Zara sometimes gets a bit manja (Malay : need affections), and she will start complaining she has pain every where so that I’ll kiss the pain away. Yesterday night was one of those times.

While in bed, waiting for her to fall asleep.
Zara : *turned to me* Mummy
Me : *grogilly* Yes, Zara
Zara : Eyes. Paink paink
Me : *turned to look at her, in the dark trying to check her eyes* Zara’s eyes pain pain?
Zara : *whined and rub her eyes* eyes, paink paink.
Me : *took her hands away* You don’t rub your eyes! Let mummy check. *Checked and found nothing wrong* Never mind, Zara don’t rub your eyes any more. Mummy kiss kiss. Muak *then turned the other to try to sleep*
Zara : Mummy. Boh-dee paink paink.
Me : *turned to her* Body pain pain now?
Zara : *smiled and pointed ot her body* Paink paink.
Me : (realised she’s playing her ‘manja’ game) *kissed her tummy* Ok, mummy kiss kiss. Muak.
Zara : *pointed to her elbow* Eh-boh paink paink
Me : *kissed her elbow* Muak. Where else pain pain?
Zara : *pointed to her knee* Knee paink paink
Me : *kissed her knee* Muak. How come every where pain pain?
Zara : *pointed to her bum* Beh-sike, bum bum paink paink
Me : (never mind, this is a good time for her to name the body parts) *kissed her bum* Muak. Your armpit pain pain or not?
Zara : *pointed to armpit* Ah-Pit paink paink *grinning*
Me : *kissed her armpit* Muak. Your belly button pain pain?
Zara : *stuck her finger into her belly button* Buh-ton paink paink
Me : *kissed her belly button*. Muak. Some more?
Zara : *pointed to her private part* Petpet paink paink *cheeky grin*
Me : Eee. Petpet also pain pain? Ok ok, mummykiss. Muak. *Kiss her diaper*
Zara : *pointed to her ear* Eeyer paink paink
Me : *kissed her ear* Muak. Wah, every where pain pain huh?
…
And it continued, kissed her chin, her mouth, her feet, her hands, her nose, her head, her hair… It’s a bit like doing a revision on all the body parts she knows how to name. I have yet to teach her forehead, eye brow, shin, shoulder, but I guess we’ll soon get there, if she has this ‘pain attack’ often enough.

I worked from home today. While working, I heard Zara fussing in our room. I went over to have a look.

Tuyam picked the below set of clothes for Zara to wear after her morning shower.

Me : What happened?
Zara : Don’t Want!
Me : Don’t Want what?
Zara : *Point to the clothes* Don’t want
Me : You don’t want this baju (Malay : Clothes), then what Zara wants to wear?
Zara : *smile* Sessy Tothes
Me : *don’t believe my ears* Zara wants what?
Zara : *smile* Sessy Tothes
Me : Sexy clothes?
Zara : *pointed to another set of clothes Tuyam has selected for her* Sessy Tothes.
Tuyam : Yeah la. Dia tak mahu itu, dia mahu sexy sexy punya (Malay : Yeah, she doesn’t want that, she wants something sexy)

And so, a set of ‘sexy clothes’ she has! She’s happy now!

Hmm.. I wonder if this has got anything to do with King’s Wife.

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I brought Zara to see another Paed today (I didn’t say we’re going to see a Doctor, but told Zara we’re going to get an uncle to check her). A very old and experienced doctor highly recommended by a friend.

When I told him about my worry. He just laughed, and said parents nowadays worry too much. After checking Zara thoroughly (felt her head, her back, and the routine check of ear, throat, teeth) and asking Zara to do a few things (helped him turn on the thermometer, gave him high five, shook his hand, played pat a cake), he said Zara can understand him very well, and her overall development looks fine.

He then proceeded to say that the raised ridge is formed by the 2 front skull bones fusing (I think the bones are called metopic suture). It won’t do her any harm. I asked him if it would eventually go away, and he said very likely it won’t, and will be there even in her adult life, but it shouldn’t get any bigger.

This kind of makes me feel better.

By the way, thanks to all your kind words left in my last post. Really appreciate the support you have given, it’s kind of like having a group of friends standing by you. Thank you!

