11/12

Dearie Meips,

You're 11 months old and ready to take on the world on your own 2 feet. Yup, you hit your biggest milestone yet this past month when you started walking at 10.5 months. This is, incidentally, exactly when your brother started walking as well. We were really excited of course, but really, no one is more pleased about this development than you are. You are SO PROUD to be walking around on your own, that you're always strutting around with the biggest smile on your face.

Baby coming through!

You've actually gotten pretty good at walking over the past 2-3 weeks. Now you can walk many many steps on your own. Except when I pulls out a camera. When I start videoing you, you're guaranteed to stumble within the next few steps. Hah. You can also change direction without falling over, though it's kind of abrupt when you do! It entertains you to no end just walking around in circles in and out of Noey's room. You walk out, I call you, and you walk back in with excited chortles. If only all things could be that simple and fun.

You love to carry a book in your hands when you walk -- we think it gives you a useful counterweight. So you now have a new-found interest in board books. "We're going on a Bear Hunt" is your favourite. With your book in hand, you charge around like a baby on a mission.

Walking with a snack bowl in hand. The hammer was not the intended snack...

I have a feeling you were concentrating a whole lot on getting the walking straight, because now that you've gotten that out of the way, your cognitive skills, in particular your understanding seems to have racheted up a notch. Where previously you would blithely ignore us when we ask you to do something, or try to teach you, towards the end of the month, you started being able to do the following:

1. Consistently call "Papa" and "Mama" accurately.
2. Repeat "Papa" and "Mama" when asked to do so. You even managed Gor-gor -- "Tor!" -- a couple of times.
3. Kiss and hug Papa when asked.
4. Feed Mummy whatever you're holding in your hand, when asked. If it's a snack you want, you'll bring your hand to my mouth and quickly snatch it away to put in your mouth with a cheeky grin.
5. Shake your head to indicate "No", in contradiction to "Yes". You also know how to shake your head when asked to do something your don't want to do. You know, like sleep or drink your milk. You are a naughty little monkey.

Whot? Me? You're calling me cheeky?

I can't really complain about your eating though. You really are a good eater. You smack your lips when you see something new to eat and you'll eagerly snatch food out of our hands. You'll even cry when it's past your mealtime and you have not been fed. That is something your Gor-gor never did so it's new to us. And when you're hungry, you eat really quickly. Ah, that's such a treat, after all the pain we went through getting Noey to eat.

The best part is that you can be entertained with food to sit in your highchair at a restaurant. I managed to keep you in there for an hour once over lunch with my friends at Marmalade Pantry, which I thought was an achievement, for you and for me. Keep it up and we'll be lunching out together more often!

"Now, what's for tea?"

You're good with your milk bottle too. Too good in fact, so much so that you don't really like latching on. As a result, my supply has plummeted. It's just too difficult to pump regularly. This month, we started supplementing you with formula. I'd been worried about transitioning you due to your issues with dairy, but I started you on ProSoBee soy formula, and other than some initial confusion, you have taken to it really well. Thank God for His little mercies.

(Confession: I bought ProSoBee because it was the only soy formula I saw in the supermarket that day. I later discovered that there's also Isomil and stressed a bit about which was better. I really am a formula newbie. After some research, I decided that we'll stick to the current formula since you're drinking it well. No point rocking the boat huh!)

You now alternate between formula and EBM. I actually think you sleep better when you take formula as your last feed. With the smooth transition, the pressure on me has eased, and I guess the weaning process to get you off breastmilk has begun. As always, it is bittersweet and deserves a post of its own. The most important thing to me however is that you thrive, and because you are, I know that it is the right thing to do.

Breathing in all that EBM goodness!

You continue to be our little party animal, making it through the recent Chinese New Year without meltdowns. You let most people carry you, though you show a preference for men. It's a bit early for that, you know. But you really love being around people. You are energised and excited, often trying to talk to everyone at the top of your voice. It's impossible to put you down for a nap when you know that there's a party going on outside.

Where'sthe party? I'm here!

But once you hit your carseat, boom! You're out like a light. Thankfully, now that we've upgraded you to the sitting, forward-facing carseat, we've not had any many issues with you in it. Only if we leave you in it when you think you should be going out -- man, do you get angry!

Recharging for the next party.

It is getting more difficult to sum you up in a single post, but one thing every one seems to agree on: you are very cute. You charm strangers everywhere. especially when you see them looking and you start to engage them. As for me, there isn't a day that goes by when I don't think you are the cutest thing ever. I just want to pick you up and cuddle you, kiss your round cheeks and make you smile.

The more we know you, the more we love you. I hope you'll always know that.

Happy 11 months, cutie pie.

The ONLY way to sit in a highchair, according to the Naomi School of Etiquette.

Love you loads,

Your Mama