Making Progress

LOOK BETHANY SHOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I TOOK AFTER MY BIG SISTER BETHANY

HOLLYWOOD

Today, (Tuesday, Jan.22) in Guangzhou has been a day of momentous events. First of all it was a free day, no adoption work to do, so we slept until about 8:00 and had breakfast at a leisurely pace. Then it was time for Becky and Jewell to do some serious shopping. We have been discussing how to get Hope to allow me to hold and carry her more and to ride in a stroller. It has really been wearing on Becky having to carry her nearly everywhere. When I woke up this morning I really prayed fervently for some kind of change. What we decided to do was borrow a stroller from a shop next to the hotel and put Hope in it and push her in an area with fewer people to hear her wail and see if she would settle down after a good cry. We would never do anything to add to the trauma she has been through, but we had a feeling that in this case she might be using tears to get her way. If we could see that she was genuinely scared of the stroller we would get her out and return it.

Sure enough, Hope resisted when we put her in the stroller and began to wail like a banshee as we walked down the sidewalk. One pair of parents with their year old baby offered words of encouragement as we passed. I pushed and Becky and Jewell walked alongside trying to comfort Hope. I was almost about to suggest giving up when we noticed the crying was tapering off. Could it be? Was she starting to accept it or had she just run of energy to cry? Within a few minutes it was all over. Hope now loves the stroller. We pushed her all around the shops. While Jewell and Becky haggled with shop clerks Hope and I enjoyed the sun and sights of Shamian Island. Tonight after supper we walked around the shops in the hotel and Hope laughed hysterically when I pushed her in circles and side to side.

We all came back to the room at about 7:30 and Jewell and Becky wondered if they could sneak away to the store next door for a few more gifts, we are running out of shopping time. I told them to go on and I would try to keep Hope occupied. We had a DVD that Becky had bought of Kiddie cartoons set to children's songs in Chinese. I played it on the laptop and fed Hope small pieces of soft peppermint for about forty minutes until they returned. Hope made it just fine. She realized that Becky was gone fairly soon, but didn't get too worried. After Becky was back Hope put on quite a show, playing, singing, and wearing Mommy's sunglasses. Once again we are thankful for our network of friends, family, and church that are praying with us for this little girl's healing and peace of mind.

P.S. Hope came to us with one pair of sneakers that were about 3 sizes too large. As of today she has 7 pairs of new shoes with built in squeakers.

Ronnie