Potty Training

Elil & the kangaroos with Uncle Mark's eye. A recent trip to the zoo.

We were at the playground after many kakak-less months a few days ago. The shabby, two swing, one dilapidated slide playground. The one where you met your first friends. Ru Yee is two months older than you. On the first few meetings, her Popo insisted that you two look alike. Mummy kind of agreed with her. There was a resemblence. Not anymore. I can't say how you have both changed, other than growing bigger of course. Then there is Chun Chieh who is a month older than you but was double your size when you first became friends. He was the clever one whos's mother taught him everything. Such good manners he has. A year older than you, is Chia Yee who's Popo brings to the playground in his stroller. Then there is Viyashly (I'm sure I have got the spelling wrong) and Sumathi. Two sisters a few years older than you. You are like a doll to them. They help you up and down the stairs and carry you around. Their daddy jogs round the field as they play in the playground.

On this day at the playground, mummy noticed one thing. You were the only one with a bulky bottom. Still in diapers. Oh no! Mummy's been meaning to get you out of those but just have'nt had the time. Your pink potty has been sitting with your pile of toys forever, brand spanking new. So yesterday, mummy made you go diaperless. You seemed a little confused at first but accepted it without a fuss. You understood that every time you need to either go shee shee or poo poo, you have to tell mummy or Kakak Novie and we will rush you to the potty and you can do your business there. It can't be this easy? There has to be more to potty training, mummy thought to herself. Of course! A reward for such admirable behaviour! One Smartie for every shee shee and Two Smarties for every poo poo in the potty. So, day one, 100% shee shee and 90% poo poo was in the panties. The remaining 10% poo poo was in the potty. You informed mummy of your business a little too late and Mr. Potty managed to catch only the leftovers. No Smarties were rewarded. Let's see how today goes....

PS - We may need to start brushing your teth 3 times a day very soon.

At 19 months you are a charmer!

Mummy doesn't know where to begin. Your developments in the last 1 month have been outstanding to say the least. Somehow our trip back to KK for Christmas triggered something in you. It unleashed the cheeky personality in you. The moment the aeroplane took off for mummy's beloved homeland, you began to show your true colors....

1. As the plane took off, as usual it rumbles and rattles. Unlucky for us, this aircraft was particularly shaky and it got mummy a little nervous. I'm sure you felt it too. Immediately you had your palm on your chest and you tapped yourself gently, a gesture to calm yourself down in times of fear. This is the first time you did this out of fear. Mummy was plesantly surprised.

2. The last time we were in KK was August 2008. You have grown so much since. In December, you were more aware of your surroundings, grandma and grandpas home was unfamiliar, new. You instantly reconized and warmed up to grandma and grandpa but the place made you a little insecure. So although you played with grandma, grandpa and aunty Meriel, mummy always had to be in sight. And when mummy was out of sight, "mummy mummy mummy" you would call out. I was so pleased to hear this because although you knew how to say mummy, you never actually called out for mummy. This was a first. The long awaited first and boy was mummy delighted! Now its mummy this and mummy that. And you are pretty addicted to saying "daddy daddy" too, which sometimes comes out, "diddy diddy".

3. Days later as we were spending time in grandmas garden (a lot of time was spent in the garden), you spotted a grasshopper. Mummy brought you closer and you became nervous. You had your palm tapping on your chest again. This time, you said, "cared cared" over and over. Aww, my little angel was scared of the grasshopper. As usual mummy is taken over with happiness every time you learn or say something new. You picked up on this pretty quick and before we all knew it, you were chest tapping and going "cared cared" for every little thing. The honk of the gas truck, or the the dog barking at a distance, the 2" high step outside grandpas door step, even an ant crawling past you. Such a charmer!

4. You also came up with a name for your cucut. You never really called it anything before, you would just cry out for it. In KK you started calling it, "tutut teh". Mummy thinks it means, "cucut. there!".

5. Your appetite reduced. You refused solids and didn't finish your milk. Your sleep patterns changed as expected. How to sleep when you got your two favorite cousins to play with 24/7? Mummy was worried and devastated; that was until I noticed 6, yes 6 gigi protruding from your gums all at once! There remains 1 incisor that has yet to sprout out from your gums but already you have your first molars, 2 top ones at each side and 2 bottom ones on each side. So the inside of your mouth looks a little funny now. No sign of the cuspids yet; those would be the pearly whites in between the incisors and molars. I guess that would explain the loss of appetite and yea the runs which lasted a few days.

