Hello!,
Ok, here's why we're calling the new site "3 spicy kids!" : Annalee is from the province of Hunan. We were told that's the spiciest food in China! The Mother's supposedly still eat spicy food while expecting their child so the children all have "spicy" attitudes (meaning strong willed). We decided we already had 2 of those... uh oh! I don't eat spicy food but Brent does so guess it comes naturally... :-)
Walt & Libby are doing very well with Annalee - she even lets them kiss her now! Walt had the very good idea of kissing his hand & then gently placing it on her cheek - she likes having her cheek touched! Libby says that Annalee is her "best little sister". They do try to play with her occasionally.
Annalee still doesn't like naptime but does sleep thru the night - better than the other way around! She does just fine on cow's milk - we're glad we don't have to buy seperate types of calcium products. She continues to use the potty & lets us know when for the most part - just a little accident here & there. She still says potty in Chinese & possibly "look" but lots of babbling, too. She says in English: Mama, Dada, "Bibbby" for Libby, "wal" for Walt, light, bye bye, hi bebe (baby), hop hop for rabbit. She uses hand signs for please, more, light, drink. She makes the American animal sounds for dog, cat, horse , cow. Tonight we were looking at a book of babies showing all different emotions - she mimicked all of them! We're working on her upper body strength - she goes limp when you pick her up under the arms. We've been calling her "wet noodle" - our friends have been calling their 3 yr old (another one from the same orphanage) "gumby"! She is crawling a little bit when playing on the floor & bed so that will help. Also trying to teach her to crawl up the stairs & back down. She likes the sit & spin ok so that may help as well. We have her Dr. appt here next Wednesday - he told me to give her time before bringing her in unless she came home sick. Luckily at the Navy clinics, they don't wear white coats! The docs in China do & wear them into the orphanages when they come to give shots, etc. We have her immunization booklet & Brent was able to get it translated on base. She'll have a blood screen to see what all she really had.
Sorry if these get wordy - I'll print these off for Annalee's diary, too.
Love, all of us!