When you were this young

It is amazing. Amazing how babywyx at 17 mths is fully capable of communication with us. Well, communicating via her own delivery of speech, gestures and body language to her bestest ability, of course. Her understanding of vocab, nouns and tone increases with every day and also amazes us everyday, too. The way babywyx fixates her attention on you when you speak to her, the intensity of focus her eyes place on you – right away you know she is deciphering your message. At the same time, she is picking up words and sounds to astonishing effect. Sometimes, she has to only see/listen one word once, and the next time you ask her, she will get it correct. 

It is fulfilling. Fulfilling how my baby girl interacts with me, comes to me for hugs, asks me to sit beside her when she wants to play. Fulfilling how she will grab my finger to walk with her when she wants to walk somewhere else, how she steps into my lap when she wants me to read to her. I know Yx feels safe with us when she tears out stickers and chooses to stick them on our clothes. Some afternoons when I want her to nap, I pretend to fall asleep, just so that she will, too. But she is not sleepy cos I open my eyes the slightest and see my baby girl tap me and call out ‘papa’ repeatedly, asking me to play with her. Needless to say, I lose at this game every single time. 

Proudly showing us her sticker exhibit

It is engaging. Engaging when my daughter yearns for our companionship. Are all babies like this, attention craving and seeking for approval? Babywyx likes interaction; when she spots sth she recognizes (e.g. animals, colours), she will call out to us and tell us about it; when she is entertained, she will call out to us and laugh out loud together with us; when she is reading or walking, she seeks our acknowledgement. Yx likes to hide objects under our laps (but still clearly conspicuous) and gestures at us, where is it? We will ask her, where is it, and she will point at the object, uttering “nehhhh” in such an adorable manner.

Her favourite person she wants to read with :)

Babywyx, though you may have your disobedient and unreasonable times (e.g. when you refuse to eat the porridge we painstakingly cook, or when you drink only 20ml of your milk!); though there are many times I look forward to when you are older and we can have proper meals together at proper meal times; though you are the reason your parents are not having late booze nights or travelling overseas as much as we'd like to – 

I know I'm going miss this you. :)

Love, papa.