We got back to the city this afternoon and it was so nice to be able to write family and find out how things are at home. It is good to have Internet again.
Well, this week with Bella was really great! She is one cute kid. She is very loving and will sit and hug me for ten or fifteen minutes straight — sometimes falling asleep as I hold her. She likes to play this game where she wants to come to me and I hold her– then after about three minutes she wants to go to Emily and Emily will hold her — then in about three minutes she wants to go back to me. She will do this over and over and over — laughing as she does it. She thinks it is a very funny game to play.
I was asked in a comment on my blog how old she is — she is two. She was two in February. I think she is doing exceptionally well for a two year old with Down syndrome. She is doing better than I expected. She plays well, can walk, babbles, points to things and mimics us. I am impressed. The workers at the orphanage seem to really care about her and I don’t think it is a show for us. She is doing better than any child we have ever adopted from EE. This is a real blessing for us as I think Allysen is going to need a lot of attention, have a lot of medical appointments, and need much therapy. Bella will have needs, of course, but she really won’t have the number of appointments that Allysen will. So, Bella does seem to be doing well but, of course, she needs a family– and I am so glad that we will be that family. All children need a family to love them and care for them because even a good orphanage can not replace a family.
Our two weeks here have gone very well but I am definitely ready to go home. I am going to try to write a little more on our visits with Bella later. For now, I will post some pictures from days two and three of our visits. Then later I will post days four and five.
Here are some photos of Bella’s orphanage.
