Eight Excellent Months

Eight months...eight months...We can't believe it has only been eight months together as a family. At times it feels like it was just yesterday meeting this amazing little baby girl, and other times like we have always been together. Sylvie is now 22 months old and weighs 25 pounds. She is growing like a weed, we need to measure her height, but just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Our attachment between Sylvie and us has continued to grow and deepen. Sylvie has been big into copying our actions and imitating us. If we are brushing her hair, she wants to hold the brush and comb our hair too. She will go off and pull a kleenex from the box, walk over and hold it to our nose to blow. When we are hugging, she now pats us on the back and gives us squeezes. The caring actions have become much more reciprocal as our time together has grown. Sylvie loves giving us leg hugs while we are cooking dinner in the kitchen, and asks to hold both of our hands are we are walking in the grocery store or mall. The latest cutest development happened during this last week. When we have been picking up Sylvie and giving her kisses, she smiles and kicks her legs in the air. It reminds us of when babies are picked up, and are so excited they kick their legs in the air too.

This past month has been busy with the wrap up of the holiday season and all the visiting and celebrating that accompanies that time of year. Here are some of the things that have been happening over the last little while:

Daddy and Sylvie have started some classes on Saturday morning through our local Rec center named appropriately enough "Daddy & Me". The program is for Dads and their kids and is held at a local school gym. Each week Daddy and Sylvie head off to go play with all the equipment and games that are organized. Daddy says Sylvie is doing really well with a hockey stick and wiffle ball, apparently she is really good at keeping her stick on the floor. These pictures were taken this past Saturday...

All right... here I go!


Yes! I got it!


She shoots...


She scores!


Hey - look at me! I got up here all by myself!


Daddy, put down the camera and help me down!


Some other big changes that have occurred include Sylvie slowly starting daycare and potty training. As mentioned before, Sylvie has been going to daycare two days a week while Daddy is at work and Mama is working on her Master's degree. Sylvie is enjoying going to daycare, and particularly loves the pet hamster "Rino". We love that we feel comfortable leaving her in the care of a long time friend.

With potty training, Sylvie is doing very well. In China, children are potty trained very early compared to North American standards. With the cost of disposable diapers, or electricity to launder cloth diapers most children begin potty training very young. When we returned home from China, we received a potty seat as a gift from a friend. We decided to try and see what would happen, and lo and behold it was a simple as that. Success the first time and each time after. We just recently went out and bought these new undergarments for Sylvie to try out wearing around the house.