Now that was a good day...

in the slammer.

We had so many new faces and sounds from Nurai today.  She is getting healthier everyday and we no longer believe she is sick and suffering from Diarrhea as she was last week, though no one seems able to confirm this for us.

Given that a week ago she was weak and lethargic, and was presented to us with a tube taped inside her nose, she has become an entirely different little girl since then, and we could not be more happy to watch this transformation.

We had giggles, laughs, smiles, hugs, loving stares, inquisitive touches, and even dimples.  Who knew those were in there?  Tougy relishes her new role as big sister and so enjoys holding Nurai on her lap and reading to her.

Tougy's favorite book of the moment is Where The Wild Things Are, and she no longer allows us to read any of it, instead insisting that she read it to us, and of course now to her little sister.  Tougy is a born performer, and never disappoints a willing audience.  Several times here in country she has found a stage or other appropriate venue to sing and dance to any and all who would listen.

At the Baby House, Tougy is quickly becoming a big hit as well with her Russian phrases and general charm.  It is fun to watch though, as mentioned before, we know that she would be happier back at school with her friends.

Tougy has taken to life here amazingly well all in all I must say.  Before coming over, I worried about her feeling cooped-up and isolated, but of course I underestimate her resilience.  While I don't think she is yet of an age to more fully comprehend all that is going on (and for that matter neither do I) she is at a point where these experiences will stay with her as she gets older and we can fill in the significance of it all well after the fact to be matched up with her memory.

I would have to say that through this experience, she is becoming so much more aware of her own beginnings.  She verbalizes that she was born here in Kazakhstan and that we came to get her at the Astana Baby House, just as we are now here to make Nurai a part of our family here at the Baby House in Shymkent.

I don't know if we will be able to make it happen, but we talk of finding a time to get up to Astana for a day or so to visit her Baby House before we all head back.  I think that in another week or so when we know our court date, such plans can be looked at in earnest.

Tomorrow morning we take Nurai for a CT scan of her abdomen to verify and or refute statements and diagnoses found in her medical history.  Not expecting it to be a big deal either way, just looking for clarification.  It will be nice to get her out of the Baby House for a bit and to have her away from the watchful eyes of the caregivers and staff there.

Off to bed now as we continue to have a difficult time catching up on sleep given that we are with Tougy when she is awake, and feverishly trying to keep in touch when she is asleep.  Given how little Tougy seems to be sleeping lately, it is a losing strategy.  Take Care.