19 going on 20

Dear Amir,

You're 19 mths no, turning 20 in exactly a week's time. No, i havent forgotten, i'm just plain lazy and too tired at times.

It's been a while since I wrote your detailed progress. But as any mother would agree it is hard to really pin down every single thing when you kids seem to develop at lightning speed. Anyway, today i feel like it. So here goes.

At 19 months now, you are beginning to throw tantrums when your demand is not met. I must say it's very rare though and it's not the embarassing kind, perhaps even cute to a certain extent. Normally, you'd throw wateva in your hand (your pacifier la normally), then sit/lay down on the floor and keep still. Silent protestla konon. You did it quite a handful of time last few weeks around the malls that we went to resulting in a collection of your protest pics in my phone cam. You've also started to be physical now, beating our legs when you're angry or excessively shy towards something. Your only two victim now is Tok Ma and me, regardless of the actual person you are angry with. The other day, when I ignore your beating, you proceed to pull my hair! Haih!

As for your food intake, you've established a strong preferance for some type of food. You absolutely love half boil egg with toast (following the kopitiam trend huh?), any forms of noodle, pasta, carrots and grapes. You also have a habit of not mixing different texture together. So we have to separate the rice and lauk so that you wont spit it out. Your magic food is karipap. You recognise them and will go Pap! Pap! when you see one. On some days, you actually asked for pap from Tok Ma for tea and can finish up to 3 of them at one go. You can also say Dap! Dap! (sedap) when you like something. Consequently, you take less of your milk and since last week, you've skipped most nite feedings, prefering to drink more at one go just before bedtime and another feed just before it's time to wake. Thank God, how timely! At least we dont have to juggle time between your feeding and adik's in wee hours of the morning soon. And another progress towards being a big bro is that you're able to drink from a cup by yourself without much mess. I cant say the same about your food though, but since you insist to feed yourself, we just let you and try not to fret too much about the mess lah.

You've also become more active now, as any toddler should. Climbing about, shouting and shrieking when you're excited. You love climbing and chilling on our recliner, complete with finger tapping on knees all.. You also like to play rough, like wrestling with Papa a lot, like to play shooting with uncle Yeh (where you go bang!bang! with your fingers, and uncle yeh respond back - thanks to him, i dont get to uphold the violent-free games) I can say you're smarter now too. Finding ways to solve 'your problems' like using your golf driver/cloth hanger to fetch a ball under the bed, using a stool to climb up the bed. Using the chair to climb up the table to get to the ultimate toy - the fax machine. The other day we couldnt find you anywhere so Tok Ma went upstairs and found you sitting at the office chair, tapping on the mouse. That means you climb up the stairs and the chair all by yourself. Sakit jantung!

Your vocab has expanded tremendously too. You can basically parrot every single thing we say, but mostly the very last syllable of the sentence la.. You havent managed to string two words together but that does not stop you from talking continuously. You also like to askquestions, using you one syllable words and a question tone at the end. Tok Pa has already complained that you're such a bising boy. Ironically he used to complain about your slow progress (according to him lah) in talking.

Wat else is there huh? Oh yeah, your craze now is cranes, big lorries, water fountains and babies.

Pantang nampak long tall thing in the sky, you'll shout Yeinn!Yeinn!. The other day you went crazy in KLCC when you saw the fountain in the garden... that's Ayii! Ayii! (air) to you. Lorry is Loyee.. so our ride to anywhere is never quiet cos God knows how many lorries there are on the road these days. Now as for babies.. you absolutelylove everything associated to them. Small tiny clothes, baby cots, pics of babies, pics of preggy tummy.. You're also veryvery anal about keeping things closed/shut. Like the bottle cap, the door, the tupperware, oh and my tshirt whenever i lay down exposing my glorious tummy. Oh yeah, you've also understand the concept of fear now, and the 'thing' you are most fearful of now is Uncle Yeh (with his leg all wrapped up post-operation recently) and sound of thunder.

Well, i told you i'm in the mood today! I'm glad i took the time to write this cos now it made me realised even more that you're such a 'big guy' already. In fact i can already see a glimpse of the real personality you'll establish as a person later. As for me, i'd say this is another exciting (and mind bloggling) phase for us since you're slowly beginning to become more inquisitive and analytical. I remember telling my friend how i fear the day when you start to ask what's that mama? why this mama? how that mama? but why mama?.. But as it is starting now, i think it's gonna be fun. I'm going to have a buddy2 soon instead of a little clueless boy.

Amir, mama loves you little buddy!