Sunday, February 13, 2005
Since Being Home
A lot has happened since we came home five days ago. Tian is learning things so fast and furiously, we can hardly keep up. We went for a walk with the dogs today. They are fine with her and she with them. She enjoyed her new stroller, a real deluxe model compared to the "no-frills" in China. She continues to love her Pooh bear, burying her head in his chest first thing every morning.
We aren't celebrating her birthday until the 16th because Alexa can't come until then. Tian will think it is the 15th since we have a birthday cake and balloons, besides I don't think she knows her days of the month yet. Steve did have a dream that she was so smart that her first grade teacher didn't like her. The first grade teacher made some kind of stereotypical comment like "You're just smart because you're Chinese" and Tian said "No I'm smart because my daddy homeschooled me since I was one."
Yes, it is 1:31 in the morning and I'm awake. I laid in bed for an hour trying to get back to sleep and I couldn't. I know I shouldn't nap in the afternoons. But I took a really good long one in the afternoon for about 3 hours again. I'm a napaholic, even though I feel horrible the next day because I don't sleep at night. I need a sponsor to call when it is about 1:30 in the afternoon. Although I'm not sure that would help, because a friend called at 2:30 and I just went right back to sleep.
Tian was so sweet last night. She was so happy getting dressed for bed that when I finished she practically jumped into my arms from the changing pad. I went to put her down with her toys to play for awhile since she was so alert and awake. She cried so I picked her back up, she laid her head on my shoulder and went to sleep listening to selections from Godspell.
Tian loves music - Alison Brown's banjo seems to be her favorite but she also really likes the Muppets. We are a bit concerned about how she perks up hearing Miss Piggy. Steve has theorized that the likes of Britney Spears have made it to the big time because they are the generation that grew up listening to Miss Piggy and think she is the standard against which all music should be judged.
Yesterday was a big day for learning. Tian learned to roll over and move toward the toys Steve would put out on the blanket. In China, she could sit but couldn't get back up if she fell forward or back. While in China, she began pulling herself back up from the front but still cannot independently pull up from her back. You could put her on the bed with pillows behind her and she would just stay there. She is beginning to learn some creeping movements and a few moves toward crawling. She loves her squeaky shoes and walks with them while holding our fingers.
Tian also learned to pick up a Cheerio from her tray and put it into her mouth about 7 out of 10 times. (Sounds like an IEP for small motor skill development, all you teachers out there!) So now I have a few minutes of peace at the end of the meal while she enjoys picking up Cheerios and I can eat a now cooled meal quite quickly.
Since coming home, we haven't taken many pictures. We'll try to make our next entry full of pictures. We hardly want to even think about a camera, feels like we are traveling again. It is so great to be home.
We aren't celebrating her birthday until the 16th because Alexa can't come until then. Tian will think it is the 15th since we have a birthday cake and balloons, besides I don't think she knows her days of the month yet. Steve did have a dream that she was so smart that her first grade teacher didn't like her. The first grade teacher made some kind of stereotypical comment like "You're just smart because you're Chinese" and Tian said "No I'm smart because my daddy homeschooled me since I was one."
Yes, it is 1:31 in the morning and I'm awake. I laid in bed for an hour trying to get back to sleep and I couldn't. I know I shouldn't nap in the afternoons. But I took a really good long one in the afternoon for about 3 hours again. I'm a napaholic, even though I feel horrible the next day because I don't sleep at night. I need a sponsor to call when it is about 1:30 in the afternoon. Although I'm not sure that would help, because a friend called at 2:30 and I just went right back to sleep.
Tian was so sweet last night. She was so happy getting dressed for bed that when I finished she practically jumped into my arms from the changing pad. I went to put her down with her toys to play for awhile since she was so alert and awake. She cried so I picked her back up, she laid her head on my shoulder and went to sleep listening to selections from Godspell.
Tian loves music - Alison Brown's banjo seems to be her favorite but she also really likes the Muppets. We are a bit concerned about how she perks up hearing Miss Piggy. Steve has theorized that the likes of Britney Spears have made it to the big time because they are the generation that grew up listening to Miss Piggy and think she is the standard against which all music should be judged.
Yesterday was a big day for learning. Tian learned to roll over and move toward the toys Steve would put out on the blanket. In China, she could sit but couldn't get back up if she fell forward or back. While in China, she began pulling herself back up from the front but still cannot independently pull up from her back. You could put her on the bed with pillows behind her and she would just stay there. She is beginning to learn some creeping movements and a few moves toward crawling. She loves her squeaky shoes and walks with them while holding our fingers.
Tian also learned to pick up a Cheerio from her tray and put it into her mouth about 7 out of 10 times. (Sounds like an IEP for small motor skill development, all you teachers out there!) So now I have a few minutes of peace at the end of the meal while she enjoys picking up Cheerios and I can eat a now cooled meal quite quickly.
Since coming home, we haven't taken many pictures. We'll try to make our next entry full of pictures. We hardly want to even think about a camera, feels like we are traveling again. It is so great to be home.
# posted by lorrainegriffith @ Sunday, February 13, 2005 
