Adopting a Baby from China.

Other Information About Lin's Adoption

Second Report
The Dept of Community Services require 5 reports, during the year, the first three being every two months. This is some excerpts from the second report.
Comment on child's physical development to date: Height as measured at Westmead as 77.5cm laid out rather than standing which is the way we do it, a gain of 4.5cm since we got her. Weight as measured at Westmead as 8.65 kilos a gain of one kilo since we got her. The Westmead Overseas Adoption Clinic calculate that she has moved from the second curve on the Chinese growth charts to the third curve which is great news, especially now she is rid of the worms. Teeth 15 teeth, one new tooth has come through although the equivalent tooth on the other side has not come through and there is no room for it. It is not troubling her but Westmead recommended a visit to a Dentist for some advice. Developmental milestones Can now walk up and down all the stairs in our house with her hand held whereas before she was crawling/climbing the stairs. Loves standing on the trampoline at the YMCA and has great balance but does not yet jump. She can now hold a pen or crayon correctly and scribble in circles and make dots and straight lines. Comment on the child's social and emotional development eg how does the child relate to parents, sibling, other adults? No change since last report. Because she likes social interaction with other children and stimulation, I now have educational and physical activities organized for her every morning six days a week: Monday is Gymbaroo, Tuesday is Playgroup, Wednesday is YMCA, Thursday is another Playgroup, Friday is Music, Saturday is Swimming lessons with Baba. Lunchtime she comes home for a sleep! Then two afternoons a week, Catherine, an Early Childhood student from the University of Western Sydney comes to the house to play with her whilst I work on my computer in the room next door, writing reports, building her website, answering emails and making phone calls that I can't get done when Lin is awake and active. What types of food does the child eat? No change since last report. She is starting to drink more water now if I give it to her in a cup. She likes drinks with straws but we still have to be careful that she doesn't spill drinks presented this way. When she eats with us at the table she likes to steal the adult cutlery and eat with it, rejecting the baby cutlery. She thinks she is grown up now. She feeds herself quite well. She loves yoghurt and can feed herself yoghurt without too much mess. We've recently introduced fish fingers as these are easy for her to eat herself. She still does not sit still for very long and most food is eaten whilst she is moving around doing other things. She is a very slow eater. What is the child's sleeping pattern? No change since last report: one daytime sleep and 10-12 hours sleep per night. Some nightmares/night terrors during which she cannot be consoled but they don't last long and she settles back to sleep quickly. Comment on the child,s language development. She can now say eye; ear; hair; star; moon; book; car; shoe; trousers; sheets; keys; pool; ball; balloon; bubble; foot; clock; party; slide; flower; phone; sit; stairs; up; Pooh, as in Winnie the Pooh; woof; duck; here y'are and don't! She can point but not yet say nose; mouth; teeth; chin; shoulders; knees; hat; sock; shirt; nappy; tongue; TV; computer; umbrella; cow; sheep; pig; penguin; swings; etc. What are the child's favourite activities? She watches children's TV now whereas when she first arrived there was only one show she could understand, Teletubbies. She watches ABC Kids on TV and videos like Winnie the Pooh and Shrek. In fact she is currently Pooh mad. Describe a typical day. 6.30am Wake up, and spend about half an hour with Mama reading books and playing with toys in bed. 7am Breakfast in the high chair but doesn't usually finish all her breakfast. 8am Watch ABC Kids TV whilst mum hand feeds the remaining spoonfuls of breakfast. 8.30am Sit on toilet to see if anything happens (50% chance of number 2, 80% chance of number 1). Change nappy and dress for the day. 9am Watch ABC Kids TV whilst mum gets showered and dressed. Sometimes Baba works from home or stays home whilst Mama has an appointment. 9.30am Gymbaroo (Mondays) or Playgroup (Tuesdays) or YMCA Toddler Gymnastics (Wednesdays) or Playgroup (Thursdays) or Music (Fridays) or Swimming Lessons (Saturdays) 11am Coffee for Mama and Baby Cino and muffin for Lin. Play on swings and slides. noon Home for bottle and sleep. Maybe lunch beforehand depending on how sleepy. 1/2pm Wake up, read books in bed with Mama. Sit on toilet. Lunch if didn't have it before sleep, otherwise snack. 2.30pm Play with toys with Mama, listen to children's CDs, visit next door neighbour etc. 4pm Maybe some grocery shopping. 6pm Baba comes home and she is overjoyed. Play. 7pm Dinner with us at the big table if she's not too tired. 7.30pm Sit on toilet. Bath - she loves her bath. 8pm Watch 10 minutes of Teletubbies video - she loves Teletubbies and knows it all off by heart. Bed with bottle. She is put to sleep in our bed. Later in the night once we go to bed we move her into the cot which is in our room. If she wakes in the night and won't settle then she comes back into our bed.

