Huirou @ 2 years 11 months old

Last week, Hubs commented: Wow, we’ve spent the last 4 years with Huirou already.

He of course was counting the year that she was inside my tummy too.

Last month on the paediatrician's scale, she weighed 12kg. Everyday she eats 5 kg of food. She eats a lot. So I don’t know why she’s small. Wait, I know: It’s genetic :)

I really like to chit chat with her now. She is quite good at telling me about her day too. Without fail, our conversation carries over to what Zhixin does at the sitters’. So I get to find out her version of what she ate or if Zhixin was naughty. I hardly verify her story, though, because it is this simple routine of winding down that I like at the end of the day.

And she remembers. I can ask her where she’d put away something, or where her uncle went. If we brought her somewhere unfamiliar she will ask about where we are going. We went to Ipoh last month and she remembers.

She grasps concepts like big/small, near/far, whether it’s a workday or a restday for us. 

She loves to read. I haven’t really taught her to read, but I enjoy reading or looking through books with her.  She enjoys looking at the pictures and weaving her own story. If she grabs a magazine, she starts going through the pictures and ask us what each picture is. She especially enjoys the  sales leaflets that were delivered aka junk mail to our mail box, because we can then have fun at identifying our household things.

Next year, we want to put her into a pre-school. At first, I thought I want to put her in a Montessori-based school; but then any true Montessori centre may not prepare her adequately for primary school a few years down the road.

So I’ve identified one near our house where there are “taught” lessons, but also monthly themes/modules where she will get to discover other things, like nature, cooking, science, history and sports and hopefully many others more that I couldn't think of right now.

And this will be her birthday present this year.

Zhixin @ 13 months old

Growth, Food Intake and General Well Being

• Before I forget again, Zhixin is 8kg now.  Our paediatrician says he is on the small side. Oh, well.
• After his babysitter cooks for him, he consumes 5 x 80 ml bottles of ebm. Yeah reduction, but he eats good
• After discovering that he likes drinking from the straw cup or the sippy cup his fluids intake increased significantly too. yeah!
• On top of everything else, his 8th tooth finally showed. I wonder why it took its own sweet time?

Physical Development and Communications

• He cruises on furniture now.
• Sometimes, the daredevil in him will even let go. Headache for this mom, having a toddler who cannot stand yet but ready wants to toddle.
• He is still extremely playful, liking his peekaboo games even in the middle of the night. Sometimes I try to pretend to sleep but then he starts kissing or cradling my face to make me wake up.
• He seems to understand us much more too. He will be upset if I scold him (uh-uh) or I warn him to get down from the bed/stairs/chair carefully, feet first or when I ask him to come with me.

Character and Temperament

• As mentioned before. playful.playful. playful.
• Whenever he wants something and don’t get it, he arches his back and start making his old man face.
• Worse, he will roll around on the ground too.
• But luckily he’s easily distracted now, so that when we offer him an alternative he quickly forgets.

We often bring Huirou and him to parks or the malls if it’s super hot. Often there are treats, sometimes it’s a snack of muffin, or a sundae cone. Zhixin gets a taste of all of these. Luckily he does not seemed to be allergic to any of the foodstuff, especially in relation to his eczema.

So at home whenever we sit at the dining table, or he sees me at the chopping board, he often crawls over and want in on the action, or more specifically the food :)