Birthday and custody day!

Today is our pumpkin's third birthday.  It is also the day we got custody.
Yesterday was our last visit to the village.  The foster mother had planned a birthday party, but many of the friends and the other children in the home came down with the flu.  We were concerned about our pumpkin, because the transition is hard enough without feeling crummy.  She seems to have avoided it, the benefits of not going to daycare.  So we had a simple lunch with just us, her, the foster mother and translator.  She made an amazing cake, she's a semi- professional cake maker.  Her foster mother got her a Dora the Explorer backpack.  That will be perfect for the flight.
The foster mother showed us she had things to give us for the peanut.  It was a lot of clothes and toys.  We didn't want to take anything from her because we know it will be put to good use there.  As we looked through photos on Sunday, we could see the older two girls both at times wearing the winter coat our peanut was wearing.  But the foster mother was insistent.  Apparently, shes trying to clear out a bit.  Her husband's job has him across the country, so they are trying to sell their home to join him.  She ended up giving us tons of stuff, more than we had even packed for her.  I don't know how it's all a going to fit in the car or on the plane.

Today we met with our translator and went to th regional office of children's welfare.  The foster mother brought in the pumpkin.  That was rough.  She was emotional and so was the pumpkin.  Some forms were signed and we left with her.  She cried a bit.  She calmed down looking at dr. Seuss abc.  She likes the b page.  Then we had to do the passport photos.  That was difficult.  She was scared because it was a new place.  We had to have a photo of her looking into the camera with her mouth closed.  The photographers were great.  Very patient, and it did t take them long.  You can't even tell she was crying in the photo.  Then off to another office, I think it was the courts.  There was an advocat for the child, the social worker, the representative from children's welfare, the translator and us.  The pumpkin was incredible well behaved.  She colored and looked at her dr Seuss book.  That took an hour or more.  We were finally free.  By then it was nearly 3 pm and she hadn't eaten or napped.  We went back to th hotel, changed her diaper and put her down.  She was exhausted, but we could t let her sleep too long if she was going to sleep through the night.  We got her up at 4 and took a walk to a playground.  She looked like a baba sitting in the stroller- bundled up with a knit blanket across her knees, and those glasses.  We grabbed a quick bite, and realized we were novice parents- we hadn't brought a sippy cup.  She did drink juice through a straw when we held the cup for her.  We came to th hotel, had a quick bath, put on pjs and FaceTime with family.  She made grandmas day when she kissed the screen.  We read goodnight moon and she went to be rather easily.
Tomorrows a big day, we need to leave here at 7 am to make it to our embassy appointment on time. I hear it always takes longer to get ready with a toddler around, and this will be our first full day together.  Chris is packing up the car tonight.  Knock on wood and thumbs in my fist that everything goes smoothly.
I have t figured out how to add photos on the iPad and we can't upload photos of her anyway, I'll try to get on a computer next week.