More Government Office visits and A Cow with a Pink Nose!

This morning we had two meetings at the Civil Affairs Office again. Thankfully there was not chaos there this time. It's interesting/amazing really that in less than 24 hours you see that the girls are making more eye contact and one (not Hannah, yet) are even smiling easily. I'm thrilled to say that Hannah had her first tantrum. I say that because yesterday she was so subdued; melancholy almost. Her entire body language--the rigid back arching when you tried to hold her, her downcast eyes and lack of any smile or laughter crushed me. I would have been more concerned if the other girls in our group had not been the same. Our guide assured me that I wouldn't even recognize her in another week if I fed her foods she like, played w/ her hands and toes, sang her songs and let Ian work his magic.
Progress is being made. She still does not smile enough to assure me that she feels safe with us---three of the girls in our group sure watch everyone with concerned eyes. One smiles a lot---I'm wondering if part of it is that Nancy her mom is actually Chinese American. Nancy's little one doesn't have a concerned look on her face. Her sister Joylin (who you saw in yesterday's entry is also Chinese America & was adopted several years back.)

Last night a touching moment ( I say moment because it sure was fleeting) happened. I got up to give Hannah a bottle. I could hear her up tossing around and I knew she had to be hungry. The guide taught me how to make this rice mixture with formula. She said that Hannah would love it. She had me cut extra wide holes in the bottle tops----but she reminded me to FEED HER MYSELF. She went on to say what I have heard from so many people -----namely that Hannah could give herself the bottle---that is what has been happening in the orphanage. There were 20 girls in her room and the nannies had no time to spend properly on each one. Our guide said that I would have to teach Hannah that I am a 'safe mommy'.....from here on out I am the one who feeds her, teaches her to pick up food, and helps her place it in her mouth. She said that some Europeans and Americans are glad to be told that this girls are already so independent. She said that if I continued to let her just be detached and perform those eating habits in an isolated way, she would not bond with me.

Well, at around 12:30 a.m. I was giving her the bottle mixture & she was gulping it down. I was whispering to her and she would just gaze up at me. I kept thinking-----this is a small step but it is a step forward. Then before putting her back into bed I kept rubbing her hand and everytime I would stop she would thrust her hand up in the air as if to say...do it again...do it again. That went on for about 10 minutes. Then she started sucking two fingers and fell back asleep.


Today she played with another little girl who was from the same orphanage. Hannah did jabber non-stop from about 11 until 1:30....the tantrum came when we were in the notary's office. She spotted a toy cow with a big pink nose. It was on the official's desk. The official let her play w/ it. When I took it from her to give it back to the official Hannah went wild....screaming and crying. I was so happy to get a big response out of her that I explained to her that yesterday she was so subdued that it had made me sad for her.......if there are some live wire tendencies coming out---WONDERFUL! The offical laughed and said that if the cow was helping Hannah come out of her shell she could have it!!! So, little Hannah Mei bamboozled a Chinese official out of a cow w/ a pink nose. You can see the photo. She hasn't let that thing down since!!! ha-ha! Maybe her birth parents were farmers, ha!

Ian played peek-a-boo with Hannah and suddenly I heard this laughing coming from her....then I got involved tickling her and before I knew it she was actually giggling. She still does not have a perpetual smile on her face nor does she have Ian's carefree happy spirit yet. Maybe she never will. I am not really sure how God has created her just yet. I'm just trying to observe her and be here to assist in allowing Hannah Mei Steury to come out.