Hitting Mummy (with books, palm, etc)

Mummy is bruised in the right eye from Shay Ning's hits.

Okay, I'm partly to blame.

I'm tired and sleepy, and she wants to read. When a nudge and "Momma" doesn't get her what she wants, she use the book to hit Mummy, usually in the eyes. As if willing me to wake.

Yesterday's hit was quite heavy, board books, and I can feel a deep bruise under the right eye. I was furious, said "That was painful!", took the book and threw it into the cot, out of her reach. Then turned away. She looked taken aback, then she tried to kiss me. Awww. Felt so guilty right after. I got up immediately, wake myself up, wash face, and played with her instead of wishing she'd take a nap.

Sigh, the joys of motherhood.

Ouch.

Crisp and clear "Done" yesterday

She said it crystal clear, "Done" after going on the potty.
And in the most adorable little girl tone!
I just melted inside and was wishing for more :P
 
Saying a lot of "mm, (o)kay".
And a whole lot of other words which I don't understand.
Am beginning to notice she says them consistently.
Need to tune in more often then.

Laughing to sleep, again

This time, while nursing.

She was one her way to dream land, sucking occasionally. Then she chuckled and lost the suction. She frantically latched on and continued.

Did this 3 times before falling asleep. Napped almost 2 hours.

Still not taken her second nap for the day though. Am a little concerned she might nap late and wake-up later, instead of going to bed earlier tonight.

Am so happy to see her chuckles every time.

Nipple, areola and breast

She knew and pointed them out correctly after being told twice!

Amazing!

Ning enjoys using the Pigeon aspirator!

She had quite a fair bit of dried up and backed up mucous in her nostrils from the cold last week. So, we used the aspirator Yee Yee bought for us. This was our second attempt.

It was bedtime and Mummy just couldn't bear to hear her snorting and drinking to sleep.

So, Mummy filled up the aspirator with water, blew out the excess at the angle which I think we'll be aiming at.

Once she saw the object, she reached for it. We let her hold it for a while. Then Papa held her up, in case she loses her balance. Mummy positioned the aspirator in one nostril, she's so excited (pleasant surprise). Then Mummy sucked. Whoa, angle too steep, Mummy sucked up water! Spit! Bleah! And she laughs.

Then Mummy tried again, and one BIG chunk of dried up mucous and the trailing wet bits suctioned into the water! Gross! She was so eager to have the other nostril suctioned she was aiming her nostril at the aspirator! Mummy sucked and sucked until finally her nostrils are cleared. Hurray! We all had a good laugh.

Mummy was disgusted by the thought that I could've sucked up the mucous into own mouth but it was worth the risk because Ning slept without a sound except clear breathing that night.

Learning things super fast @ 11 months today!

Well, we started noticing last few weeks.

When I pointed out the 100 boys painting, I was looking for details to show her. I pointed out things like lanterns, swords, flags, drums, trees, etc. I did this once, some time ago. Today, I said, "Hmm, let's see, where are the flags in this painting?" And immediately, she held out her hand and pointed, with index finger, to one of the flags! Wow! I was so thrilled, I praised her repeated then I asked her where the swords were (at our level), after which, she kept pointing back at the same flag. Haha, next time, I'll remember not to over do the praising part.

Papa taught her to carry the musical mobile's remote control like a handbag. And she's doing it, then on her bum, pivot one round, as if modeling it :)

Mummy balanced lion rattle leaning forward on the cot railing. Ning pushes it down, Mummy says "Ah!". Then Mummy rolls it up again. Soon, she was doing it herself!

All 8 front incisors are out by 10 months!

She's got a very toothy grin now!

And she's also learning things super fast, especially things we don't teach her! E.g. Mummy playfully mouth and teeth lightly bite her hand, and she reciprocates back later! I thought she was gonna bite, felt her teeth, but it just scraped my hand.

She's drooling a lot, probably due to the flu. After sneezing, she'd drool, then continues to drool until her chin and chest are wet.

The gums are whitish and bumpy where her right premolars are expected (up and down).

We certainly don't have to be concerned she's not getting enough calcium!
I think!

Still, Mummy's gotta keep drinking milk and get her dose of calcium.

2 sick gals

With running and stuffy noses.

She's still alert and active, even with 2 streams of mucous running. Only sign of discomfort is when she sleeps, we hear the stuffy nose laboriously doing its job.

This is her first cold. Mummy's got it too, with headache. Her mucous turned green yesterday. Its been 3 days now. Hope we get better soon.

Back to Bits cards...

After the fun long weeks with Popo & Gong Gong, and after seeing her demonstrate her amazing ability to understand and show her understanding, Mummy is determined to get back on track with the Bits (Bits of Intelligence) cards.