6. And then there's your speech. Mummy doesn't know where to begin. So many words so many expressions. You pick up words in a snap of the fingers!

am-ma = grandma

am-pa = grandpa

Since we have been back to KL you don't use it anymore because we are so far away. But you get to talk to them when you feel like it.

beech = beach

We were at the beach twice this time round. You enjoyed the second trip because the water was calm and you sat in the water filling your bucket with sand. We walked toward the horizon hand-in-hand with daddy as the sun set and grandpa looked on. Would have been fantastic if someone got a shot of that. You mention beach sometimes, mummy's sure you reminisce and want to go back. We will bring you to a beach one of these days when daddy's back.

You say butterfly but mummy can't figure out how to spell your pronounciation out. The 'fly' comes out clear though. The 'butter' part is a blur to mummy. Daddy is much better at making out your speech.

Animals are still your favorite. You say, tortoise, bird, fish, horse, very clearly now.

Fog = Frog

There was a lost baby frog in grandmas toilet. We spotted it one day, you seemed to take pleasure in seeing a real life frog. Then, for days you refused to take baths. You would make a fuss when mummy tried bathing you. And would cry throughout and cling on to me like there was no tomorrow. I wondered why the sudden change from being unable to pull you away from the water to refusing to even get your head wet. Alas, mummy figured it out. It was the frog that you feared and not the water. Mummy called grandma to the rescue. She picked Mr. Froggy baby out and instantly you were glued to the gayung, tap and water again. I think this little angel is taking scaredy-cat-ness after her mummy.

Ice = Rice or Ice

Oi-idge = Porridge

Momom = Food or Eat

Nennen = Means you want your milk

Mon = For kakak Mon

Eni = For kakak Yeni

Pati = Pati

Oo-Yi = Ru Yee (your friend at the playground)

You love going to the playground. You just love kids in general. Your eyes light up at the mention of Ru Yee. She is about a month older than you and you guys kind of look alile. Recently you have learned to appreciate the slide. Mummy lets you do everything (pretty much) on your own. You climb the stairs with minimal help and slide down all on your own. No 'cared cared' business. Even if you fly down the slide! You are more thrilled the faster you go. The swing is still something we need to get used to.

7. Your facial expressions. There are no words to describe this. The way you flash your teeth when mummy asks you to show your gigi. You enjoy making funny faces for no reason at all. You will do this for anyone and at any given time. Those eyes of yours just light up. Those lips curl in and you twitch your nose. It's just hilarious. Mummy can sit down all day just admiring this little person that is you. With all your comical and cheeky ways. And you know this, you know your mummy adores you. And daddy is so in love with you too.

The many more faces of you....

Don't know where this came from.

Say, "gigiiiiii" or "teethhhhhh"

You do this occassionally, mummy's not too sure why

This is you wanting something and not getting it

8. Latest updates, twice you have poohed in the toilet seat. Since KK you have started to use the word "poo-poo". You usually alarm mummy once a poo-poo has been made and sometimes when a fart erupts. So mummy's been telling you to give me a clue before Mr. Poopsie decides to come out. Twice you have done so since, and twice you have done your business on the toilet seat. Yesterday was the second time and boy were you interested in your poopsie. You kept turning around to check-it-out. Stretching out your hand wanting to, "tahch-tahch".

The Things You Say & Do 2

Just a quick update for you boo boo.

Your vocabulary grows everyday and everday you amaze me with how quick you pick words up and how vast your understanding is. So here are some words mummy can think of for now....

When asked, "What's your name?" You reply very consistently, "Ehyi".
When asekd "What's the dog's name?" You reply very consistently, "Ehyi". Hilarious you are sweetie. Cracks me up everytime.

You sing so well. In tune too. You know how to change your tone according to how mummy sings. So if mummy sings 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' gently, so do you. You soften your voice and follow me. This is how we sing together:

Mummy: "Twinkle twinkle little star...." At the same time, You: ".......tarrrrr...."
Mummy: "How I wonder what you are...." You: "(humming the words).....are...."
Mummy: "Up above the world so high...." You: "Papabuv......."
Mummy: " Like a diamond in the sky...." You: "....a dai..........skai...."
Mummy: "Twinkle twinkle little star...." You: ".........tarrrrrr...."
Mummy: "How I wonder what you are...." You: "(humming the words).... are...."

You also sing to the chorus of the Taio Cruz song, "She's Like A Star". Of course, your favorite part is " She's like a starrrr...tarrr....tarrr....."

Toyz/Doyz = Toys

You get excited when mummy asks, "Shall we go up and play with your toys now?" right after dinner. I think this has become a ritual. You lead me to your play room and you run straight into your igloo tent and lie down on your pillow. You play around in there for about 5 minutes before you dask to your table and grab one of your giant books. You flip through the pages and point at the pictures wanting me to tell you a story.

