Baby Steps to Independence

Our brave girl Sydney has been making her shoes squeak! We actually think the squeakiness might be helping her take steps, because she likes to hear them and she has to lift up her feet and put them down to get the squeak. For those of you who don't know, we got Sydney some shoes in China that have squeakers in the heels (removeable if you can't handle hearing the squeak). These shoes were for sale in little shops all around our hotel in Guangzhou, and are very popular with adopting families. We are considering asking some other waiting couples if they'll pick up a few more pairs for Sydney when they go pick up their daughters, because they're actually very well-made shoes.

So she can really move around the ottoman, and then she'll sometimes rotate herself over to the couch, and make her way along the couch and recliner. She has also walked down the hallway while holding the wall. Here she is clinging to the wall. Please excuse the dirt on the wall left by Ellie, who sometimes likes to rub against it. Hey, I never said I kept a clean house!

She can still take steps on her own between us, and the distance is widening! Often we'll catch her just standing there, without holding on to anything (except maybe a sock or the current object of focus) to support herself. She has discovered her third "hand" - her mouth - to carry things. She'll also bail herself out and get down and crawl to where she wants to go, and then eventually sits up and stands on her own. We're glad that she is getting better at falling - catching herself with her hands.

Sydney has also begun to form actual words and sounds when asked. She can repeat Baba (Chinese for dad) and sometimes Mama if the mood strikes, although most of the time when I say "Mama" to her, she responds with "Baba," much to the delight of Brian. She will also tell you what the kitty-cat says, and believe me when I say that it sounds like a real cat!

Here's Sydney walking down the hallway in her flip-flops from Hawaii, courtesy of her "Auntie" Susan from Spokane.

She has tried using a spoon on her own, although we put the food on the spoon for her. She knows where it goes once there's something edible on it. Note the little pinky finger being held in the most dainty of positions.

Last Saturday we visited our friends Chris and Shawna, and Sydney got to meet Shawna's 91-year old grandmother who is temporarily staying with them. Sydney liked Grama Edna's watch on the chain.

Yesterday we did some yardwork, so we put Sydney in her playpen for only the second time. (The first time, she was at our friends' house for Pinochle night and was sleeping in it.) Here she is waving from it on our back deck. (Waving and clapping are easily coaxed from Sydney.) Note the sock in the mouth.

And finally, here is the sleepy Sydney picture of the day:

Good night and sweet dreams in food land!