Leaving Nanning today

Hey out there!

Hope that all is well. we have just finished a late lunch, and Sophia is down for a nap.

She has a pretty good cold going, so hopefully some sleep will help. She does find it very funny to blow boogie bubbles out of her nose, so she is still in good spirits.

Today was very low key. We played in the hall with other adoptive families while we waited for Sophia's Chinese passport application to be processed, and packed our bags for Guangzhou! We are on the down hill slide towards home!!!

We fly into Guangzhou tonight. Saturday morning is Sophia's medical check out [for U.S. immigration]. Then we are meeting some dears friends, who are here in china adopting their 6th and 7th kiddos, for lunch before they head out for home.

The rest of the week will be spent doing Sophia's final immigration paper work and end with her swearing in ceremony at the American Consulate. Between paper work and some site seeing, I am sure that we can squeeze in a few minutes of shopping on the Island!

Well, to be honest..things are going very well. Sophia is a hoot! Despite the fact that we can not understand a word she says...she gets her point across just fine. So far we have not seen much drama at all. She is easy going, but does know what she likes and does not like.

She has given Michael the "what for" a few times. It is hysterical, and unfortunately our guide was not around to translate. She gets this very serious look on her face and puts an arm straight out with her wrist bent so the hand is palm out. Then while she is saying something that she really means, she will hit his arm with short, fast hits.

Then she will walk away and stop with her back towards you. I'm sure if we understood it, it would not be as cute. But it is really pretty funny.I have a feeling that Sophia will be able to hold her own when she gets home.

She has also come to love Coke. She had one sip, and it was all over. She is also a huge fan of candy and all things junk. Seems that is a sign of being spoiled by the foster parents. But, when those goodies can't be found,,,she loves to eat all types of fruit. I have never seen a 3 year old peel grapes before. Pretty impressive.

She is also a huge fan of dresses only. When I pull out a pair of shorts she just shakes her head no and stands there. As I look around town, I do not see any girls in shorts/pants. Guess it makes using the squatty potty tough.

She is doing great using the western potty, but can tell it isn't natural.

And, as for our bonding.. If having your own personal rest room attendant is any sign, then I would say that things are going great. She calls for me, will hold hands and let me kiss her. She still does not understand what they are, but has resigned herself to the fact that it won't end anytime soon.

We can tell that she is feeling much more comfortable. She is having a good time exploring our luggage and likes to hand feed us treats.

Night time is also going better. We have gotten a nice little routine going and she likes her space in the bed, but also likes to have a hand or foot on me during the night.

So, that is the scoop from here. Our next post will be from Guangzhou. About 7 more days until we come home!

Love you all,

Claire