At 13 and a half months

At 13 and a half months, Sophie can wave bye bye and say "Bye" or "tatat". So cute to see her charming the sales people when we go out shopping and she'll happily wave when she catches their attention and wave to them with her bright smile before we leave the shops.

She also knows how to clap her hands, when she hears the song, "If you're happy". But has not progressed to stamping her feet and going hurray yet. The other day when I was bathing her, I asked her to clean mummy's hands and she could take the towel from me and really clean my hands. A very pleasant surprise indeed!

Sophie's vocabulary is also slowly expanding. We attended a friend's kids birthday party last sunday and Sophie surprised me when she could point at the " walking dog" balloon and go "dog". Or at least it sounds very much like it. In fact, when there was a SPCA ad on TV the other day, she also pointed at the TV and went "dog". She also does that for birds and calls the balloon, ball. Haha.

Besides picking up on new words, she's also growing little horns now. She knows when she does things she shouldn't and is pushing the boundaries that we set for her. Like touching the standing fan, removing the rubber protectors from the edge of the table, walking on the bed and sofa. Oh yes I've mentioned those last bits before. So yes, she does know that she's not allowed to do those things, but she's still always caught doing them and will give us her cheeky look when we call out her name. It's also funny because sometimes we'll just observe her quietly then when we call her name in the middle of her "crime" and she'll jump in fright.

Sophie going through mummy's handbag and took out mummy's staff pass

She's still not at the age where we can really discipline her yet. And I really don't like the idea of raising my voice at her (though I have been guilty of it so many times already) and beating her hand because I feel that she may think it's okay to hit. I need some Super Nanny help here on how to discipline her gently. Help, help, help.

Sophie is at an in between age now where she doesn't fully comprehend everything we say. Like she does know that we don't want her doing something but she doesn't understand why and so she'll keep "testing" us and pushing her limits by doing the very things we tell her not to.

That said, I'm planning to get my hands on this book by Michele Borba. I've read the other book she's written on 12 Simple Secrets Real Mom know and liked her advices and stories.

Mummy 30 years ago, Sophie 30 years later

Even though it's more than a month ago when Sophie celebrated her first birthday, I thought it would be interesting to compare my big one bash with my little one.

Flash from the past...

When I was deciding on the cake design for Sophie's first birthday, I was contemplating to have a Number One shaped birthday cake. It is part nostalgic and part traditional to have a number cake to mark the different milestones in your life. But the bakery usually requires a min of 2 kg for that. But anyhow, Sophie's cake is so much nicer than mine, complete with icing blocks bearing her name and a precious moment figurine.

We're both so cool when it comes to taking photos with our parents who were beaming away. But I think Sophie was more attracted to her cake than anything.

And here I was all ready for some drumstick action too. But look at that chicken feet.. Ewww

Sophie is looking more and more like Mummy. And from the photos, its really quite telling too. Haha and guess what that includes the button nose too! Sorry Sophie, I wished you'll have a higher nose bridge too but guess you'll have to accept it.

Another teething episode, or is it?

At 13 months, Sophie still only has 3 teeth. This is certainly an area that she's lagging behind. By now, most babes would have at least 5. But just have to accept that every baby is different, with different personalities, with different areas they are good and bad with.

For one thing, Sophie is really friendly. She likes to "talk" to people now and will wave and make noises to get the attention of people like in the lift, while waiting for the train. It's really cute to see her so out-going and so sociable. She's also getting so curious with everything and everyone that she looks at everything with a new intensity and interest now.

On the other hand, she's starting to get easily impatient and is up to all sorts of monkey business now. Like standing and walking on the sofa and bed, giving us a heart attack moment. Then there are also the times when she wriggles from her pram and stands on it when we turn away! Yet another heart stopping moment. Regret that we didn't buy a pram with 5 point harness to keep this little monkey in her pram. She has also learnt to throw tantrums and throw her body wildly when we carry her to the point that our balance is threatened and her life as well. Big sigh!

And recently, I suspect that her 4th tooth is going to emerge and she's been ultra cranky. This is coupled with the fact that she's been taking shorter naps. A sign that she may transit to one nap soon. Now a days, she has just one nap and they can be as short as 40 mins for the whole day. And what I get is a cranky, grouchy, whiny baby.

This caused us so much distress both mentally and physically as we have to "fight" with her to keep her in her pram when we're out and even though she may be tired, she'll put up a good fight before she's willing to go to lalaland.

Which also reminds me that I have to retrain her to sleep independently for the night. We have been slacking after she came down with HFMD. Going to be long long nights ahead.

August babies party

Sophie attended her first mass birthday bash with the rest of her friends whose birthday fall in August. There were about 30 babies and their parents, so you can imagine what a crowd it was.

Just the princesses

At this age, the gathering was still more for the mummies to catch up with each other as the kids at one year old are still pretty in a world of their own.

Many were trotting around like Sophie and some just started walking while some were contented still crawling around. Sophie was busy playing with the balloon sculptures that some of the mummies made earlier. She kept looking for new balloons and wanted to exchange a new one for the one that has fallen out of favour. Heh.

An assortment of balloons for Sophie's pick

Turns out Sophie is not the only one who is a little Ms Tiam Chiak. She had a friend who snatched her biscuits out of her hand much to the disapproval of her mom.

Another Princess who wanted to share Sophie's biscuits

Which reminds me that I got to start teaching little Sophie her Ps and Qs too, starting with "Please" and "Thank You".

Personalised cupcakes for all the babies

It has been very helpful to have this support group of new mothers. We learn, vent our frustrations, seek each others advice, cry even as we share our experiences and stories of raising our babes. It's especially beneficial to have those who have their 2nd or 3rd child to remind mr that things will get better. And now that Sophie has turned a year, I guess the challenges will be different too. And you know what they say, the only constant is change. I have a feeling that the one who said that have children of their own too.