Whew!

This morning we explained to Alayna that I will be her mommy. She was thrilled and we all breathed a sigh of relief! She immediately started calling me mama and, this morning, while we were watching a Sesame Street DVD, she gave me two HUGE hugs! Again, I melted! The biggest indicator of her acceptance of having a mama and joining our family came when we returned for the afternoon visit. She had drawn me another picture. In this picture there were two houses, connected by a road. One was hers (and Baba Marta's!) and one mine. She had also colored and completed a maze where a little girl was walking through a field of flowers to her house where her mama was waiting. I asked Alayna if the little girl was her and she was coming home to mama. She said yes :-)

Alayna's picture

Finding her way home to Mama!

Although she has always been relatively comfortable with Toni and I, today she really came out of her shell. She sat on my lap, gave me hugs and always sat right next to me whenever we were playing. She sang for us again (she loves for me to record her singing and to watch herself when she is done. . .I promise to share once I am home) and she even showed us a little of her goofy side! She had us all doubled over in laughter many times!

This afternoon, at her request, we played beauty shop! I brought hair clips, a child-sized makeup kit and some nail polish (thank goodness for Toni's brother Alex who ran to the store during lunch and picked these things up for me!) and we did each other's hair, makeup and nails. We also completed a few more necklaces and bracelets for several of her friends (who are also very excited that Alayna has a mama. . .every time they see her they ask what she and mama are doing). Maren is going to be in heaven having a sister who will love doing all of these things with her.

Alayna, skillfully applying her green eye shadow!

Mommy doing Alayna's nails

Alayna doing mommy's nails!

My turn for eyeshadow! Bright blue!

"This is great!" Alayna giving her thumbs up!

She continues to amaze me with how smart she is! Yesterday morning I showed her how to spell her name in English and she copied it beautifully. Today, she wrote it by herself without having to look! Wow! This girl is one smart cookie!

Alayna is such and amazing girl! It is going to be so hard to leave her on Friday, but I know that, once I am home, I will finally be able to start the final steps to bring my girls home!

Mommy and Alayna (yes, I am as exhausted as I look!!)