Standing for 5s; and later fell asleep laughing

while smacking lips and Mummy smack lips back. Papa started responding to Ning's smacking lips, and she chuckled. Mummy joined in. We took turns smacking lips and she was laughing, smacking lips, and laughing until she closed her eyes, still smiling and laughing and dozed off last night. We'd love to lull her to sleep laughing every night! Let's try okay, Lougong?

Just shortly before that, she came to Mummy, used Mummy as a prop and let go to stand for a full 5 seconds! She did it 2 nights ago, for about 2s.  She was so happy when we cheered her, she tried again, but I think she's tired, so not as successful in later tries. We still applaud her. Will give her more opportunity to use Mummy as prop :)

Cantonese Oy!

She replied "oy!" and nodded when Popo asked her if she wanted to go out in Cantonese. Popo and Ning repeated this conversation at least 3 times.

In Cantonese, that means affirmative.

Chatterbox in the making

She mumbles while drinking milk, babbles while pointing to objects, pulling to standing, trying to switch the TV on, almost every thing she does. Her sounds are getting more complex as she rolls and twist her tounge, sometimes with the aid of the occasional thumb or fingers.

So far, heard:

"pou pou" = carry in Cantonese
With outstretched arms

"poodon" = put on
With shirt or dress or bib in hand

"there" = there
when asked where things are
Sometimes she'll point or just look in the direction.

"ok" or "mm" = ok
When asked if she wanted to go outside or milk or toilet. Although she's been nodding and shaking her head more since last week. It's funny, sometimes she'll shake then nod her head as if she's either mistakenly used one or she couldn't make up her mind.

"meehlk" = milk
When Mummy's been oblivious to all her hunger signs, usually watching TV or on the Internet, and she's on the brink of crying. Hee hee. Its not often. So I don't get to hear this very often. Maybe it's more difficult to pronounce.

"boh" = ball or anything circular
When she wants or sees ball

"book" or booh = book, with very silent k
When she wants or is playing with her books. By the way, she can now turn most of the board books pages by herself. And, she also demonstrated she knows one title from the other. When I played "This little pig" with her toes, she picks the book up. And when I play "Round and round the garden", she picks up the corresponding title. Tried to give her "Teddy bear, teddy bear" as "Hey diddle diddle", her hand stopped mid reach. When I said sorry, it should've been... She grabbed it smiling, as if "ah, so that's a mistake".

"tickle-tickle" when she wants the "Round and round the garden" book or tickling.

"Zhe ge" = mandarin for "this one"
When she is playing with many toys as if taking stock

It's mooncake festival

Today!

Have hung up some lanterns all ready for tonight. We've got chicken herbal soup, lo han chai and rice. We've also got snowskin and traditional mooncakes.

Clown dog from Abang & siblings

My neighbour's boy came over yesterday. While both were sitting on the playmat in front of the television, Ning picked the clown dog from among 2 teddy bears, Mickey Mouse and frog soft toys, and put it beside Abang.

What a coincidence or good memory! Abang and 2 Kakak came over and gave her the clown dog and a tiny pink dolphin some months back.

Wow!

Nodded to "Do you want..."

Mummy to read this to you?
To go outside?
To use the toilet?
Drink some water (from sippy cup)?

Oh, Mummy's so pleased.

Cruising the TV bench

Time to move all the remote controls, plate, hi fi and stuff all the way back and out of her reach!

"Put on" my bib!

Yesterday, I was just going to settle down for my "ee mee" with vegetables for lunch when Ning woke up from her nap. So, I fed her first, then sat her on the high chair with a frozen water-filled teether.

She was happily gumming it away for a minute when she took the bib from the backrest of her high chair, held it towards me, dropped it in front of me and said "put on"! Well, it sounded more like "pooodon", but under the right context, I deduced it must mean "put on" :)

Why? The frozen teether was dripping on her spaghetti blouse!

Smart girl!

She's started cruising along walls

this week!

I'm pleasantly surprised. Soon, all those places without furniture, which we've carefully laid out so that her movement is more restricted, will be within her reach!

Time to observe and re-assess our living & dining room safety!

Climbed onto the bed (mattress on floor) twice

She did it twice, once last week and once yesterday.

She wanted to have a closer look at her spaghetti strap top that I took out for her, just before bath time.

Tried to get her to repeat it after getting camera, failed.

Now camera's on standby in be bedroom :)

Rocking to songs, says "Ahhhh!" for owl @ 9m (last month)

She started rocking to the "ABC" alphabet song in her 9th month. Now she rocks whenever she enjoys a song :) Like "Twinkle Twinkle", or other nursery rhymes, hummed, sung, or just the instrumental music.

She's also started saying "Ahhh!" happily whenever we reach the 3rd page of her "Twinkle Twinkle" book, where there's an owl and I say it for her.

Roused from her nap early, gotta go.

Putting objects into boxes

Some of her achievements, to-date:

She's put alphabet blocks into the Pureen wet wipes box.
She's put 1 board book back into the box (set of 6).

