Three months together and time to write the first post-placement report.Stats:
Height: unknown
Weight: 27.4 lbs.--according to my scale (no recent information from the doctor's office)
New Words:
up - not new but she uses it for up, down, out and stop (like 'uncle' when I'm tickling her)
wee! - when she's throwing something or swiveling a chair
no - nose
caca - our word for poop. I thought it was an Amharic word but I could be wrong. She uses it for anything gross
baby
titty/ditty (kitty)
Amen
(it appears without my direct instruction she isn't learning as quickly)
Words I've heard once or a few times:
Saw (Sean - her friend at daycare)
tan oo (thank you)
naw naw (night night)
ellow (yellow)
all duh (all done)
New Signs:
cereal
apple
Likes:
* clasps and buckles -- she can play with these for like 15 min. without stopping, totally engrossed
* daycare! (thank God)
* singing... she can sing the ABCs with a close enough approximation for me to recognize what she's doing and join in
Dislikes:
* raw vegetable of any kind
* processed meats (lunch meat, McDonald's, Arby's, etc.--she'll spit them out!)
* bows in her hair
* wearing hats
Glad she hasn't figured out how to undo them yet! Don't want her to unbuckle the carseat!Random Things:
* She is spun-ky. And hilarious and opinionated. I love her little personality but I could see how it might become an issue if I let it. Comments I have heard about her range from "She has quite a personality" to "You better start disciplining her or you are going to have trouble on your hands." I have to say it's hard to be the heavy sometimes. She has no playmates when it's just the two of us so I spend a lot of time playing with her but I do wonder sometimes about the balance. Should I play less and be 'mom' more? How much of her behavior is due to her age? Her adoption? Outside influences? Genetics? My parenting? It's hard to really know so I just do what comes naturally. One of the best pieces of advice that I have gotten is to parent as I see fit. And that's what I'm doing.
*She is on a good schedule. She's down no later than 7:30 at night and usually sleeps 12 hours. She's sleeping in her crib in her own room and is having no problems with it. She only naps about an hour and a half at daycare but on the weekends she naps closer to 3 hours with me. I am SO grateful she is a good sleeper!* Our bedtime routine includes bath, pj's, brushing teeth, stories, etc. Sometimes all of those things, sometimes only a few. But each night I do sing to her. I sing: "Lullaby and good night. Go to sleep little Almi. Lullaby and good night. Go to sleep little girl. Lullaby and good night. Go to sleep little Naomi. Lullaby and good night. Go to sleep little girl." I do this before naptime, too. When I start the song she will immediately nestle into my neck and put her head on my shoulder and stay still. It calms her right down and I cherish it. Soon she will be too big (sniff) and it is so comforting for both of us.
* Her favorite book this month is Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs a cute board book by Boynton. I will act out each page or use different voices and she loves it.
* She loves to climb! Her latest trick is to push something up she can climb up on against something higher as a stepstool.
* She'll point to the space or chair next to her for me to sit down. She smiles broadly when I join her. Adorable.* She really plays with her dolls now. I modeled for her when she got home and just this month she has really gotten it down. She will cover them up and say "naw naw" (night night) to them.
* They call her Omi at daycare, short for Naomi. Apparently the kids couldn't say Naomi so she became Omi. It sounds a lot like Almi!*She runs with her arms stretched out behind her.
* She loves to throw things. Balls, other random toys, books, clothes, etc. Thankfully not food.
* She loves to eat out in restaurants and is starting to get the idea that you have to wait for the waiter to bring food to eat and to bring the check before you can leave.
* Her hair grows SO slowly! What is the deal with that? I do the same routine with her hair as I do with mine and mine grows about .5" a month. In three months her hair has maybe grown a half an inch in all. Maybe. I am so frustrated because I am itching to do cute styles!
* Unknown sounds scare her. If an ambulance goes down the street, for example, she will put her hand to her ear and look at me with a worried look or she will run to me for comfort.