I just come to realise that Zara has this little raised ridge (about 1cm long) right in the middle of her skull where her hair line is. I don’t know when it started to be there, but 2 weeks ago, I could feel that very tiny little bump (feels like touching a tooth pick covered under a blanket), and it got me worried.

I wanted to slap myself for not bringing this up during the last visit to the Paed. After worrying for another week, I thought I’d bring her to the Dr to have a look.

When I told Zara we were going to see the Dr, she immediately whined, “Don’t want. Doh-tuh.” She probably remembered the injection she got.

She was as usual very cheerful while waiting for the Dr, playing with the toys in the waiting room. When it was her turn, she dragged me away from the door leading to the Dr’s clinic, and put up a fight when the Dr wanted to feel the bump and measure the circumference of her head.

The Dr told me this could have been caused by the fusing of the bones in her skull, since she’s developing normally, and the measurement of her head is within normal range, I should not be worried but I do have to monitor her to see if there’s any abnormal behaviour or if the bump size increase.

How could I not worry? Even after seeing him, I’m still worried! I don’t like to think about anything which can ‘possibly’ happen, or which needs monitoring.

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On a lighter note, I asked Zara if she wanted to play with a Dr set I bought before Christmas.
Me : Zara want to play Dr Dr?
Zara : Don’t wang. Pay. Doh-tuh Doh-tuh
Me : *showed her the set* See, so many things for Zara to play. Zara can pretend to check Mr Blue to see if Mr Blue is sick sick.
Zara : Don’t wang.
Me : Why Zara don’t want?
Zara : Sked sked (Scared)

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For those of you who understand Chinese, click here for a meaningful song which is dedicated to all parents, I could really relate to it now, after being a mum for 16months.

These days, if Zara didn’t fall asleep after she’d taken her milk, we would lie in bed, and in her limited vocabulary, we’ll chi-chat. Her long sentences are normally punctuated with lots of pauses.

Me : Zara lie down with mummy
Zara : Lie down. Toss Eyes. (Close eyes)
She saw the room light was still on.
Zara : *pointed to the light* sitch off, light (She said Switch off, instead of just off!)

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Me : Zara likes Kidzsports?
Zara : *giggled* Spots! Yike (like)!
Me : What can Zara do in Kidsports?
Zara : Pay (Play).
Me : What can Zara play in Kidzports?
Zara : Many ball balls! Throw away! Jump!
Me : Remember the big slide?
Zara : Member. *extended her arms out* BiiiiG side!
Me : Remember the tunnel?
Zara : *pat her chest* tuh-nuh, sked sked (scared)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me : How mummy call Zara when mummy come home from work?
Zara : Ter Ger (Little Girl)!
Me : How daddy call Zara then?
Zara : Ger ger (Girl Girl).

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Me : Zara, how the jie jie in the Sound of Music sing already?
Zara : Cuckoo! Cuckoo!
Me : *I hum the beginning tune* Zara sing some more
Zara : *singing out of tune* Ah-deeoh ah-deeoh (Adios, Adios)
Me : Remember the small jiejie (Chinese: big sister)?
Zara : Member
Me : Zara sing like the small jie jie
Zara : Sun, seep (sleep), *wave her hands* good bye, good bye. (Actual : The sun has gone to bed, so must I)
(The song Von Trapps kids sang to the guests before going to bed)

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The other day, she hugged me and said, “Af yoo” (Love You, something I say to her very often).

I love these moments!

MIL : Zara still wearing diaper during day time?
Me : Yes
MIL : Aiyo, let her wear her panties without diaper la. Tell her to let you know when she wants to pee or poo
Me : *smiled and shrugged*
She reminds me again and again that her kids were toilet trained from a very young age, and I waited too long to train Zara (MILs are always quick to point out your shortcomings).
Hmm, I listen to the expert, and I won’t push Zara as long as she’s not ready.

We tried several time to get Zara to sit on the potty, she played with it, stepped on it, walked around carrying it. She’ll freeze and say, “Poo Poo.” when she’s about to poo. If we asked her to sit on the potty, she would say “Don’t want. Skat skat”. I don’t know why.

Because the 2 of us are inseparable at home, she likes to follow me to the toilet and have seen me used the toilet bowl. I told her, “This is big people’s potty. Next time Zara become big jie-jie, Zara can use this potty.” She normally helps me flush after I’d finished using the toilet. “Fus (Flush).” She would observe closely to see whatever that’s being flushed away, “see-see (pee) no more!”

