Happy Birthday Jia Jia!!!

Rylee has now learned the Happy Birthday song and has been singing it to her sister all day! Happy Birthday Hanna, we love you so much!!!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas morning started with the most beautiful sunrise. I peeked in at the girls and they were still sleeping, so I headed to the kitchen to start the coffee and Cinnamon rolls. Before I could even get the rolls started I heard soft footsteps on the stairs. Hanna came first with Rylee trailing behind her. They spotted the presents and Rylee said "OOOOOOOOHHH Bopen bopen??? (open) They quick woke up Daddy so they could get started!
The girls had so much fun with Rylee copying everything that Hanna said at first. It wasn't long before Rylee would open a present with "WOOOOW dis awesome!!!" (socks) or "OOOOH COOL!!! (books) It was so very adorable and we all enjoyed every minute of it.

Rylee's favorite gifts were her baby doll stuff and everything that Hanna got! Hanna's favorites were her horse barn, tack and karaoke machine! The day was spent playing with their new toys, singing and dancing. When I tucked the girls in for the night Hanna said "Mom, do you know what the best thing about Christmas was?" I asked her what it was. She said "It was having a sister to share it with!". I am so proud of her for opening her heart to her new sister and trying so hard to be a good sister for Rylee! I am so very grateful to spend this Christmas with my beautiful girls and my fabulous husband...

Early Intervention Screening

We had the early intervention screening this week and Rylee blew them away! I was not sure if she would just grunt at them or if she would cooperate. Usually she is very quiet around people that she doesn't know and most times she will just grunt at them instead of communicate. She did great! She passed the vision and hearing, in fact she had the nurse laughing with the faces she made during the hearing test. She wouldn't say if she was hearing the sound, but there was no doubt when she was hearing it because of the faces she would make - you would have thought they were blasting her with a fog horn!

She repeated everything they said and laughed out loud at them several times. She built a tower with the blocks, sorted them by color and counted them in English. She remembered some body parts (she mixed up hair and hand and mouth and foot) and tried really hard to understand them. When it was time to leave she went around and hugged each of them and said "Bye Bye". So, there will be no early intervention services for her :)

English words and sentences she has learned and uses at 6 weeks home:

NOOOOOOOOO!

Yeshee!

Dis one!

Mama go bye bye, Baba, Gigi, Xiao Bao?

Scruffy NOOOOOOOO!

Scrumpy (Scrappy)

Yummy

Yucky

Stinky

Potty

Mama do

UP pup pup pup! (wants to be carried)

Priddy

Whata (water)

Scuse you Xiao Bao

Bless you

Love you (sometimes she mixes these up and says "love you" when someone sneezes)

Shower

Bata (bath)

Rylee

Hanna

Hip Perry (for Hip Hop Harry - her favorite show)

Jingle Bells

Yay!

Baby

Precious

Pleasa (please)

Tank You

Welcome

Washy washy hands

Eyesa

Tummy

Brush teetha

Xiao Bao do it!

Mama be careful Xiao Bao

Mama utt ooh!

hot-a

coldy

Mama good job (when I give her something to eat that she likes)

Mama Xiao Bao good job!

Mamamamamamamamammamamamamamamamamamamamamamaaaaaa! (pretty much all the time)

Xiao Bao good girl

Xiao Bao girl, not boy NOOOOOOOO!

One, two, three, four.. sixa, sweven, eighta!

Oh my gootness (as in "look how much dirt came from the Kitchen floor!)

Baba home!

trow way (throw away)

Hello

Bub buy, Hello, Bub buy (for goodby on the phone)

How You?

Things we have learned about her in the first 8 weeks:

Loves to laugh, dance and scream!

Thinks we should think it is funny when she hits herself - we don't, but she just keeps trying.

Enjoys brushing her teeth

Only drinks water

Does a perfect imitation of a crying baby - WHAAAAAAA WHAAAAAA WHAAAAAAAAAAA!

Mushes her food with her tongue instead of chewing

Has a tremendous set of lungs

Has great rhythm

Does a perfect somersault

Gives great hugs

Stores stuff under her pillow and in the pillow cases

Loves to play in the water (tub)

Likes to take a shower

She is very stubborn!

Likes to pretend she is a puppy

Learns quickly

Has a great sense of humor

Adores her sister

Likes horses

Thinks everything should be tasted, but has learned to ask first.

Likes to climb - especially on Mama or Baba!

Reverts to a penguin walk when she is out of her comfort zone

Has a happy personality

Likes to do art and craft projects

Loves babies

Loves to snuggle

Like to be entertaining

Is loved beyond words!