First month home

As you can see from the photos, Iris has been doing a lot. She's drinking from a sippy cup pretty well (Mmmmm, formula!), more comfortable in her room and climbing on the futon, AND starting to pull herself up to a standing position. It's not long before she could be walking. Then, mom and dad will have to get their running shoes on!

A social worker came to meet us and write the first post-placement report. She asked how Iris has been developing. I don't see a lot of change from day to day, but every day, Iris seems to be taking it all in. She babbles high, often, and sometimes loud. This week, the big development is the desiring to stand up and pulling herself up to a standing position. Though, still on tip-toes, she is gaining strength in those legs of hers.

The social worker also asked about her personality and temperament. "Happy" and "fun" were immediate. There's also curious because she gets focused on what she wants and tries several times to get her way. For example, she wants to crawl/creep to the microwave cart, but I try to block the way. Well, she thinks about going over and around me to get there a few times before I can distract her to something just behind her. Distracting her is what I have to do a lot, but once she starts toddling (walking), what will I do?!

Parenting is a full-time job that must be learned. We're grateful to friends who don't mind us asking questions about napping, feeding and other babycare activities. God has blessed us with this precious child who has bonded well to us. She is a real bundle of joy, even though our dog might disagree. Today, she is the best birthday gift for me. We went out to celebrate the day at our friend's Chinese restaurant. Just look at her tummy!

One month anniversary

We've been home from China more than two weeks and have been Iris's parents for about one month. So, what have we learned? We've learned that the cloth diaper covers masks the smells of poopie diapers better than disposables, Iris can sleep a long time (12 hours!), and that she can learn to like new things if she tries it a few times. For example, she didn't take too much to the jogging stroller, but now she can fall asleep in it when the sun is out. Also, she enjoys her bath time in her rubber duck tub. Yeah! I think no baby really enjoys being in a car seat, but she doesn't fuss until we park the car.

By being a stay-at-home mom for now, I've learned that it's a good day when we can go on one errand outside the house. Visiting neighbors and meandering around in the stroller is good. It's just getting to chores that require driving that is hard to schedule. Nap time is still not regular, but she definitely needs one in the afternoon. Generally, Iris is doing great, especially as mom takes her to visit friends or friends come by. She's pretty calm in groups. She's even let near strangers hold her, depending on her mood at the time. Here are some photos of new friends.