Russian Sweet Baby has a new name!!!

We signed the petition to adopt today and named our baby girl! Introducing:

Cassiana Kay Patterson

We are so thrilled, thankful and grateful to be moving along with the process to adopt Cassiana. She is such a sweetie! We got to see her again this morning for 2 hours. She was very laid back the first hour, probably because it was right after her nap and lunch time, so we took turns holding and hugging her, which she loved.

Next, she played with toys and crawled around a bit while we look another 20,000 pictures! Then, she just wanted to be held and snuggled with. So, it was marvelous to hold her and rock her! I'm sure this hasn't been an often experience for her, if ever, so it was bonding us together already. She held tight to my sweater as I rocked and sang to her. We also got several good smiles out of her. She seems to hold these back, perhaps because it's not part of her normal experience as well. That's alllllll about to change! She will be immersed in love and silliness from now on! :)

It was very hard to leave her today, but they really do a wonderful job of taking care of the kids at this baby home, so that helps tremendously.

Here are some photos and video from today.

Big girl, standing up! She seemed so proud of herself for pulling up and standing up. She should be! Her romper was so tight, that I'm not sure how she was able to fully extend her legs, but she did.

Smiling! She really looks like Dan in this one! :)

Dancing with Daddy!

Playground behind the baby home:

Snuggly baby!

Getting sleepy...

Smiling and playing airplane...

Pulling up and smiling...

Practicing walking...

Playing with tape measure...

Some sights we saw while driving to orphanage:

Bolshoi Ballet under renovation

The former KGB (now called something else) and that's all I'm going to say about them, no I'm not paranoid, are you paranoid, no not me! LOL!

Statue of the first Cosmonaut. He looks a little Buzz Light Yearish...

Christ the Savior Cathedral...

Where we ate after meeting the baby yesterday, Patio Pizza---yummy! The girl at the door had those earrings that make huge holes in your ears and thru those she had thread what looked like rabbits ears on chains dangling down!

A new meaning for "double parking"...I'm still amazed at the parking and driving skills needed to maneuver around here! At one point yesterday, there was a truck to our left and 3 rows of cars to our right, all shucking and jiving to get into one lane of traffic! It was crazy! Also, if you are in a single lane of traffic and it's all backed up, it's completely okay to zoom by everyone on the wrong side of the road to go around. Fortunately, our driver did not go to these lengths! :)

A road sign, this one kind enough to be in English as well for the "Nikitskiy"...

When we were waiting today to go into the playroom to see the baby again, an orphanage working kept coming and going from the room, closing the door behind her. Naturally, I thought, there must be some top secret orphanage business going on there that isn't for our eyes.

Finally, we were allowed in, so we removed our shoes and sat in the chairs. What we saw was hilarious! The working was in the corner sitting in a regular sized chair, grating carrots with a cheese grater like she was in the Carrot Grating Olympics with the carrots going into a bowl on a child sized table. I don't know if the kitchen was being mopped or what but she kept leaving to get more bowls, some what looked like black olives or raisins to cut up and then some pecans. She turned her back to us because, while we weren't staring, I guess she didn't want us to break her concentration in this very important event and who could blame her, right? I think she was probably hurrying because she had who knows how many babies/toddlers waiting on their lunch! :)

Here is the table and chair (I didn't think she would like it if I took her picture!):

And, this is our hotel lobby and room. Thought you might want to see they are the same (well, actually nicer) than the Courtyards in good old Amur-ica.

Lobby full of extra skinny folks. They walked with turned out feet, so possibly dancers. They were smoking lots, too.

We miss our son so much and can't wait to see him and for him to meet his new baby sister! We will all be together very soon! :)