time warp...

It is almost unbelievable that we have had Ivanna for 6 weeks and that we've been home for 5 1/2. Ivanna has settled in extremely well. She seems very attached to us -- and actually, pretty fond of us too. I (Darren) have been going in to work most days and must say that it is very heartwarming to see Ivanna's face light up as she says, "Dada!" when she sees me. Yeah, it is pretty great. She has picked up a decent amount of English already and, we think, understands even more than she lets on. Really, she seems to be exhibiting most of the normal behaviours of any 2-year-old girl -- which brings me to the next point: we are tired. Who knew that having a 2 year old could tire you out?
Ivanna has incredible energy. She seems overjoyed to be discovering the world and sprints from interest point to interest point. She is at times a bit hard to keep up with, but oh so much fun to watch. I'm coming to realize that all the energy we spent worrying about the future before we had Ivanna is now spent on her -- where is she? Is she safe? How did she get that? How did she do that?
We celebrated Ivanna's 2nd birthday on Saturday with family and friends at a local provincial park and had a great time. It will probably take a few years, but I hope she comes to see just how blessed we feel and how much many people love and celebrate her.