cherry blossom baby

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12 Join the joyous journey to my baby in China!

Friday, December 15, 2006

Naughty and Nice

Well, Miss Abbey has completely transformed herself into a full-fledged toddler this week. The good news is that she is smart enough to get into everything, that of course is also the bad news. This also goes for walking and climbing, which is such a big help to mama, but also quite a challenge. Forget my books about Super Baby Foods, Gymboree Games, etc. I am now going to delve into Raising Your Strong-Willed Child and the like. Yesterday while getting home just in time for lunch, bottle, and nap schedule, I had a major snafu while trying to hold the baby, diaper bag, purse, and grab several grocery bags from the trunk. Abbey wiggled and my keys (in slow motion) flew from my hands, soared through the air, and went down through the grate into the parking lot sewer. She had a sopping wet diaper on, and was ready for food and bed, and I had a trunk full of frozen foods, and we were locked out of the car and our house. After looking around and seeing no one out and about mid-day I went to the nearest neighbor who had just moved in and I hadn't met yet. She let us come in, put food in her freezer, do a diaper change on her living room floor and helped us find a phone number for our home owners association. She was working from her home office which I found was stacked with huge Chinese dictionaries. It turns out she is a professional translator with a Master's in Mandarin (this is so how my life goes - disasters that morph into something great like meeting her). Anyway, another unknown neighbor drove by and saw my distress and was able to pull off the grate off and CLIMB INTO THE SEWER and get my keys out. I was so relieved because I had been trying to calculate the cost of the fancy car key and the locksmith coming out to get me into the house. Somehow we managed a nap and dinner but as I was doing the dishes I noticed that the little feet behind me were very still and someone was very quiet. I turned around to see Zhuozhuo with her little mouth open in awe and out entire kitchen floor covered in blue cookie sprinkles. I really get into baking and decorating cookies and have a drawer with special decors. Of course it has a baby latch but she had stuck her hand through pulled it out, unscrewed the lid, and dumped everything in about 20 seconds flat. They weren't rectangular shaped sugar crystals that just lay there, they were very tiny blue beads that bounce and roll, about a million of them. The vacuum cleaner just made them fly around so I had to crawl on the floor with attachments with ZZ screaming because she is afraid of the noise. It took a loooong time to clean up. Did I mention that she locked us both in the bathroom the other day right as we were leaving to meet someone and I couldn't get the door knob unjambed for several minutes? Or the night that we both went to bed crying because she kept pulling my hair and then I finally pulled hers to show her what it felt like? Or that she she bit me twice (playfully, but not fun on the receiving end)? Our baby phase was very short but I am thrilled that she is developing like any child her age, maybe even a little ahead of schedule....it's the terrible two's, right? No one said anything about 19 months.
She had her first dentist appointment this week and they thought her teeth looked great. We are really making progress with the toothbrushing thanks to all of your tips and suggestions.
Today we went to Early Intervention and she can qualify just because of the deprived environment that she came from and to make sure that we work on any sensory integration concerns I have, which are basically all due to lack of exposure to different temperatures, substances (grass, sand, etc.) They said that congnitively she is doing great and is really bright. She loved sitting in the little chair and having them give her tasks to do. She will also be assessed for speech. Most babies her age know 20-30 words and she just knows 4 - hi, mama, ba-ba (our word for bottle), and her favorite "uh-oh" which she uses 100 times a day. I think this is impressive due to her newness to hearing English. She is moving at a more rapid clip than I am with Mandarin for sure. Her receptive language is great. When I tell her to do little tasks she is so proud to go do them or get ready for whatever I am talking about. The other day a friend loaned us a whole set of Signing Time videos which we are thrilled with. While we were at her house we ate grapes (yes, I cut them lengthwise) and our friend showed us the sign for grapes. So, at 4:15 a.m. guess who woke up and started signing grapes to me and laughing in the middle of the night? She so wants to communicate and accomplish things. When we are at the park and the big kids (that she is totally enamored with) are running around yelling, she laughs and gestures and acts like she is a part of all the action, even though they don't even notice her. We also went to visit her childcare this week and it was so wonderful. I love this lady and I can feel the Lord in her home. There are more fun toys and things than you can ever imagine and ZZ latched on to a stethescope right away which she recognized from our doctors visits. We pretended to use it on each other and she wore it the rest of the morning. Let me tell you I had to pry her away from it when we left, but I was thrilled that she will be so motivated to come back. Her eyes were as big as saucers watching the interactions of the other 4 children who range from 1-4 yrs. She has been invited to her first birthday party for a 4 yr. old friend who goes to her daycare and our church. I am so excited for her but it means I will be doing something I was planning on never doing...going to Chuck E. Cheese. Yes, I am the mom of a toddler, full-tilt. We are watching The Wiggles, signing "more" and "food", and singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider throughout the day and night. Oh, and calling my sister in tears with mommy guilt and self-doubt about all the discipline I am having to impose now. Yes, I am the mommy and I have to do it. My sister was soooooo encouraging about how safe the boundaries make it for the child and solidify our relationship as Mother/Daughter. I know all this as a teacher, but somehow I thought after all Abbey has been through we wouldn't need to do all this so soon, but here we go! Oh, and how did I have time to write all this? I told my mom I was having a meltdown and to come help me again so she is down playing with Abbey and a friend from church is on her way over bringing me a turkey dinner. Yea!

