A Slice of Heaven . . .: Letters to Julianne #18

Dearest Julianne,

How was your first month as a toddler little pumpkin? Well, if your development and chattiness is anything to go by, Mama thinks you're having a time of your life and enjoying every bit of toddlerhood, lest for the few days you were under the weather as a result of your post-MMR vaccination jab!

I sometimes forget you're already 1. I don't think anything has changed very much for me since you turned one. You're still that little baby to me, still needing lots of cuddles, lots of tricks and distractions to make you eat your food and that once or twice middle of the night nursing that you crave, for comfort more than anything else.

If there's anything that has changed, it has got to be your growing ability to understand and communicate with us. We have not progressed beyond the "bye-bye", "Papa", "Mama" that you can say but I think we've made huge progress in terms of you understanding what we say. When we ask you something, you can reply with "Yes" or "No" fairly accurately by nodding or shaking your head, although sometimes you have trouble with your coordination when noddling your head. You understand simple instructions like "take out your diaper" or "wear your shoe" when you will proceed to ripping off the sticky tape on your diaper or pointing to your shoes on the staircase. You have learnt some body parts and can correctly point to your nose (which you will ungracefully end up picking) and your belly button. When we ask "where's Juju?", you will pat yourself on the chest - kinda like King Kong. You do the same action when you're scared - like when you see the vacuum cleaner (I think the sound of the vacuum cleaner scares you). And this one is my favourite - when we ask you to Praise God, you'll raise both hands high up in the air - model sunday school student in the making!! I think God must be rather tickled! : )

You're like a sponge, absorbing so much everyday just by observing what we do around you, the words we say and our every little action. When you spill water on the floor, you will voluntarily pull a tissue, squat down and wipe the spill. I say OCD while cleanliness obsessed Por Por says good girl and that everyone else in the family should be ashamed of ourselves because we're not as clean as you. Spoiling market at this age? Por Por also thinks that the fact you will go to a corner and squat whenever you do a poo poo also means you that you may well be ready to be potty trained. Mama thinks not quite yet.

Well other than the fact that you're still pretty much a kampung chicken, I think we're pretty please with your development. You are getting to be quite a handful at home having to watch over you constantly and run after you especially now that you're completely mobile and running even. Por Por can't keep up anymore. We are looking at putting you into a playgroup of sorts once you turn 18 months just to help move you along with your social skills before sending you for pre-nursery when you turn 3 in 2014. Did I tell you that we've already registered you for your pre-N class? Yup, Mama did that on your 1st birthday. Well not quite registered but we've gotten your name down on the list so that the school can buzz Mama once registration opens in March next year.

This month, you spent your first night away from home when we took you along for our weekend staycation at the Four Seasons. It was a little prelude to what is to come in about a week's time, when we scoot off together for our very first family vacation to Melbourne!! I am praying you do not bring the plane down with your screams and that you'll travel well. We opted for a red-eye flight in the hope that you'll sleep (although I've been warned that toddlers like you usually aren't so co-operative on red-eye flights). Would you like to proof that theory wrong? Please?

You've got an exciting December in store. There's Melbourne, your second Christmas (which I think you'll appreciate more this year - the lights and glitters at least - since you were all but 2 months all at your first Christmas last year) and lots of quality time with Mama and Papa. I'm looking forward to it and I hope you are too!

Happy 13th month my dearest Julianne!! We love you very very much!!