It has been two months since we (Mami and I) last posted! Again, i point the finger at Mami... heh heh
I am almost 1 and a half years old now and officially a toddler (since i started walking as reported in my last post). I am getting more and more independent with my walking . Nowadays, i even tried to jump by imitating Dadi but of course, i cant seem to get my feet off the ground, without falling over. I can do several things pretty well by myself such as feeding myself with a spoon (or fork but i need help poking my food with it, esp the slippery ones.. like grapes) and pretty much insist on doing it myself (i will tell Mami "self-self"). Mami has almost given up on trying to record down the new words i am saying. Hahaha, i am surprising her by popping up with new words, phrases here and there. I think i am more confident with talking now and if i really want something (e.g. food), i would even string together simple sentences like "I want..... more". Just the other day, both Dadi and Mami got a shock when i told them to "Sit Down!" (of course i meant what i said, i even tap the sofa so that they don't misunderstand me!) because previously all i could say was "down down".
Dadi is still concerned if i will speak Mandarin correctly. Okie, i admit, i do have a bit of a funny 'accent'. But that's because i cant really get the 'pin yin' right, so i always tend to end on a higher intonation. Shrug. But Mami has been quite patient, she would say the words really slow and get me to repeat after her, some times i was able to get the right sound. She told me, i just need to practise more. But at least i am understanding instructions in Mandarin fairly well and I can identify or express the label of some common things in English (if i already know them) when Dadi ask for it in Mandarin (e.g. "香蕉" is banana - "nana"). I think Dadi don't have to worry... i am most probably going to grow up Bilingual. Once i get my intonation correct! Hahaha. My articulation is getting much better too, so is my ability to imitate words and sounds. Mami always do it face to face with me when she is massaging me after my bath. I found it great fun, especially when she does her funny faces, sing funny songs and tickle me.
Over the last two months, I went on another trip (yes i know! I am not even two yet and has been on the plane so many times!) to Hong Kong and Singapore. This time we went to Hong Kong to see QQ who has just moved into his own apartment. Wow.. i really like his balcony because i can see ships, cars, buses and alot of other things from there. It is on the 46th floor but i am not afraid of heights. I love going to the balcony! I also like the indoor playground in QQ's apartment building. It was while there Mami taught me to climb up and slide down a slide. I guess i am not very confident with my gross motor skills, which had Mami worried for a while (esp when i showed so little interest in participating) but when she do it together with me, i found that it is actually easier than i thought! Once i get the hang of it, it was easier for me to do again and i began to enjoy it.
Over in Hong Kong, i also met Gonggong and Laolao and Xiao QQ. They took me to eat alot of different things. I love growing up because now Dadi and Mami let me try anything and everything (except prawns/crabs). I love the dim sums, the cakes, the desserts, and oh, so many good food! I think Gonggong is also like me, he loves eating too! Gonggong also went with me to Ocean Park but we didnt really enjoy it because it was hot and really crowded. :/ I think QQ enjoyed my company quite a bit and often played and talk with me while i was there. Mami thinks QQ should get married soon and have his own kiddies, then i will have more playmates. :) Well, in HK, of course there will be shopping besides eating. Dadi bought me some toys from HK and a pair of new shoes. Now that i am a confident walker, i dont need the soft sole shoes anymore and can wear regular ones which looks so much nicer.
We spent about 6 days in HK then we went to SG for another 5 days. It was a pretty busy trip and I had fun going shopping at Carrefour with Mami and Dadi. I also had fun going to Polliwogs with Aaron Gorgor and Andy Didi, with my Godma Angie. I had a chance to demonstrate some of my new skills there (like climbing up the giant playground and going down the slide). That day, we also met up with another of my Godma Suean and had a Japanese buffet dinner! It was a early celebration for both my Godmas birthday. So happy early birthday Godma Suean and Godma Angie!! Of course good food for me again... except the raw stuff which Mami say i cannot eat. It was great to see Aaron Gorgor again and this time he didnt bully me at all and we could play together! Andy Didi has also grown bigger and taller! I think when i go back to SG next time, i will be able to play with him too!
