Philippines Day 3

I am very tired right now and am forcing myself to blog before bed so I don't forget anything! Today was very busy. We woke up around 6 and he woke up around 7 am. Only once in the middle of the night did he wake up crying but he was easily calmed and went back to sleep. It rained all morning so after breakfast (which he did very well at-he's a fruit boy!), I called my co-worker's brother in law. He had offered to take us around. They picked us up around 12ish and we went to Mataki, the business district. We saw an entirely different side of Manila. We went to Glorietta Mall and did some shopping. I think we spent around $60 US dollars but we got 4-5 clothing articles for both Ashleigh and Jay-R as well as more pull-ups. (The potty training is in progress but the transition of the adoption has resulted in a few steps back. We anticipate it won't take long once we return home). Anyway, we ate at Jollibee, a Filipino chain similar to McDonald's only they specialize in fried chicken, rice, and spaghetti. Jay-R ate spaghetti and ice cream, two of his favorite foods. We went to their house and visited for a while and met the family. We then went to another mall-Market Place and he played on the playground and bounced on an inflatable for 30 minutes! This boy has endless energy! He would come to the entrance of the bouncey area to make sure we were still there. He also walked with J, my friend's brother in law for a while, but he kept turning around and making sure we were there. We went back to their house and ate milkfish, the Filipino national fish, BBQ hotdogs and pork, and of course rice. They also served mango and I think Jay-R ate 3 mangos today! Today allowed us the opportunity to see different sides of Manila. While at our friend's house, we watched a game of soccer in the street. The houses are side by side and you can scream at someone from your window and they can hear you. There are cars and people everywhere. We saw school let out at 6 pm (they have morning and afternoon sessions to accomadate everyone) and also everyone at the outside markets buying food for dinner. This look into his culture is priceless. It was also helpful having them help us decipher some of what he was saying! The language barrier is a bit of a challenge. He seems to understand a lot more English than we do Tagalog! Oh, one big difference from the US-there is no carseat law. I love the fact that I can cuddle with him while we are driving down the road!!! The traffic may be insane but everyone is respectable of one another-people just walk on the street and drivers stop. (They do have a helmet law for all motorbikes).

Overall, the bonding is progressing. He appears very comfortable with us. He loves being held and cuddled. Today, he was constantly looking for one of us if he couldn't see us. When he met my co-worker's family, he was shy and buried his head in my shoulder. He soon warmed up, though. He is so easy going and social. He is not so happy when he doesn't get his way but he is easily diverted to something else. I think our orphanage did an awesome job at preparing him. They told us that he carried our photo albums everywhere, made up stories about us, and told his friends at school that Mommy, Daddy, and Ate were coming in an airplane. Secondly, his personality also makes this transition easier.

Okay, we need to get this little boy to bed. We have another full day tomorrow. We love you all and will see you soon!