23 months!

Not much has changed and yet I can see so many differences. Sometimes because I spend so much time with Meera I miss out on how much she has changed with each passing day but then when I look back at photos or videos I realise just how much she has grown.

Meera understands so much more now. She started saying 3 word sentences (mommy long hair). Mostly observations. Very rarely though, so whenever it happens I take note :)

She can recognize a lot of the alphabet. Mostly she can say the sound (phonetic) of the letter (thanks to the Leapfrog DVD). I also use this education web site to show her letters which really gets her attention. She can definitely recognize a,b,c,d,e (which she sometimes confuses with f), h, k, l,m,o,p,q,t and z.

Her color recognition is also getting better. Yellow, red, orange, blue, purple, green and pink. I'm trying to work on white, black and brown. She can also recognize shapes. The other day we were playing with one of her puzzles and she identified 'oval'! She's also getting more interested in puzzles. And lately I let her play with her big container of dolls - she'll take them out, talk to them and stuff and after she's done put them back in. Mostly she just likes to identify each one by name. I don't see much role playing other than the occasional kissing each other bit.

Potty training has been successful. I still put her in diapers when we go out and during sleep time. And she still poops in her diapers.

Sleeping is going well. Other than the Saturday nights which I have yet to figure out. Maybe she's too tired? or maybe it really is the swimming? Naps are good. Sometimes as long as 3 hours. Usually takes her about 15-30 minutes to sleep off. There were a few days where she seemed to take a long time to nap (she even got down from her bed on one of those days) but over all no issues.

Current schedule

8.00 am Wake up
8.30 am milk (3 scoops,105ml water
9.00 am breakfast (1 scoop with water added to Weetbix and strawberry)
12.00pm lunch
2.00 pm milk (4 scoops), nap (usually for 2-3 hours)
5.00 pm wake up
6.00 pm dinner
7.30 pm bath (Jing usually bathes her)
9.00 pm milk (4 scoops) then to bed. Usually asleep by 9.30pm

I'm not sure if this is an objective observation (maybe I'm just getting bored) but lately she seems to take a really long time to eat...around 30 minutes or longer and she seems to eat less than before (or maybe I'm giving her more now?). I remember a few months ago she would even have a tub of yogurt for snack time but even that doesn't happen anymore. I try not to let this worry me since she seems to be growing well (in fact she's quite tall for her age.)

I guess I shouldn't really complain. I've heard some kids are a lot worse but I'm so used to her eating a lot...

Is it the swimming???

I just wanted to note down somewhere that Meera seems to have trouble sleeping after swimming class. Every Saturday (for the past 4 weeks) Jing takes her swimming at Clayton and it seems like every Saturday night her sleep (and ours) is disturbed. Just want to jot down the day as a note to myself

8 am wake up, milk then breakfast (done by 9.20 am)
10 am swim class (30 minutes)
come home bathe and we go out
spend the day in Southland Shopping Mall (she didn't nap in the stroller)
5.30 pm drive home (she sleeps for 15 minutes in the car)
6.30 pm dinner (BBQ - sausages, toast and corn)
9 pm put to bed (sleeps off by 9.15pm)
1.30 wake up crying only goes back to sleep around 3 am (after a lot of rocking, singing and patting from both me and Jing)
4.30 am cry but slept back herself
8.45 wake up

Needless to say it was an exhausting night for all 3 of us! I can only guess that it's the swimming...

Fast asleep...

Just to prove me wrong...today Meera was asleep within 5 minutes of lying down for her nap. Hmm....maybe my timing needs tweaking. Today she woke up about 7 am and I put her down at 2.15 pm. By 2.20 pm...silence!

Still awake!

It's 3 p.m. Meera was put to bed at 2 and I can still hear her singing and playing in her crib! Arghhhh...don't tell me she's ready to give up her nap!

Yum!

The tiramisu is great! We had it last night for dinner and I'm having another slice for tea...tastes even better after 24 hours. :)

Valentine's Day

Today...I made my first Tiramisu. It's chilling in the fridge but boy does it look good :)

'Bak Kwa' tradition

Went to Glen Waverley today and had Bak Kwa...another Chinese New Year tradition. Except this year we had 1 slice each (at $3 a slice what do you expect?!)

1 sentence = 2 words

Meera said a 2 word sentence today....Daddy carry.

A very short week

Can't believe it's Friday. Jing was off till Wednesday so this week has gone by in a flash!

Another oops!

Just like that I missed another day. This daily blogging thing is starting to show mejust how fast time flies. Need to do better. Jing's parents left yesterday. And so marks the end of all Chinese New Year feeling. We had our own 'Loh Sang' at night (thanks to Ling for bringing it over).

Today, Meera started her first Mini Maestro Class. I think she had a really good time.

Oops....

Well looks like the daily journal didn't quite make it. Missed 2 days..just shows how busy it was. Went to Chinatown (to experience the 'Chinese New Year' feeling there and yesterday...Mornington Peninsula. Today Ling and Derek are down so we have a bigger family reunion in Melbourne. :)

Chinese New Year feeling...

Jing's parents are here. It's starting to feel like Chinese New Year...we had yee sang today ;)

It's Raining, it's pouring....zzz

Nothing special today. It's been raining since morning so stuck at home. :( Second day of CNY. Meera recognized the letter 'z'!

Gong Xi, Gong Xi

Today is Chinese New Year. Doesn't feel like it though. Jing's at work and I'm at home. Going to have pasta for dinner. Just called everyone back home.

Meera said Gong Xi, Gong Xi (we trained her yesterday). Only said it to her 'siau ku' though.

Daily Journal...the beginning

I came across a blog today that wrote about starting a one sentence daily journal and I thought...hmmmm...that's a great idea! So starting today I will be doing just that. Maybe more than 1 sentence though. ;)