Ohtt = Hot

You know very well what hot is. You show signs of caution and fear when mummy points at something and says, "hott". You point at a steaming kettle and say, "Ohtt!".

Bahh = Bus

When you say, "Bahh" you refer not only to buses but trucks and lorries too. Cement trucks, mobile cranes, tractors, you name it. Any automobile that's bigger than a four wheel drive is a "bahh" to you.

You have begun the first step in counting. When we say, "One..." you say, "twoooo". Sometimes it sounds a little like,"Doooo".

Bert = Bird
You have always loved watching birds fly in the sky. Especially when its a flock flying above us. This gets you all excited, pointing to the sky screaming, "bert bert bert!".

Barmey = Barney
Your favorite purple dinosaur. Since moving you have not been able to watch this great guy on TV. Daddy has yet to organize his AV system so we are TVless for the moment.

Ai-oh/ Ai -yu = I love you
You try very hard to get all three words together but only manage to get the "I love" or the "I you". It's so cute that you are eager to get it right. It's right either way baby and WE love you too!

Boo = Moon
You know the moon and you know the sun. Somehow you can't get the word "sun" out though.

Boo = Moo (the sound the cow makes)
Again mummy has to say, you love love love animals. Especially when mummy imitates a sound. You just go nuts.

Doosh = Juice
I love this one. I really do. Everytime you say,"doosh",mummy just falls in love. It really is so adorable. Any colored liquid in a glass is "doosh". You like mummy's fresh milk "doosh".

Wowerr = Flower
You point at a flower and say, "wowerr". Mummy plucks it and hands it over to you. Again you will say, "wowerr" and immediately start tearing the petals apart. Haha!

There are so many words that mummy just can't think of right now. Mummy swears you speak several languages. Several baby languages anyway. Sometimes you pick up an object and just chatting away. You seem to be talking to it. It's hilarious!

I wan't to share about your sudden need for independence and your strong will, but we'll leave that to another post k. I love you angel!

Love,

mummy

The Things You Say & Do

Your vocabulary is quickly expanding, mummy can't keep up....

Haiyo/Ehyo = Hello
You welcome your daddy home with a hello and sometimes when you meet strangers too. When the phone rings, you put your hand to your ear and say 'haiyo'.

Ehyee/Ehlee = Elephant
Ohrs = Horse

You love animals. Lions, bees, elephants and horses in particular. You don't know how to say lion but you are sure good at roaring like a lion.

Ais = Eyes
Nos = Nose

"Where's your nose Elil?" You grab your nose. "Where's mummy's nose Elil?" You grab mummys nose. "Where are your eyes?" You bat those bright eyes like nobodys business. Hehe. You point at your mouth, ears and fingers when asked where these parts are.

Bye = Bye

You have been waving bye-bye for the longest time now but only recently have you learned to say it. A simple and short bye.

Ehyi = Elil

You say your name pretty well. Yesterday Aunty Pu Nie asked you what your name is and you answered, 'Ehyi'. Mummy and daddy were pleasantly suprised.

Atu = Satu

Your kakak teaching you how to count in BM already.

You love dancing. Anything upbeat gets you moving. Nowadays you have different styles for different types of music. For general pop songs on the radio you do your head nodding move. You nod your head back and forth and move your body to the beat. This is can be done sitting or standing up. You also know how to do a little Indian dance. You got the basics from Shan who is self-taught by watching cultural shows on TV. And I think your Pati enforced the moves further. Now when you hear music on the Tamil channels you immediately get into position. Getting into position means you first bend your knees until you are almost in a squatting position (not sure how you can do this for so long coz mummy tried and it hurts). Then, you put your hands up in the air, the right one slightly higher than the left. You loosen your wrist muscles and take a couple of steps back and forth while twisting your wrists. All this in rhythm with the beat. Somehow you manage to bob your head up and down too. This is just too cute for mummy.

You are now 16 months! How fast time flies. Mummy's angel is turning into quite the social butterfly. It's a good thing by the way. You fear almost no one. Any stranger with a warm, smiley and friendly face is a friend in no time. You are ever curious and active. Since learning to walk it seems like you never want to stop. You are the longest lasting battery mummy knows. You are pleasant and jolly. Always the happy baby...oops...toddler. You're still my baby. Mummy has a feeling you will make either a good lawyer or a talk show host. The house is always alive with your chatter. You talk A LOT. ALL the time. It's amazing listening to you. You seemed to have developed your very own language. Mummy and daddy try very hard to understand you but I guess we are not so advanced and can't quite reach your level.

