We're Doing Great

Hello everyone - Mom here with a little update on the angel herself...Miss Hope. She is running the show around here and seems to enjoy it a bit. We finally had our first good night sleep since we've been home. Hope fell asleep last night during her little lotion massage after her bath at about 8:30. I know it is tough to put PJ's on a wiggly child, but one who is sound asleep isn't so simple either. So, then she slept until about 1:00 this morning, woke, had a change and bottle, and was asleep again until Ron woke up at 5:00. I'm so happy! Now she's actually dozing again. I'm sure she has some catching up on zzzz's to do as well. I wonder how long this nap will last.

So, we're home and having a great time. We've been pretty busy with family and we even went to church on Father's Day. Proud Papa wanted to show off a bit I think. Here are a couple of photos with Daddy and his girls enjoying his first Father's Day morning. Ron is such a great Dad. He has so much patience. Hope is warming up to him more and more. You should have seen how excited she was when he got home from work yesterday afternoon. She practically ran down the stairs (with me holding her hands of course).



We had a great weekend. The reception homecoming at the airport was so fun though Hope was a little overwhelmed. She doesn't quite understand all these people who love her so much. She is so lucky. Every day we see a bit more of her personality. She is STUBBORN and likes to be in charge, but she is also a soft and gentle girl who seems to be loving life and her new discoveries everyday. Speaking of new discoveries...check out the pool from Auntie Andria and Uncle Mark. This was a hit. We only went swimming once in China and Hope loved it so I'm thinking this gift will be well used this summer.



Another new discovery...the "horsie!" Hope got this birthday gift from Grandma and Grandpa Perry. They hunted it down for her after they saw the photo of her on the horse at the Civil Affairs Office in Nanning. She loves it! She'll get the idea of riding facing forward sometime soon I think. ;)

Finally, here are a couple of other photos from last night. We were playing with Aunt Tami and Uncle Brian and Hope was showing off her shades from our good friends Chris and Cheryl. She is just too cute. She was so funny with the glasses. She didn't really want to leave them on, but she would lean into whoever was holding them until they were on her face, then she'd take them off again. It was a great game. :)



Thanks for all the phone calls and welcome home messages everyone. Ron and I are so happy to be back (we're especially thankful for our own bed). We're planning now for a couple of days with just the three of us. Hope is going to the Dr. this afternoon for her "once over" and probably a few shots so we're spending the day just playing and making sure she knows we love her so when the pokes come later she won't hate us for too long. Then tomorrow will just be us again. We are trying to really make a strong attachment with Hope so she knows Mommy and Daddy as her primary care-givers. We've done a lot of reading and have been to seminars that helped us learn about the importance of early attachment. So, if we are limiting visits or asking for a little alone time with Hope for now, please understand and be patient with us. We'll be making the rounds soon.

Have a great week everyone. Enjoy the pix. Here are a couple more of her just being cute. ;)



Love - B,R, & H