What a difference five weeks makes?!

Look at the smile on this beautiful girl! I can tell you that she is really comfortable with our family. She told Lauren tonight that she loves her American mom and dad. She hasn't called us mom and dad the entire time she has been here!

I asked her what she wanted to do on her last full day with us and she decided she wanted to go bowling again. I asked her what she wanted for dinner tonight and she said, "Pizza!" So, today was full of bowling, laundry, games, snuggles, pizza, and then shopping with just the American mama and Nastia this evening. She came over and sat next to me on the sofa and wanted to lean against me and hold my hand this afternoon. This is very uncharacteristic of her! She reached over several times today to scratch my back. I noticed her staring at me A LOT today! I think she just wants to remember me, so she was focusing extra hard today. The love of a mama has been so good for her!

Explanation of pictures: She has been asking for a teddy bear for the past two weeks. I wasn't sure if she was really serious about it, so I let it go. She saw a pink bear at Target last week, and loved it! So, tonight we went to Target and I asked her if she wanted to get a teddy bear and her answer was a resounding, "YES!!!" She knew exactly where it was and couldn't get there soon enough! While she was here we had the opportunity to have a sonogram (Nastia was with us), and we found out we are having a baby GIRL! So, she also got to pick out an outfit and teddy bear for our new baby girl, Bethany. Then, I let her choose something to buy for Lauren, so we got a hat and scarf that Lauren had been looking at recently. Lauren will treasure these things forever! Lauren and Nastia are very much "sisters." They love each other dearly...they will miss each other dearly.

And tomorrow...we will drop her off with the Lewis family and say our goodbyes. *tears*

Have I said recently how much I love this little girl???