{Dear Baby} Seventeen

Dear Baby,

Seventeen.

Already.

And the night before you turn seventeen months old, you decided to sleep just minutes before midnight. Even when you napped little in the day. I hope that's just teething, and not that you are trying to make that a tradition.

You

You are starting to develop a sense of self, which makes it fun and frustrating at the same time. 

You now address yourself in third person. And honestly, much as I try not to say that my baby is cute, it IS actually quite cute to hear you speak like that.

You now want to have a say in your choice of clothes. We spent 45 minutes getting you dressed on the first day Chinese New Year. 

You refused to put on that pair of pink leggings you used to like so much. 

You chose these instead.

Have to admit that these outfits  look better than they would with the pink leggings.

And you decided, a few days ago, that you should wear your cheongsam to popo's place.

Dressing you up usually goes like this:

No.

No?

Noooo...

(And I give up and take you to your wardrobe) Then which one do you want? 

This one.

I've learnt that the fastest way is to let you pick out your own clothes. That'll take a while too, but still, a lot faster than struggling to put on something that you do not like.

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I think I said that last month, but you are communicating pretty okay with us so we do have little conversations sometimes. It's fun. Really. Every night before bed, we'll spend time in the playroom and have little conversations. I love that.

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Pretend play is also getting more interesting now that you are talking as you play.

"Mouse poo poo" and the Minnie Mouse plushie gets placed on the weighing scale. That's the toilet. Most days you'll pull out the unused diaper that's too small for you from the drawer, and attempt to let "Mouse wear" it.

Mummy doesn't know why I still leave the diaper there. But at least, it serves a purpose now!

Lately, there's "Mouse sleep" while you hug Minnie Mouse and attempt to pat it to sleep. Some days, you'll walk around the room and hum.

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We catch you "talking" on the phone quite frequently too. (Have I said that already?) 

*

You are learning new words each day and it's fun to hear you say it for the first time. Because most of the time, we have no idea that you already know it.

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You've also figured out how to remove your sleepsuit. For a few days, we walk into the room after you wake, to find you pajamas not on you, but on the bed. Thankfully you stop doing that now because you could catch a chill, you know.

*
And this.
This is important.
You are learning to indicate that you want to go to the potty to pee now.
I really hope I can wean you off diapers soon because... I think we are reaching the largest possible size soon.

Words

Some of my favourite new words and phrases this month:

Mama, mynah!

Pun-kin (pumpkin)

Eat pun-kin

This is big. You used to dislike pumpkin and you gag a lot whenever there's pumpkin in your porridge. But one day after reading Hello Kitty's Halloween (thank you Aunty J!), you decided that you want to eat pumpkins and you did. And asked for more.

Toto (Motorcycle) voooon vooon

Mama floor dirty. (How you address yourself) 抹。

(Basically everyone in the whole family) read
And sometimes we try to make someone else read to you because we have been reading for the past close to one hour.

When I use my phone too much...

Mama... Keep. 

Mama put here.

Mama put down.

Chores 

I think you like to imitate us. And I'm glad to have a little helper even if you make more mess than help sometimes.

Your list of chores you like to do have expanded to:

• Throwing trash into trash bin 
• Undressing yourself and putting the dirty clothes into your laundry basket
• Putting your books back onto the shelf
• Keeping your toys into the toy box
• Helping to put clean clothes back
• Wiping the floor 
• Taking the milk bottle and our water bottles out to the dining table in the morning
• Cleaning the floor with a wiper stick (new!)

I think you feel good to be able to do things yourself.

Explore 

This month, we also tried something different. 

There's more messy play at grandma school, more nature walks, and daddy takes you out more often during the weekdays.

We go places!

There's the nature walks, Punggol Ranch Resort, Sentosa Cove, and the Hobbiton exhibit at the airport.

It's great to see you enjoy yourself so much.

I think I haven't said this before.

You are a really sensible girl.

Motherhood has been good to me so far and I'm so proud of you. 

Really.


Cuddles and Snooches,
Mommy