LOVE HER! ! ! ! !

I just love this little dress I bought her here in Kaz!! I think it looks so good on her, another great color for Miss Serena. I wanted to bring stacking cups for her too but I really didn't have room for them so I found some here today.I just love this picture of her. Today I found another little game that makes her laugh. I gently bite her toes and feet and it makes her laugh like crazy. I have done this a few times and get no reaction from her. I think the caregivers do alot with them, as much as they can, but I don't think Serena knows these are things are games. It seems like she is learning that these little things I do are supposed to be fun, after a few times she gets it.

Ainura told me to expect a quiet Serena today. She said she noticed alot of the babies are more quiet on a Monday because she didn't see me yesterday. She also only slept 1 hour today instead of 2. She was a little quiet, not alot of excitement when I showed up today but she did give me a smile and it's better than chocolate! Can you believe chocolate is taking a back seat? She was a little more on the quiet side and she seemed to want to lay down a little more while we played.

I love this belly!! I changed her out of her dress and into shorts, we went outside and I thought the caregivers would prefer shorts to a dress since it was a little cool and breezy today.Look at that little face!! We have made progress in the Peek a Boo game. Today I noticed her looking at me from behind one of the big plastic houses and as soon as she saw me she hid her face behind it. Then I saw her peek out again with just one eye showing and she hid her face again. This was just toooooo cute!! I wanted to just eat her up!! I wish I could get this stuff on video but when I have the camera out I swear she just doesn't want to give me the good stuff! Ainura feels the same way. I let her watch some of the video I took of her and she was mesmerized by it. She got so quiet to watch and she did not take her eyes off it. Then she took the camera from me and watched some more. I would love to know what she was thinking. I can't wait to see her watch her video on my computer. I'll have to take video of it. It should be interesting.

We went for a walk and got 1/2 way around the block and she wanted out of the stroller so I carried her. I like to think it's because she wanted to be with me but who knows. Here she is taking off my glasses and getting ready to throw them on the ground. This is the last pair I haven't damaged here. I brought 2 pair of sunglasses and 1 pair of regular. I sat on one pair in the playroom after she was playing with them and the lens popped out the next day, the regular glasses I sat on because I left them on my couch, that lense popped out too but I managed to put it back in so it's ok. I wonder if I will come home with any working glasses. Two of these I bought before I left. I don't think I have ever sat on my glasses before last week.

I just love these hiney shots. She will probably hate them when she is a teenager but I can enjoy them until then. My Little Miss Serena did not actually cry today when I left. I put her behind the wall and she turned right around and looked up at me with an expression of "you're not leaving me are you?" I wish I had a picture of it. I stood around a little hoping she would get distracted and then Ainura told the caregiver to distract her and she did so I didn't hear any crying. She did look like she was contemplating if this was the time to cry. I'm glad she didn't. It's starting to get harder to leave her and I'm getting more and more anxious to have her all the time.

I asked Ainura if there was any prejudice in Kazakhstan between any Russians or Kazakhs and she said no, none at all. She said there are so many different kinds of people there and they all live together peacefully. That is kind of Kazakhstans motto, to live in peace. Wouldn't that be nice to live in a place like that? I know Serena will have such a good life in the United States but I wish she could grow up in a place that did not have prejudice and was more interested in peace.

Serena Sunshine, I was thinking about you the other day. Because of you I feel a calm inside of me and I realized you bring peace to my heart. I have waited for you for so long and you have given me these emotions I did not expect. Since meeting you I feel a hole in my heart has been filled. You are just so precious to me and I am looking forward to watching your grow, not too fast please, I want this to last a long time!! Hugs and many many kisses!