I'm amazed, can't wait till the day she can put everything back into their respective places, hahaha. Then I don't have to pick up after her :)

7th tooth spotted last week

Just a few days shy of turning 10 months. It's the 3rd upper incisor, on the right. Her right teeth always seem to pop out first.

These seem to irritate her more. She's also salivating more though thankfully only when she's gumming objects, unlike a snail which leaves a trail of mucous wherever it goes. I've seen babies like that. Lots more wiping to do...

Slobbery kisses @ 9m

Our dear daughter is finally catching on to kisses :)
 
She planted a wet one on my right cheek while I was reading "Dr Seuss's A B C" to her tonight. I planted one right back on her left cheek and continued reading.
 
Then she reciprocated, and vice versa, over the next few pages. By the end of the book, she was off to her next fancy of the moment.
 
Sigh.
 
:D

Pointing at wants @ 9m

She pointed at the toilet this morning and Papa potted her with instant resulting. Later I asked if she wanted the toilet and she affirmed by pointing too.

She's really very aware of what's said. Now when I read Dr Seuss A B C, when I reach C, she'd look up even before "camel on the ceiling". Funny girl. I wonder if she is looking for the camel up there.

Solid snakey stools

She had some sweet potatoes day before yesterday and finally pooed after 3 days without. And yesterday too.

I think her intestines are finally maturing. Her farts smells like adult farts too.

We'll introduce more foods to her by 1 year old. She'll have cake when she's 1 :)

Papa will be pleased.

Little drummer girl

She can drum, shake the maracas, blow the trumpet and rock to and fro to the tunes of "ABC" and a few other nursery rhymes. Looks like a one gal band in the making to me ;)

Forgot to note this, she scratched Gong Gong's..

photo when I showed her the pictures in her photo album. We went thru the whole album and that was the only picture she frowned, and then scratched. As if saying, "Where is Gong Gong?"

That was about 2 weeks ago. I called up Gong Gong to tell him. He was very happy to hear that.

She belted out "ABC Song" with "Ba"

Papa played the Alphabet Pal tune of "ABC Song" to her one morning last week. Then we put away the thing to feed her breakfast. She belted out "Ba ba ba..." to the tune of the "ABC" song!

Beautiful butterfly in my garden

Found this in my garden after lunch one day, 28 Aug 2010. It was feeding on the nectar from my chilli padi plant. I didn't even notice I had 2 chillis.

I feel so happy, thankful

We have Ning.

Papa joined us for a nap earlier. When she woke, she was smiling and playful. I love to hear her pleased sounds.

I love blowing on her stomach, making sounds like letting wind rip. Nowadays, she does it to me too. Sometimes she misses, I can hear blowing, but mostly she succeeds.

The best thing is, Mummy giggles, and she smiles blissfully. She's doing things to please us. Sometimes Papa doesn't realize it yet. She blew on Papa's stomach but received no response.

Sometimes, we teach her stuff like how to hit the drum with drumsticks, and when she finally hits it, we fail to show appreciation, either we've moved on to other things or take it for granted she'd learn it sooner or later. Only on afterthought, we'd applause and praise her.

We really need to appreciated the little person's achievements more. It shouldn't be taken for granted until a milestone is missed.

I love this little person. Here she comes trying to climb up my legs.

Melody mix (3 yrs onwards)

This "I'm Toy" is for making music. She's making "music" alright ;) the xylophone is out of tune. Sigh, I had high hopes that such a quality product would make it right.

Removed the handheld bells, in case it comes off. That will have to wait till she's 3 years old.

Guiro playing

Right and wrong way, she's trying it every way. Like a baby would.

Cruised 1.9m bench

Today, she broke her 2 feet cruising distance by cruising the entire length of the Ikea bench.

First grabbed moving toy train, then grabbed 3rd of 7 stacking cups, then grabbed Mummy's stacked up wooden beads.

After that, Mummy introduced the biggest keys on the keyboard, the space bar, enter, shift and + keys, otherwise she'd pull the whole thing to the floor.

Finally, she reached the mouse, and Mummy properly introduced the mouse pad and mouse, right and left clicks as well as scroll wheel to Ning.

She's also cruised the ottoman and other bench too. A bit.

Avid walker-wannabe

She takes big steps and even tries to take several steps at once while holding my hands, sort of skip-jog.
Sometimes she tires and will not bear her own weight. Then I'd just let her sit and we amuse ourselves whichever way she chooses.
Really looking forward to the standing unsupported and walking milestones. Then we can take in some fresh morning air together and go to the playgrounds!

Licensed to cruise

She started by pulling up to stand last week. Both legs rooted to the floor.

She's now tip toeing and lifting each foot above the floor, not necessarily towards her intended direction, leaning until her feet are brought nearer her destination. Sometimes, she'd successfully moved one or two feet away this way.

Since she started this, I haven't been tracking her crawl mileage. Doman says 400m per day to properly complete that development phase. I believe it too, will try harder. Its just so tiring to crawl around with her and swing your buttocks in the air like her. Toys placed out of reach doesn't work that well when there's so much of our stuff within reach that she'd much rather try get.

There.

Maybe she can stand without support soon. She's been letting go for 2s. Maybe she'll walk by her first birthday? The grandparents will sure be busy the next time we visit.