast, and a little watermelon. And then we were off to notarize the adoption documents and make the adoption official!

Waiting to make the adoption official

When we arrived at the notary office we were taken in to answer some questions and sign a few documents. Just after we had promised to care for and love Noah he bumped his head and started to cry. Great timing! The orphanage director and care giver were also there to be a part of the notarization process. They went in after us and then came outside while we waited to make payment at the bank. They tried to talk to and play with Noah but he turned his head and tightly grabbed on to my neck. After we said goodbye his demeanor changed and he seemed more relaxed.

We then went to a department store where we bought squeaky shoes (sandals that squeak when you walk) and an outfit just his size (denim shorts and an Olympic gymnastics t-shirt.) His squeaky shoes have been a great incentive for walking. Previously, he would just collapse on the floor if you put him down to walk. Now he wants to walk (even though he gets tired sometimes) and has even tried to jump. Noah loves his squeaky shoes!

After shopping we went to McDonald's. I thought he might have some of my lunch. Wrong! I only got one bite of my Fillet 'o Fish. He devoured (or tore apart) the rest! He tried drinking from a straw but I think it came out too fast for him and all the Orange Ade in his mouth came out on both of us. He is used to sucking from a bottle.

Grocery carts go on the escalator at Wal-Mart!

We made our last stop at Wal-Mart to buy soft kleenex, some baby wash cloths, and

 a swim suit with a drawstring. Because Noah ate most of my sandwich Mark bought me another one. They would not,however, let me bring it into Wal-Mart. I sat outside to finish while the others went in. Any other time in China, I would have felt conspicuous with my blond hair and bright green skirt and top eating the rest of my McDonald's in front of Wal-Mart. But without the six other Americans and two Chinese babies I felt I blended right in! While we were there Noah fell asleep in Mark's arms. When we got back to the hotel he continued napping for another hour and a half.

"Too cool for school!"

Noah had his first time in the pool after his nap. He loves the water. We decked him out in his beach hat, sunglasses, watering can and pail. He had a great time!

Swimming with Mama

For dinner we ate at the Chinese restaurant at the hotel. We ate family style with the other

 family in our travel group. We love the lazy Susan in the center of the table. It's been great to share so much with this other family and meal times are something we look forward to! Noah ate two steamed pumpkin buns, two dumplings, and juice. We took a short walk after dinner, did our bedtime routine and now he is sleeping soundly. Please pray for his healing and that he would not cough through the night tonight.

On a walk after dinner