A Look Back at 2008

"Little One" in 2008......

Play Time and Christmas

This month was filled with numerous activities for Little One. We had several playdates and also got in a visit to the aquarium. Little One experienced a lot of firsts this month. She showed some physical development (i.e. climbing, dancing, attempts at hopping) and also improved on her verbal skills. We noticed that she's trying harder to copy what we say and trying to sing words more clearly in songs.

1. She is wearing a Star Wars Darth Vader helmet. Mommy was amazed that she was willing to wear the helmet -- she does not usually like wearing hats.

2. When we went grocery shopping one day, the clerk gave us a free Feliz Navidad balloon. Little One kept saying "maoon" (aka: balloon). At first, Mommy & Daddy thought she was saying "mine" but we finally figured out she meant "balloon."

However, "Little One" actually has learned to say "mine" and "me." She says it sometimes when we try to take something out of her hands.

3. Little One is coloring/drawing with crayons here. She has shown improvement over the weeks. We could not see the color on the paper at first, but now, she is able to put enough strength for color to come out onto the paper.

P.S. Daddy helped color in most of this picture -- Little One just scribbles mostly.

4. This is Little One playing with Daddy's guitar. In the past, Little One would run in the opposite direction whenever she saw the guitar. Now, she says "tar" (aka: Guitar) over and over like it's her long lost love whenever she sees the guitar in the corner of the room.

5. Her baby doll has advanced to drinking from a cup here. Look at Little One feed her baby.

6. We visited a friend's house for a playdate.......
(A) Teeter-Tottering around on the swing set in the backyard.

(B) Who's coming out of this wagon first?

7. Little One's first experience playing with play-doh.....

8. Little One likes to play with cars and pretend that she's the driver....
(A) Little One is pushing a car that she got for Christmas around on the floor.

(B) When we visited another friend's house, she had a chance to sit behind the wheel of this driving console.

Our friend's husband made this console for their sons to use when playing car racing video games. The seat is actually a car seat from his Pontiac Fiero.

(C) On Christmas morning, "Little One" noticed that Santa had left this car for her. It was the first thing she saw after coming downstairs. Little One likes to get in and out, press on the horn for songs, and push the car around the room.

9. "Little One" opening Christmas presents with some help from Daddy.....

10. Little One loves to look at fish. She is looking at clown fish in this photo. Each time we take her to the aquarium, she seems to have more interest in the different exhibits. Since she is walking/running independently, we've had to clip this Monkey backpack/leash to her so that she doesn't run off too far.

11. During our most recent roadtrip, we made a stop to visit her orphanage sister. They have grown so much over the last year.

12. "Little One/Happy Girl" after having gone for a "cruise" in her car.

Black Eyed Girl

As each month passes, Little One is becoming more physically active. However, she does not always know what's safe or unsafe. Well...this month she ended up with a black eye when she smacked into a bed post. In many of the photos this month, she has a bruise underneath her left eye. It took awhile to heal, but she finally recovered around Thanksgiving.

(1) In this picture, Little One is running towards the camera.
(2) This is a funny photo of Little One making a face. In this photo, she looks scared of her Curious George stuff animal. However, she really enjoys playing with her dolls/puppets/stuffed animals and gives them cuddles, hugs, and kisses.
(3) Here, Little One is studying up on her A,B,Cs..... (4)Litte One looks like she's catching up on the lastest news....

(5) Little One likes to build towers with her blocks. She says "wow" each time she sets a block down on top of another.

(6) More photos of Little One playing with her animal friends....

(7) Here's a photo of her with two ponytails. Mommy was just trying to see what she would look like with this hair style.

Little One has been adding new words to her vocabulary. She's trying to pronounce her words more clearly, but Mommy & Daddy do not understand what she says sometimes. She is even trying to sing parts of songs (e.g.. "ABC" song, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", "Wheels on the Bus"). She is also picking up on new signs from Baby Signing Time vol 3 & 4.

The Animator

As she grows, "Little One" is becoming more animated and physically active.

(1) She enjoys playing with this Cabbage Patch Baby Doll, Sasha. Here she is carrying Sasha and letting her fall from the stool to the floor. I'm sure Sasha would have head injuries and bone fractures if she wasn't just a doll. Poor Sasha!
(2) "Little One" likes to crawl underneath the breakfast table to play. Here, she's playing with Baby Pluto. She's likes to say "woof woof woof woof" while she plays with Pluto.
(3) Daddy was reading this Sesame Street book to her, and she's trying to copy what's illustrated in the book.
(4) Mommy gave her the actual telephone to play with this time. Somehow, "Little One," seems to have gotten the impression that you can multi-task while talking on the phone. She says "Hewwow" into the phone and acts like she's listening and carrying on with a conversation.

(5) "Little One" is stacking her blocks up into towers these days. However, in this photo, the tower broke apart in mid-air. It's just a neat photo.

(6) After playing with her blocks, she plays with the box that is meant to hold the blocks. She decided to use it like a helmet. Look at her smiling as she walks around the room with it.

