Two Months together...

Two months ago on November 8, we were sitting on a couch in the capital city of Shanxi, Taiyuan waiting for our soon-to-be daughter to be brought to meet us. It was one of the most surreal moments of my life, time seemed to go in slow motion as we watched our daughter enter the room with her nanny. I remember leaving the government office with Mary Dan Dan in my arms, and riding the elevator up to our room. Cory looked over to me and asked how I was doing, and with my eyes brimming with tears I remember answering him "I'm scared I'm going to screw this up".

Sigh...yes...and now fast forward to two months later and luckily it seems I have managed to avoid (for most intents and purposes) not to mess up Mary too badly ;) Although I realize there are many years to come before she hits her teen years with a stride, so I guess there is always time.

As Cory and I sat back tonight after the kiddos had gone to bed we can't believe the changes we have been privileged to witness in little Mary over these past 8 weeks.

Mary now has about 15 words she says independently, of course due to her cleft her speech articulation is affected, but we are able to hear and understand what she is saying. Here are a list of the words she is saying now:

1.       Mama

2.       Daddy

3.       Ally (our cat, and calls the other two cats this name as well)

4.       Hi

5.       Bye Bye

6.       Go

7.       All Done (as well as the sign)

8.       Thank you (as well as the sign)

9.       Help (as well as the sign)

10.   More (as well as the sign)

11.   Ball

12.   Cheese (said when holding a camera, long emphasis on EEEEE sound)

13.   Good Girl (she says after using the potty, because this is what we have said to her in the beginning)

14.   Yey! (when she claps)

15.   Signs for “Potty”

  ...and just these last two days Mary has been practicing the word "No!" with Sylvie, usually when toys are involved. I don't think it will take her to long to fully understand the meaning of that word - do you?

Mary is babbling constantly and repeating what we and her older sister is saying. I think that in the next couple of months the words she says independently will continue to grow by leaps and bounds.

Mary has finally learned how to climb up onto the couch. She was not bending her knees at all to try to climb up, and was content to try to just swing her leg up straight (this is also the same thing she does when going up and down stairs. So we have been showing her how to bend her knees and use them as leverage to climb up, I'm sure it won't be much longer until she is climbing up into her sister's bed (where all the 'good' toys are placed safely out of the way).

We also went for x-rays in December on Mary's legs. Her pediatrician wanted to make sure that her bowed legs weren't the result of rickets, but instead of a vitamin deficiency. So in the meantime we are giving Mary Vitamin D drops and ensuring she has a balanced diet, which is pretty easy to do when she will eat ANYTHING put in front of her. 

Anyhow...here are a few pictures of some of the fun we've had these past couple of weeks. We've been busy going to gymnastics, swimming, Strong Start and music class - something for everyday of the week! I must admit we haven't had our camera out a whole bunch, I guess it is true what they say about the second child.

 Our budding musician...

 Grandpa Roy lets me jump on the furniture - don't tell Mama!

 Arts and Crafts at Strong Start (a free program for early learners 

through the School District funded by the Ministry of Education

 What is this sticky stuff?

 

Hangin' out with Daddy and Jie Jie (big sister) in the foam pit 

at the gymnastics club. I refuse to go in after getting stuck last time.