You love ice-cream. You really do.

Dear Kristen,

Potty training has officially started!

Well, we have bought you the little potty (to be placed on top of the adult's toilet bowl) some time ago, but you only started recently indicating that you are going to poo-poo/ have poo-pooed/ are poo-pooing.

So about 2 weeks ago, Mummy told Aunty Belle to start trying to put you on the potty each time you say that and have not yet poo-pooed. So far, Aunty Belle has told Mummy that you were successful for about 2 times. In the past weekends, you have not indicated so Mummy did not get a chance to let you use the potty.
 
BUT! Just earlier today, while Mummy was feeding you lunch (or rather at the end of it), you stood up and refused to sit down. Mummy tried to convince you as usual, but this time, you declared "I-POO-POO". I checked your diaper but there was nothing there... And since you refused to sit down, I guessed you really were going to poopoo. So... We quickly rushed out the potty-seat.. and GASP. The one at Grandma's house was still not opened yet! So I had to set up the seat and stick the cushion-stickers onto the bottom of the seat.

By the time we were done, you still had not poo-pooed yet. PHEW. So I sat you on the potty, and you were so good about it! You sat still and didn't budge. Then I just chatted with you, tried to make encouraging poo-pooing noises... and soon enough (say about 5 minutes?), I heard a nice satisfying splash. Teehee..

When you were done, I washed you up... and ta-da! Your first poo-poo in the toilet bowl with Mummy.

I'm so proud of you!!! I know it must sound very silly, but, I did feel very emotional after you managed to poo-poo like a big girl. You're really becoming more and more independent now.

Dear Kristen,

This was taken some time ago when we brought you to our favourite Roxy Square Basement Steamboat with Daddy's friends. They came over to Grandma's place to watch a soccer match. You behaved amazingly well that day... And when you wanted to sleep, you indicated by putting your hands together against your cheek to show you wanted to sleep!

That's you in the picture struggling to get away to go to bed.

Dear Kristen,

Your fever took an entire week to fully go away. For that whole week, you were grouchy and I kept wondering where had my little Kristen gone. Your fever even reached a frightening high of 41 degrees Celsius.

Your parents = Super worried. We brought you to the doctor's twice. On the second visit fee, the doctor gave your paranoid parents suppositories to bring down your fever if it got too high. Fortunately, it didn't come to that. Strange this was, you actually liked eating your medicine. I guess it was because it was sweet? Especially the antibiotics medicine... There was once the syringe was still in my hands after giving you the medicine, then you actually tugged my hand and tried to put the syringe into your mouth!

Your fever ended off with a bout of rashes that lasted for 2 days (otherwise known as false measles) and then you were back to bright and cheery Kristen again! It felt so good to have you back! Although... You did lose some weight after the week of bad appetite and diarrhoea for a few days. Skinnier now.

Last night... You did something really funny. You see, we normally have a routine of taking out your powder, diaper rash cream and moisturising cream (for your little eczema problem spot behind your knee) and placing them onto the bed and changing mat before giving you a bath. Last night, while playing near the shelf where these are kept, you suddenly stopped, and took the powder and moisturising cream and ran over to the bed, threw them down... and clapped for yourself! Clever girl.

Tonight, you forgot, but Mummy passed you the powder and cream and you put them at the correct place again. Today you got to help with the pyjamas, diaper rash cream too!

Oh yes, and you've learnt how to say no finally. You would go "Noooo" and wave your finger around. And! You've learnt how to indicate that you have done your big business... You would say "I-Poo-Poo"!

What's next?

Dear Kristen,

Your fever started on Sunday and until today, the temperature is still not steady... At times it reached even 41 degrees this afternoon, but just yesterday it had held 37 degrees in the afternoon.

Last night, you woke up countless times, crying away. I guess you felt uncomfortable... At times Daddy soothed you by patting you back to sleep in your cot, at times Daddy had to carry you on his shoulder till you fell back asleep. Or Mummy had to feed you milk so that you could be more comfortable.. and Mummy also had to carry you till you fell back alseep... Or sometimes we just placed you on our bed so that you could sleep more comfortably. We ended up sleeping with the fan and the windows open for fresh air... with you on our bed.

You made Mummy and Daddy both so panicked when Auntie Belle told us that your temperature read 40 degrees. Daddy decided to skip his final lecture and Mummy to leave early from work just to go back to bring you to the doctor's. By the time we reached home though, you had fallen asleep. We didn't want to wake you because we knew you needed the rest. Your temperature hovered between 38 and 39 degrees while you were sleeping... but by the time we brought you to the doctor's your temperature went back down to 37degrees.