Colorful and blinking lights amaze you. Last night we were driving around after dinner, trying to get you to fall asleep. (Since Paris your night time sleeping patterns have changed. You now sleep at 11pm.) You were already half way to lala land but as we drove around some new housing estates, your half-open eyes spotted some Raya deco - colorful blinking lights. Instantly you spring off mummy's chest. Eyes wide and bright, excitement in your voice and movements, hands stretched out wanting to grab the lights. You grab the door handle and tug on it. " We can't go down sweetheart, the family is asleep and we need to go home and rest as well. Say bye-bye to the lights." Reluctantly you wave your hand bye-bye. You fall back asleep in another 15 minutes, it is 11pm.

It seems we have a cheeky little angel in our hands. Your latest favorite thing to do is pick up the remote and slam it on the floor until the battery cover snaps off and the batteries fall out. And as usual you grab a battery and put it in your mouth. All remotes now must be located on higher grounds.

It takes you under a minute to climb a flight of stairs on all fours. You sometimes hold the railing and walk up but this takes longer and you don't have the patience. No such thing as both feet on one landing. You take your strides like a big person.

Kak Mon taught you to main mata some time ago. Nowadays you do it all the time (and to everyone) just for the fun of it. It isn't the normal main mata neither. Your version is more 'lingering'. You leave those lids closed for just a second longer. It looks like you are flirting or you could pass off as being sleepy too. Those heavy eyelids. It's adorable. Some foreign lady on our flight back to Malaysia from Paris after seeing those batting eyelids commented, "You must keep any eye on this one when she grows older." Haha.

You have 4 incisors. They don't seem like they are full size yet though. Your right upper incisor is quite big but the left one is much smaller. It did come out later but has not really grown much since. You may not have many teeth but boy are they doing their job. Those are some pretty sharp pearly whites you have there boo boo. Its fun for you when mummy screams out in pain as you sink your teeth in my fingers.

The last time we weighed you you were 9.7 kg. Somehow you seem a lot heavier. We'll need to weigh you again to confirm. Your appetite has not changed. You are not a big eater just like mummy when she was younger. Your portions are small, tiny. Carrots and peas are your favorite. Surprisingly! Fruits are top on your list too. Banana being the yummiest and cempedak a close second. Papaya and oranges too. Oh and recently grapes. You are not a fan of cold and fizzy drinks. However, you do get excited when you see a cold drink being served not so much for the drink itself but the ICE. Oh the look of triumph you give me when you manage to convince (your not too hard to convince) mummy to give you a piece to suck on! Chupa chups is another weakness for you. Pasta/Macaroni and cheese is still one of your all time favorite meals. And quacker oats for breakfast. You enjoy snacking on biscuits occassionally and a slice of bread too now and then. Your milk intake is about 15-20 oz a day depending on how much solids you take.

Pony Tails

You would not stay still for the camera. Your first double pony tail. Still a long way to go....slowly but surely baby boo.

She Walks

It was the last day in July, our flight to KK was the very next day. You had been walking with assistance from mummy for a couple of weeks. I knew you had it in you if you would only try. You seemed to want to do it on your own but always pulled back by fear. On this day you had an audience. Mummy, Aunty Otta, Uncle Allen, Kak Mon and Kak Mimin. So many cheers from every corner. The excitement, the claps and encouragement, the smiling and eager faces; all these forces combined with your strong little legs and you walked! Around 4 steps at first. Then as you saw how proud we were of your accomplishment, you refused to stop. Your next try you made it 8 steps! Woooooo! My angel walks, it's official, she's a walking toddler! I could not kiss you enough. Could not hug you hard enough. A mummy beaming with pride as she watches her little baby grow right in front of her. Ahhhh...that milestone that is such a huge step, the biggest difference between baby and toddler. How fast time flies from when we brought you home from the hospital. It's now been a month and guess what? You are eager to run! Practically flying now! Watch out world here comes Elil!

The walking video to come....

xxx

mummy

Your expanding vocabulary and responsiveness....

You are a copy cat. Everything mummy says, you repeat. Shan has got two new pets, Pegasus and Star she named them. They are chickens, the small type. Ayam Semarak my colleague tells me. When we ask you, "Where's Pegasus & Star?", you point outside and say "asus tarr". Daddy is now "dedi" and you still don't say mummy. Somehow, the 'mee' just doesnt roll out so easily. Mummy's anxious now. *sigh* When its about time and you hear a car approaching outside, you go "dedi dedi dedi" whether its daddy or mummy. You let out a sharp, "Yeeeeeeee! Yeeeeeee!" when you are 'geram'. This is usually when mummy doesnt give you what you want.

