And after only 4 hours of sleep I am up prowling the hotel room. I skyped with my girls and my mom, too.
This is probably a good time to give some particulars for my adoptive community, many of whom will be here soon:)
Bonding--she accepts me. She really fought leaving the Civil Affairs office and the orphanage staff (all she knew) and Mama got a shiner! (I'll be sporting this for our official adoption registration photo tomorrow:)) She hit me with her lollipop--not intentially, but in her struggle to get back to the only familiar faces that were fast fading away. It was a sad moment, but it was good, too, to see her fiestiness--it's what kept her alive so far and, I think, it'll get her through any future challenges the world has to offer. Later, the families met in my hotel room for paperwork and when we were done and they were packing up, Lilah collected her things--her snack holder, sippy cup with a straw and a single crayon she chose with care, and thought she was leaving, too--no backward glance at that strange white lady. We went grocery shopping after that and she was fine--but when we returned to the room she cried a little again. And I do mean a very little. The guide thinks the first night is easier on the kids than the second, so we'll see. We're co-sleeping and she did reach for me a few times in her sleep. When I put out my hand she reached for it and held my hand as we walked around the room, collecting pjs and getting dinner ready--veggie noodles in the room tonight.
I tried her in the baby carrier and she was fine with it. She doesn't look to others for her needs--food, drink or fairness (the nanny at the orphanage tried to take the photo album I gave her with pictures of her sisters, etc. and she snatched it away and held it to her chest and looked to me for help with her ownership. Later, when another babe took her snack holder, she looked to me again for help).
She has not grieved yet for her foster family (she was brought back to the orphange a week ago). She had two foster siblings, one in 4th grade and one in 1st grade, so she knows how to be a little sister:)
Health--she is the size of a 15 month old. Small but sturdy. She is SUPER smart. I noticed IV marks in her hand and asked the doctor from the orphanage about it. Lilah was in the hospital last week for fever and a cold. She is congested now, with a wet cough, but doesn't cough often. Her oxygen saturation is 73--so definitely a worry. I'm hoping, as the cold continues to clear, her saturation will go up. She will color by herself for several moments (while I was doing paperwork), but when I sat down with her and picked up a crayon and did some coloring, she kept handing me new colors so I could help her with her picture. While she does have a strong sense of "mine," she does share--so far stickers and puffs with the other kids in our travel group. She was potty trained, during the day, when she was in foster care, but the orphange reverted back last week. This is not something we will worry about until we get home, and then some. She is a great eater. Loves to drink water. And was kicking back in the stroller last night at the grocery store, kicking her feet and singing--she has the sweetest voice.
She has a beautiful personality and I am so amazed by her and by God, who has blessed me yet again with another perfect daughter. Please pray that Lilah will do well on the flight home--that 73 oxygen saturation weighs heavy on this Mama's heart.
