Worth the Wait

Hannah has been in our arms six weeks now.  Wow.  SIX weeks!  In two days she will have been home one full month (just prior to her first birthday home!).  It is hard to believe in so many ways.  In a lot of ways it feels like she has just always been here, so it seems like she's been here longer than that.  Other ways it feels like she literally just got here and I cannot believe it has already been almost a full month home from China. Whether it has gone by fast or gone by slow, one thing is for sure.  It has been worth the wait to watch her blossom and change.

If you know anything about the Burris family, you know we are those classic "homeschool" people who have a total love affair with books.  We love books.  We love the library.  We max out our library cards and have to shuffle around what card we use to check things out so we don't go over our limit.  Loving to read and reading with Mommy in our home...well....it is just sort of required.

I tried reading to Hannah in China.  I packed two of our favorites that I had hoped with grab her attention, but she wanted nothing to do with them.  Too much closeness, too much slow paced sitting, not enough comprehending.  Reading was just too much for her then.  I didn't really force the issue.  Then we got home and it still really wasn't her thing, but boy the other kids wanted to read....a lot.  She wasn't too keen on that initially since me reading stole attention away from her, yet she didn't want to sit in my lap to participate either.  I finally found one book that grabbed her attention that she would sit through from start to finish (for those wondering, it was Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton).  She really liked the rhythm of this book and that I would bounce her in my lap according to the words and point to the various colors and types of PJ's.  I seized on that opportunity and we read that book many times.  Thankfully the twins had long discarded this old board book for more advanced picture books and so they were actually really thrilled to get it back out and enjoy it with new pleasure.  We all had a lot of fun reading that over and over.

When the twins were first born they didn't really love books, either.  And so I prayed about it.  I prayed for them to enjoy the closeness of a good book.  I did the same with Hannah.  People might think that is silly or crazy, but I know God cares about even the silliest of details.  I wanted her to love books alongside the rest of us.  And He heard.  And answered.

Five weeks in our arms, I took the picture posted below.  Hannah, sitting on my lap, not just simply tolerating the nap time routine of reading, but enjoying it.  Relishing it.  Pointing at pictures and resting so fully relaxed and close while we read four books that afternoon.  For me, I had waited five weeks for this moment to come.  I won't say she has the deep passion for books our older kids have just yet, but I see her catching on that books are really quite wonderful ways to spend time with Mommy and family.  I see the interest blooming and the comprehension exploding.  She has it in her, the ability to love books.  It will blossom and grow over time.  For me, it was all worth the wait.....

For the first time ever, five weeks home, Hannah not just tolerating a session of reading!  Engaging and finding joy in the story!