You know where your eyes, nose and belly-button are. Mummy calls belly-button 'tootchi', you laugh whenever I say this word. It is a funny word come to think of it. I think its a Sabahan thing, or it could be a Wong thing. You like flowers and when mummy mentions flowers, you point at any flower you see be it a real one, plastic, embroided on your blouse or a print, in a picture frame, you name it. You are very clear on YES and NO. You nod your head for a yes and shake it left and right for a firm no. And when Kakak Mon tries to force feed you, you give her a tight slap on the cheek or a sharp pinch on the hand. This is hilarious. Serves Kakak Mon right, no more forcing!

Another thing, you have mastered the art of fake laughing. Anytime mummy and daddy laugh in your presence, you come up with your own little joke to laugh about. And then this little hilarious action makes us laugh even harder which is such a treat for you. You are so amused and entertained by this you let out an even more exaggerated laugh. This goes on and on until either baby or mummy and daddy cannot keep up.

You love books. We try to make it a habit to read to you before bed time, but this doesn't always happen. What amuses you is the flipping pages action, the colorful pictures, and the sounds mummy makes when imitating the animals. Haha! You ocassionally read on your own. Mummy doesnt disturb and watches silently. You flip the pages, sometimes the book is upside down, other times you flip back and forth between pages and you even read the back leaf. As you try to get a better grip and flip the pages of the book, you read the story aloud. Of course this is only deep mumbling and sometimes you manage to add in a tune or two. Ah such an amazing experience to watch you read!

For a while you enjoyed playing 'Round & Round The Garden' on yourself. You would point at your palm and move your finger across trying to imitate Shannon who taught you this in the first place. When mummy saw this for the first time, I thought you were pretending to write. Wah, my baby's a genius! You enjoy the first part, 'round and round the garden, like a teddy bear' but get a little stiff (smile still plastered on your face) when it gets to the last part, " a 1 step, a 2 step....a tickly under there!".

A while ago mummy wrote about your roaring like a lion. You have not forgotten this. Something new you learned during our trip to KK, roaring like a lion or tiger at the sight of:

a) A Tiger Beer trademark - mostly on kedai kopi advertising and sometimes on mummy's/daddy's beer can.

b) Maybank trademark - on any Maybank bank
So everytime you roar, we look around everywhere for either a real lion/tiger (haha) or a Tiger Beer advertisement or a Maybank.

When we say, "kai kai' or "vroom vroom" you know this means were going for a ride. Your excited face will take over and you will be kicking your legs away. Sometimes you respond by saying "broom broom".

And finally, you can walk! But this deserves a post all on its own. So watch this space.

xxx
mummy

A Tooth Story

Days after your birthday bash, you were ill. Teething did cross my mind but I brushed it away quicky because there have been so many teething false alarms. One morning a week after your party mummy noticed something white on your bottom gums. I rubbed my finger on it and whaddya know, its rock hard, a tooth! Mummy is so excited. Finally, you will be able to chew your food! Late in the evening, after work, mummy and daddy bring you to Dr. Lam for the second time because your fever would not subside. While waiting for our turn, mummy notices 3 other white spots on your gums. After some wrestling with you to get your mouth open, and my finger in, mummy felt 3 other teeth. No way! 4 teeth all at the same time? No wonder you were so ill. Mummy shows you to daddy and he confirms that we have 4 alright.

The next morning, mummy checks your mouth again to see how those pearly whites are coming along. To my shock, your mouth was back to its pure gumminess. No more pearly whites. They seemed to have disappeared in shyness. I am a little worried. Is this normal? So after a day of being toothful, you go back to being toothless.

Fortunately, a week or so later mummy spots two white caps at the center of your bottom gum. Daddy spots it too. This time we don't get all excited about it and keep silent until they broke out fully. Two days later, thank God the two decided to break through. They have been growing bigger ever since. So my dear little angel, for now you have two little caps to chew your mommom. Mummy got you a funky green and orange toothbrush to help you keep 'em clean. I know you don't quite have much to brush at this point but I read that its good to get you used to having a toothbrush in your mouth for when you actually do need a brush.

