Approximately Speaking

As I might have mentioned in a previous post, the Early Intervention people have a term for those words a child says which aren't pronounced accurately enough to be understood by a stranger. They call them "word approximations". I'm happy to report we're hearing more word approximations in the last few days, including "help". Also, ball is sounding more like ball and Mia is trying to use her sign language more. Someone told us to write this down so we can measure progress, so here is the current inventory:
Words: Hi, hot, more (said twice a few weeks ago but never since), pop (hasn't said it for a month)
Word approximations: Dog, ball, bye, help, balloon, bottle, bear
Baby signs: Eat, more (which Mia now uses to request things other than food!), all done
Baby sign approximations: Help, ball, bear, book

Mia and the Giant Ball

Sarah took Mia to Target last week and made the mistake of letting her play with one of the big balls. Mia didn’t want to let go, so Sarah bought the ball rather than causing a scene. (Me, I never worry about causing a scene. If Mia cries loud enough, maybe some of those people who talk on their cellphones as they walk haphazardly down the aisles will decide to take it outside.) Now, if we could only get her to say the word “ball” with the L sound. In an unrelated incident, Mia was seen wearing her new sunglasses.

Week End Update

Mia hasn't been feeling well. She came down with a cold early in the week, and it got worse on Thursday, with a slight fever, non stop runny nose, coughing and loss of appetite. She doesn't even want to drink milk. The loss of appetite really got our attention, since Mia is such a good eater. (Case in point: On Tuesday we'd given her some chilled cucumber dill soup, and she loved it so much she had a tantrum when it was all gone.)
Sarah advised that we might be able to entice Mia with novel new foods, especially fruits, so we have been giving her watermelon and (quartered) red grapes. To get her to drink water, we've been spiking it with apple juice. She ate better last night and this morning. We've concluded that we need to suspend church attendance for a while, as she seems to catch something in the church nursery every single week. There were a lot of kids there on Easter Sunday and it is a very small room. I'm sure the germs were there in big numbers. I'm really hoping this "cold" isn't actually the allergies that plague so many people here. Spring has sprung here, and there is pollen everywhere.
On the bright side, we were able to start Mia's speech therapy. The therapist came to the house on Friday and did a thorough evaluation to get a baseline. The actual therapy will start next week. We can tell Mia really wants to communicate better, so we're glad this is getting going. As it turns out, Mia's speech therapist also teaches one of the rooms in Mia's preschool, so she'll be able to consult with Mia's teachers about her progress.
A big bright spot in my week is that Mia wanted to cuddle up a lot more. She loves to sit on my lap and read. She also offers me kisses on occasion, but I have to watch out because sometimes the kiss turns into an attempted bite. She still thinks it is hysterical to hear me say, "Ouch!" I can't wait until she can talk, so we can have a little chat about that. Frankly I'm surprised (but glad) that she hasn't come home from preschool with warning notes about biting.
Mia had her first school pictures on Monday. I was apprehensive about how she'd behave, but then on the other hand if they want to try to get pictures of 16-month-old kids they've got to expect some drama. The teachers reported she sat still for her photo and didn't cry.

Hot Off The Presses

Mia said "hot"! As I added warm water to her bath, I held her hand away from the faucet, saying, "No, honey, that's hot." She very tentatively enunciated the word "hot", then looked up at me as if to see whether I'd noticed. After getting a big "attagirl" from Mom, she said it over and over again. Gradually it began to sound more like "hot ta". I suspect that's because we've been emphasizing the ending sounds for "ball" and "dog" in the hopes that she'll follow suit.
I asked Sarah if she'd been teaching Mia to say hot, and she admitted that Mia had parrotted her when she'd explained lunch service would be delayed a moment while the too-hot food cooled off a bit. That's another thing to like about Sarah -- she lets us experience these firsts for ourselves.
Over the past week, Mia has also said hi and bye a couple of times. We can tell she wants to talk a lot more, so we're happy that the state has finally matched us with a speech therapist. We're hoping to start next week if they can cut through the next layer of red tape by then.