After going thru this for 4 months, I thought I'd be an expert at flashing those Bits, but I'm wrong. I'm still fumbling, it's too smooth for me to quickly pull and show.

Only those Bits in plastic wrap, I can flip up to speed :)

And she's showing something else when she doesn't want to look at the bits.
She's turning away from the old bits! The new bits, she'll look for a split second.
The older bits, she refuses to see, and looks for other things to look at.

Have reached the 94 dot card. Almost finishing with Wild Animals, then move on to Opposites or Colours. We're almost done with Primates (I) and Flowers (I), our third and fourth set.

Am currently doing the following (on average) daily:
2 sets of 5 dot cards, 2-3 times
2 sets of 5 english words, 2-3 times
2 sets of 3 multiplication with dots, once (this one she always looks)

I divide them into to sets each, so each session, I do one set each. Sometimes, if she's distracted, I'd split them into more sessions. Am taking it easy over weekends, as the father frequently distracts her, although I'd sneak in one session or two when he's in the shower or out running errands.

I'd put her in the bumbo seat, so she couldn't get up and explore freely, then quickly flash her those cards. I had to get those flashed cards out of sight, or she'll look at them instead of my new set.

Am considering starting Chinese words. I asked Ning if she wanted to see Chinese cards as well, and she nodded quickly. However, we haven't been using Mandarin around the house often, so we need to figure out how to integrate Mandarin in our learning. She always looked perplexed when I start talking to her entirely in Mandarin.

Papa speaks to her in Cantonese whenever we're home together.

Have to figure this one out.

Too many books, she's skipping pages

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing...

I've purchased over 90 boardbooks, and over 100 hardcover books for over SGD $800. Most of them old books, some are new books (8 Touch the Art books).

After disinfecting with Dettol and airing them, I've arranged them all on the IKEA bench well within her eye-level and reach. I've taken a bunch for bedside reading, like Eric Carle's The Very Lonely Firefly, which has many flickering lights at the last page, Sandra Boynton's Pajama Time and Fuzzy Fuzzy Fuzzy, Dr Seuss' ABC, Nursery Rhymes (6 in box) and Look & Say (6 in box).  She loves turning this Fuzzy Fuzzy Fuzzy book and is very fast and efficient too, and she touches all the padded places. It helps that the words are large and few, so Mummy can read as quickly as she touch and turn.

Previously, with only 2 boxes of books, she'll slowly turn all 6 pages, even by herself. Now, when Mummy reads, she'll quickly turn 2 or 3 pages at a time, or close the book, or pick up another book.


I love reading Sandra Boynton's books, they're easy to read to the 10 month old, and has lots of nice illustrations. Ning loves to look thru the cut-out shapes of the front cover and has a gleeful time grinning and chuckling seeing crescent shaped Mummy and other things.

Eric Carle's books, she has no patience for them yet. So, maybe we can do that after Boynton's.

Dr Seuss, again, initially, she loved the ABC book, would stay on the book from front to end, and ask for more. Now, she'll move one before I get to D for Duck Dog and doughnuts. She stays until C because Mummy always praises her for looking at the ceiling when I read "Camel on the ceiling, C c c..."

I wonder, if it's too many books, or just a phase.

Will try keeping the excess away and just release a few a week / month.

Find me turtle, pelican...

I squirted all the air out. All sank to bottom of wash tub. Sometimes she'd stand-up to look.
And she picked all 6 up correctly.
Crab, dolphin, octopus and another crab.
She is starting to demonstrate her understanding more every day.

Standing unsupported a few times

Now she lets go whenever she can. Sometimes for more than 10s at a time. I always watch in trepidation.

Ning said "Go where?"

When Mummy kept telling her to finish her milk before we go out. Mummy needed to pack lunch.

She unlatched and said "Go where?" loud and clear. I was surprised but managed to answer her.

So pleased.

Doing a Popo (the movie, like real)

Nai (Milk in Cantonese) and Tata (Goodbye)

Popo and Gong Gong was here for less than 10 days and she's already saying "Nai nai nai nai.." and waving "Ta ta ta ta"...

Last night, after Popo & Gong Gong left for home, she flipped the two-sided grandparents photo frame around, scratched at Gong Gong's face, then pointed at Popo's face, then frown. She looked at me sadly, as if saying, Popo & Gong Gong is missing tonight. I explained they've gone back to their own home, but we'll be visiting soon, then she moved on.

By bed time, she was doing a "Popo" look, sucking her upper lip in and pouting her lower lip up and getting all excited. It's quite sad, Popo & Gong Gong's gone home and no one to compete with her...

The picture below shows what doing a "Popo" means... taken in Jun 2010, at 7 months old.

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!