Developmental milestones - has been walking & running for some time - can now climb all the stairs in our house (up and down) safely - can climb ladders - loves swings & slides and is not scared to launch herself down slippery dips.
Everyone comments on how her cheeks are fuller and her hair looks healthier. She is moving from size 00 to size 0. Size 00 is right size for her hips in trousers but is starting to be too short lengthwise.

Comment on the child's social and emotional development eg how does the child relate to parents, sibling, other adults? She appears to love us very much. She is a very confident child even in large groups of adults. She is actually quite a performer for adults. She doesn't like to be held by others unless she knows them very well. She likes other children and shares toys and food with them but she is much quieter around children than around adults. This may change as she gets to know specific children better - currently she is being introduced to many children of all different ages and it will take time for her to recognize them as friends. We stayed two nights in Melbourne with her guardians and their two sons (20 months and 5 years) and this was fantastic for her development as she ate, played, bathed and slept with them and learnt lots from them about what children do.

What types of food does the child eat? Everything except cheese although some food such as quiche which might have cheese in it is OK. She loves fish, especially salmon - she likes chicken but it has to be cut very small or blended - she will eat meat but won't swallow - she chews it and then spits it out when it is thoroughly chewed. She particularly likes eggs and fruit. She would probably eat fruit all day if I let her.

What is the child's sleeping pattern? Doctor advised us to cut out one bottle as it inhibits the child's appetite for solids and we need to get her eating more solid food - also advised us to cut out the morning sleep - this has been hard as she often wants to go back to bed after breakfast, as per the schedule provided by the foster parents. We have to provide lots of stimulation to keep her awake until midday. Often if we are driving in the morning, albeit only for 10 minutes, she will fall asleep. When that happens she will not go to bed for a proper sleep as I guess her system is telling her that she has already slept. So if she falls asleep in the car sometimes I take the opportunity to go shopping and I transfer her to the pram where she continues sleeping.

Comment on the child's language development. She speaks constantly but all our Chinese friends assure us it is just baby babble not Chinese! She seems to understand everything we say in English as well as what Mandarin speakers say to her as well as what Cantonese speakers say to her. She already could say and wave Bye Bye; say Mama (mother); Baba (father); Ayi (aunt); Wei (hello when answering the phone). She can now say and point to eye; ear; hair; star; car; shoe (when she feels like it!) She can point but not yet say nose; mouth; teeth; hat; sock; nappy; trousers etc.

What are the child's favourite activities? Reading her picture books in bed in the morning; watching Teletubbies video before going to bed at night; supermarket shopping sitting in the trolley; going outside; running up and down grassy slopes; loves the wind in her hair; slides and swings; making sand castles and digging; swimming; chasing and patting the cat; looking at herself in the mirror, especially wearing new clothes; cuddling her panda and pink teddy; being with Mama and Baba; visiting the elderly next door neighbours who have many toys for her in their house too.

Have you had any specific difficulties with the child? How have you handled these? I worry that she is not drinking enough liquid and I am experimenting with all sorts of drinks. She is happiest drinking from a glass like a grown up kid and drinks more this way than with sippy cups but she obviously cannot carry a glass around. She has to be assisted to drink from it otherwise it spills everywhere. We are having more success getting her to drink more using a straw.
She does not yet play independently. Mostly she needs to be played with and this is very demanding because cooking, ironing, washing and bills do not get done! This is starting to change as she becomes more familiar with her house and toys. Although her fine motor skills are excellent when eating or doing "real world" things, she is not yet proficient at putting square pegs into square holes etc and baby jumbo jigsaw puzzles. We are working on this daily.

Describe a typical day
There isn't really a typical day but here's an approximation.

7.30am	Wake up, and spend about half an hour with Mama reading books and playing with toys in bed.
8am	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. Help put the washing on.
8.30am	Breakfast.
9am	Play with toys. Help to hang out washing (pegs everywhere!).
10am	Gymbaroo (Wednesdays).
11am	Coffee (for Mama) at the beach (Baby Cino and muffin for Xiao Qiu). Play on swings and slides, chase seagulls, play in sand, run on grassy slopes - loves the wind in her hair.
noon	Home for bottle and sleep. Maybe lunch beforehand depending on how sleepy.
1/2pm	Wake up, read her 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	Grocery shopping - she loves outings especially shopping. She snacks on what we buy in the supermarket eg blueberries, grapes. She really loves fruit.
6pm	Baba comes home and she is overjoyed. Play.
7pm	Dinner.
7.30pm	Play with Baba more.
8pm	Sit on toilet. Bath - she loves her bath. Watch 10 minutes of Teletubbies video - she loves Teletubbies and knows it all off by heart.
8.30pm	Bed with bottle and Baba. 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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