Second Report

The Dept of Community Services require 5 reports, during the year, the first three being every two months. This is some excerpts from the second report.

Comment on child's physical development to date:
Height as measured at Westmead as 77.5cm laid out rather than standing which is the way we do it, a gain of 4.5cm since we got her.
Weight as measured at Westmead as 8.65 kilos a gain of one kilo since we got her. The Westmead Overseas Adoption Clinic calculate that she has moved from the second curve on the Chinese growth charts to the third curve which is great news, especially now she is rid of the worms.
Teeth 15 teeth, one new tooth has come through although the equivalent tooth on the other side has not come through and there is no room for it. It is not troubling her but Westmead recommended a visit to a Dentist for some advice.

Developmental milestones Can now walk up and down all the stairs in our house with her hand held whereas before she was crawling/climbing the stairs. Loves standing on the trampoline at the YMCA and has great balance but does not yet jump. She can now hold a pen or crayon correctly and scribble in circles and make dots and straight lines.

Comment on the child's social and emotional development eg how does the child relate to parents, sibling, other adults? No change since last report. Because she likes social interaction with other children and stimulation, I now have educational and physical activities organized for her every morning six days a week: Monday is Gymbaroo, Tuesday is Playgroup, Wednesday is YMCA, Thursday is another Playgroup, Friday is Music, Saturday is Swimming lessons with Baba. Lunchtime she comes home for a sleep! Then two afternoons a week, Catherine, an Early Childhood student from the University of Western Sydney comes to the house to play with her whilst I work on my computer in the room next door, writing reports, building her website, answering emails and making phone calls that I can't get done when Lin is awake and active.

What types of food does the child eat? No change since last report. She is starting to drink more water now if I give it to her in a cup. She likes drinks with straws but we still have to be careful that she doesn't spill drinks presented this way. When she eats with us at the table she likes to steal the adult cutlery and eat with it, rejecting the baby cutlery. She thinks she is grown up now. She feeds herself quite well. She loves yoghurt and can feed herself yoghurt without too much mess. We've recently introduced fish fingers as these are easy for her to eat herself. She still does not sit still for very long and most food is eaten whilst she is moving around doing other things. She is a very slow eater.

What is the child's sleeping pattern? No change since last report: one daytime sleep and 10-12 hours sleep per night. Some nightmares/night terrors during which she cannot be consoled but they don't last long and she settles back to sleep quickly.

Comment on the child,s language development. She can now say eye; ear; hair; star; moon; book; car; shoe; trousers; sheets; keys; pool; ball; balloon; bubble; foot; clock; party; slide; flower; phone; sit; stairs; up; Pooh, as in Winnie the Pooh; woof; duck; here y'are and don't! She can point but not yet say nose; mouth; teeth; chin; shoulders; knees; hat; sock; shirt; nappy; tongue; TV; computer; umbrella; cow; sheep; pig; penguin; swings; etc.

What are the child's favourite activities? She watches children's TV now whereas when she first arrived there was only one show she could understand, Teletubbies. She watches ABC Kids on TV and videos like Winnie the Pooh and Shrek. In fact she is currently Pooh mad.

Describe a typical day.
6.30am Wake up, and spend about half an hour with Mama reading books and playing with toys in bed.
7am Breakfast in the high chair but doesn't usually finish all her breakfast.
8am Watch ABC Kids TV whilst mum hand feeds the remaining spoonfuls of breakfast.
8.30am Sit on toilet to see if anything happens (50% chance of number 2, 80% chance of number 1). Change nappy and dress for the day.
9am Watch ABC Kids TV whilst mum gets showered and dressed. Sometimes Baba works from home or stays home whilst Mama has an appointment.
9.30am Gymbaroo (Mondays) or Playgroup (Tuesdays) or YMCA Toddler Gymnastics (Wednesdays) or Playgroup (Thursdays) or Music (Fridays) or Swimming Lessons (Saturdays)
11am Coffee for Mama and Baby Cino and muffin for Lin. Play on swings and slides.
noon Home for bottle and sleep. Maybe lunch beforehand depending on how sleepy.
1/2pm Wake up, read books in bed with Mama. Sit on toilet. Lunch if didn't have it before sleep, otherwise snack.
2.30pm Play with toys with Mama, listen to children's CDs, visit next door neighbour etc.
4pm Maybe some grocery shopping.
6pm Baba comes home and she is overjoyed. Play.
7pm Dinner with us at the big table if she's not too tired.
7.30pm Sit on toilet. Bath - she loves her bath.
8pm Watch 10 minutes of Teletubbies video - she loves Teletubbies and knows it all off by heart. Bed with bottle. She is put to sleep in our bed. Later in the night once we go to bed we move her into the cot which is in our room. If she wakes in the night and won't settle then she comes back into our bed.

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