Chatterbox

Your vocabulary is astounding. Granted your words do not sound like actual adult words. But to you they sure count as real words with real meaning. We dumb adults just need to tune ourselves into babydom before being able to understand the complex language of baby. So when you open your mouth to chatter mummy gladly joins in the conversation and boy do our conversations go on and on and on. Mummy hopes in 20 years we will still be able to have our little girl talk like this. Nowadays you enjoy pointing at different objects around you and asking, "dis?" "Dis" is actually "this". And when you say this while pointing at something, you are asking mummy what that something is. So mummy is more than happy to explain and describe. One morning, (like every other morning) you greet mummy with the sweetest smile and you immediately look down at your disney print pyjamas. You point at Daisy Duck and say, "dis?". Mummy tells you it's Daisy Duck. Then you point at Minnie Mouse and ask, "dis?" "That's Minnie Mouse baby boo". You smile. This goes on with every other character on your pyjama.

Other random words that roll off your tongue:

dada - sounds like daddy but your usage can be confusing
rara - could be Shan's doll, Sara or grandma
neneh - your chiu chiu
mama - you have said this a couple of times but you don't really use it. Mummy's still waiting
papap - you tend to say this over and over again. Not too sure what you're referring to.

And all sorts of baby talk that mummy doesn't quite get at this point. You seem to be talking a whole lot more these days. Just random jabbering depending on your mood. There are times you scream out words on top of your lungs, other times you seem to talk to yourself in a silent whisper. It's so rewarding just watching you as you go about playing on your own, or watching the tele and having these small conversations with yourself. Mummy really wonders what goes through your head. Ahhh....the wonder of you.

You Welcome Me Home

Sometimes Mon brings you outside just around the time mummy gets home. You wait patiently for mummy's car to appear at the end of the road. As I make the turn into the alley, I see you standing (or squatted) patiently. And when Mon spots mummy's car, I can see her lips move and the edges of her mouth turn up. She is telling you that mummy is home. I see a glow on your face. She stands you up (if you are not standing already). Your arms stretched out and your legs kicking and stamping the ground. Such pure excitement in those eyes and your movements. Mummy's heart skips a beat.

Yesterday was different. Yesterday the only thing holding you up was your tight grip on Mon's finger. And you were walking towards me. A few steps very confidently and firmly. Wow! You will be walking all on your own in no time. Now mummy is wondering whether you can make it for your birthday party in 2 weeks. We'll just have to wait and see. Just a little more practice.

xxx

mummy

Roar Like A Lion

The Alphabet

A week back Aunty Otta stuck some nursery/kindergarten style learning pictures on the upstairs living room wall. There is the alphabets one and the numbers one. The alphabets show each letter with a picture of an object that starts with the alphabet. The numbers show random objects in the amount of the corresponding number. Two nights ago while we were hanging out upstairs, you brought mummy to the alphabets on the wall. Mummy took it as a sign you wanted to learn. So I started off with the letter closest to me. I said, "B. B is for Bee. Bzzzzzzz. Bee Elil." The letter was actually Q for Queen Bee. You smile as you usually do when mummy teaches you animal sounds. You especially love the buzzz of the bees. You turn back and stare at me as if trying to get my attention back to the alphabets. So I look at the alphabets and then back at you. You are staring intently at a particular alphabet. You struggle to get on your feet and stand up using the wall to support you. Your arms are stretched, you point at the letter L and start growling. "Grrrrrr grrrrr", you said. Wow! I look at you and smile (my head off). I clap and tell you what a good and clever girl you are and hug you ever so tightly. So much excitement but I look around and there is no one to tell how proud I am of my little angel. No one except Shan that is, but I doubt she would find anything special in Elil growling like a lion especially when she was so engrossed in Barney. So mummy kept this joy all to herself. All these special little moments to be cherished forever.

xxx
Mummy

Look who's talkin 2

You wow mummy once again. Overnight you seemed to have quadrupled your baby vocabulary. Your first word (and only word for the longest time) is 'tata'. You have a lot of things you need to say but when you open your mouth to speak, all that comes out is 'tata'. So for a while, everything was 'tata' to you. Or 'tatata' ot 'tatatata'. Initially we thought you were calling for your tata (Tamil for grandfather) but then EVERYTHING was tata so mummy firgured it was the only word you managed to master. BUT yesterday, you blurted out so many different words. There was 'neneh', mummy thinks this is means you want your nennen. And then I heard 'dada'. Maybe you were calling for your daddy who has been away for a week now and whom you miss tons i'm sure. AND you even said 'mama' a coupla times. Sometimes you go 'papa' or 'papapapa'. It's always amazing when something new comes out of your mouth.