Over the trip, I also met some of Mami's ex-colleagues like Fiona Jiejie and Aunty Fauziah (whom i greedily took a whole box of oreo cookies from.. heh heh). Fiona Jiejie was very good and told Mami how to help me be more confident with using my body and reducing my drooling. Well, it really works because my drooling has really really reduced! Nowadays, i hardly need to wear any bibs. HAHAHA no more people laughing at me wearing funny bibs! Before we left SG, I also met up with my cousin Joshua. Mami had a good time having a family dinner with her cousins (my aunties and uncles), while i was busy checking out the new toys that Joshua Gorgor have. Heh heh. Gonggong and Laolao was also back so there was plenty of good food again (i tried my first yong tao fu!). It was a good trip back and i miss seeing the Elmo that QQ got me which Mami left in SG, so that i have a friend whenever i go back to SG.
Oh, the last thing we did before we left SG was to cut my hair. Aiyo.. why must they mess with my hair? Even though the aunty that cut my hair was very nice and i get my own little tv screen to watch Thomas the Train, i still HATE cutting my hair. Sigh. Anyway, after 11 days of being away, now we are back in cold cold Melbourne again. Sad to say, after a few days, i began to have a cold. I started to have mild fevers, runny nose and cough. Poor Mami and Dadi had to do shift work to take care of me through the nights again. Till now, though my fever has stablized, i am still having my runny nose and cough. Sigh. It makes sleeping most uncomfortable, even though i have my humidified and a pillow to help elevate my head. I really hope to get well soon, and then i can sleep better and go out and play again. Sighhhh....
Okie, i think that's all the updates i have for now. Hope to write again soon!
This winter in Melbourne has been really cold but Mami, Dadi and I are doing well. Mami said time passes really fast, before she knew it, i've already turned 1 and a half year old, and soon, i will be two! Over the past month or so, we had a few visitors from Singapore, and i also caught up with my old friend, Blythe meimei, who also moved to Melbourne from Singapore. It is nice that i now have a playmate and hoped that Aunty Vanessa will bring Blythe meimei over for more playdates soon. We went to the museum last week and we really had fun!
Winter in Melbourne also means school holidays for the bigger gorgors and jiejies here. There are alot of children's programs happening and just the other day, Mami and Dadi took me to the NGV's children corner where there was a really cool art installation for kids like me to play with. I could play with lights and there were fishes swimming on the floor which made a musical sound whenever i try to step on them. After that we also went to a Tim Burton exhibition where i saw a lot of "MONSTERS"! But i wasn't scared at all and Mami and Dadi enjoyed it, even though there were alot of people there.
Mami is still waiting for a place for me at the childcare school. She thinks it will be nice for me to go join other children for play and learning a few times a week. The school was very nice and big but also very popular. There are still 150 children infront of me in the waiting list! Anyway, it seems exciting if i can go to the school. I saw alot of play toys and activities! There was also a big dining room where i can go by myself to take food (with teacher of course) and everything is cooked fresh there! Even though Mami said that i am learning very fast, she also thinks if i have more friends, i will really enjoy it. I think so too. I love being other little friends and sometimes they will hold my hand when i go to them.
The things i know now... wow.. there are too many things that i can't really remember also. I am eating on my own with a spoon. And i can identify alot of shapes now, like circle, square, triangle, diamond, heart, and oval. The other day, i also managed to thread a button (big big one!) using a pipe cleaner with my two hands. Of course, when it comes to talking, i am now more confident in using more phrases and sometimes sentences. Sometimes i uses Mandarin too but i think i prefer English because i know more words. I still love my songs and i can sing quite a lot of them (not ALL the words but i can remember the ending of each sentences for all the songs, even if Mami had only sang them once or twice). Mami say i should start toilet training soon so that she can save on all the day time diapers. But perhaps she will only start when the weather is warmer. Laolao and Gonggong will be coming in another week's time and Mami had has them to buy me alot of pants for my 'toilet training'. Sighhhh....
Well, that's all for now... Wonder what new things will i learn or new places i will go in this coming month! See you soon Gonggong and Laolao!
