Personality

Each day we're starting to see a little more personality come out in our daughter. She loves jie jie Jane and excitedly runs over to greet her when we meet her in the hotel lobby. It may be a bit of a transition for her when Jane leaves us. Although Abigail asked Jane about going to the United States. When she asked if Jane was coming to the States also, and Jane said she wasn't, Abigail seemed to take this in stride. I don't think she realizes yet just how far away the "States" are. She thinks our hotel room is "home" right now.

When we are alone, she doesn't say a whole lot. She just mostly points and pantomimes. We're trying to get her to say "Please" when she wants something instead of just pointing and gesturing (and sometimes just grabbing). Yesterday she actually said it on her own without being reminded. Progress.

When Jane is along, Abigail talks nearly non-stop. This will be and adjustment for our boys as they are not used to a very verbal sibling.

We're also starting to see signs of attachment to us. Abigail does hold our hands readily when we are out and about and will periodcally check to see that we are around if she is not holding our hands. I picked her up yesterday and she tolerated being held for a minute or two before wanting to be on her own feet. I think that just might be her personality, though. She likes to be independent, in charge, and in control of the situation.

She has started to banter with the boys a little bit. I have seen a race to push the elevator button, and she will giggle when David pushes it just a split second before she does.

She does like to eat. Mrs. Wang said she is not a picky eater, and for the most part, that's true. She will eat almost everything. Almost. There are some things that she will not tolerate. At lunch yesterday in a Chinese restaurant, there must have been some things in the chicken dish that she didn't like because she screwed her face up, grabbed the ash tray from the table, and spit it out into the ash tray. At least it didn't go on the floor as I have heard other parents describe.

We had a hankering for pizza on Tuesday evening so we walked towards the pizza place I had seen earlier. It was the only word I recognized on the restaurant sign, other than the pictures of the pizzas. On our way, David spotted the word "pizza" on a restaurant awning. We paused to look at the building and then I saw more familiar words farther up the side of the building.

Pizza Hut.

The boys were ecstatic. We have come to know a couple Chinese dishes that we order a lot and enjoy, but the prospect of good ol' American pizza was music to their ears. Abigail did her usual "no" pantomime when we said we were going to eat pizza. But we had decided we were going to eat pizza anyway. No time like the present to introduce her to American food.

We ordered two pizzas. One "American Special" (peperoni) and one half peperoni and half Hawaiian. We did not get the concept of "half" across to the waiter because we got one peperoni and one Hawaiian. The "half" got lost in the translation.

When the pizza came out, Abigail was the first to clamor for a piece. She ate it in silence, but then asked for another piece. We thought that was pretty good for her first pizza.

David was a bit worried that our traditional Saturday night pizza would be replaced with something... well... Chinese. I think those fears have been allayed after seeing Abigail put away two pretty significant pieces.

Abigail has a mind of her own and will not easily take "no" for an anwer. Last night we could tell she was fading even before we went out for pizza. Back in the hotel room, she colored for a while and then we told her it was time for bed. "No" she waved, and pulled out another sheet of paper. It took some convincing from both of us, but she finally put her things away and went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. It wasn't too much longer and she was sound asleep. Nearly 11 hours later, she is still asleep. She has been putting in nearly 12 hours per night.

We found out from Mrs. Wang that Abigail has been in two different foster care situations for over two years, coming back to the orphanage on weekends. The last people that she has been staying with for two years work at the orphanage. We got a small album of pictures from Mrs. Wang containing pictures of Abigail with some of her friends, some of the workers, and one picture with her foster parents. Written on the back of the picture were a phone number and an email address. They must want to maintain some form of contact.

Today (Wednesday) is a free day, as is tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll probably try to go see the Terra Cotta Warriors, a must-see if you are in Xi'an. Friday we pick up Abigail's passport and fly to Guangzhou.