Jammies From Grammie (a la the three bears...)

Sylvie's Grandma Shirley is a whiz with the needle and thread... So Pyjamas were in store for the first few "Sewing Projects." Now as you can imagine "guessing" the actual size of our munchkin has been a bit of a moving target with trying to find (Let alone sew) clothes has been a bit of a challenge. That's where the three bears come in by the way... :)

The first ones were too big... Easy enough, she will definitely get into them sometime... (Probably faster than we would like given how much she has grown already)

The next ones were too small... (Not really, but she has a big cabbage so they were a little snug going over the noggin)

The last pair are just right... (With that planetoid that she has on her shoulders the "neck adjustments" were taken well into account)



I know that it is quite a science, but when on one hand she has clothes that are 6-12months that are HANGING off her, and at the same time she is bursting at the seams on some 18 month outfits... So there is no harm in a few pairs of comfy pajamas that are pretty close all around... :) (I am not really sure who makes up the sizes, but me thinks that we should be a little more uhh "standard" across the board...)


Cory & Joyanne and Goldilocks
-- It's like an orange on a toothpick...

Thanks Grandma Shirley...kiss from Sylvie for you!

Our New Canadian Citizen!

We have finally received Sylvie's citizenship card in the mail last week. Cory has spent considerable time on the phone, Internet and in person to ensure this procedure was completed correctly.

Sylvie entered Canada as a Permanent Resident, but now has finally received her Citizenship. We were happy to see that the card arrived with her name spelt correctly and all information accurate. Only took five months! Our next step will be to apply for her passport, hopefully she is able to take a better picture for that one!

The part we liked best on the letter for Citizenship and Immigration Canada was welcoming Sylvie to her new Canadian family:

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.

Five Fantastic Months

We have now been togther as a family for five months. To celebrate the three of us went out for Chinese food for dinner. One of our fortunes from the cookies tonight seemed to be particularily well suited for us. We agree, our good fortune IS clearly evident!



It has been another busy month at the Drinkwater house. We are all doing very well, and luckily no one has caught a cold or the flu. Fingers crossed that we all stay healthy this winter.

At the beginning of the month we celebrated the Mid Autumn Moon Festival. This is one of the two main holidays celebrated in Chinese culture. Traditionally, family members travel to celebrate together, eat moon cakes, and gaze at the full moon. So we invited some good friends the Rowans over, and my niece who is attending university in Kelowna. We ordered in Chinese food, ate "moon cake" and went outside to gaze at the moon. We also took the opportunity to take out the Chinese dresses we bought in Beijing for the girls to wear. Don't the girls look super cute?





We decided to make our own version of a moon cake, as many people do not care for the traditional version. Thanks to our friends for making and bringing the cake, it was yummy!



Sylvie is now almost 20 months old. We went to get Sylvie's next set of immunizations, now she is caught up until Kindergarten. We are very grateful we live in a country that provides immunizations for all children. Here she is getting a kiss from Mama to make her owwies it all better.



While there, the health nurse weighed and measured Sylvie. She is now just under 24 pounds and is 80cm tall. She is now wearing mostly 18 month old clothes. She is still wearing 12 month jeans and pants because she has such a tiny waist, but is getting too tall for them. We might have to go find some pants with the adjustable waistband.

Attachment is also continuing to go well. I am always amazed how I think Sylvie is attached, and then another few weeks go by and I realize how much deeper her attachment to us has grown. Sylvie has now decided that her Dada is the best. I have been telling her this for months. He has much more patience than I do, and he is much better at play wrestling and tickling. Thankfully Sylvie agrees now too. Sylvie is doing well giving kisses and hugs now, and is able to sit in our laps and snuggle now for short periods of time as well.




Swimming lessons have finally finished. While Sylvie loved swimming, two times a week was a little much. I would not have believed that it takes as much time to get changed after swimming as it does to have the swimming lesson. And I only have myself and one child to dry off and put dry clothes onto. I am in awe of mothers with more than one child in the change room. Sylvie is now a pro at kicking her feet and blowing bubbles in the water. She loves the water slide at the pool and going in the hot tub. Thanks to Michelle for stopping by the pool to take pictures for us!



However, Sylvie loved the lockers just as much as the pool itself. Hopefully this will not happen to her when she goes to high school in a few years!



We have also started a morning music/art program offered in the community. There is an awesome music teacher who has the children sing and play with instruments and scarves during the songs. I am impressed how she always alternatives between having the children sitting, and up and moving for the songs. Afterwards there is a art project the kids work on, usually seasonally related.



Sylvie is doing well with her speech. She can point to many of her body parts now, after much practice and is working on identifying items in books and on flash cards. She is mostly copying our words, rather than talking independently - although she still uses Dada, Mama, more, up, down, kitty, puppy, hi, bye bye on her own. We were most impressed the other night when we were playing in the living room and I asked Sylvie to go find her pink boots and take them to Dada. Sylvie went to her room, found her boots, and brought them to Cory to help her put them on. Pretty awesome, a two step direction and she was able to follow it (and not get side tracked on the way). I have included a short video of her pointing to her body parts.