Our Little Parrot

Well, we have been a family of five for three weeks now.  Where has the time gone? 

Mommy discovered a new game that Lauren loves to play.  We'll call it the parrot game.  Mommy and Lauren sit on the floor and lock eyes, then one of us will make a funny sound and the other repeats it.  Sometimes we use stacking cups to make the sound distorted and it's a big hit.  Lauren could play this for hours on end.  It is so cute how much she likes to mimic others.  A few days ago the boys were talking about the grocery store and asked if we'd go down every aisle in the store.  Lauren responded with "every aisle".  She is also saying more English words, such as dada, momma, kitty, up, again, ball, hi, and goodbye.   We think she has also "signed" a few words to us, like putting her hands together to say "more". Amazing how fast this little girl can learn. 

Lauren is also now loving to feed us her food.  We certainly don't mind and it's actually a great attachment sign, but we could do without the chewed up food from her mouth that she insists (with a big smile) that we eat.  So far we have not found a food that this girl doesn't like, although she certainly has her favorites like yogurt, fruits, and vegetables, We have found a sippy cup that she has taken to, allowing us to drop a few of her daytime bottles.  She is now down to only 3 bottles a day and those happen around her sleeping schedule.  Since her homecoming, Lauren has three new teeth and is working on a 4th new one.  Now we just need those one year old molars!  

Speaking of sleep, things are going pretty well.  She is sleeping in her crib with daddy on the futon on the floor.  She is only waking up once or twice a night now and goes back to sleep with some comforting hugs and patting, sometimes even less.  Naps are a bit trickier as she seems to be a short napper (3o to 45 minutes) but she will go back down after some patting and catch another 30 to 45 minutes.  The boys love to play with her in the crib. 

Lauren is now loving to play outside and in the grass.  She is really active and running all over the yard.  She is also a big climber.  We are surprised (and a little worried!) by how quickly she can climb onto a chair or lego table.  We have to keep a close eye on her at all times.  She continues to chase after the cat and loves to pull her tail.  She has also learned that if she steals a toy away from her brothers, she'd better run away quickly!  She always has a big smile on her face and giggles when she takes a toy from them.  We are working with the boys to offer her a trade for the "stolen" item.  It is usually working (so far). 

Kyle has really come into his role as big brother.  He is now much more engaged with Lauren, not really jealous, and loves to entertain his sister.  This week Kyle has also attempted to ride his bicycle with no training wheels.  He doesn't quite have the hang of it but is learning fast.  So proud of him!

Cameron is also amazing us with his reading this summer.  He is currently tackling his first chapter book "Miss Daisy is Crazy" and loves it.  He hauls that book everywhere in case he has a few minutes to read.  Way to go Cam!

Both boys started swimming lessons this week.  They are excelling and loving it.  The hardest part is keeping Lauren away from the water.  Luckily daddy is still home with us and can walk her around the community center.  Next week might be a challenge, as daddy will be back at work.  Thank goodness she likes to ride in the carrier. 

We celebrated Lauren's birthday a tad late with the cupcakes we made and froze for her back in June.  She loved the cake.  She also experienced her first bike ride and quickly fell asleep. 

    
A wonderful thing happened this week, we heard from Lauren MeeHyeon's foster mother, Mrs. Shin.  We'll call her Omma (Korean word for mother) from now on.  When we were in Korea we gave her our contact information.  This week she sent two emails and of course we responded immediately.  What a blessing!  My friend, Grace, translated for us - thank you again Grace!  Words can not describe what a wonderful and loving woman she is.  We feel so lucky to have contact with her and hope that we can maintain this relationship with her.  What a gift this will be for MeeHyeon.  One day we plan to bring MeeHyeon back to Korea and hope that we will be able to visit with her Omma.  Thank you!   

Here are some more random photos of this past week:

Hard to get all the kids looking at the camera and smiling at once.

Dancing Queen!

What a beautiful smile!

This is my dancing stage.  Ready for the next performance?

What a beauty!