First Swim in Public Swimming Pool

We went to the Woodlands Swimming Complex on Sunday, around 4pm for our first swim in public.
 
We love swimming but were daunted by the challenging task of showering after the swim.
 
The weather was just nice, cloudy but still warm. We changed into our swimming costumes and went in to the play pool first. The water was freezing cold! It was the most shallow of the 3 pools and had showers and a water slide. Ning was shivering and turning back almost immediately.
 
After carrying her around the showers and slide, we decided to go into the waist high pool. There, the water almost felt warm in contrast to the first pool. We went in and watched many big brothers and sisters, including little ones with their parents. Most of the little toddlers were wearing floats. Our Ning was one of the rare ones who didn't used any floatation device.
 
Ning watched Mummy and Papa take turns float and swim and she was so excited that she screamed and laughed at the top of her lungs. Towards the end, she was kicking her legs forward, went underwater towards Papa twice, and stayed underwater with Mummy and Papa, smiling!
 
All in all, I thought she really enjoyed the experience in spite of shivering a lot of the time.
 
Planning to go again soon, if weather permits!

Ning uses predictable actions to her advantage

When Ning wants to get the long stick that Mummy puts out of her reach, she uses predictable actions.
 
She'll get a little ball, or puzzle piece, one small enough to roll or throw under the sofa, and chuck it in there.
 
Then she'll go, "ah!" and over comes Mummy.
 
Mummy says, "aiyah, it's too far for Mummy to reach, we'll need the stick", but of course, Ning was already on her way to the stick and pointing at it so that Mummy can take it for her.
 
Once she has the stick, she's no longer interested in the item under the sofa. She'll go walking around tapping the floor and trying to sweep other things on the floor with the stick :)
 
Smart girl eh? Sigh, I'm one busy and outsmarted Mummy. Took me 3-5 times before I realized what she was doing.

Yay (and claps) !

She's been doing this all week!

Just today, she woke up and used the toilet early morning. When she finished peeing on the potty, she said, "Yay!" and clapped!

She'd finish knocking all the pegs in and drops her hammer, says "yay" and clapped!

Then she put the blocks up and knocks them down, says "yay" and claps!

So adorable!!

Poor ants!

I noticed a little black ant today and pointed it out to Ning.

She immediately started stamping her foot on the floor. She was trying to crush the poor little thing, but her aim was not perfect, so it looked hilarious. She followed the ant, foot stamping, to the door, and got on all fours, took her Minnie Mouse shoe and tried to swat it! It was really very funny to watch.

Later on, in the living room, an ant emerged from the foam mat, and this time, she got it with one stamp of her foot.

Poor little ant.

Mummy explained the ants didn't do us any harm, so we shouldn't crush it. How'd she like if someone crushed Ning (hand pressing gently down on Ning's head)? She shook her head. Then nodded when I told her not to kill ants anymore. Let's see if she remembers it the next time we see an ant.

After note: Later, Papa told me he taught her to kill the ant with her foot because she was doing it with her hand, to protect her. Shouldn't we teach her to walk away instead, lest she follows it to the nest and swats it...

More words: Toe! Draw! Straw! Go! Long white thing!

I heard more words this week!

She'd point at toes and say "toe"!
And when she wants the magnetic drawing board, she'd say "draw" and try to reach for it!
"Go" when she wants to go somewhere, and pulls at Mummy's finger.

"Long white thing", I thought I heard this twice, amidst her jabbering while pointing at my rice vermicelli soup. She likes it. Kept asking for more.

She's also showing interest in knowing other body parts, by pointing at Mummy's then her own. When I named the fingers for her, she signed "more", and I said it once more. Thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger.

Mummy's also restarting the flashing of cards, though not as vigorously as before. Only for when she is interested. Today, she pulled out "爸爸" and said "ba ba"! I'm so encouraged! Quickly pulled out mother, but no combo luck. Will try again tomorrow!

"Kakak don't"

She said this repeatedly yesterday while she was on the slide.
 
Kakak Anna was banging under the slide.
 
When Mummy and Kakak Nana realized what she was saying, we told Anna to stop and she did.
 
Then Ning nodded her head :)
 
Wow, she's piecing words together, soon it'll be sentences !!!
 
Earlier this week, she said "Papa, dog!".
 
Long time ago, she said "Put on".

Developing wit and sense of humour

She's beginning to develop a sense of humour, when she sees things that act or look unexpectedly.

We downloaded the "Twinkle, Twinkle" song from youtube.com. There was a silly looking sleepy boy in the video and she laughed at that!

She's also beginning to play tricks on Mummy.

Yesterday, while going to bed, she signed "toilet" nearly 10x just to delay going to bed. She only passed urine the first time. After that, she'd point and say book, and there, to indicate she wants something else. Smart eh... Papa suspected she didn't really want the toilet at bed time after the first sign, last week. I didn't believe it. It finally dawned on me when I was trying to put on her nappy and asked her for the snappy, and she acted like she was going to hand it to me before throwing it backwards and shaking her fists, "no more". Hahaha, I don't know if I should laugh and admire her tricks or be angry!

Yesterday was 3rd day without wetting/soiling diaper

Yesterday was the third whole day she went without wetting/soiling her diaper!

I played safe, put her in a diaper cover for outings and sleep. She'd show signs of needing the toilet, and when placed on her pottete plus (over the adult toilet seat) she went! So far, she's passed motion 2 mornings and last night. I think she feels quite safe on the sturdy adult toilet and with the pottete plus as her seat, she can even fold / pull up her legs and hold onto the sides (of pottete handles) while straining.

It first started earlier this week when she'd wake up after 11pm until 7am, every hour and roll back and forth, not wanting to drink, but unable to sleep continuously. Mummy was very tired from lack of sleep. So I thought, no harm bringing her to the potty, if she wakes it's no worse than waking up every hour, but if she goes, I'd get a few hours of continuous sleep!

The first night, she went to sleep at 8pm. Mummy went in about 9:30pm. She woke at 11pm, latched on, then unlatched and started the rolling, whine, try to sleep, then repeat routine. So Mummy asked, "You want to go to the toilet is it?" She stared a while, surprised Mummy was talking to her in the middle of the night, then she nodded! So, "Mummy take of your nappy yeah..." and put her down in the toilet and she passed urine like a waterfall! After that, she fell fast asleep before Mummy was done fastening her diaper buttons! The next time she woke was 7am, latched on for a while, then toilet again, waterfall and passed motion! What a relief!

After toilet, I'd put her in pants, telling her she's a good girl and can use pants now that she uses the toilet! I let her choose, between cloth diaper or pants and she chose the latter. Sometimes she'd be creative and shake her head at both, then I'd just put her in pants.

So there! We're almost done toilet training! Mummy's so relieved she doesn't have to worry about wiping poo off Ning's buttocks and washing smelly poo-soiled diapers for much longer!