Yesterday was a very exciting day. We took MLM out for some passport photos, that is such a hopeful happy idea, that my son needs a passport. We arrived at the baby house during music/ instruction time. MLM wasn't in his main play room, he and the older children were in the other room for lessons. In the main room the music teacher was using an accordian and was teaching the children a traditional song. The nurse, the one that I know MLM really likes, was in the room, she asked us to wait until MLM came back from his class as it would only be a few more minutes. We decided to use the time to go and find the baby house manager so I could sign the book. Every day I need to sign the register to say I've been there to see MLM. Now, they have just returned to this building and they have done some major renovations. I think they have made a lot of new offices. My translator asked where we were suppose to go. Everyone she asked gave us slightly different directions. The baby house is built around an open square, and each wing is pretty similar to the other wings. Eventually we found the lady we were looking for and she took us into her office to sign the register. I had to sign for a lot of days as I hadn't been able to sign with all the confusion during the move. Then we returned to MLM's room to collect him. We dressed him up in his coat, hat, scarf and boots and off we went. He was very happy saying goodbye to his caregiver and coming with me. When we got into the taxi, as soon as he was sitting on my lap (ya, no car seats here, and no one uses a seat belt either) MLM says 'GO". He was so mesmerized with everything he was seeing. For the first little while he would react to seeing buses and trucks and people, but then he just became quiet and was taking it all in. It actually made me cry a little when I think of all the things in the world he still has to see and experience. This was probably his second car ride in a week, as he was driven between the two baby houses, but I don't think he has had many other car rides in the past. I'm so excited about bringing this little boy home with me and helping him to learn about the world and everything in it. We drove to a photo studio to have the passport photos taken. When he first sat on the chair for the photo he began to cry, and when the studio lights came on he couldn't see and scrunched up his eyes. But with me holding his hand scrunched up on the floor below him, and my coordinator showing him how to hold up his head, and a good photographer who calmly and gently worked to get the right look, we were able to get a really beautiful picture. The funnniest thing was trying to get MLM to have a neutral look, he kept wanting to smile. As the photographer printed the pictures, we went out into the car to wait. It was a busy little parking lot with cars, trucks, a cherrypicker with workmen, and people moving through. MLM loved watching and pointing at everything he saw. When we returned to the baby house I needed 2 more photos of MLM to present in court. I needed a head and shoulders shot and full body shot. I had no trouble getting the head and shoulders shot, but MLM thought it was quite the game for the whole body shot and would run away when I moved far enough back to get his full body in the shot. When I tried to hold him and my translator tried to take the shot he would go all limp and slither down onto the ground. Finally I think I got the shot. Then it was his least favourite time of the day, when I say goodbye. He fights me taking off his jacket and shoes, and then he clings to me and starts to cry. It gets harder and harder to leave him. I know that he'll be fine in just a few minutes, but oh how hard it is to leave. Today I go to the Notary after the baby house to sign the papers to apply to adopt MLM. The bonding days are almost over and now I'm applying to court. I'm hoping for a court date on either the 24th or 27th, maybe the 28th but not as much on the 28th. It is minus 19 C right now. I'm hoping at least it is sunny today. Hope everyone has a nice day, Ciao