This is the ninth installment in a series of columns I am devoting to the adoption journey my wife, Claudette, and I started in 2005. Hank Bond, publisher and editor of the Greenup Beacon, asked that we share our story with you. Maybe you have an interest in adoption or know someone who does. If so, I hope this information is helpful.

Last week, I wrote about “Gotcha Day”—the day Siyan began living with my wife and me. According to an entry in “Our Journey to Josie Claire Siyan Hapney” blog dated January 29, 2007, and titled “Photos of Josie at 2:25 a.m.”:

“We've had a great night thus far.  It's 2:25 a.m. (on Tuesday), and we're still not completely adjusted to China time.  I woke up, looked over to see Claudette fast asleep, and looked at my other lady--Josie Claire Siyan--and noticed she was lying there in bed with her eyes wide open, not making a peep.  We had left one of our nightstand lamps dimmed, in case she woke up during the night.”

“I got out of bed, of course my hair is sticking straight up as usual, and walk over there and sit at the foot of her side of the bed and talk to her.  I woke Claudette up and we both talked to Josie.  She sits up and her hair is sticking straight up as well!  She'll fit right in with Daddy, Brock, and Blake!  Mommy's hair always seems to look good, but ours' is a different story when we wake up.”

“Immediately Josie wanted her toys, which were still on the foot of the bed (this is a huge bed).  I gave them to her and she started brushing the hair of one of her dolls.  I picked up her cup that had juice in it yesterday and asked her if she wanted some milk.  I got her some and she gulped it right down.”

“She's now playing with her toys; Claudette is watching her.  Josie is singing another song.  So, we know she likes to sing.  She always seems so happy.  She just put her purse on her shoulder, and remembered her earrings (play earrings) were in her purse.  Our friend Doug mentioned in one of his postings "spunky" and "spoiled."  Josie is living up to that reputation to the letter!  She's very sure of herself (like Brock) and seems to be very independent (like Blake).  She'll fit right in with her brothers.  We've shown her photos of Brock and Blake.  She's going to love having them as brothers.”

“Hope you enjoy our new photos.  We'll keep adding them as we make our way through the next four days in Nanjing and five days after that in Guangzhou.  We'll then fly home the Thursday after that (a week from this Thursday).  ‘Tune in’ for the latest adventures of Josie Claire Siyan Hapney."



Terry L. Hapney, Jr., Ph.D., is a professor in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University, and an eastern Greenup County native. He may be reached at hapney@marshall.edu.



Josie Claire Siyan Hapney enjoys some milk in the middle of the night at our hotel in Nanjing, Jiangsu (in China).

There go the three fingers again while she is playing. Nearly every time we take a picture of Josie she puts up the three fingers. She is a little lady who is intelligent, spunky, spoiled, and one who plays up to the camera whenever she can. Maybe we have the future anchor of the NBC, CBS, or ABC nightly news in our family now! Move over Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer, and Barbara Walters!