Mia’s Got a _________ on Her Head

(No, this is not another head wound story.) Recently we’ve been enjoying a children’s music video by The Laurie Berkner Band. The songs are so darn catchy, both Jeff and I find ourselves humming the tunes even when we’re not with Mia. Mia loves the songs too. In one of them, Laurie sings, “Laurie’s got a pig on her head, Laurie’s got a pig on her head. Laurie’s got a pig on her head, and she keeps it there all day.” The song continues with different people and different animals.
I can’t be sure, but I suspect this is why Mia has gotten into the habit of putting things on her head. Bibs, shoes, bowls, toys, you name it. She puts it on her head and grins. I reward her by singing, “Mia’s got a [blank] on her head, Mia’s got a [blank] on her head, Mia’s got a [blank] on her head and she keeps it there all day,” which she seems to enjoy. Last week, she and Sarah were playing “a sensory activity” involving cotton balls and a dishpan when Mia decided to put the dishpan on her head. Sarah captured the moment for us.
Now with all that, wouldn't you think Mia would be willing to wear a sunhat outdoors?

I Feel Pretty, Oh So Pretty

Mia will be baptized on May 18. Her mother had been wondering about what Mia should wear. They don't make christening gowns in 18 month size, and the white dresses in the department stores are quite frilly with price tags of $40 and up. Then I went shopping for spring PJ's in the nearby Carter's store. As I walked through the door, I saw it. The perfect combination of demure white dress with flattering lavender embroidered trim, a matching lavender sweater (not pictured), and a great price tag. I bought the dress in two sizes and took them home for Mia to try on. Mia often resists being dressed, so I was surprised that she not only cooperated, her personality was instantly transformed to a girlie girl.

Easter Egg Hunt - Act I

Today we went to an Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by our homeowners' association. I particularly enjoyed this event because for the first two years we lived here, I would see the announcement and think, "Next year, we'll get to take our baby." It was a beautiful sunny day. The hunt was held on the grounds of a private school nearby. Our HOA's social director had very nicely separated the children into two groups. School-age children had to hunt through shrubs and fences and such, while the preschoolers merely had to run to the far end of the soccer field where the eggs were lying there in plain view. It took us a little while to get Mia interested in the eggs, because she had just learned how to drink bottled water straight from the bottle. She was quite thrilled about that. I'm calling this Act I because there is an Easter Egg Hunt at our church next Saturday. Stay tuned.
Here is the other interesting news from this weekend. Mia was really clingy and showed an appropriate level of "stranger fear." This is new and quite welcomed by her parents. When I attempted to drop her off at the church nursery today, she cried a lot. It didn't help that there were lots more kids there than usual (it being Palm Sunday), and at any given moment at least two of them were crying hard. Mia shows a lot of empathy, so that tends to make her cry. I had to sit down and rock her for 15-20 minutes before she showed any interest in playing. She so seldom lets me hold her for any length of time, I didn't even think of rushing her.

Must-See TV

We've known for a long time that Mia enjoys a little TV. In fact, the first report we received from China indicated that at 6 months old, Mia "Likes to watch television. She will be especially excited when seeing animals on TV." At the time I pictured nature shows, but now I think said animals could just as well have been a Barney or a knock-off. We weren't too happy that they'd been letting our 6-month-old watch TV, but oh well, pretty soon we'd be in charge and then things would be different. I have to admit that while in China we let her watch a few minutes of their version of MTV a couple of times when she was being particularly fussy. They kept playing the same video of a young male hearthrob singing a song about Xing Xing, which coincidentally was Mia's Chinese nickname. It definitely soothed her, so much so that we realized TV-watching would be detrimental to her development.
In the past few months, we've let Mia watch videos now and again. (Most TV shows don't hold her attention, not even Barney or Sesame Street.) It started with the educational "Baby Babble" video, which features speech therapy play. Then there were a few Baby Einsteins. Unfortunately, we left her favorite and most educational Einstein ("First Words Around the House") in her grandmother's DVD player back in Minnesota at Christmas-time. Recently, I picked up a Laurie Berkner Band CD at Target, then when I got home I found out it was actually a DVD. Jeff and I have watched it with Mia several times. We dance and sing, trying to get her to dance with us, but she stares at the TV, eyes transfixed.

Over the weekend, there were several times when Mia plopped herself down in her blue TV chair and waited for us to turn on the TV. We always keep the remote controls out of reach, but she taught herself to turn it on using the on/off button. (Quite clever, don't you think? I don't even think of using the switch.) So, now you understand why I had to close the doors on the TV armoire. Mia's reaction was captured on film for all to enjoy.

