Happy ONE, Little Meips!

Dearest not-so-little Meips,

You're One, baby! How are you liking finally being able to add a year to your age?

Cheery on the morning of your birthday and wondering why you were having the phone pointed at your face this early in the morning.

We had grand plans to bring you out on your birthday, but alas, the weather dawned grey and rainy. All outdoor plans had to be scrapped. Especially since you and Gor-gor were barely recovered from bronchitis, we decided not to risk the rain. We were all quite disappointed, especially your Papa who had taken leave to spend the day with you.

It didn't affect you much though. I think the day went rather well for you. You went for Kindermusik in the morning with me, then came home to nap and have lunch. During lunch, you kept reaching for our food while ignoring your own. To your delight, we decided as a birthday treat to let you have some of our ham pasta. (Essentially penne that has been mixed with a sauce of simmered chicken stock, onions, capsicums, peas, mushrooms and shaved ham. Inspired by Godpa, it is one of Gor-gor's favourite meals.) You LOVED it.

Gasp, adult food! Let me at it!

After that it was time for both you and Gor-gor to have a nap while Papa and Mummy ran some errands for your birthday party the next day. When we were done, we came home and played with you both for a while then it was off to Amazonia for your birthday treat. It's been a while since we've brought you there. I'm glad we did because now that you're walking, you totally enjoyed yourself. The ball pit was a hit and thereafter, you refused to go without a ball in your each of your hands!

Armed and ready to play!

You played on while the rest of us grabbed a quick dinner. The man at the gate had been kind enough to grant you free entrance with minimum spending of $10, and given the late hour, we decided to just grab a bite there. Fortunately they have a decent menu. After all that playing, we went to meet Godpa and Godma at Ben & Jerry's where you had your first taste of ice cream. I would have given you more but we're still cautious due to your diary intolerance so you could only have a tiny bit.

We stayed out a bit too late and you crashed out in the car but I'm sure you thought it was worth it!

We celebrated your birthday with a big party the next day that was all kinds of awesome, but that's another post.

This month wasn't a whole lot of fun. It was characterised, unfortunately, by you falling rather ill. As your fever reached 40°C on a number of occasions, it was as if you were a different baby. You were clingy and listless and wanted to be carried all the time. Your eyes lost their usual sparkle. You, my foodie baby, rejected your meals. You were also a lot more subdued, to the extent that Aunty M commented that she missed your screaming! Every time you took the meds and the fever came down a little, you would be revived and full of energy but that waned as the effect of the meds wore off.

Sick face.

We were all so worried, and so grateful when the fever finally broke after you started on antibiotics. You still have a residual cough, especially since you hate the nebulizer, but I pray that you will be healed soon.

Other than your sickness, it has been a happy month for you.

You've been enjoying your Kindermusik sessions, which you take as an opportunity to nom each and every instrument you come into contact with. You really do love putting EVERYTHING in your mouth! You are very vocal and now that you're on your two feet, you spend a lot of time exploring the classroom and following other kids around. It's been fun, spending one morning a week out with you.

You love going out and I often find you standing b the main door, tapping it and looking meaningfully at me.  We have been spending a lot of time just downstairs at the playground and that's good enough for you.

Have shoes, will wander.

You had your first encounter with sand when, on the spur of the moment, I took both you and your brother to West Coast Park on a weekday evening. Of course you tried to taste it. Fortunately I don't think you ate anymuch.

What is this? Most importantly, is it food?

You mad a new little friend -- Emily -- and enjoyed a spot of swimming together. Hopefully we can meet up again, maybe over a meal since her Mummy tells me she's as much of a foodie as you are.

Skills-wise, you've continued to develop. I must admit I'm much more relaxed about milestones with you. With your Gor-gor, I was hanging on to each one and anticipating the next. But with you, I'm just taking them as they come. The down-side to that is that I don't always remember/notice when they happen! This month you:

1. Taught yourself to drink from a straw. You were playing with Gor-gor's water bottle and managed to take a sip. I finally switched you to a straw bottle soon after and you just went with it. Easiest switch ever.

Negative demonstration.

Don't take my bottle away, please?

2. Started walking long distances and negotiating steps on your own.
3. Started saying "MUM MUM!" really clearly and loudly. Insistently too, when you're hungry. And you give a big "AH-M!" when food is put in your mouth. Like I said, you're a foodie!
4. Learnt to say a couple more words -- "Baw!" (Ball), "Boo!" (Book), "Ba-Ba!" (Balloon).
5. Hold a phone to your ear when you say "hello".

"Siang kah pager?"

6. Fall on your back when I say "All fall down!". Ring-a-ring-a-rosie is a favourite game.
7. Blow a raspberry when you hear one.
8. Open and close your fist when you hear "Twinkle twinkle little star".
9. Rock back and forward when you hear music.
10. Clasp your hands together with I ask you to say grace.
11. Learnt to sign "Please" in one day! (Food REALLY helps.) You can also do "Up", raising your hands.

I think there are a couple more things but I can't remember at the moment!

This month you also moved on to being 100% on formula. It was really a non-event. I just pumped more infrequently through the last month until I stopped entirely. You didn't skip a beat and just continued downing the bottles of formula. I am grateful for that for it really helped ease the guilt of stopping the breastfeeding sooner than I did with your brother. But I remind myself that you are doing well on the formula, and tell myself to let it go. You're still on soy, but I am optimistic you can switch back to cow's milk soon since you seem to be tolerating milk-products well.

We've been having fun with you. There's just something about you -- your mannerisms, your voice, the way you are -- that is just so cute. You are our living doll.

Sometimes also a comedian.

We love you little Meips. As we come to the end of your first year, this is also the end of this series of letters to you. I will instead be making periodic updates on your development and writing the odd letter here and there. But the absence of a monthly update does not mean that we are not ever eager to grow with you in the year ahead. 1-2 is your Papa and my favourite age so we are definitely looking forward to it and watching our big girl grow.

Continue to be a delight to all.

Love,
Mama.

Our enthusiastic eater,  eating the plate in her eagerness to get the spaghetti!
(Weight: 8.8kg, Height: 75cm)