Yesterday we met Yang Yi; today she officially became a part of our family! My parents signed many documents, answered a lot of questions, and took "the oath", therefore (atleast in the Chinese Government's eyes) she is a Bennett. :))
I can't explain how amazingly well she has done. When we first saw her, I could see the excitement inside of her. She immediately gave Mommy a hug, and began to identify us. She pointed at Carli and I and said "jie jie" which means "big sister' (currently she is still calling us both "jie jie", and if specification is necessary she says "da jie jie" (bigger big sister) or "xiao jie jie" (smaller big sister)). Soon after saying hello she took off her backpack and started handing out candy to "ma ma", "ba ba" (daddy),"liang ge jie jie" (two big sisters), and "liang ge ge ge" (two big brothers) … "ge ge?". Yes, she came out looking for her big brothers. It was so cute, but unfortunately we had to tell her they were at home. She was talking to us the whole time, explaining all of the items in her "shu ba" (backpack) that the orphanage provided. She seemed very well prepared, outgoing, and excited! Oh and a praise!- she speaks Mandarin, which means I can converse with her just a little. :)) Everyone was sure she would speak Cantonese, but her orphanage teaches the children Mandarin because it is the national language.
Her sweet personality is showing already. I feel like I've known her much longer than 24 hours! Since we left the civil affairs office, she has been nonstop energy, talking, and laughing. My mom and I agreed that it feels as if she is 4, yet she is 6. The 4T clothes we brought fit almost perfectly, and the size 10 shoes too! Speaking of shoes- she LOVES them! :)) She can't stop looking at them, tapping them on the ground, and pulling up her pant-leg to show everyone her new shoes! One other thing that has struck her fancy is all of the hairclips and headbands we brought. There are a few pictures in which she's wearing atleast 2 at a time. :))
Caelyn has a bright personality that makes everyone smile.
She is friendly, happy, and sweet.
She is very neat and organized. She puts everything back in its place after she plays with it, throws her trash away, and- though she scarfs all of her food down before you can even begin to ask if she likes it- she never spills or drips anything.
She is generous. Whenever she opens a bag of candy or has a plate of food set in front of her, the first thing she does is offer some to everyone around her- and doesn't expect anything in return!
Caelyn loves her family. She knows who her "jia ren" are and is already showing signs of attachment. We have skyped both Casey and Carson now. I'm not sure if she really understands where they are or why she can only see them on a computer screen, but she seemed to love the experience! Also Caelyn keeps track of where everyone is. Regardless of where we are, she makes sure Mommy, Daddy, and "liang ge jie jie" are present. If anyone happens to be missing, she will consequently shout "BA BA LAI!?" or "MA MA LAI!?". Its very sweet to know that she notices we're gone, and wants us to be with her. Though I can't spell it, we know her term (or should I say warning) for "I need to go to the bathroom"… and believe me she needs to a lot. I cant ever catch what she's saying, but we know the voice. :))
As I mentioned before, Caelyn has a BOATLOAD of energy! She talks… a lot… though we usually have no idea what she's saying, she laughs even more, and she sings to herself. It doesn't seem to faze her that we don't understand what she's saying; she just talks to us as if we could- which is good! We had to have it translated not to yell in the store today because she kept yelling for Daddy or Mommy or "jie jie" when they walked away. After Rebecca told her "Bu
About her sense of humor- laughter is contagious. If one of us is laughing, she laughs to. Things she thinks are funny: Casey making funny faces on Skype, throwing balloons at Carli, tickling, Daddy speaking Chinese, and laughter. Her laugh is contagious as well. This afternoon she was in dire need of a nap, and I think she got slap happy in the van on the way back to the hotel. She started laughing for no reason. Something may have been funny, or she may have been really tired. You know how it is. :))
Speaking of naps, she is accustomed to a 2 hour nap mid day every day. She, Carli, and Mom are napping right now. We have an adorable book that plays music when she opens it, and she loves it! (Thank you Mrs. Hunter!!!) She listens to it play for 10-15 minutes before she falls asleep- it helps her calm down.
I'll stop talking now. :)) I know this is a lot to read (even more to write), but even more happened. It has been a busy two days! Please continue praying for us, and don't forget to praise! God has blessed us with so many small miracles- Yang Yi being one (and Mandarin another!)! Thanks so much!
In Him,
Chelsey :))
Caelyn is front and left. :) Making the face.
Caelyn is on the right (her hand is in front of her face). The sweet thing about this picture is that all four of these girls are either already home in America or on their way! :) Avery lives in Texas by the way, but we hope to keep her and Caelyn in touch.
You can barely see Caelyn in this one. Her head is right behind Avery's hood.
Caelyn is in the back row on the far left.
In this one, if you can see it clearly enough, Caelyn is in the front, on the ground second to the left (green jacket).
Just thought this was exciting. :)
