More Hello Kitties!

Just about everyone's started to feed LV's love for Kitty. Grandma bought her the kitty foil balloon, and KGB got her the other tiny ("original Japanese ah!") kitty doll for Christmas which she loves so much! She's been carrying it around with her since KGB gave it to her last night. Lucky baby!

Growing vocabulary

It's just amazing to watch a baby grow and learn, and at an amazing rate too.

This morning, LV signed (and said!) "dirty" (I was telling her to stop biting the CD case cos it was "dirty"). Just yesterday, she learned the Sign for "scared/afraid". And also just yesterday, she learned how to say her own name! Her diction is also getting better for "Grandpa" (or "Papa"), "Grandma" (or "Mama").

I hope to be able to find the time to start scrapping these bits of memories soon! So much to document!

My Baby won't stop growing up!

I *really* wish time would stand still. This morning, KM commented while watching her sleep, that she's such a big girl now - she's actually started hugging her little teddy bear to sleep. She's certainly a lot more fun now, but oh I wish I could go back to when she first started babbling and saying her signature "yoikoyoikoyoikoyoi!" Now, she can say

Daddy (so clearly too!)
Mummy (though her "m" is more nasal than it should be, sounding almost like "Mah-bee" at times)
NooOooOOooo!!! (very clearly!)
Yeaaaaah!!!

She can also sign

Yes
No
More
Want
Milk
Strawberry
Where

And she has started to string words together to make simple 2-word sentences, like "want more".

So proud of my baby and all she's achieving, but I so do wish time would stand still too. Just for a little while - I haven't had enough of each stage of her life yet!

Every child needs a teddy bear

I've always loved stuffed toys. Having LV just gave me the excuse to accumulate them all over again. In the past year, friends and family have also contributed to LV's small collection. But to think of all the nice, pretty and carefully thought through teddy bears that were bought for her, she's taken to this little one that came in a hamper! Every child needs a favorite bear. Looks like LV might have found hers.

Would I get a KidSAFE line?

OK. Day 3 of testing kidSAFE by M1.

As I said in my previous post, the features of the phone aren't much to shout about, but then KM pointed out to me that it's really not that bad, especially if you consider the following:

1. The phone is only $48. *really* For a pretty fine looking phone, $48 really is a steal.

2. The phone is light. Really light. It's 9.9mm thick (just 0.1mm shy of a cm! Heheheh...) and weighs just 95g. With enough things in a kid's bag and pockets to weigh them down, having something light and small is good. I've always been partial to anything light and small anyway, so another tick in the reasons-to-get-it list.

3. The service is free. Nothing's free these days, ya? But this one is. I just checked it out. If you're an existing customer with M1 which I am, whee! You pay $0 for the SIM card (which is needed 'cos the service is tied to the SIM), $0 to activate the service, and $0 for the monthly service. It's expensive enough bringing up children these days. Anything that's fee has my stamp of approval.

4. More cost savings. If I limit my kid's calls to only 40 numbers, I'm also limiting the number of calls (and to where) she can make. Better yet. Calls to me and from me? FREE! I'm liking this more and more. *grin*

So who should get this phone?

Parents? Duh. I hate asking questions just to get a duh response to it. While that may seem the most obvious answer, surely parents aren't the only ones who'd find a use for it. So here's my suggestion:

a. People who want a clear distinction between weekday calls and weekend peace. As with my earlier post, I think this could do for a weekend phone when only your top 40 favourite people are allowed to have access to you and your weekend life. Why not?

b. Teachers, or any other person that wants to get a phone only for work and another to shut the rest of the world out but whose company won't pay for. I'm just thinking here. You don't need to give all 500 of your students your number. Neither would you need to keep an unlimited store of their numbers once they've graduated. Truth is, only a small handful remain friends, yet there are times students would really need your contact, eg. at a camp, on a hike, when exams draw near, times like these. I know some of us really don't mind that our students (or their parents) have our contact number. But I also know and respect colleagues who want to keep a clear distinction between their private and professional lives, and we all have heard of students who pass our numbers around without permission, and then privacy goes down the drain. Not so nice when that happens. KidSAFE takes on another meaning for those of us in this profession then. Heh heh heh... and 40 numbers - just nice to list all the kids in your form class ya?