One day, while we were in the toilet, she pointed to the toilet bowl.
Zara : “Poo poo.”
Me : “Zara wants to use big people’s potty to poo poo?”
Zara : “wang”
I placed her on the toilet bowl, held on to her and started coaxing her with sound effect.
After a few moments of trying, she just said, “No more!” and wanted to get down.

My maid said she did that again last week.

I guess when she’s ready, she’ll do it, according to her schedule.

I try to be a good mum, I really try. I prefer not to use any physiccal force but to reason with her, but I’m also impatient and short temper. On occasions when Zara pushed me to the limits, and refused to heed my warnings, I will slap her thighs, her buttocks or her hand.

Here are 2 common situations which I will use physical force :
1) She soils her diaper and while I’m changing her, she tosses and turns, and reaches her hands out to touch her buttocks. 1st warming, “No Zara! Dirty! Zara cannot touch!”
If she still reached out to touch her buttock or wriggle about, I’ll issue the 2nd warning. I point my pointer at her “NO! Mummy beat beat!”. And then if she still doesn’t listen, I’ll slap her thigh. That would make her cry and stay still.

2) When she endanger herself like trying to put the gum ball into her mouth. After 2 warnings are issued (“No Zara, after you choke on the ball!” followed by a “Stop It! Don’t be silly! Mummy beat beat huh?!”), PIAK, my palm will land on her hand or buttocks after I take the ball away from her.

If you asked the little girl “If Zara yai-yai (Chinese: naughty, but a milder form), what will mummy do?” She’ll reply, “Beeat!” and then clap her hands together!

Lately, I’d devised another way of ‘punishing’ her. So far, I’d placed her 3 times in the naughty corner, where I’d put her facing the wall at the corner of the room. Nobody was allowed to console her even if she got upset, for a minute or 2, and then I’d pick her up and tell her what she did wrong. No physical punishment, but that seems to work better.

Now when she’s misbehaving, I’d only had to threaten her with, “Zara want to go to naughty corner?”. She would reply “Don wan!” and then pull her act together or at least try to.

Every time after I’d punished her, she would want me to carry and comfort her or else she would bawl.

I’m not all evil, I reward her generously too. When she does something clever or good, I applaud, praise her, lift her high up, kiss her, hug her, make a big fuss out of it, makes her feel kembang (Malay : ego expanded).

Now whenever she does something clever, she would clap her hands and shout, “Bah-Vo (Bravo, thanks to Sound of Music)”. I get the signal when she does that, and will clap furiously too, and will elbow Tuyam and Daddy to do the same.

Do you punish your kids, even a toddler? And who do you reward them?

Since last Thursday, every night after dinner, we put on The Sound of Music, and show Zara 3 clips from the movie (thanks to DVD scene select) :
1) Maria teaching the Little Von Trapps to sing Do Re Mi
2) The puppet show put on by the Little Von Trapps
3) The Little Von Trapps bidding goodnight to the guests in their father’s dinner party

She loves it! Keeps asking for more (replay) after each song is sung (the below pix show her concentrating on the show)

On Saturday, while on our way to Ipoh, she started singing the last word of the Do-re-mi song with me. This is how we sing together :
Me : Doe a deer, a female
Zara : Deer
Me : Ray, a drop of golden
Zara : Sun
Me : Me, a name I call my
Zara : Sef (Self)
Me : Far, a long long way to
Zara : Run
Me : Sew, a needle pulling
Zara : Dat (Thread)
Me : La, a note to follow
Zara : So
Me : Tea, I drink with jam and
Zara : Bed (Bread)
Me : That will bring us back to
Zara : DO
And then she’ll clap her hands upon completion of the song. Still a long way from Luke Von Trapp, but both Daddy and I were extremely surprised that she had actually learnt up the last words in 2 days.

She also likes to hum the tune sung during the puppet play, but it goes something like this :
Zara : *mumble mumble* eh- Hoo Hoo

Last night, when I told her it’s time for bed, she pointed to the TV set and said, “Put! Put! Bye Bye! Seep!” Haha.. she wanted me to play her Clip #3. After that song, she took my hand pointed upstairs, and said, “Go Seep!”

See, I’m happy taking a rest from Barney!

