Six Spectacular Months

Here are a few pictures of Sylvie taken during the last month. Our baby is growing up so fast!

Playing around...


Getting my first hair cut at Beaners. My bangs were too long!


Riding the hippo after my hair cut. This place is pretty cool!


My new fire fighter hat!


Sylvie loves going to gymnastics with her Daddy, but this is what happens on the drive home!


I love doing somersaults!

Present from Manitoba!

The other day a package arrived for Sylvie on the greyhound. It was a present from Grandpa Irwin and Great Auntie Kay. Grandpa Irwin made Sylvie a little bed for her stuffies (he's a great wood worker). Great Auntie Kay made little sheets, a quilt, pillow, and mini crocheted blanket for the bunny also found in the package (she's a good sewer). As you can see, Sylvie loved the bed, bunny and bedding! Thanks so much Grandpa and Great Auntie!

Bed and bedding made with love...


Loving my bunny stuffie


Wait a second, that bed looks comfy...


Ahhh....that's better!




What else can I do with this bed??? Hmmmm....



What? Beds aren't for standing on?

Post Placement Report - Check!

On Halloween morning we had our Social Worker come over for our first post placement meeting. China requires that two reports are completed after arriving home from China, one at six months and the following at twelve months. In order for the documents to be translated and sent to China for the six month date, our meeting actually took place a little over five months home. Our meeting went very well, although I have to admit I am always nervous leading up to these meetings.

We stated off by talking about Sylvie's physical development, she has grown 8 cm and gained 6 pounds during the past six months. We talked about her physical development (fine/gross motor skills) where she is doing well, and also her emotional development.

We discussed how we are practicing attachment style parenting (only parents hold Sylvie, feed her) and how we feel this is helping us develop a strong base for building trust between Sylvie and us. We also discussed how we "the first time parents" are doing with the adjustment of having a family. When we reflect back on the last few months, we can see how much better we're doing with just learning to relax and sit back and enjoy each other. In the beginning, every time Sylvie sneezed or had a tumble we would be very concerned. Now we know kids do get colds and owwies happen. Luckily our family doctor is very kind and supportive whenever I call or go in, and reassures us (or rather me) that everything is fine.

We look forward to the next time we sit down with our Social Worker to complete the final post placement report. That will be the last paperwork required for Sylvie's adoption from China. We are hoping to still send pictures of Sylvie as she grows to her orphanage for the Director and nannies to see.

Since this meeting took place on Halloween, I thought I would put a couple of pictures of her dressed up in her Tigger costume. We went to our music/art playgroup and had fun singing and decorating cookies with our little friends.





Here is a short video with Sylvie playing with her rhythm sticks while the kids and music teacher are singing about her costume. I was so happy to see that she was watching the other kids and following their actions, she is no longer throwing the sticks - yahoo!

A Perfect Fall Day

Well today was a perfect day. The weather was warm (12 degrees Celsius) and sunny. We started the day off by sleeping in and having Sunday breakfast together. Then we headed outside to tackle some yard work. Now that Sylvie is almost 20 months old, it is so much easier for her to be outside in the yard with us. While we raked leaves and mowed the lawn, Sylvie entertained herself in her playhouse and on the slides. All the fresh air and work playing in the leaves helped her to have an early nap.




Once Sylvie woke up from her nap we headed into town to a BC Adoptive Families event to celebrate our families (November is Adoption month) at McMillan Farms. We met up with some friends that we see often, and others we haven't seen for a while.

Sylvie loved the tractor ride and going through the hay maze. She also enjoyed playing in the corn pit, which was like a sand pit with buckets and shovels, but filled instead with kernels of corn. I thought that was pretty cool - not to mention cleaner, way better than sand (little chance of a kitty passing by and using it as a bathroom).







After spending the afternoon basking in the sun, we stopped off to have some dinner together and did a little grocery shopping. While the day in itself was pretty low key, it was a wonderful day. Everything went smoothly and we were relaxed the whole day through. It just feels like we are in a good place, and we have lots to be thankful for.