14 Months and Counting...

So this is what it's like to have a toddler!

1. She can communicate with me more. According to the book What to Expect: The Toddler Years, 14 month old babies should say at least 6 words. Now she says, mama, dada, wow, uhoh, bye and cheche (chinese for yaya).

2. She is learning more dance moves and practices at home for the next birthday parties. Yesterday, I saw her going round in circles. I wonder where she got that step.

3. She is good at climbing up the steps when holding our hand. Not only does she climb steps but also our bookshelf and window sill which is about 4 feet high. Scary!

4. She loves scribbling with markers and pens. Was shocked to see some green ink dripping from her nose yesterday and even more shocked when I found some pink ink on her new Pedipeds this morning!

5. She is loving being in the pool more and more. She still panics at first and then relaxes when she is in her baby float. Still thinking if I need to enroll her in Harry Wright Swimming School at this age.

6. Her teeth are bigger and so is her appetite. She loves munching on cherry tomatoes (just like her mama) and just about anything that's edible. It's also cute that she likes feeding me (forcing a chunk of bread in my mouth) and giving me water from her sippy cup.

7. She is walking faster, almost running now. Hate to admit it but when we walk, we're almost the same pace now given that her feet and legs are way smaller than mine. That means her nanny and I would lose more weight running after her! Hurray!

8. She is becoming more and more active that she cries if she does not go out of the house to play with her friends.
I think she got this trait from me! Oops!

9. Her attention span is shorter and I need to keep her entertained every 15 minutes. That means when I am busy surfing on the net, I also need to search for Sesame Street videos on You Tube to make her happy.

10. She is stronger and can really hurt me when she starts kicking or simply by just stepping on my feet! I can just imagine how her tantrums are gonna be like when she hits the terrible twos! Oh no!

I really need to bring her to playgroup soon so she has an outlet for all of her newfound energy. I hope the schools will open after a week (they were closed for 1 week already) and the H1N1 virus will just disappear. I met a mom at the pool yesterday who told me about the Victoria School in Ho Man Tin and am planning to check that out too, althought it's a bit far from here. I think I am pretty set on bringing her to PIPS for both Kindermusik and playgroup. It's a bonus that Elements mall is just a few escalators away so Mom can go shopping after baby's playgroup session. Hey, I need to be rewarded too, right?

I'm so happy I got the latest issue of Playtimes (kids' magazine in Hong Kong) which has a supplement on pre-schools in Hong Kong. They published articles on how to get in different schools and included a complete directory too. What a relief! For some reason applying for a school in Hong Kong is a nightmare and the process of getting accepted is just so complicated and money-driven of course. I really need to get started on these application forms to make sure my daughter does not join the OSY (out of school youth) program later.

Gosh! I'm still adjusting to the changes from infant to toddler and I have to start worrying about mathematics and science. Can someone stop the clock first... I'm not ready for homeworks just yet!