GOTCHA!!!!

GOD IS TOTALLY AWESOME!!! He has blessed us more than we could have imagined! We got Alanna today at the Civil Affairs office at 3:00 pm Beijing time. This girl is a pistol! And boy is she a chatterbox! So much for the supposed speech delay...none here! Alanna took only a short time to warm up to us and didn't cry at all. Well, she did throw a little of a tantrum when she couldn't get what she wanted,as you can see in the first picutre, but it didn't last long. She successfully devoured 2 small snacks from the orphanage director, a Tootsie pop, a snack bag of Teddy Grahams and then helped herself to a few handfuls of Cheerios from another family. She is very confident and walks around like she knows exactly where she is going. She can feed herself, dress herself and tell me when she needs to go potty. She is also very polite and properly greets people, like ai e hao (I know that's not spelled right, but it means nanny, hello) When we got on the bus to return to the hotel, she plopped down in the first seat and crossed her legs like a little lady and finished her snacks. We are in awe of how joyful she is. She had us both laughing when we went to the noodle shop for dinner. Once she finished her steamed egg (kind of like a soup), she poured water from her sippy cup into the bowl, mix it around and eat it like soup. Once it was gone, she dramatically pretended to keep eating soup with the spoon. Then she'd let out a hysterical giggle. She is a little comedian and will fit right in with our family! She already calls me mama when she needs something and I even was able to get a kiss. Right now, she is sleeping next to baba (Rob). It took only a short time for her to go to sleep. She kept talking and talking, but finally got the idea it was rest time.

I do feel a little awkward, as she talks to everyone in the elevator or bathroom, then chatters something to me, waiting for a response. I'm clueless! I've figured out a few things she says, but the communication is going to be a little challenging.

It all seems to be going a little too smoothly. We are preparing for when the reality hits and for now, we are enjoying every minute! I also must add that Alanna is smaller than what she appeared in the photos. She also has hair down to her low back! I think most of the 4T clothes will fit her perfect!