Madeline - Month 9

In month 9 we had to say good-bye to Abuela, who taught Mads how to clap and to make the infamous pig face, which she uses to charm all the locals at the park. A few days after Abuela left it was clear she left a big hole in Madeline's heart. When we Skyped, she saw Abuela's face and kept pulling the iPad down as if she were hoping Abuela was hiding behind the iPad. Then she started crying. Well dry those tears, Madeline, because Grandma Foxy is coming back to Hong Kong in May! For more details, scroll to the end of the blog post. 

Ryan only allows the Giants t-shirt because
she's such a wonderful grandmother.

Little piggy.

We said hello to Grandpa Mike, Grandma Renee and Aunt Vanessa. It was so nice to have more family around. We took some short trips to the Peak, Stanley market, and Kowloon Park, but as usual the best part was just hanging out playing cards and working on a puzzle!

Chillin' with Grandpa Mike.

Kisses from Aunt Vanessa.

Vanessa made a beautiful film about their time here.

On Impermanence and Hong Kong from Vanessa Uhlig on Vimeo.

Aunt Renee brought Madeline's first Easter basket, and her new favorite treasure is a metal egg that came inside. It's officially been dubbed "My Precious."

My Precious!

Gollum! No, this photo was not staged. But it is very fitting. 

Auntie Janeth has been busy styling away at Salon de Madeline. 

First French Braid!

Twisties.

With a top ponytail, Madeline is fulfilling her dream
of becoming a sumo wrestler.

Madeline is on the move! She is on the brink of crawling, and her primary methods of getting around the house currently include doing the worm and scooting backwards on her butt. She has also learned to give "kisses." When I suggest she kiss her stuffed animal she opens her mouth wide and puts its face into her mouth gently. Awwwww, how sweet, Ryan and I think. She then bites down and thrashes her head from side to side like a puppy with a chew toy. So I guess we're still working on kisses. 

This is Mads at a little play date. I was hoping her peck
didn't turn into her typical kisses!

Oh! And some great things happened to me and Ryan too! Ryan's softball team, Brewhouse, won the championship in the Hong Kong Slo Pitch Softball Association. Their hard-fought victory came in the last inning of game 5 of a 5-game series. Another trophy for the trophy case!

I was selected by LearnZillion to be part of the DreamTeam. No, it's not basketball (if you've ever seen me play basketball, you'd know that it goes without saying).  I'll be writing math curriculum based on the Common Core this summer. In order to prepare, a baby-free LZ sponsored trip to Washington DC is in order in the month of May. Ryan will be away on a school field trip, so Abuela will be returning to care for Madeline again! 

Here is Madeline's latest One Second Video for Month 9:

And a compilation video from Birth -  9 Months.