Happy Campers

We keep crashing after coming from the orphanage at around 8 pm, but we are still waking up around 2 or 3 am. Today I am trying to stay up a little more, but my poor Mark has a cough that is bugging him so he is already snoring!

We are happy campers again! We went to the notary early to sign some papers and then head to Podolsk! This time we got there right after Diego's lunch. So, while he was getting dressed we went to ask the director about celebrating Diego's first birthday on Thursday, because on Friday we will be at the 8-doctors thing. Violet, our guide, insisted that I asked the director, and that she would translate. So I did, and she said "NIET". Apparently, in the Orthodox religion it would be bad luck if we celebrated a birthday the day before the real birthday. It has to be the exact day or later, but not before... I looked at Mark, he looked at me, and then we ask "So, what about this Saturday?" And then the director said "DA!!!" Later, Violet said that it will look good at the court appearance that we made the effort of celebrating Diego's birthday while we were here. So, that's what we are doing on Saturday!

We met Diego at our usual spot: a little area with the kitchen door on one side, the door for a sleeping room with about 15 cribs and on a corner, a little over/sterilizer where the pans and other stuff get dried. And suddenly, our little boy came! He was wearing a little sweater and pants outfit with cats on the front, girl socks and shoes! He still looked cute, but I was getting warm just by looking at him!

We have noticed that Diego recognizes his care givers and is used to be "around ladies", so he gets very smiley when the care givers, Violet or I say his name. With Mark, he doesn't cry or anything, but he just open his huge eyes even more and just stares at him. Well, so today's plan was to get those two more "alone" time. I was the photographer for most of today's visit, and my to men just hanged out! When Mark was getting to hot or needed a break I would grab my Diego and play a little, and by the end of the visit we had more than 100 pictures!!! I will post a few cute ones on Diego discovering daddy's beard, grabbing Mark's finger, and his little feet in comparison to Mark's (by the way, they always make us wear those ugly plastic sleepers!):

Tomorrow we will go to the court to file the legal petition to adopt Diego!! I can't believe how quickly is week is going!! Supposedly 4 to 5 weeks later it will be our court appearance!!!