Mr. G. has Katie!!!!!

(This is a picture of Katie from 2 weeks ago. Mr. G. can't find the USB cord to download the photos!)

I just got THE CALL!!! Mr. G. and Katie are back at the hotel with Denise, the guide. He sounds SO excited--poor guy only got 2 hours of sleep last night as he hasn't adjusted to the time change yet. He's running on adrenaline--LOTS of it from the sounds of things!

He said Katie has already become inseparable with him. She is VERY excited and happy about being adopted! Director Wong from the orphanage personally brought her to the Civil Affairs Office this morning, and he will be there again tomorrow when they go back to sign the documents that officially make her our daughter.

Steve said she is every bit as beautiful as her pictures, and she loves running and singing. She also thinks her Baba (Daddy) is loud! (She's right, he is!) She came with an entire suitcase of stuff already packed--we're not sure what's in it yet though!

Katie has been trying to learn English, and I can tell that she is excited about having a "Mommy". "Mommy" was in almost every sentence! I tried to say some Mandarin phrases--I only know a few--but I wanted to say some words to her directly and not through the guide.

When someone first learns a new language, they make a lot of mistakes. Sometimes they have learned to say something, but it is hard for them to understand when another person asks the same thing. Or they understand the words, but aren't sure what to say back.

Mr. G. put Katie on the phone:

"Hello Mommy! Hi Mommy!"

"Ni Hao, Hello Chao Yan!" (Chao Yan is her Chinese name.)

Katie in English: "Hello, Mommy, how are you?"

Me in English: "Fine. How are you, Chao Yan?"

Katie in English: "Yes." (She did not understand what I said back to her.)

(pause...)

Me in Mandarin: "I am happy you are my daughter."

Katie in English: "Thank you, Mommy, thank you."

Me in Mandarin: "I will be your Mommy forever."

Katie: "Aww, THANK YOU Mommy!"

Steve was in the background talking about the time difference--Denise translated to tell her that it was midnight in NY.

Katie: "Go to bed. Good-a-bye."

Me in Mandarin: "Good bye, Chao Yan. I love you!"

Tomorrow morning we will call so that the kids can speak to her before they go to school. It will be 7pm in China, 7am here.

I can't wait to have PICTURES! She sounds like an angel!