(7) "Little One" is scribbling now a days. I guess it's a start towards actually drawing or writing.
(8) It was "Little One's" first Halloween. Mommy took her trick or treating around the neighborhood for candies. She was only trick or treating for the spirit of the holiday. Daddy enjoyed eating all the candy she had received. Yum..yum... (9) Before the night's end, she had a chance to play with several packages of candy while waiting for other trick or treaters to come by the house.

Non-Stop Action, Action, Action

This month's photos show a very active little girl. She is becoming more independent and physically stronger.

1. "Little One" is playing her xylophone. "Hubbie" says she prefers to play with the underside of the xylophone.
2. Everytime "Hubbie" folds up this quilt, she drags it back out. She's strong enough to drag this quilt around these days.

3. She likes to push and pull this corn popper toy around. We're hoping that it will be good training for later on with the vacuum and lawnmower. heheheh.....
4. Here is a photo of "Little One" standing up. It is more difficult to take good photos of her, because she either trys to grab the camera or she's running around too fast for us to take a picture.
5. Mommy placed her into the playpen for individual play time. Perhaps "Little One" is reading to Minnie Mouse and Elephant.

6. "Little One" had her first excursion to the beach when we took a mini-vacation to San Diego, CA. She really enjoyed the water. She did not know what to make of the waves at first but soon began to step deeper into the water. By the time we left, her shorts and diaper were wet from the incoming waves.7. "Little One" likes to say "hat." She likes walking around with the hat covering her eyes. I don't know why, but she seems to enjoy this activity. 8. She is getting better at feeding herself. "Little One" prefers to use her hands and fingers, but will also try to use utensils (spoon/fork). Mommy still has to help her out once in awhile. As far as cognitive development, "Little One" is beginning to follow some directions.

*When Mommy says "Come here," she will usually follow these directions. According to the Day Care Worker, "Little One" plays very well with the other little girl whose only 1 month older than her. They play dolls and follow the leader.

*Mommy discovered recently (in the last 2 weeks) that "Little One" knows how to say "Give" (in Cantonese), and she will actually hand something over. We laugh when she says "Ernae" for Ernie from Sesame Street. "Little One" says "Elmo" really clearly now.

* "Little One" likes to pick up a phone and say "Hewwo". It really looks like she's having a conversation with someone.

*She is now starting to stack her blocks instead of just knocking them down.

*When it is time to get her dressed, "Little One" helps by pulling her shirt over her head, sticking her arm through the sleeve, or stepping out of her pants.

* "Little One" has been on this mission to learn to walk backwards. She'll look back every couple of steps and approximate how far she is from an obstacle.

* She's becoming a "sneak" because she'll quietly go to the "no no places" when Mommy and Daddy are not looking. When she's discovered, she smiles innocently and walks away.

"Little One" is on her way to becoming a "Miss Independent."

This month's photos....

1. "Little One" is lounging on her chair while watching "Baby Signing Time." "Little One" gets 20 minutes/day of "Baby Signing Time" during the weekend. There's no tv time for the weekday because we're doing other activities with her then. She knows almost all of the signs covered in both volumes now. She isn't just learning American Sign Language from "Baby Signing Time," she's picking up words in English and Chinese (Cantonese). She's becoming a tri-lingual "little girl."

2. She insists on trying to brush her own teeth. It's not very thorough but it's a start. Mommy & Daddy will help her afterwards.
3. Look at her...All smiles after her meal. She's ready to get up and go play.
4. She really is on a mission to conquer walking. "Little One" knows that she'll get to walk when we put on her socks and bring out the shoes. In fact, she sticks her foot up for the socks.
5. She's walking towards me and doing the "Aaah--oooh" sound of dogs howling in the moonlight.
6. "Little One" is dancing with her Daddy here. She enjoys listening to music with a beat.
It's so funny because she not only will bop up and down but, also, twirl around. When she's dancing on her own, she swings her body side to side.

7. This is her first puzzle and she is slowly getting the idea of putting the pieces in the right spot. Mommy & Daddy are saying the shape and color of the pieces. She is really picking up on naming the colors. She knows how to say purple, blue, yellow, red, and orange. She has not picked up saying green yet. She repeats "oval" when we say "oval."

It's a bit amazing to see that she's associating the colors to other objects around us. The other day, she pointed to my denim shorts and said "blue."

8. "Little One" seems to have picked up playing with dolls and stuff animals a bit more over the last couple of months. She hugs and kisses them. "Little One" had spent 10-15 minutes in the play pen playing with her dolls on her own. Aaah...A little rest time for Mommy & Daddy.

According to the day care person, she and another little girl (same age) play dolls together. The girls pick up the dolls and gives them hugs & kisses. Then, they trade dolls and do the same things over again.

9. We had a number of special visitors this month to come play with "Little One." This is a photo of "Little One" with her orphanage "sister." They're only 2 weeks apart in age and were adopted at the same time. Aren't they adorable? Their feet were touching in this photo.

We really enjoyed their visit. We'll have to visit them the next time so that the girls will know each other as they grow up.

10. "Little One" looks less like a "baby" and more like a little girl in this photo.
In September, "Little One" will be 1 1/2 years-old (aka: 18 months). It makes me anticipate and wonder what she'll be by age 2.