Thu 9 Sep 2004
This is the continuation of my travel journal of our adoption of Dinara and Noah from Kazakhstan in 2001. Dinara was 2 1/2 and Noah was 7 months. If you are new to my blog, please check the JULY ARCHIVES and start reading with post titled *Detained in Moscow. Posts that start with an * are adoption journal posts. I hope you enjoy the story. I’ll be striving to share a bit of the story each day.
The morning with Dinara was really really really tough. She cried for 50 minutes. About the time we got her quieted down, it was time to go back to Groupa. She really “brightens” when we say it’s time to go bye bye. She really does love her groupa and her caregivers. Today, we taped her crying. We want to show her this tape when she is 16 to show her how committed we were to her. She will always hug and kiss us now at the end of the session. No matter how bad it is, she always gives us some love.
Noah was happy today. John is mashing up banana and giving it to him. He loves it. He also really loves his pacifier. Noah loves it when you hold his arms up and stand him up. He gets so proud of himself and looks at everyone as if to say “are you all seeing what a big boy I am?”
The afternoon visit with Dinara went really well. Lucky day seven perhaps? After about 45 minutes she began to play. (No kids, just playing with us!!!) I bought a “pound the ball” toy and she liked to do it. It didn’t take her very long to figure out how to use the hammer after Daddy showed her. She also could match up the colors pretty well.
A funny thing happened today. Dinara was taking the rings off the ball toy and had put 3 of the 4 rings back on. She then put the fourth ring on the third ring and looked up at me. I shook my head no….and she gave a little laugh then put it in the right place. She was sort of testing me and showed she had a great sense of humor. It’s moments like this that help me to know that everything is going to be ok.
Dinara also matched up the rings to the right color balls too. She would only do it when “she” wanted to do it though. She likes to be in control and be in the power seat. Sounds like her mommy hmm? The translator told us today that all the caretakers talk about how much Dinara looks like me. I don’t think there is that much of a resemblance… but it’s a big compliment. Because I think she’s so cute.
John and I went and bought souvenirs today. We bought 4 paintings. Very pretty. Nice for us to hand down to the kids someday. Something from their birth country.
Related posts:
- This and that Yesterday I think I should have bought a...
- *Day Two with Kids - Getting to Know You Here is another excerpt from our travel...
- *Day Five of Visitation — Communication is critical This is the continuation of my travel...