Russ, our cat, went under the dining table to sleep
Zara : *pointing to Russ* Uss, Seep. (Russ, sleep)
She then tried pulling down the big cushion which she uses for her afternoon nap from the sofa. When she couldn’t, she laid her head on the cushion.
Zara : Seep (Sleep)
Tuyam helped her laid the cushion down.
Zara : *reached her hand to Tuyam* Ah Boo (Mr Blue)
Tuyam gave her Mr Blue, and she laid down and tried to nap.

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After our walk in the town centre in Ipoh at noon, Zara was getting tired.
Zara : *lean back on her car seat* Lie down
Zara : toss eyes (Close eyes)
Zara : Seep (Sleep)
And she tried to nap; after a while,
Zara : *open her eyes, pointed at the lamp in the car* Daddy, off. Off light.
Haha, she thought the glaring sun can be turned off like a lamp.

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I stayed in the study to complete my work and got Daddy to watch over Zara in the night.
Daddy and Zara were happily entertaining each other. When Daddy joined Zara’s cot to our bed and then wanted to change Zara to her pajamas. The little one suddenly realised it’s time for bed, and mummy was not with her.

She started crying and pointed to the direction of the study, “Mummy! Mummy!” Then went and banged on the bed room door!

Exasperated, Daddy brought her out to look for me, “She doesn’t want me ah!”

Every night, only I could get her to sleep, she can be happily playing with whoever, but when it’s bed time, mummy has to be the one next to her. I wonder how she’ll cope if I have to travel because of work. Not that there’s plans laid out yet.

This morning, Zara was still sleeping while I went to the study to start up my PC. I was in the midst of chatting with a good friend in the US, when I heard a faint, “Mummy, Mummy!” coming from the bed room.

Zara has awaken, she was just sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes, calling out for me. She didn’t cry a bit (which she usually does when she wakes up and see me not at her side), and greeted me with a squeal and a big big smile. This is one of those days when I look at Zara and thought, “Woh! She’s grown so much already!”.

I went through her earlier photos, videos and was filled with a sense of achievement, happiness, and also a tinge of despair. Look at her now, from a helpless new born, she’s now walking, talking, demanding. But she’s growing up so fast, I haven’t spent enough time with her, and soon, she’s no longer be the little toddler she is now. I’m going to miss her baby-ness.

Here is a video I was amusing myself with, taken when she was 9mths +, still cruising. Look at the chubs, and the wobbly gait.

And these, the foot prints I took when she was a new born, vs the foot print I took 2 weeks back. Soft tiny new born’s feet, vs strong walking toddler’s feet.

Do you feel your kids are growing up too fast before you?

In my line of work, I can work from home since most of the ‘customers’ I deal with are out of Malaysia and all ‘dealings’ are done through IM, emails or phone calls; which means I can actually work from anywhere as long as I can connect to the network and have a phone with me.

I still go to the office, to make use of the facilities (printers, stationary), and also to catch up on local office gossips; and I feel to have Zara stationed in King’s Wife’s place, helps her development too because she gets to play with King’s Wife’s children, and not just stuck with Tuyam.

On days I work from home, I’ll lock myself in the study above, and Zara will be playing, napping, watching TV downstairs with Tuyam. At 6pm sharp, Tuyam will hand over the shift to me so that she can prepare dinner. This is the time which I enjoy most, especially when it’s not raining.

Zara and I will walk to the nearby park, where I’ll just let her run in the field, pick up anything from the ground to examine (since she hasn’t taken her bath yet, she’s free to get dirty) while I chat with other parents. I’ll give her a helping hand when she wants to go on the see-saw, slide and the swing. This is probably the only reason why it’s nice to be living in this residential area in the suburb, roads are wide, cars are few, and there are 2 parks within walking distant shared among 200 houses.

She always have lots of fun there, and the good thing is when it’s time to go, she normally doesn’t kick a fuss. I’ll give her some time to say bye bye to everything; “Bye bye slide”, “Bye bye sing (swing)”, “Bye Bye park” etc etc. Then we’ll walk back home for her bath.

Clockwise : She wanted to go on another kid’s buggie, and when I said she had to ask the kid for permission, she changed and said, “touch” (seen here using her foot to ‘touch’); “Down!”; Not even 2 seconds, she wanted to go on another different ride; Walking down the slope (which leads to the slide);

“High” “High!”