Zaria turned 16 month last week. I captured some of the moments which happened during her 15th month.

She said her first 4 syllabus word = Nani nani (frangipani). She can recognise the flower, and she’ll point to it and say “Nani nani”

Although she’s saying words in abbreviation, i.e. Nana for Banana, Raff for Giraffe, Bra for Zebra, Pard for Leopard. She is beginning to say some of the words in full rather than the short cut version. i.e. Papaya as papaya and not Papa any more.

She starts talking in phrases, e.g.“Take doll doll.” “Give cock-con (pop corn).”

She discovered sugar sachet. Once sucking on it, the pack ripped off and she tasted sugar. “Weet, weet. (sweet sweet)”, and she tried sucking harder to get to the sugar.

She is singing and the tune and words are more ‘audible’.
Old Mac Donalds sounds like “Cow, Eeeya-eeya Yo. Moo there, moo there”
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star sounds like “Ker Ker Star. Up up up up high”
Somewhere Over The Rainbow sounds like “(Some)where..Oh(ver)..(the rain)Bow”

She starts being able to identify a person is masculine of feminine, old or young. Pointing to small girls “Jiejie”, small boys, “korkor”, adult female “Ah-tie (Auntie)”, adult male “Ah-Ker (Uncle)”, elderly lady “Poh Poh”.

She knows how to say some of our names.
“What is Mummy’s name?”
“Neck-Nurse”
“What’s Auntie’s name?”
“Yeh-Lee”
And of course her own “Zah-yah” and Zara’s “Zah-wah”

She can recognise and knows how to address all the family members.
My sister as Yi-yi
My PIL as Yeh-yeh, Ma-ma
My brother and SIL as Ah-Ku and Ah-Tim (Ah Kim)

She started saying “No”.
Zara : “Give jiejie back her Fifi.”
Zaria : “No”

Her vocabulary is pretty extensive, knowing most of the animals, objects at home, differentiating rice, bread, noodle. etc.

She’s very ‘manja’
When she falls or hurt herself, she’ll come over and ask for a hug. “Pain Pain” “Hug Hug”
When I raised my voice on her, she’ll also come over and ask for a hug, “Mummy. Hug Hug.”

She’s becoming very clingy now, preferring me over most people, sometimes even daddy. But still, she’s more of a daddy’s girl than Zara.