c. Your new domestic helper. Not that you would see a need to control her calls. Whatever for? She's an adult. But I feel bad whenever I have to call my helper on the mobile, cos phone lines really aren't cheap, and I'm just eating into her phone bill. Having such a phone is then kinda... convenient, and cheap. Besides, if you ever intend to fully provide for your helper's mobile phone line and *if* you *are* paranoid enough about the people she's in touch with, then yeah, well, I guess this is the phone for you too?

d. Schools! Well, actually parents. BUT! If we could make this a school standard, like electronic calculators and school uniforms, it would cut down on unnecessary SMS'g and calls by students while in school. And I honestly feel it keeps them safe from unneccessary MMS advertisements and whatnots that I'm quite sure target students. Besides, having a limit to 40 numbers forces you to be selective about the people you put on your call list and that in itself is a discipline kids (and anyone for that matter) could learn to exercise.

So, would I get it? Yeah. I think I would? LV's not old enough to use a mobile phone yet. But I can see other conveniences connected to this service, and I'm ready to consider it now, if for nothing else, to shut off from the rest of the world I don't want to hear from when the weekend comes. And then, when LV's ready to use a phone, I'll let her have it. She looks like she could be ready to use it in no time though. *grin*

After thought: How about having it as an army phone? But then the phone has a camera. Hmmm...I can foresee many mums wanting one for their son when they enlist though... no? Oh well...

My daughter's first Hello Kitty doll

For some reason, LV has suddenly taken a real liking to Hello Kitty. I swear, it's not me. Really. I *do* own Hello Kitty things, but it's not like I throw it in her face, 'cos the Hello Kitty items I own are really unobtrusive, like my key ring (which is always in my bag), my bento boxes (which I pack and take to work way before she wakes up), or my Hello Kitty handkerchief from when I was 5 years old, which is folded and kept away in the tie drawer. So why she loves Hello Kitty this much, I do not know. It's cute nevertheless, to see her go, "Kitty! Kitty!" when she sees the cute mouthless cat, and I finally decided after much consideration, to get her her very own Hello Kitty doll. KM reckons this will be her only Hello Kitty doll, because he's quite certain he does not want her room to be filled with nothing but Hello Kitty dolls of different sizes and colours. Well, that's what he thinks now anyway. We'll see. *grin*

She changes everyday

My little angel is growing so quickly! I wish time would just stand still, yet it's so exciting to see all the changes as they come each day.

Her language skills are improving everyday. She understands more Mandarin with each week she spends with her grandparents on daddy's side of the family. She's also beginning to sign a bit more, showing sure evidence that she's been absorbing the language and understanding it better than I thought she would. She's now about to sign "more" during meal times when she's not had enough to eat. Just this evening, she was also signed "no" for the first time when asked if she wanted to continue with her meal! And a couple of nights ago, she signed "yes" when asked if she wanted to go down for an evening walk with us.

She is also learning how to be gentle with the cats, petting them instead of yanking at their fur. And she loves Hello Kitty! No influence from me, I swear! She just does! Seems like her first, repeated word is "Kitty"! Oh my!

My Baby's One!

So fast, time flies. This time last year, we were waiting anxiously for her to arrive. Then in the early months of trying to get to know each other, there were trying moments of figuring out what each cry meant, and getting through the difficulty of breastfeeding. My fatigue at that point was at an all time high and there were moments I wondered if I could actually see it through.

Today, LV's a bubbly, lively, extremely happy baby. She breastfeeds with no problem, eats just about any kind of solid food, runs around independently, loves music and has a good sense of rhythm, says hi to just about everyone, and is an all round agreeable little girl. That's not to say she's not naughty or mischievous. She has a temper which we shall have to learn to manage; she chases the cats everyday and pulls at their tail and fur, often refusing to let go. She can go on and on with her complaints if she doesn't get what she wants. But then that's having a personality. She would be unreal otherwise.

We love her more and more each day, even as she gets naughtier, even as she gets a little more difficult to handle. We thank God for her every moment, and pray she continues to grow in His wisdom, strength and favour.

Happy Birthday, my little one!

