Last month Maria hit 13 months, and she really thinks she’s as old as all her other siblings! She says a few words: yes, baby, mommy, and daddy. She loves looking at books. She examines the pictures as thought she’s actually reading the book. I’m not sure we’ve ever had a child who pays such attention to details in books at her age. One other thing she loves to do is “write.” We were quite surprised when she picked up a pencil the other day and held correctly at the tip and started to “write” on a paper. It looked better than my pencil hold! The next day when I tried to get a picture, her hold was similar but not as good. So fun to watch!

A few days before Maria turned 13 months, I put her in two of my baby dresses and took some pictures. Maria is not one to pose for pictures; she’s too busy and too interested in seeing her picture on the camera to stay still.

Our time in the States was hard on Maria. She was a very happy baby when with us, but she wouldn’t nap in her pack-n-play or go to nursery. The days she was held by other people were often her worst nights – it’s as though she was anxious, often waking up 4+ times per night. I wasn’t sure what to expect on our return to Cambodia and was wondering how in the world I was going to teach school and read the Bible with ladies in the afternoon, if Maria wouldn’t nap unless being held in silence. Thankfully, after about a week in our home, I tried putting Maria down to nap listening to music (Who Made You). The first time I let her cry for 20 minutes and then she slept for 20 minutes. Two days later she went down with only a little crying. Now she’s napping twice a day and as long as the music is playing, she’s been doing fine. I’m so thankful. It’s made a big difference to my day. Maria is a sweet little girl who loves her siblings. She loves playing chase.