Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Learning by Leaps and Bounds

Learning to play Nintendo DS is a necessary skill which Sophie quickly learned from her big brother, Josh.
Sophie and Chloe, our dog, have an understanding that every so often she will drop morsels of food over the side of her highchair. No one had to teach her how to do that. It must have been just instinct.

Daddy shows Sophie that you're never too old to act like a little kid. He proves that he's still young by taking a Boy Scout challenge where he and Tim pulled another scout dad, Martin, on a tripod around a gymnasium track.


Courtney, Steven (her dashing young boyfriend of 5 months), and Heather (friend since 1st grade) have taught Sophie the fine art of frozen yogurt consumption on Waffle Cone Wednesdays.


We are all amazed at how quickly our little sponge is learning new things. Here's an update on how Sophie is growing by leaps and bounds.


Sophie has been home one month and learning all kinds of new things. She walked 8 steps on Jan. 10th while Sandee Tischler was over for a visit, but totally stopped the process until a week later when she walked 25 baby steps while Aunt Sog was visiting. In the meantime, she's decided it's much safer to crawl and has learned how to do that efficiently.


Sophie is learning sign language too! She is very interested in doing hand motions as she repeats a new one over and over again. Sophie seems very proud of herself when she masters a new one. She knows and is learning signs for "more, banana, bird, duck, milk, eat, want, all done, book, gentle, hot, in, out, quiet, and sleep."


Her capacity to learn English is astonishing! She can do simple commands like "wave bye-bye," "blow kisses," "give Daddy, Courtney, Joshie, and Mommie a kiss." Sophs will kiss her "Papa" repeatedly to see him do a little jig afterwards. She loves to play "Patty Cake" and claps her hands and "rolls" them up at just right time. It's just so darn cute.


On the other hand, she has also learned that juice and cookies are more delicious to eat than milk and Cheerios and that french fries from McDonald's are really good.

2 comments:

string cheese said...

Finally new pictures...she is getting so big and smart, everyday...it must be the food that is doing it..and learning sign language is very good, Uncle Joeys cousins learned from there neighbors, both daughters were deaf..so when does she go in for surgery? such a happy baby, it must be the perfect Family of "5" see Frank you were not too old, just stiff, from reading the papers all the time..
Lots of hugs and kisses, love you, auntie kiki/ and a lick from killer

amorisa said...

Wow Paula! I read the whole thing in one sitting. What a great story. I'm so happy that you had a beautiful experience in China. (I told you that the Great Wall would be freezing ;) ) Congratulations on a beautiful and wonderful girl. I love how happy you all are. I can't wait to meet her. I hope she and XuXu will be fast friends.