Developing a personality

My little sweetheart is growing up so quickly, I wish time would stand still. Everyday, she changes just that little bit more. Her eyes get brighter, her lashes just that bit longer and darker. She's stronger, walks more confidently and has a better sense of balance. And she's developing quite a personality.

Many people ask us if Lauren ever cries or has a temper. It almost seems unbelievable to many that she does anything but laugh and smile. The answer, alas, is 'yes'. She would otherwise not be human. Indeed, I always tell people that we are so blessed to have a daughter like Lauren. She truly wakes up in the mornings with a smile. She can spend long stretches of time in her play pen reading (yes, she actually babbles something in her own language while flipping the pages of her books and we figure she's actually trying to read like the way we read to her). If the telly is on, she can stand for almost half an hour in her pen watching the telly - she can't see much through the mesh so she has to stand, which serves us all well cos it limits the amount of TV she watches since she will sit and start reading when her legs get too tired. She eats just about anything and hardly fusses over meals. Strangers don't scare her. Relatives can pick her up and pass her around at family gatherings and she will almost never fuss. She sleeps wherever and whenever she's tired so it's easy to take her out most anywhere. But you see, it's "almost", "most" and "just about". Yes, my daughter does scream and cry, and goodness me, she definitely has a temper. This evening was one such evening. She screamed and screamed and screamed just because she did not want to be left alone in her play pen. Harry Potter had ceased to amuse her, and her books did not do. She started throwing her books and tamborine out of the pan, and she screamed till her face went all red with anger. Everyone was too busy to pick her up though, and she was told she simply had to stay in there until we all had our dinner, cleaned up and showered. Everyone must learn to be patient.

I'm quite certain she didn't really pick up on the patience bit this evening. She certainly did work herself into great fatigue and fell asleep by 8.30pm though, so peace and quiet came early tonight. Nice. Nice that quiet came early. Nice that she was screaming and yelling before that. Nice that my baby is developing a personality. I like it that she's got a temper. I like it that she tries to make herself heard and doesn't give up easily when Mum and Dad walk away. She's determined. I like it. My cheerful little bundle of cuteness has spunk. God has given me everything I asked for. I am continually amazed and thankful for the gift that is her.

Oh the things she can do!

LV's starting to learn how to mimic. Just 2 days ago, she heard KM coughing very loudly (and somewhat badly) in the shower room. She looked at me, shocked, and when I asked her, "How does Daddy cough?" she went, "ahu ahu ahu!" Heheheh...

Today, she blinks her eyes when asked, "Who has beautiful eyes?" We have no idea who taught her that. And she can say, "Mama" on demand! Hahaha...

Ooh... my cutie pie is getting cuter. :)

Doodle diner

LV has a paper placemat where she sits at the dining table. We got her these Crayola baby crayon holders and have been encouraging her to doodle just for the fun of it. Gives her something to do when we're doing work at the table. She hasn't quite figured out the crayons yet (except for when she recently bit the tip of the blue one off), but she's managed to make a couple of dots already. Meanwhile, the fancy doodles are all Daddy's. Heh.

How much do you give up for motherhood?

I have been thinking. For a long time now.

How much does one give up for motherhood?

Sleep? - you manage
Time? - every bit of free time is for your child, no regrets there
Hobbies? - baby becomes your hobby
Energy? - as with sleep, you manage
Youth? - everyone ages, so deal with it
Career? - this is where I cannot decide

And especially if you are mother to a daughter, what kind of example do present her with in your choices in life?

Lauren, my linguistic experiment

I've been signing to Lauren since she was 6 months old, though not very consistently. I try my best to make signing natural, speaking and signing at the same time. But sometimes, I forget to sign as I speak. Nevertheless, inconsistent as my signing may be, Lauren's finally picked up some of the vocabulary. Today, she signed "milk"! Repeatedly too, with purposeful intention! YAY! Baby can sign!!!

Baby loves curry!

Thought Lauren was old enough to try some spicy food and gave her a bit of curry from the prata place at Thomson Road. She loved it!

Case of the missing double eyelids - SOLVED!

My mum said that before my double eyelids became permanent, a show of them when I was a baby meant I was coming down with fever. What an indicator! Looks like Lauren's got that from me!