HALF WAY!!

We’re half way there! Woo hoo!

I started my day off at the Buchanan’s for a pancake breakfast while Joe stayed back at the apt because he wasn’t feeling too great. The pancakes were delicious! I also met a woman whose blog I had been reading while still in Amsterdam. I didn’t even realize she was in Karaganda!

Our morning visit went as usual. Feeding, a little playing, and then sleep. She discovered the mirror today and seemed to really like looking at her reflection.

It kept her entertained for quite some time. We also tried her in the swing for her first time. She wasn’t crying but that doesn’t necessarily mean she liked it all that much. She skipped the cranky phase of the morning routine and went from playing to sleeping in about a minute. It was so cute because she conked out on my shoulder with her toy still in her mouth.

During our break, we did more shopping and found a traditional Kazakh costume for Hannah when she grows a little. It should fit her when she’s about 5 yrs old. We thought it would be great for Halloween, dress up, or show and tell. We also bought some Christmas ornaments and other Kazakh knick-knacks.

Our afternoon visit with Hannah was the same as usual. We joke that it is like Groundhog’s Day here, the same thing over and over again. The only odd thing was that she wouldn’t take her bottle. She would literally spit it out of her mouth. We were very perplexed as this child usually devours her bottles put in front of her. We thought maybe it wasn’t warm enough (we had taken it upstairs with us and waited until 430p to give it to her). On our way to her room, we passed Olga, our translator, and she came with us to talk to the caregivers for us. The caregiver asked if she could try it. And there she was, gulping it right down, barely stopping to breath every once in a while. Olga and her caretaker chuckled, “first time parents”??? Still not quite sure what we were doing wrong…but we still have time to learn!