All sorts of interesting progress!

Hopefully, the videos work. Watching them I can see how far Susanna has come in less than a week. She is starting to really "wake up." She is, among the last of the children to rally and come out of her shell, but she has had more reason than most to stay in a bit of a cocoon.
Everywhere she goes, she is accompanied by the large stuffed caterpillar that she had with her in the video when we first met. She is also a little horder. If she gets it in her hands- she will not let go. This has resulted, in at times, at least three or f our things being clutched to her for dear life- a sippy cup, a stuffed animal, a toy, and a cracker-- etc. She is also a neat freak! (YAY! Anyone who knows me will understand this!) She gets distressed if her hands are messy or if food spills on her outfit, and she will gingerly try to clean it up before I see it. If there is mess in front of her where she is eating, she will surreptitiously try to make it disappear- quickly -and check to see if I have noticed.. I have a hunch, they were less than tolerant of mess at her former place of residence.

In any case, I am learning more and more about her. Small things will certainly upset her, but she tries to hide it. Yesterday was very poignant. Se was quite chipper when she awoke- just a little before me, She played in her crib, and then we read, played ball, banged drums, you name it. She was giggling and smiling and then I got her dressed. I put on the Yankees outfit, and then put on the sneakers that she wore when we met. In a nanosecond, she went from Miss Smile to Very Quiet, She was looking at the sneakers, and her eyes filled with tears. Needless to say they came off super quick and will not re appear.

I also received a small album of photos from her nannies and a disposable camera which I had developed. It gave me a much better sense of her life before we met, and I will certainly share them with her one day.

But progress is progress, When I fist got her stroller, she cried and did not want to go in it. Now, she marches over to it and waits, staring at me impatiently. "Home, Charles!"
I also heard her voice for the first time today, No words yest, but lots of laughter, sounds, and giggles. She now also eats with a fork or chopsticks- sort of. I have been feeding her, but tonight, she got bored and took matters into her own hands, While Nan and I chatted, we noticed Miss Bean pick up a Western fork and try (without touching the food!) to get the food onto the fork and then bend down and suck it off the fork. It was pretty funny.

We went to the Zoo, and I thought it would be pretty cool. But she still shuts down in front of anyone but me. And lots of activity in large group is just too overly stimulating for her right now. Too much to take in from where her life was less than a week ago. So, tomorrow, I have decided we will skip the group tour, and she and I will just hang out by the pool and in the room for a day. She does so well when there are no distractions- I do not want to force her.

Now- one last things, You know how this place is adoption Central? I have been waiting for it- and it arrived- A Barbie. A Tall, Blond, Barbie holding a Chinese baby. Tomorrow, during our down time, I will have a serious Chat with Miss Bean and explain that Anything Barbie is like Anything Pink and MUST BE BANNED FROM HUMANITY. And maybe then we will break Barbie's head off.