This is for Aunt Asrina!

When I told her about Cheryl's tummy stunt, she couldn't believe it. I don't know how she learnt to do this but she was able to do it the very first time we said "Big tummy, small tummy!" And she was lying in bed with us at that time.

Cheryl can do this at a much faster speed but numerous attempts to capture that have been futile so far... Maybe next time.

I found one of Cheryl's many story books under the bed when I was cleaning the room. Our little girl, after she played in her toy room, decided to come into the bedroom. She saw her beloved "Tigger's Tall Tales" on the bed and promptly picked it up. Then she climbed onto the bed where I was sitting.

She handed the book to me and I thought I heard her say "read to me". I was so surprised and when I asked her to repeat what she said, she just smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

Then when all three of us; Daddy, Cheryl and me, were lying on the bed with the lights off, (we were putting Cheryl to bed) Daddy spoke to Cheryl.

Daddy: Cheryl is lying on Daddy's and Mummy's bed.
Cheryl: Bed.

Daddy: Cheryl is lying on Daddy's pillow.
Cheryl: Pillow.

Daddy: Cheryl is holding onto her bolster.
Cheryl: Bolster.

Our bright little spark is learning pretty fast!

Cheryl mastering the fork

Today I happened to leave work earlier than usual so I had time to buy new shoes. My shoes were giving way and I was none the wiser. Only found out that I desperately needed new shoes at 4 pm so I decided to go get them today.

Then I also decided that to get Cheryl her own fork because she has been trying to use ours; which is too big for her mouth.

This is the 3rd time she is using the fork and already she is quite an expert. Just now, during dinner, I saw her feed herself with her spoon.

Before we know it, I think she will be learning how to use the chopsticks. She is obviously very proud of her achievement too, just like I am proud of her! I tried to take pictures of her using the fork but I was not quick enough so I decided the video will do the talking instead.

For the past week, Daddy and I have been tucking Cheryl to bed. Well, not exactly. We just laid beside her on the bed and she would toss and turn, grap Daddy's bolster, my pillow, climb on top of them and hug them like a koala bear or just turn from left to right and then back to left again or right... you get the picture.

Point is, she is really learning how to go to bed herself, without all the carrying and singing. I would let her do her stuff then I would tell her I am putting her back in her cot and she won't protest. Once inside, she would fall asleep like in 5 minutes.

Last night, she decided to fuss close to mid night and she demanded to sleep on our bed. Okay, so I put her there. When we wanted to turn in, I wanted to transfer her back to her cot but she refused to budge. She pushed my hands away and even turned her head another way, all these while sleeping.

So all three of us slept on the same bed! Daddy and I slept almost motionlessly! But the good thing was, this was the second time in the week that she has slept throught, without waking up for her night feed. Honestly, Cheryl should be weaned off that already as she is so old. I have been giving her lesser milk during her once-a-night feed in the bid that she would stop waking up to drink. I don't know if it is out of habit that she is waking up.

This morning, after sleeping for a good 9 hours, she woke up smiling at me. Ah, the tight squeeze was all worth it! It would even be better she can sleep on her own in her cot. It happened once though and I am hoping that it will happen soon again. We are waiting for this day because then we can transfer her to her own room.

Cheryl has finally called me "Mummy". No, it was not "Mi Mi", or worse "Eh" or any noise that comes out of her throat. It is "Mummy", loud and clear.

But she has her moods and "mummy" is not something she readily spills out. After asking her repeatedly to call me, then she will do one single "mummy" and no more. But it is a different story when I ask her to call her darling "Daddy". Daddy will laugh so heartedly when he hears her address him; so sweetly while ignoring me.

Our little spark has progressed to sleeping on her own and in the dark too. She does not want me to carry her at all. She wants to lie down on the bed and fall asleep herself. So I just need to be around her, to make sure that she is asleep before I turn on the lights. Once, I thought she was asleep, I switched on the lamp and as she had Daddy's bolster covering her face, I thought it would be wise to remove it. I lifted the bolster lightly and she opened her eyes to look at me. I quickly switched off the light before she started talking because once she started talking, she would not want to go back to bed any time soon.

Life is easier now that Cheryl knows certain routine.

We love it when she tries to tickle us. When Cheryl sees our feet, she will automatically put her hand, move her fingers and say "kuchi, kuchi!"

I was playing with Cheryl in the room and I decided to put her into her Bumbo again. Half expecting her NOT to fit in it but I was pleasantly surprised!

She could and it was a snug fit too!

This was then when she was 5 months old...

... and this is now, Cheryl at 14 months.

Cheryl is very possessive of her sorting blocks. Everytime she plays with them, she does not allow me to touch them. It was going to be her nap time so I said, "Keep, Keep!"

She would keep the blocks in the container, all right...

... but when she was almost done, she would "talk" to the blocks inside the container as if to conspire with them...

... because the next thing she did was...

...pour all her blocks out again! See that "innocent" look on her face? Then she broke out in gibberish. I think she was telling me, "It's not me! The blocks want to play still!"

Yeah, right Cheryl. Try again!

Cheryl Walking


Yeah!! I solved the problem!! I was having problem embedding the video in the post but it's not a problem now!

Cheryl's been walking for a while now.