A few weeks back, you started making this new sound. It sounds a little like a lion roaring. Mummy teaches you animal sounds and figured maybe you were imitating a lion's roar. Still I wasn't convinced. THEN a couple of days back, mummy was talking to Shan and all of a sudden she gets real angry and lets out this growl sort-of. She tilts her head down and rolls her eyes up. Crosses her arms over her chest and shows me her angriest face. AND then it hits me. You are a copycat and have taken after Shan's angry/frustrated growl. Oh goodness, mummy couldn't stop laughing. How cute. Another new sound you have been making a lot of lately goes something like this, "bthhhhhhhhhhhh". A bit like a bee buzzing. Mummy teaches you about buzzing bees too. And you like them very much. But let's wait and see what else cuzzin Shan has up her sleeve.

High Fives & Flying Kisses

You with your Pati and your current fave fruit

Your hi-5s started about 2 weeks ago. Mummy wanted to teach you something different and started you off with the hi-10. But its more common for friends and family to go, "give me a hi-5". So this is what you know. And being a baby, repetition is your favorite game. So if anyone is going to give you a hi-5, they better be prepared to stay a while and do it with you at least another 10 times. And when people clap or smile or giving you a "yay! clever girl!", they ARE encouraging you and this is enough to get you doing the hi-5 forever! Oh but mummy is so proud of you. You are moving so quickly from being a baby-baby to moving into toddler-hood. It's sad and exciting for mummy to watch you learn and grow up so fast. Too fast.

Your Pati has been blowing you kisses for the longest time now. Finally, you are returning (well not really) her kisses. At least your'e trying. You have the first part of the kiss mastered but can't seem to blow them away. A flying kiss to you is your palm on your mouth while its wide open and your tongue sticking out. You seem to like how your palm tastes (salty) and tend to start licking away. Unable to pull your hand away from you mouth, you forget to blow the kiss. So it's basically you licking your palm and smiling away so proudly with this flying kiss accomplishment. And oh what an accomplishment! Mummy is always glad when you learn things your way and add a little Elil uniqueness to it. You go girl!

Milestone Alert: Pulling to a stand & Clapping

Sometime mid of your 9th month you managed to pull yourself to a stand. You grab on anything, coffee tables, the grille, legs of chairs, your walker, stand speakers, you name it. Sometimes you hold on to something lower, like your toy box. This is when you push yourself up to a stand. It's quite amazing. You do this effortlessly. Mummy finds it funny and interesting how not 2 seconds after you get yourself up, you sit right back down and crawl to other things that interest you. Again you will pull or push your self up, take a few breaths, check out the scenery and off you go again. Always on-the-go. Off to find new adventures. That's my girl! As wonderful as your curiosity is, it's always scary for mummy, thinking of what you might pick up and put in your mouth or what unstable object you may hang on to fo support. Those stand speakers scare mummy more than anything. And those teeny tiny toys of che-che Shannon's that you could so easily choke on. Since mmummy is not around for the most part of the day when you are active and on the loose, Mummy can only pray for your protection. *Sigh*

Clapping. You love to clap. Sometimes you wake up to your mummy's smiling face and you start clapping. I find you like fun music. This always puts a smile on your face and gets you slapping your palms together. You fingers are straight out and spread apart and do not meet as you clap. So the clap is of your palms only. Still a clap. Such a happy happy peaceful baby.

For the past month mummy has stopped preparing your food in advance and keeping it in the freezer. You appreciate fresh food. And do not eat defrosted and heated food kept in the freezer. We make your porridge fresh now, making just enough for lunch and dinner. You seem to like your food in bigger chunks too and dislike mush. Nowadays, mummy feeds you at the dinner table together with everyone else. You like this very much. Sometimes I have to mix your porridge with mummy's food to give you the impression you are eating adult food. Your appetite is better this way and greater still when che-che Shannon is around to entertain (distract) you. Your milk intake is on average 25 oz a day. Mummy thinks this is a healthy amount. So I'm happy. So happy to have you.

xxx
mummy

Look who's talkin

I was amazed yesterday when I bid you farewell in my usual, "Goodbye baby boo boo, mummy loves you" manner and you replied,"Ba Ba" and gave me the twist of the wrist wave. Wowee, mummy's baby is talking. Real communication. Not a fluke. Coolness.

These days you tend to wave at nearly every moving object. A passing car or motorbike will get that sweet and gentle gesture from you. Strangers that walk by too. The moment you hear the word,'goodbye' or 'bye', your hand is up and doin' the twist.

We have started to teach you about objects. Mummy says,"fan" immediately you look up (head tilted all the way back) and your hand reaches for the fan. "Light" and your eyes turn toward the light. When were out in the garden, "bird" and you look to the sky. The joy in your eyes when you see a bird, priceless.... You know "Shannon" and "Ronan". If they are around you turn to look and when theyr'e not, you look toward the stairs waiting for one of them to come down. You enjoy being with Shannon. Especially chasing her around the living room in your walker and she in her tricycle. Of course you never actually catch up with her but you love this game all the same. Shannon enjoys your company too and is constantly showering you with kisses and hugs.