23 Comments:

  • At 7:06 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Christi, as you know I can relate to all of this so much. It sounds like Abbey is doing great! And it also sounds like you have fully adapted to motherhood: Wiggles, cutting grapes, getting locked out, mommy guilt and tears and even Chuck-E-Cheese!!!! I really enjoyed reading this post!

     
  • At 7:18 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Oh yeah, you get several mommy badges for this. Some of that is ZZ is exploring her space and pushing boundaries to see where can I get away with and when will mommy stop me. YOU GO MOMMY GIRL!!

    Beverly & Glenys

     
  • At 7:22 PM, Blogger Abby's Mom said…

    You are doing a Great job with Abbey. Thanks for sharing, I am learning so much from your experiences.

     
  • At 7:30 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    toddlers are awesome!!! Terrible twos you say? 3's are MUCH worse!!!! yikes :) have fun it is such a great experience, raising kids.

     
  • At 7:31 PM, Blogger Joannah said…

    Wow! There is so much going on with you and Abbey! It is amazing how something that could have been a complete disaster turned into a wonderful introduction to a new neighbor.

     
  • At 8:35 PM, Blogger Unknown said…

    Ah. The twos. Peter didn't have the terrible twos until he was three. Caroline, on the other hand, started the terrible twos at 18 months. She's now 2 3/4 and I'm waiting for those terrible twos to end. On to three.....

    Here's a way to survive Chuck E. Cheeses. Avoid it on the weekends if at all possible. Evenings are ok, but weekdays are the best (you may have to take a day off for that or wait until summer)

    Teresa

     
  • At 9:05 PM, Blogger A said…

    Christi--it sounds like you definately have your hands full!! It is exciting to hear how well Abbey is progressing and adjusting.

     
  • At 9:11 PM, Blogger C's Mom said…

    Christi - I am so glad you put all this in words. It's gotta help put it in perspective for you and it surely does for us too.

    You've become mama to a little girl (and a curious one at that) VERY quickly.

    Very interesting how that neighbor was brought into your life!

    Enjoy...and keep us posted :0)

     
  • At 4:34 AM, Blogger Mardi said…

    As a waiting mommy I love to read your posts. I am learning from you and when these things happen to me someday, I wont' feel alone. :)

    I'm glad you are taking some "me" time. It's good to have family and friends!

     
  • At 5:46 AM, Blogger Donna said…

    Wow, what a day! But everything worked out, so that's great...

    You know, a friend of mine who adopted a baby from China the same time I did told me early on "I just don't think it's possible to spoil these girls after what they've been through." So she really has refrained from any sort of consistent discipline. Well, guess what? It IS possible to spoil these girls...now at age 4, she has a really bratty kid and doesn't know what to do.

    So keep on laying down those boundries for little Abbey now...you'll be happy you did down the line when everyone tells you what a well-behaved child you have!

     
  • At 7:25 AM, Blogger kellyk said…

    The meeting of your neighbor gave me chills! This is how God works in my life too!

     
  • At 2:18 PM, Blogger ~ Alison said…

    Isn't it great how quickly they learn?! I'm right there with you & your regarding the boundaries. The discipline began RIGHT AWAY with Mali. It was so hard. These little kiddos come to us without any idea of how to function or relate or behave (in most cases). They do have to learn it all. In Mali's case, I had to totally 're-wire' her. As hard as it was, we got through it - and are reaping the benefits of the structure & boundaries I provide (and continue to provide) for her. They're strict, but she's 2 now and I can (honestly) say . . . she's a great kid! It just takes time. Being single, it's almost necessary. I have limited help & I wouldn't be able to take her *anywhere* if she were a brat! It's wonderful when strangers comment on how well she listens & follow directions =)

     
  • At 2:19 PM, Blogger ~ Alison said…

    Ooopps, typo. I meant "I'm right there with you & your SISTER regarding the boundaries"

     
  • At 3:28 PM, Blogger Calico Sky said…

    What a tough day! But what a wonderful mama you are. You can tell there is such love between you and your daughter just reading your blog. I'm so glad I found it. I am just starting my adoption journey, and am so excited. Have a great weekend!!