* She loves her new bath toy, a wind up otter. The other day she wanted to play with it but we had somewhere to go so I told her no. So she looked at it from the edge of the tub and waved at it and said, "hi"'. So cute!
*To get picked up she now will raise her hands over her head and squeeze her hands open and closed. I think she picked that up in daycare.
* No wonder I can't find things. I was wondering where those shoes were!
* She says "hi" a lot. She will wave and say hi to birds and dogs and stuffed animals. She will also wave to strangers in stores and restaurants (or try to grab their arm as they walk by). She loves when they stop and speak to her. She gets loads of attention as you can imagine.* I will open my arms and she will run into them and give me a big hug. She also kisses me spontaneously now.
* When I am taking a picture I will say, "Say cheese!" She thinks I'm saying teeth cause she will pretend to brush her teeth!
* She loves, loves, loves dogs! She loves to see the real thing but also in magazines and on her clothing and mine. "Doggie!! Doggie!!" If I had the energy I would get her a dog for her birthday. (I don't... as if I really had to reiterate that). I think a doggie birthday cake will be quite a fun substitute.
* Preschool art! Yay!
*Her eating issues are getting a lot better! She eats more slowly and has begun to develop preferences for certain things. I'm sure I will regret that at some point but it makes me feel so much better that she realizes there will be another meal. In fact, for awhile there she had gotten so picky she would flick her hand at me and turn her head to the side when I offered her something she didn't want! That habit didn't last long. Now she just hands it to me to take. She doesn't even like the item sitting on her highchair tray! She will also now leave food on her tray when she's full. I think we have officially turned the corner on that worrisome issue!! Yay!
*She still amazes me with her rhythm. She will clap to a song on beat and when another one comes on the radio in a different tempo, she will change and still clap correctly.
*She loves to take things she knows are off limits, wait til she gets eye contact with me and then take off running. I crack up each time. Little stinker! Like, for example my May sign for the photoshoot.
*She will put almost anything in her mouth (toilet paper, crumbs.. even poop once when I was changing her diaper!) Most of the time she knows she shouldn't cause often she will then come to me to remove it from her tongue.
Me?
*I am still verrrrrrrrry tired and overwhelmed. May was a very, very, very rough month with going back to work and getting really sick. I had no sick days left so I had to drag myself in every day on no sleep and suck it up. It was very, very, very difficult. Hell. Though the aches, pains, fever and sore throat only lasted 5 days, the cough is lingering now into day 12. With no family in the area and no friends stepping up to help me, I have had to rely on the kindness of strangers. I reached out to my fabulous Yahoo Group, SMC, and they gave me suggestions on how to cope and some even offered to babysit or swap times watching eachother's kids. Thank God. I really thought I was going to lose it some days. Advice to all you single parents-to-be: have your support network in place. It is critical. Now that I am starting to feel better and with school getting out in in a couple of weeks I am hopeful for good summer. This is precious time together and I am looking forward to going to the park and the beach and the pool... but trust and believe, I will be hiring a sitter or swapping times with another parent. Me-time is in serious order!!
By the way, I never called for the results on her blood tests. My doctor said since they didn't contact her I could presume they were all negative but if May weren't so awful I would have called to double check. I will call next week... It's June! A new month! :-D In the meantime, she's not missing dairy. Here she is trying her first Tofutti Cutie. She loved it!
I'm glad you enjoyed that, Pumpkin!
17 comments:
I'm glad you're back and feeling better.
Sen
Awwwwwe! I can't type it long enough, but you get the picture. The update and pics are too cute! You both look like two peas in a pod. Cute, cute!!
I always enjoy reading your blog. My 22 month old daughter, also from Ethiopia loves to look at pictures of "No me". Sorry May was so rough for you and hope June is better.
Sounds like your sweet pea is doing great. Hope you're able to recharge when school's out.
