Still going great--missing home though

Day 3 with Grace, Day 7 since we left the U. S. , Day 9 since we left our other kids. We miss Emma, Gabe, and Hayden soooo much! We're so ready to go home and be a family! Today we took Grace for her medical exam (didn't seem like much of an exam), but they said she was healthy. Then we applied for her passport and visa and we also got official papers that the adoption has been approved by China. Last steps take place on 4/1 with the U. S. consolate--more interviews and have to make her an American citizen. She is still doing great--she cried this morning when a little boy took her ball away. We were glad to see more typical 4 yr. old behavior--she can't possibly always be this compliant. She said more English words today which is incredible considering she is Apraxic and supposedly "nonverbal". She said, Emma, hi, bye, fish, apple, and ear. She loves to point to pictures and have me label them and she tries to mimic almost every word, but these are the words we heard clearly today. Another huge breakthrough is that she is answering to Grace ALREADY! We were calling her ShiShi (pronounced SuSu) since that is what she was called in the orphanage--just every now and then we would combine it with Grace. Since Monday I have been pointing to her picture and saying, "Grace" and today we thought we'd give it a go and see what would happen if we just called her Grace. She responded and has every time since then! She is extremely smart and extremely ENERGETIC and non-stop--into everything! The funniest thing happened in a shop tonight--she was wanting to get down (Dave was holding her) and grab everything and we were trying to tell her no, and the shopkeeper figured she could do better since Grace understands Chinese; so she spoke to her and then Grace, very frightened, tightened her arms around Dave's neck and was very quiet and still. I asked what the lady said and this is how she responded, "I told her that she better be a very good girl or a big owl was going to swoop down and take her away from her new mama and daddy." I didn't know quite how to take that! I guess they do things a little "differently" here in China!