Dad is standing in the doorway to the baby home. We guess that the building is a least 200 years old. The caregivers are not paid very much, buy obviously care greatly about the children and look after them as well as they can.

The second day was better than the first day at the Kashin Baby Home. It still took time for Grace to warm up to me, which is only natural.

She came in carrying the purple monkey stuffed animal from the previous day. She was giving it a bear hug and would not let anyone take it way. I held her for about 30 minutes while talking to the Director of the Baby Home and asking questions. We started playing and I coaxed the monkey out of her arms. I set it a few inches away and she was OK. We were sitting on the floor in the middle of the Director's office. I moved the stuffed monkey 4 feet away and Grace immediately ran to it, picked it up, and ran right back into my arms! That was it. The deal was done. She held me and I held her for several minutes. I need her just as much as she needs a mother.

We played for another 30 minutes and then I had the privilege of feeding her lunch. The lunch consisted of a soup with carrots, onions, potatoes and ground meat, then there was a "second course" of thin mashed potates with ground meat. She had a 1/2 piece of dark bread that she held in her hand and fed herself. Finally, a coffee cup with water left over after soaking dried fruit. (Not quite the same vitamins as a cup of 100% juice!)

Finally, it was time to go. I gave her a kiss and said goodbye. She went away with her favorite caregiver. I agreed to adopt her.

Tomorrow we will sign the adoption agreement in front of a notary and then go to a judges office to receive our court date. Friday night we will be taken to Moscow and on Saturday we will do some sight-seeing. We fly home late Sunday night.