18 Month - Reflections & Photos

Rebecca has turned 18 months. At the risk of sounding cliche, time does fly.

By God's grace, she has become this awesome being that is oodles of fun and laughter with a dash of cheekiness and a lashing of mischief. I count this chance that God has given her to be my child and me to be her mother a blessing.

She is speaking a lot now, lesser gibberish and a lot more "human" words and phrases. She is able to hold "conversations" -- though these conversations are often peppered with repetitive phrases and sometimes with her baby talk.

She loves to laugh and sing and move to music and dance as well. She's already able to follow simple instructions, though she seems to react faster to instructions at school. Now at JG, she is able to approach her teacher and ask for food with 'please' and 'thank you's and totter to the table where she makes the tough decision to accept either water or juice with her snack. She is able to drink independently from a cup - though the cup cannot be too full.

She's started her Chinese language Playgroup at JG as well and its now week 4, she's starting to sing chinese songs whilst she plays. She runs to greet me each morning with a big smack and hug and this repeats again in the evening as I pry open the door, tired from a day's work.

She is able to say grace and ask for forgiveness - though we are still working on trying to keep still and our eyes shut and heads bowed for the entire prayer. She is able to imitate real well. To my dismay, she is mastering the 'kkrrruuuuuukkkk pppppuiiii' spitting sound symbolic of Shanghai and the popular hobby of spitting. She knows that when we stand by the curbside, it is time for her to smile and raise her hands to bring a speeding cab to a grounding halt.

She talks in her sleep and in between her sleep - in both languages none-the-less. She loves to snuggle in bed with us, although she's only allowed onboard when its nearly time to get up. She kicks endlessly in bed and her poses are not too ladylike. She is starting to show interest in tricycles and bicycles and loves her dolls a tonne.

She has started to experiment with boundaries and limits and tries to see how much ground she can cover with her girly whines and tantrums. I pray that she will continue to have this zest for life and grow to be a confident, God-fearing lady.

Father Lord, we thank you for Rebecca. We ask that you continue to protect her as she grows each day and guide her in your ways. Give B and I the wisdom and resources to bring this child up according to your wishes. We ask that you watch over her every moment of her life and be so real and true to her. In Jesus's name, Amen.