One month today...

It's now been exactly one month since we became a family. It seems so long ago already. The things we've gone through, the travels through China and the time at home have passed by so quickly!

We're almost settled in to our routine and know Maya's 'signals' a bit better now. She's even more attached to me this week but screams if I do anything but play with her so I guess that the attachment is still developing. It also means I can't do any cleaning, tidying, mail, phone, email, eating or bathroom breaks... Strangely, she doesn't do this with John now but she did do this in her first week in China. Bed/Nap-times are still very difficult as she still screams for 30-60 minutes before finally falling asleep. It's exhausting for all of us.

It feels like we've been a family for quite a while but have to remind ourselves frequently that we're still new to Maya as is this house & all of the experiences we're giving her so we need to give her time to adapt. It will come...

Things Maya has done this week:
-gained another 1/2 pound! She's now 20lbs; up almost 2 pounds since we met her (I'm gaining faster than that but am not as happy about it!)
-walked about 20 feet on her own and can now walk around obstacles
-looked at me, said 'mama' then walked over and gave me a hug (I melted!)
-learned some farm animals and is 'sort of' making a MOO, BAA and QUACK sound
-turning pages in the farm animal book
-met the community health nurse
-helps dress herself & lifts her leg for us to put on her shoes
-started waving hello & goodbye
-dances on the spot
-sings/hums along to music
-drinking from sippy-cup
-learned to put things in a bowl and then take them out
-mimics family on Skype with hand gestures (ie puts hands on head when they do)
-sits herself down in high-chair and stroller
-knows the 'tickle' sign and starts laughing even before I tickle her
-responds to the tickle sign with the 'more' sign
-has started grabbing at things on table tops, shelves, lower levels (it's time to child-proof!)

Maya's favorite things:
-her blanket from Auntie Sue
-the farm animal book from Nurse Anne
-the Shanghai phone card
-Cheerios
-yogurt (mini-go's)
-going for walks in the stroller (she sits up so straight, holding on to the cross-rail, bum-dancing, giggling and waving at strangers the whole time