Laura Joan in January

I recently got this email from Laura Joan's mom and I wanted to share this news:

Laura Joan is off the bottle now completely. She gets her milk and juice in sippy cups and she will take any type of sippy cup. She especially likes Carson's cups. She loves to suck on the toothbrush in the morning and at night. She is not to keen on me brushing them for her but her fuss is getting less and less. She has another nasty cold she started yesterday. I feel guilty because I feel like I must not be washing her hands enough. She puts everything in her mouth as you well know. Even a public toilet if your not quick enough and she is very, very, fast.

I took Laura Joan to our cranofacial team clinic Friday and the surgeon seemed pleased. He said her cleft must have been small. The dentist said her teeth were beautiful and she must have been very well cared for because usually he has to extract 3 or 4 rotten teeth out of babies they see from China with cleft issues due to poor nutrition and bed time bottles. The speech therapist was pleased too as she told him bye-bye and dada. (She calls only Chris Daddy - all other men are DaDa)

Laura Joan is learning/saying a new word just about every day. She is so smart. She says all done, play, night-night, bottle, vent, bye-bye, shoes. To name just a few. She loves to run and get her coat on. She can get one sleeve in herself and she is helping with putting on her clothes-It is so cute.

She loves bath time and can even take a shower without any fear or crying. She is fat and sassy and investigating everything. She loves to sit on our laps with lots of books around her but does not let us read one book before she snatches it away to read it herself and gives us another one.

Carson told me a few nights ago at bedtime that he adores her. He is learning not to hug her too tight or around the neck but she is so cute it is hard for all of us not to just want to keep hugging her all the time. She likes to be held the most after her afternoon nap for some unknown reason she cries the most during this time and seems the most insecure. I actually like having this little time that she just wants to sit and be held, she is a great reason not to get to busy with too much in the afternoon.

Later this morning I will going to say goodbye to Nina (Flower) and her parents. They will be leaving for Guangzhou this afternoon. This last week have been very sweet and things have gone really well. But more about that later.

Love and laughter,
Amanda