milestone alert: 18 months

Frolicking at the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden, Singapore

Before Baby Hoo turns another month older in a couple of weeks, let me quickly run down her awesomeness at 18 months of age.

(Inserts Hyper-parent Warning here).

Dear A, 

You are at the 50-75th centile for weight, height and head circumference and currently have 12 teeth (and growing some more).

Some people say you're bashful but you're just slow to warm up really. Focused and intense is how your Kindermusik teacher describes you. You indicate your wants by  pointing, gesturing, taking me by the hand and bringing me to where you want to go. Playing pretend, reading, listening to stories, looking and identifying pictures are among the activities that you like to do these days. 

You're quite the copy cat too! You always try to imitate me and Ate A while doing household activities like cooking, mopping, washing dishes and sweeping the floor.

As early as 16 months, you were already showing signs of independence by wanting to do things yourself like brushing teeth, taking off clothing items, feeding self with spoon, drinking from cup, bathing and a lot more!

Once you started walking at 11 months, there's no stopping you from becoming more and more mobile! Run, hop, kick, climb up and down stairs with support, climb on and off furniture, playing hide and seek and so much more! Running after you is my daily workout! 

Scribbling with crayons, shape sorting, building blocks are some of the fine motor skills you've acquired. You love scribbling so much that you're toy kitchen unit also doubles as an art canvas! 

As of last count, you have at least 85 intelligible words in your vocabulary! Daddy has an excel sheet for keeping count hehehe. You've also started to string 2 word sentences like "put up," "go down," "no more," "more apple," etcetera. 

On most days, you have a fairly good appetite for any dish that has rice, bananas, broccoli, pasta, chicken. Like most other toddlers, you put on your "fussy eater mask" on somedays. On fussy days, I am most thankful for my food allies. You have also recently developed a liking to the local palate - hainanese chicken rice, mee pok (minced meat noodles), ban mian, and fish ball noodle. Who knows what local dish you'll end up trying next? Laksa, maybe? 

You're a champion napper but sleeping through the night is a different matter altogether. Let's not talk about that yet :)

Daddy and I are in constant awe of the many tricks and skills that you've acquired! If we only had the power to slow things down...we probably would. 

Love, 

Mum