15-Month Checkup

Mia is at the 95th to 97th percentile for height (if their measurements of a wriggly girl who doesn't like to be pinned down can be trusted!), and 75th to 90th percentile for weight. She has gained a bit over 1 lb. per month since September, which is a healthy amount of weight gain. She is now 26.4 lbs. Good thing she usually prefers walking over being carried! Actually, it has been feeling a bit easier to carry her these days. She has finally started hanging on, with one arm wrapped around mine. I praise her for this, telling her how nice it feels. I could thank her for saving my back as well, but I refrain from saying anything to her that suggests I am too old for this job. She'll figure it out soon enough. My next goal is to get her to wrap her legs around my waist. I keep trying to show her how it is done, but she persists in letting her legs dangle. I'm sure she'll catch on one day, and then with her strength it will be like carrying a boa constrictor around. (Hmmm, maybe I should start thinking up a clever title for that particular blog post.)

Back to the checkup. Everything is AOK. The Amoxicillin fixed the ear infection, the saline nasal spray helped the snottiness, the eardrops cleared out the hard wax. We're supposed to keep putting a drop of mineral oil in each ear 4-5 times per week. (Are they kidding? Okay, okay, let me give her a few days off, then we'll start up again.) I felt like a very effective mother until the doctor criticized us for still giving her milk in a baby bottle. (Some adoption experts suggest this until the age of 2, but Dr. G was adamant.) I said OK, I'd switch from the bottle to the sippy cup, but the Dr. didn't like that too much either. She said sippy cups are bad for their bite, and Mia needs to start learning how to drink from a regular cup. I refrained from saying, "She needs to learn not to throw the cup before she can learn to drink from it." (I try not to be a smart-aleck when it comes to my child.) I did give her some water today in a sippy cup sans lid. As predicted, she drank a little water, but really enjoyed first playing in the water with her fingers, then dumping it out on the floor. (Just missed poor Sam.)

Another First Day of Preschool

On Monday, Mia started at a new preschool, the same preschool she'll be attending next fall. They had an unexpected opening, so we decided to take advantage of it. Sarah and I took her on the first day. While I filled out paperwork, Sarah took Mia to her new classroom and then hung out for a while. By the time I'd completed the paperwork 15 minutes later, Mia, Sarah, and the rest of the class had already gone down the hall for music time. What does music class look like for 1-year-olds? Basically the music teacher plays music (recorded, on the day we were there) and all the teachers sing and act silly and encourage the kids to get moving. Stomping, clapping, nodding, swaying - anything goes.
This school is a bit more diverse than our church's preschool, which we think is important for our little girl. Oh, and did I mention one of her two teachers is of Chinese descent? That was a nice bonus.
Now that Mia is in preschool on Mondays and Wednesdays (vs. the previous Tues/Thurs), she will be able to go to Families with Children from China playdates on Thursdays when she wants to.

Mia is definitely trying to talk more, but we're not hearing too many words yet. She said "more" twice the week before last, but we haven't heard it since. She did run up to me and say "hi" today. She is definitely getting more cuddly, which we love.
Jeff and I have resumed regular church attendance. Mia goes to the nursery, where she clearly has a favorite toy. It is this blue plastic tugboat that looks a lot like Little Toot. Mia likes turning the steering wheel and shifting the gearshift lever. She is so intense I wonder if we should add boat captain to the ever-lengthening list of careers she is showing an aptitude for.

Puzzling

While her mother tried to photograph the bluebird, Mia continued to play with her wooden puzzles. She is definitely improving, though she gets easily frustrated and frequently tries to force-fit the snail in the spot for the duck. This is accompanied by an inordinate amount of grunting, as if each piece weighs 10 pounds. We're not sure where she learned to grunt like that. Certainly she has never watched her mother lift weights.

A Sure Sign of Spring

Mia and I were playing in the room formerly known as our sunroom (now the toyroom) when I heard something banging against the window. It was a bluebird. Mia was mildly interested in the bird and kept playing with her wooden puzzles while I made a fool of myself trying to get her interested in nature. (Nothing unusual there. I've surrendered to the fact that making a fool of yourself is what it's all about when you have a toddler.) I am pretty sure I've never been that close to a bluebird before. It hung around for about a half hour, alternating between perching on the windowsill and banging on the window trying to get in. I wish I could have gotten a better shot, but after all there was a windowpane between us. Given how aggressive the little bugger was, that is a good thing.

Yes, it is spring here today. About 70 degrees and sunny. We've had a good amount of rain (finally) in the last 2 weeks, so the grass is green and the daffodils are blooming. The azaleas can't be far behind.