     
  • At 5:09 PM, Blogger Tamara said…

    Thanks for such an honost and humorus post. Miya can be the same way, I think testing the boundries. As a newly adoptive parent we want so badly just to bond with our child, dicipline is really tough. When I tell Miya "no, no" that little lip sticks out and her eyes well with tears- yea, I know, mean Mommy. She's also hit me a few times hard on the face and I've put her away from me while she screams like her heart is broken, again, guilt! Dicipline is tough!

     
  • At 6:32 PM, Blogger t~ said…

    I always say the terrible two's mean the year leading up to age 2 and the year after they turn 2. Thank goodness there are so many rewards during this difficult time that make it all worth it.

    Keep up the signing, it really helps!

     
  • At 9:02 PM, Blogger M3 said…

    Wow wheezers! (Does anyone say that anymore?) Sounds like you have your hands full and more. :-) I am so in for it with two toddlers about to start running... Heh heh.

    Loved reading about your adventures, and you always handle everything with grace and humor. I'm taking notes... :-)

     
  • At 10:11 PM, Blogger Lisa said…

    Christi, I lost it at the blue sprinkles... laughing out loud. Yikes!! Loved catching up on your latest posts!!

     
  • At 6:16 AM, Blogger Glinda said…

    What a serendipitous (if that's a word) moment when you met your neighbor, I so love those moments.

    Reading your post really opened my eyes and made me realize I have so much to learn in terms of parenting; off to the library for me.

    Thank you.

     
  • At 9:48 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Christi
    I have been an occasional lurker but not a poster till today when I thought I would catch up with you and was sooo pleased to see that your little doll is doing so many age appropriate (and beyond!) things--and the picture of her in the second post is too precious. You are doing a great job of traveling these unknown waters and EVERY mom has an occasional meltdown--not to worry. My graddaughter is just a little older than Abbey--25 months now--and I noticed when my daughter got home from China that Sarah literally played catch up developmentally until by the time she had been back here for about 6 months she was totally age appropriate and beyond--so you're right on schedule or even a tad ahead.
    Blessings
    Pat
    AKA Sarah's LaoLao

     
  • At 5:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Oh, well Christi no one said it was going to be easy. But all of that in ONE day--I am cringing. But as you well know everything works together for the good of those who love the Lord! Is this not an awesome picture of how good He is--a new neighbor who is a Mandarin translator! Then another neighbor willing to pry the grate off & go down into the sewer to retrieve your keys! You are certainly living in the right place! Well, it all worked out after some sweating--thank you Lord! Like another poster it was hard to keep a straight face (but I did have to laugh out loud!) about the blue sprinkles all over the floor. I agree with a couple of other posters about the discipline--you know it from being a teacher but applying to your own child does not feel so good! After dealing with lots of toddler in the last 5 years & see those who are raised with discipline you can quickly tell the difference. The "no-no" & consequence to bad behavior is well worth the trouble. You will have a child that you can take anywhere & not be afraid of what they will do or say! As one poster said about a friend who did not want to discipline & now is reaping the "reward" of being nice. I am sure that if she could do it again you would do it differently. Keep the faith, girl! When I babysit her I will follow in your footsteps, so..make it easy for me, please!!
    I am sure once it was all over you had a good laugh! I hope you enjoyed the meal; FYI--I brought you the wrong pan of goodies! Sorry!

     
  • At 4:38 AM, Blogger Julie said…

    When I say I know JUST how you feel you know I'm telling the truth (mother of a 26 month old home 3 months). Our little China toddlers are behind for about 24 hours and then off they go catching up with everyone around them and marching with authority into the "terrible twos"!!! Isn't it GRAND, well most of the time anyway:)

    Another book I'm going to read is "how to make your children mind without losing yours" I hear it's terrific and I'll let you know.

     
  • At 8:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    See what a good mom you are! Recognizing when you need some time and asking for it! It is so exciting for me to read about how well ZhuoZhuo is doing... she sounds like a little spitfire, and who would have known, way back when you got her reference photo and were unsure about her medical results. What a sweetie you have. You just sound like such a great normal family... what I dream of sounding like myself one day! Congratulations, toddlermommy!! ps, the pics of her in her cute mint green outfit are wonderful... she does have that "you just wait til you find what I've done with my shoes!!" look! :D

     

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