Wow!

Two days ago we were asked if we wanted to try taking Hannah home with us and we said yes.  Approval was needed and we thought we might have it by that afternoon, but we didn't get it until later.  Yesterday we went to the orphanage and got ready to take her back to our apartment with us.  Since we didn't know how this would play out, we tentatively planned on bringing her back at 6pm.  Hannah was very excited to get her coat on and go outside, and she got into the taxi just fine.  She started dancing to the music the cabbie had on his radio and waved to all the other cars.  We got to our apartment and walked up the steps to go inside.  She was not happy about going inside the apartment.and I had to pick her up to take her inside.  I took her on a tour of the apartment, but she still kept taking me by the hand trying to take me to the door to leave.  I guess she decided not to fight it and began to explore the apartment.  In doing so, she began to be  very comfortable and came out of her shell more than we have ever seen.  She was playing with Alexander, getting into everything she could, babbling, pointing, smiling, laughing.  We were amazed.  It was like she was home. :)

So, it became time for bed and she started acting tired.  I took her into the bedroom thinking she would go right down.  Ha ha ha!  She started exploring everything on my nightstand - the Ipod, the books, the plane tickets I was using as bookmarks, the lamp that she kept wanting turned "On!".  (Other English words she knows are: mama, tickle, and banana, and I taught her how to sign 'more' and 'please'.  She loves using 'more' (she has quite the appetite) and she thinks signing 'please' is funny.).  Okay, so going to bed didn't work very well, so we went back out to the family room.  We watched 'Far and Away' and then tried again.  Yea, right.  I was a little nervous that she might not like that she was in a new place trying to go to sleep, so I played pretty gentle.  Then it got to be 11:30pm.  She was not about ready to settle down, so I had to help her along.  I held her and she kept trying to get away and this happened over and over.  She was crying and I realized that she was being a two-year old and testing me.  After a few minutes, she cried out, 'mommy' and I told her, 'mommy's here'.  That was when she went limp onto my chest, sound asleep, and she slept all night long.  Xander took these two pictures.  He's quite the photographer!

She woke up this morning at 8:00 and went right into the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator.  Apparently, it was breakfast time.  She had yogurt, toast, milk and juice.  I thought I'd better change her diaper - and she kind of put up a fuss.  The reason?  She was dry!  Then it was time to explore some more.  She loves to turn the lights on and off; she loves to put the dishes into the sink; she loves toy cars and her musical purse; she loves to dance (which is so funny, of course); she loves to tease; she loves to stick her feet in my face when I change her pants; she likes me to tickle her (she's ticklish everywhere); and she likes me to hug her and to hug me. 

She and Alexander are interacting like brother and sister.  She has allowed him to play with her and approach her without any reservations.  She watches him and then wants to do what he's doing.  John went and bought a package of diapers and Hannah decided she needed to take them all out.  Alexander decided that would be a fun thing to do, too.  In a few minutes, there were diapers everywhere.  They took a bath together and it was so cute to watch them.  Alexander LOVES his sister and she is starting to love him. 

 

She is becoming more comfortable with John.  She let him feed her a banana last night and she let him hold her hands while they danced together.  Today she gave him one of her diapers (she usually doesn't go near him), and we showed her how to give him a 'high five' and she would give him one whenever he asked.

Tonight we had to take her back to the orphanage.  Just as she didn't want to enter the apartment yesterday, she didn't want to leave today.  I had to pick her up and take her outside.  She was fine while we walked and sang while we were in the taxi.  She was fine when we entered the orphanage and I put her pajamas on and put her in her crib.  Then we were kissing her goodbye and telling her we'd see her later when the tears started.  I've never seen a lower lip stick out so far!  She cried and we had to leave immediately or I wouldn't have been able to take much more.  We walked back to our apartment and when we sat down to eat dinner, we talked about how much we missed her already.

It will be very soon when we get to be together forever.  That is if she ever forgives us for taking her back tonight.  :)