Great update! BTW...caca is spanish for shy-at! ;-)
You guys look like you are doing GREAT! Hope you are able to get some rest and me-time soon, I am jealous that you have the summer off...
I loved reading this post. Thanks for keeping us all in the loop :)
Thank you, Thank you! for this amazing update! This girl gets more precious every time I see photos of her. Hoping to see her in person soon! She looks like she is doing so well and has settled in to life with her mom. I am also glad to hear that daycare is going well. Twinkle will go to daycare in Oct when she is old enough for toddler care. I hear you about being tired! It is hard to have the energy to teach all day and then have enough energy saved for your sweet baby at home. I got bronchitis my first week back to work and missed a whole week at school. I am sure it is all the stress of going back to work.. Again I wish we lived closer so that the girls could be friends and we could support each other, but we are both sending you two hugs from afar! I am doing the summer holidays countdown too!! Soon Laura, and then we will both be able to spend our days just hanging out with our sweet daughters. Take care, and thanks again for sharing you wonderful update.. LOVED the photos of the two of you together! Will print one out for the fridge!
xoxo R & A
What a sweet update to read and look at! I love your pictures together. It's so great to hear how well Naomi is doing. I hope you get your rest and Me-Time soon.
Sounds like you guys are doing really well. I'm so glad to hear it. I love those pictures of you guys playing around on the floor. As for the discipline? Go with your gut. Build a solid foundtion of security and attachment first -- I think you're wise to do that. It is great though to have a kid who can entertain herself, but you are making up for that time that she didn't get the one-on-one time she should have and if it doesn't take anything out of you, then why not. As for discipline? It needs to come at some point in those formative years, but I'm sure I'll be waiting until my girl is sure-sure that she is loved and secure first. The one theory I have on discipline though is that it is easier to put in a consistent system early than later, and even though it is exhausting to always be "on," it comforts me knowing I am less likely to be fighting to reign in a teenager in years to come, because expectations etc. will be so ingrained. Of course, it's just a theory. We'll see how it works in practice.
Keep doing a great job of loving your sweet girl. And try to find some time for you. I'm coining down the days until summer too. Big plans! But until then, much curriculum still to cover (oh my, so much).
OMG, I could have written this post about Charlie. She does all those things too, like taking something, looking at me, and running away. Or flicking her hand at the food she doesn't like and not wanting it even on her tray. Or pushing something up to the counter so she can step on it and climb higher. etc. She even has the same white sandals! It's really too bad I don't live closer... I bet they would be great friends. And we could trade child care days.... wouldn't that be nice??
BTW, I finally got that book wrapped and ready to go to the post office. If I get a decent lunch break today I'll mail it off. Today.
Your daughter is soo cute and she looks like she's really thriving. I love the picture of her in jeans, pink shirt and hair bow! I hope you get the much needed rest and me time during the summer.
Oh and the hair thing. My daughter had very little hair until after 2 years old. It just didn't seem to grow very fast. Then all of a sudden she turned into a hair monster. I love her beautiful thick hair but it's a lot of work.
What a wonderful story, I think everything is going to work out just fine as you and your daughter grow closer. God bless you, I love reading your blog.
She is adorable!!! Should you spend more time being mama and not playing....NO! Being a mama means playing too...and it's so good for her bonding.
Becky
So happy to see your blog again at last!! Love my two DC sweetsies.
so many things remind me of my daughter, I feel like a fraud publishing my much needed update, but I am working on it :)
I love the update, you are adjusting great (notice I said you not her lol). she knows who mommy is! Feel better I know all about the lingering ended up needing antibiotics.
I'm with you on the hair... but it did start to fill in after a few months but no length yet
You.Two.Are.A.Team!!!!
And yep, caca is Amharic for poop...shintay is pee-pee.
Sounds like she has her favorite
Amharic words and favorite English words.
Words she might remember: If you say "qumi" or "qumi bey" she will stand up. If you say "teneshi" or "teneshi bey" she will sit up.
"quch bey" she'll sit down.
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