6 Month Report - Lene and Steven

Yanmei and Lene, Provence, France, July 2000

Yanmei imitating Bono, Grenoble, France, 2000

Thomas, Steven and Yanmei, Besancon, France, July 2000

Six month report – by Lene and Steven, September 2000

Six months have now passed since we were in China to collect Yanmei. During that time she has adapted very quickly to ‘family’ life and living in Scandinavia. She is a very happy, charming and confident little girl with a strong sense of humour. She charms everybody that comes into contact with her and is liked and loved by friends and family.

She has also developed a loving relationship with her closest family: grandparents, uncle, aunt, cousin and great grandmother. She is also become fond of our cat, Peanut – although this took some time.

She is very inquisitive. She opens drawers and cupboard doors wherever she is – at home, at friends houses and even in shops. She also likes to wander around alone. She keeps a distance from ‘strangers’ (e.g. friends visiting us) for a short time, but her shyness usually disappears very quickly and she will address them directly. She also likes being with lots of people, where lots of different things are happening – especially if there are children. Despite her openness, she is very much aware of the fact that we are her parents and Thomas her brother.

She talks a lot. Initially in a language we did not understand (probably ‘baby’ talk). She was never frustrated that we didn’t understand her. She very quickly developed an understanding of Danish – within a month understanding many things that were said to her. During the last two months she has also begun to speak Danish and some English. Today she can make herself understood in Danish and her use of the language develops day for day.

Within a matter of days she had learnt to walk alone, and has since learnt to walk up and down stairs, run, jump and crawl. She goes to play school together with her mother, and here she learns to play together with other children. She also loves to dance, ‘play’ the piano and sing/hear children’s songs, as well as have stories read to her. She also watches some children’s TV.

She also plays with her doll, pushing it around in its trolley, playing with Duplo, and jigsaw puzzles. However she is happiest doing things she has seen adults do - especially having conversations with her toy mobile phone and sweeping the floor.

She has grown ca. 3cm during the time we have had her, and her hair has also grown – although it still doesn't cover her ears! She was christened the same day has her brother was confirmed. She eats more or less everything that she is served, but especially likes cornflakes, rice, pasta, potatoes, cheese, fruit and biscuits. She hasn’t put on any weight.

She has her own room, where she sleeps each night. She sleeps well, rarely waking during the night. She also sleeps 2 hours at lunchtime. She has not been ill since she came to Denmark, and the mandatory check at the doctors upon returning to Denmark, did not reveal any types of illness.

Whilst she loves playing with water, she ‘hates’ being washed – especially her hair. We are currently in the process of potty training her.

All in all the settling in period has gone very well and Yanmei already functions within our family as though she had always been here.

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Things we remember:

Yanmei was baptised on the same day that Thomas was confirmed. Yanmei slept through the celebration meal, waking up for desert!

Yanmei loves to talk in her play mobile phone; she is very convincing and if you didn’t know, you’d really think that she was having a conversation with somebody.