You started crying while we were at the doctor's (6.30pm) and did not stop completely until much later (8.30pm) when you were finally in your PJs... We tried to bathe you but you refused to be bathed.. so we wiped you while you were crying. We tried to feed you, but you were willing for only about 10 spoons and started crying again You drank only about 2 ounces of milk... and started wailing again.

You were so angry at us that you even scratched my face while I tried to hug you to sleep. I felt so sad that I could not do anything to help you feel better, and that I did not know what was wrong... You finally laid your head down and fell asleep to me holding you and singing the ABC.

Last temperature check... 35degrees?!?

Hope it will be a better night tonight.

You were willing to wear the green princessy dress!

On the 2nd day at HongKong Cafe while waiting to go to the next place!
   

Dear Kristen,

In between Chinese New Year visitings, we ended up a HongKong Cafe in Katong for dessert. Mummy had a Grass Jelly with Watermelon while Daddy had Chilled Mango Cream with Pomelo and Sago. It was quite a nice place.. and 24 hours too!

So... of course we shared with you our desserts. Then you did something really funny... You see... at first, you liked Mummy's grass jelly AND watermelon dessert. But... after awhile you decided you like the watermelon and not the grass jelly. As Mummy tried to feed you the grass jelly, you pushed Mummy's hand towards her own mouth. But when there was watermelon in the spoon, you would grab Mummy's hand and pull it towards your own mouth.

Daddy later tried to trick you by putting both grass jelly and watermelon into the same spoon. You stared at it for awhile, then you licked the grass jelly and decided that you really did not like it. Then you tried to pick off the watermelon with your fingers! Smart girl.

Dear Kristen,

The time has come for new clothes (you always seem to have new clothes anyway), goodies, ang pows... and a nice long weekend with Mummy and Daddy!

See... You're already snacking on the CNY goodies!

Dear Kristen,

You're one and a half years old today! Whee!

Here's some little pointers about yourself as of today.

• You're about 85cm tall and weigh 11.6kg!
• You have 8 teeth. Four at the top, four at the bottom.
• You have gotten about 4 hair cuts. 3 done at a shop and once at home... (not including trimmings of bangs)
• You're able to sort shapes, like circles, squares, triangles and heart shapes
• New words in your vocab include:
• "Spider" (Pie-dah) when we point at the spider in the "Incy Wincy Spider" book
• "Panda" (Pan-dah) when you're holding your WWF panda
• "Blast-off" (bah-toh) when we take you out of the bath: "5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1, BLAST-OFF!"
• "Moon" (Moooo) when you see the moon, after which you usually start saying star
• "Bird" (Buhh) when you see a bird
• "Please" (muhh) This comes out really strange... But it's what you always say when we ask you to say please.
• "Duck" (dahh) when you see a duck of course
• "Cho-Cho" (che-che) when we ask you to call Chocho, your great grand mother!
• "Mouse" (muhh) when you see a mouse... or Mickey Mouse. You dance the Mickey Mouse way of dancing too when you see Mickey Mouse! You love Mickey Mouse... obsessed really.
• Auntie Belle says you can say your name... Mummy has not heard it yet!
• You're also able to sign according to the Baby Signing Times, actions for "baby", "eat", "ball", "hat", "shoes", "sorry"... But for things like sorry and eat... I think you still don't get the idea that they actually mean something... hmm.
• You currently have 4 pairs of shoes that you are using. A black patent pair of mary janes, a brown leather pair with colourful polka dots, a bright pink and green sandal, and a white-pink-and-green sandal.
• Mummy now buys clothes for you that are "Size 2"... Especially for the skirts.. You have a two year old's tummy.
• You are still enrolled in My Gym at Parkway. But... Mummy is considering Kindermusik too... But.... Mummy does not want to enrol you into more than one class at this point.
• You have learnt how to do the "Gong Xi" action. But you don't like to do it if you're too pressured or for people you're not familiar with.
• You can show wear your neck is. You do a strangling motion.. It's really funny. Altogether, you know your hair, head, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, chin, cheeks, fingers, hands, toes.
• You have gotten your first yucky facial scar. A big abrasion mark at your nose. Mummy will post pictures soon. Hope it cures by the Chinese New Year..
• Your favourite characters at the moment are Mickey Mouse and Elmo. You don't get to watch much TV other than the weekends because we're subscribed to Disney Playhouse at Grandma's place. On weekdays, you get the DVDs like Baby Einstein, Baby Faith, Baby Signing Times, Elmo's World and some Sesame Street VCDs you received as gifts.

That's all Mummy can think of for now!