Happy Teeth (but we may just ruin that!)

Today, Mahaela had a dentist appointment. We were told to get all the dental taken care of before surgery. I told the dentist that the doctor at our visa/Embassy appointment in Bulgaria mentioned her having cavities (I think she had just eaten a cookie or something). Our dentist took a look and said it all looks good to him. Mahaela did so well. She just sat up in the chair and gave big smiles...why don't I video tape these things??!! The dentist showed her how he was going to count her teeth with that horrible pick/needle looking thing that could be very intimidating looking. He counted her fingers with it and that didn't hurt so she opened up and let him have a good look.
So that is all good news. Here is the down side...she has had more Coke than any child should ever have. We may quickly ruin her "happy teeth." She goes around randomly saying "Eskum Coke!" "I want Coke!" We will quickly break this habit after what happened last night. We frequently joke that the orphanage would just die at what her life is like with us! She was sipping coke from anyone who would give it to her and from cans just laying around. (We were with family for dinner.) We finally got home and put her to bed...10:30-11:00pm. (I know, shame, shame.) About midnight she woke up just crying, hard, like she was hurting. I went in to get her and cherished the moment to "save" her. But she cried quite a while. I brought her into our bed and she did fall asleep after a bit, only to wake up again about 2:30. She was either crying or wide awake and asking to get down. When she wasn't allowed to get down, she just cried. I put her back into her bed. I knew the alarm would be going off about 5:30 and I did not want her to wake up to that. We learned a hard lesson, but we learned it! This girl loves any soda and we, I guess, have to be the parents, and say "no" to coke! I think she was miserably tired, but was on a caffeine and sugar high and could not get or stay asleep. OK, so we won't repeat that again.

We had a fabulous Christmas. She really was perfect through it all. She is like my other kids, stays up too late, but gets up late, too. She never crumbled or fell apart, even though it wasn't ideal as far as a schedule for a toddler. She just really loved it all and we all loved watching her and celebrating this wonderful Christmas with her in our home. I knew she was having a great time and the only down side was that I was losing my wrung on the ladder. It was just a week, in the scope of things and I already knew the great progress she has made so far. So today, with Bill back at work and everyone else gone, I am climbing the ladder again. Even when I really corrected her and let her know I was angry about something she did, she still came around and was compliant, eventually. At one point I was holding her and wanted her to say sorry to one of the kids for something. I said "I'm just gonna ride the bull" as she was bucking and having a tantrum. I could have given in pretty early on, but I felt up for the challenge and just let her get mad. When she calmed down a bit, she was still sitting in my lap and she did say sorry. I was happy and thanked her a lot for saying sorry. She knew she had done all that I wanted of her and she got down off my lap. At some other point today I reacted very strongly to her spitting at one of the kids, but through the glass on the french doors. I picked her up and made her wipe the spit off with her sleeve and then held her. She knew she was "in trouble." She was yelling because I was holding her, but stopped mid scream and said "sorry" in the most adorable way. Then I let her down. These episodes sound horrible on paper, but they really are brief and not that big of a deal. But what I really like about recalling them is that it is evidence that she is so teachable right now and that she is learning. She also didn't necessarily resist me as she would have the first couple weeks. She let me put her down, without her struggling to get down. She really is getting it!

As I am typing this, I realize it is after midnight and now December 29--one month from Gotcha day. I really can't believe it! We have been home just over 3 weeks and I am just absolutely praising the Lord. She is so awesome. We just love her like crazy. I thought it was so cute Monday when Bill was playing around with her and getting her dressed, he said he really likes to get her dressed in the morning. He changes her diaper, picks out her clothes and even does her hair. She is just fun to take care of (and he is such a good daddy.) She will see him and say "sakatapotato." He throws her over his shoulder and says "I've-got-a-sack-of-potatoes" as he runs around the room. It is so cute because she repeats the phrase and adds an extra syllable. She loves his horsey rides, ring around the rosey, London bridges, and just wrestling on the floor. What's not to love about all that crazy energy!

We had a wonderful Christmas, as I hope you all did, also. We are looking forward to ringing in 2011!