Elil loves Ronan. It is you who showers him with kisses. You are not this generous with those sloppy kisses of yours even with mummy. But with Ronan, you will kiss on demand. You love the adoring claps and praises of your audience.

Other fave words are like papa = a-pa, mama = maybe mummy (not too sure), (m)-me = mummy, (g)a-ma = grandma.
() : means you pronounce this very lightly.

Accomplishment Alert: Waving Goodbye

You have actually been 'waving' for some time now. But it has been more of like a twist of the wrist in anti-clockwise direction with your palms curved in and fingers stretched out. A little like an Indian dance movement. It is super cute. Somehow (mummy doesn't know why) you only do this with your left hand. Will post the video as soon as I get the camera from daddy. But yesterday morning as mummy was getting into her car to go to work, you gave me a 'real' wave goodbye. I know there are many different ways to wave goodbye. Yours was the type where your palm is open and you move your hand up and down and bend or curve your fingers down/in at the same time. Mummy is so proud of your accomplishment. Today you went back to your 'Indian dance' wave which is still so adorable. Mummy thinks that maybe you need a little more time to get used to the conventional adult wave. We'll see again tomorrow ok.

mummy

xxx

Milestone Alert: Crawling

Baby boo boo. You are crawling. You have been on all fours for over a week. Always rocking and shaking back and forth but never able to move. On the 28th February 2008, mummy saw you crawl for the first time. You seemed to master the art immediately. From a tummy shuffler to a pro crawler instantly. Crawling on the tiled floor hurts your knees I'm sure but you are a strong one and take it bravely. Now, not even a week later you are cruising the living room, crawling as fast as you can to mummy, attempting the stairs. The focus of our next outing with daddy should be baby proofing the home. Oh, I'm so proud. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Mummy really needs to download all the crawling shots and recordings from the camera. You need to see yourself in all your cuteness. Mummy constantly needs to hold back the urge to either squeeze you, bite you or kiss you all over. You make it so hard sweetiepie.

Another milestone you have recently achieved is pulling yourself up to a stand. You can pull yourself up with some effort but can't seem to get down. You tend to stay in one position for the longest time till you get too tired to hold your own weight and break out crying. Mummy finds this kesian but funny at the same time. I was sure this was meant to be the earlier milestone (before crawling) but I guess different development for different babies. Which is fine by me.

Splish Splash

Pre-dip

We decided to bring you swimming for the first time. You have been by the poolside so many times. Had a few dips - just your little feet. So on Friday, we got you in you itsy-bitsy blue two-piece suit and got you soaked. Boy were you excited. You kept rubbing those little feet of yours together. Daddy was in the pool with you. Mummy had to stay dry to take the pictures. It was so much fun watching you kick excitedly in the water. You had your floaties on and daddy held you tight the whole time. Swimming pool water tastes just like regular water doesn't it? Ewks.

You geram-ing the floatie

So happy to finally be in

Mummy was very prepared. Before soaking you in, I rubbed some Vicks Vaporub on your chest and back. This being your first time, we made sure you were not in for too long, I think it was about 10 minutes. We went in when the pool water was at its warmest. According to Aunty Otta, this is around 6pm. It was quite sunny out and the water was cool but not cold. First daddy held you face down but you kept licking the splashing water. So we decided lying you on your back was the most practical. Mummy thinks your'e a natural backstroker.

The backstroke. Check out those thighs! Gigitt!

After your ten minutes were up, we snuggled you in your towel and got you out of your wet bikini right away. Rubbed a little more Vicks on your chest and back and bathed you real quick. No fuss on your end. We'll probably bring you again in a week or so. Thank God you didn't fall ill or anything.

Post-dip

Milestone Alert: Holding The Nennen Bottle

Hey sweetpea. You held your own nennen bottle yesterday. You can pretty much feed yourself now but mummy's got to push the bottle back a bit when there is very little nennen left in the bottle. You have not quite got the hang of tipping it back yourself. You don't seem to like your sippy cup at this point. Probably when you have mastered the technique of tipping it over or sucking on the rubber teet. For now you use your sippy cup purely to ease the discomfort in your gums caused by teething. Speaking of teething, when are those little pearly whites of yours going to sprout? The irritation in your gums disrupts your sleep and when your sleep is disrupted, well mummy can't have a good night's rest neither. You are so adorable when you wake up in the middle of the night. Your eyes are wide open and you stare straight at me. Oh that smile you give me. Melts my heart every time.