1. The Basics: ABC's & 123's
Ever since I tasked Bielet to teach her meimei the basic alphabets and numbers, she has been really serious about it. Before we nap or sleep every day, she would point out the letters on the alphabet chart (stuck on the wall next to our bed) and get Bieny to repeat after her. Seeing as there are twenty-six letters and Bieny's attention span proceeds no further than 'J', it's a monumental task.
Not bad, up to 'L' liao
Bieny's favourite alphabet is "O". Everytime she sees the alphabet in a poster or book, she would jab the letter enthusiastically and holler "OOOOOOOO". It's the same when she spots it on my keyboard (it doesn't help that "O" and "0" are practically next to each other on the laptop). I've had to backspace on the chubby alphabet quite a few times when blogging or typing an email...
As for her 123's, Bieny likes to follow on after Bielet and she's now confident enough to count by herself. She goes from 1 to 6 (sometimes 7), then completely skips 8 before moving on to 9. Or sometimes she goes backwards after 6. Funny little girl.
2. Thank You
Children start out by repeating only one syllable, and "thank you" was one of the earliest phrases that Bieny learnt. To her credit, she tried combining two into one, and it became "kyu" (sounds like "cute). My friends were really pleased at her manners when she first said it to them, and they - very encouragingly - told her that yes, you are very cute too. Babies, they get away with anything.
Need to be so smug, anot?!
3. Bye See You
From that one syllable, she slowly progressed to more and the first multi-syllabic phrase she managed (that I could make out) was "bye see you". That's usually what we say when we bid farewell, right? Well, Bieny knows that part so she would use this phrase when we are going off from home, or when a family member is leaving. The funniest, though, is when she gets a scolding and still tells us "bye see you" when she makes her way out the room - in tears. So yah, it's more like "(sniff) bye (sniff sniff) see you (sniff)".
4. Morning Mama
This. Is the perk of being the first person she sees when she wakes up. As she opens her eyelids still heavy with sleep, peeks at me, blinks, then a look of recognition flashes across her face as she stretches her little arms and gently greets me with a dazed "mor-nin-ma-ma". It makes me feel I can do anything. (While awesome, that feeling fades as the day goes on and there are just soooooo many things to do. But then, it's morning again and I feel awesome again.)
Bedhair Bieny
5. Where
(Funny! I just re-read Bielet's pet phrases and #5 was also a similar "Where"!!!)
When Bieny is awake enough to realise it's just me in the room (and after her melt-my-heart-and-make-me-happy-plus-plus "mor-nin-ma-ma", see #4 above), this exchange ensues:
Bieny: Heidi where?
Me: Jiejie is at school, meimei.
Bieny: Papa where?
Me: Papa sent jiejie to school, then he went on to work.
If she walks out of the room and sees Granny or Yiyi or Ah-pa or whoever else who is supposed to be there, but isn't, the exchange continues. Bieny isn't as persistent as Bielet was - but then, it might be too soon to tell, eh?
"Excuuuuuuuuuse me, Mama, but geniuses always asks loads of questions." (Photo c/o ClickSmiles, from Arnold's birthday party)
6. I Ready (sometimes "I Really")
There are various intonations of this one. Bieny gives a chirpy "i-re-dy" when she's ready to go "ou" ("out") of the house or a fidgety, impatient "I-re-dy" when she wants to get off her high chair. The impatience usually stems from nobody helping her when she first asks, "elp me" ("help me").
At times, after she gets scolded for doing something wrongly and asked if she is ready to be a good girl yet, she manages a sniffly/sobby "i-re-ly". I think there is a discernible difference, but no one else seems to be with me on this on. Guess "i-re-ly" dunno.
"Cheyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" (Photo taken by Bielet)
7. Anna
Yes, this is Anna from the animated hit Frozen. When Bieny first started uttering "uh-na", we thought it was because she preferred the little sis from the cartoon - ya know, seeing as she is also a meimei, and maybe because Anna is so lively, and happy, and selfless, and bubbly, and so loving to Anna. Uh-oh, yes. Bieny calls Elsa "Anna" too. So maybe she's just confused. Then again, if you ask her to point to the respective characters/dolls, she does choose the right ones. She just calls them both "Anna". Hmm.
As my friend Zuzu put it, grumpiest Anna ever.
8. Hot
My little foodie loves to dive into her food and depending on her hunger meter for that meal, this could come out as a shocked "ot" and a pull-back of her hand (on touching the hot food on her plate) or a shrieked "OT" and an accompanying wail and tears and arm-flail. She can get so demanding. On that topic, she really is a fast food kid - not the Mcdee's or KFC kind, but the I NEED MY FOOD RIGHT THIS SECOND type. C'mon now: jin drama #1.
"Oh HAI, are you talking about me?!"
9. Happy Happy Happy Happy, Do
When doing up a photo/video montage of this little baby for her first birthday party, one of the songs I selected was Happy by Pharrell Williams. Then somewhere along the way, it became Bieny's favourite song. Maybe it was because Bielet kept singing the song and butchering it "because I'm happy aloooooooooooooooooone" (it's supposed to be "because I'm happy, clap along...") Or because Despicable Me 2 kept re-running on cable. Or perhaps she's really just happy.
I loved this pic so much, I cropped it to passport size for inclusion in her pre-nursery registration form!
Bieny has one of the biggest and brightest smiles, which never fails to light up the room. She is also extremely good natured (unless you're hiding her snacks, then good luck hor) and loves to dance or bop to whatever you are singing. And if you're singing Happy, she'll sing along:
Me: (with body bops and hand sways) Happy
Bieny: Happy Happy Happy Happy
Me: That's what you wanna
Bieny: Do
10. See? Nice!
Exclusive term for after you have taken a picture or a video of her (or whoever else and she saw the action).
Or if she takes the picture herself
After so many outfit photos I have taken of her and Bielet, Bieny now knows to stand against a wall to take a photo. Ideally she should also flash me her winning smile, but oh well. And after I put the phone or camera down, she would amble over, press her cheek to my face and excitedly request to "see see?". Whatever the photo that appears (it could be a really awful snap), she would exclaim loudly, "NICE!" So supportive, this one.
Even when wearing an oversized dress (my shirt, btw)
11. Why
I posted this on my facebook a while back,
Bieny: Re re re boo, pease (translates to "read book, please")
ZX: NO
Bieny: WHYYYYYYYYYYY
She loves 'em, books
Welcome to the wonderful world of toddlerhood, Bieny. So many WHY's for you to be inquisitive about, so many where's for you to explore, so many who's for you to make friends with (don't anyohow get chummy with strangers tho!), so many what's for you to conquer, and so many when's for you to get to. And I can't wait to tag along! (I promise to be fun, okay?)
Even when you insist on flossing your teeth with beehoon...
(Sigh) Or dig for boogers in public..................
Mama loves you xoxo
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