Anders had been trying for weeks to figure out this crawling thing.
He knew it involved getting up on all fours and moving arms and legs. But he couldn't figure out how to coordinate the arms and legs bit. And because his arms were stronger than his legs, he found himself going backwards all the time when he tried to move. The harder he tried to go forwards, the further backwards he went. To amuse ourselves, Daddy and I would sometimes put Anders on our smooth floor and then wave goodbye as he tried to crawl to us but ended up in the far corner behind the tv.
I know.
BAD PARENTS.
And then it happened last weekend.
We had forward movement! Hurray!
Both sets of grandparents were summoned onto Skype and when the call connected, they were greeted by the sight of their youngest grandson crawling. My in-laws and my parents were so thrilled. A video was later posted on Facebook so that they can relive it over and over again.
We celebrated Anders' new-found mobility enthusiastically.
One week on, I'm a little less enthusiastic and more than a little worn out. I've forgotten what trouble babies can get themselves into once they're mobile!
Next biggie - walking!
Showing posts with label Milestones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Milestones. Show all posts
Friday, March 7, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
My two front teeth!
Anders, with two tiny front teeth
After weeks of agitation and frantic chewing on just about anything and everything, my little Anders is finally the proud owner of two front teeth. And they appeared in time for Christmas too! See if you can spot them in the pic above, he's got two little teeth on his lower gums.
As I recall, Connor had no problems with teething. He chewed more things but that was it. We didn't have any sleep disruption, any extra tantrums or fretting.
But Anders! It was like permanent PMS but in a baby. His entire routine went out of the window and only settled when his teeth started to poke out.
I thought we would get some respite but apparently, he's got MORE coming out soon. His top two front teeth look like they'll be here in time for Chinese New Year which is the end of Jan 2014.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Connor can read: Phonics and Reading with McGuffey
Sometime ago, my friend who runs a blog called Figur8 wrote about an app called Phonics and Reading with McGuffey. I clicked on it and saw it was free for a limited time period. So I figured what the heck... and downloaded it onto the iPad for my little man.
Now, I had wanted to start him on reading last year but with his speech therapy, I was advised to put that on hold. Why? Because we had to work on his understanding of language first before teaching him how to recognise the symbols for that language. Gotta learn to walk before you can run. So I put aside all thoughts of teaching him to read and focused on teaching him how to talk properly first.
A year later and now-we-can't-shut-Connor-up later, I decided to try reading again. I dunno if it's just my inadequacies as a teacher or something but Connor was NOT interested. At all. Luckily the app appeared.
I tried the app out first and found it utterly BORING. It was so dreary. The flat voice-over almost killed me with boredom. Bleh. I handed it to my son anyway. Who of course found it the most amazing, absorbing, interesting app he'd ever had.
He played with it a lot. I don't mind him playing with educational apps. And of course the inevitable happened.
Connor somehow taught himself to read with the help of the app.
Ta-dah!
How did I know? Well, because he began reading out things to me. I was SO thrilled! Dear Hubby and I thought they must have been teaching phonics and stuff at school. We thought what he learnt at school + the iPad app = him reading
Until today that is. I was asking Teacher how Connor was doing and she said he's doing fine. She then asked me, "Are you teaching him to read at home?" I said, "Oh not really but he has this phonics app on the iPad that he really enjoys. Why?" "Because he can read. We don't really teach phonics now in Nursery, just letter sounds for a few letters but not whole word phonics. So I was surprised when he could read." She went on to describe the times Connor would read stuff out in class after sounding it phonetically himself.
And you know what? I felt really happy. Utterly relieved. My son, who could not talk properly a year plus ago, can read. And he taught himself how to do it.
When we first started seeing Mario for speech therapy, I had worried and worried if Connor was slow and would need help in school later. Mario was surprised I even thought that, he said no, it was obvious Connor was quite bright. Just not talking. Not talking is not the same as un-bright. Not talking just means not talking.
So now at night, my son reads me a bedtime story before he goes to bed. It used to be just me reading to him. I pick books geared at beginners and he reads them to me. He needs help on more complicated words but he's working on it. I still read to him of course... I read him the more difficult stories.
Try this app if you're looking for a phonics app for your child. It really helped Connor and he really enjoys it.
Now, I had wanted to start him on reading last year but with his speech therapy, I was advised to put that on hold. Why? Because we had to work on his understanding of language first before teaching him how to recognise the symbols for that language. Gotta learn to walk before you can run. So I put aside all thoughts of teaching him to read and focused on teaching him how to talk properly first.
A year later and now-we-can't-shut-Connor-up later, I decided to try reading again. I dunno if it's just my inadequacies as a teacher or something but Connor was NOT interested. At all. Luckily the app appeared.
I tried the app out first and found it utterly BORING. It was so dreary. The flat voice-over almost killed me with boredom. Bleh. I handed it to my son anyway. Who of course found it the most amazing, absorbing, interesting app he'd ever had.
He played with it a lot. I don't mind him playing with educational apps. And of course the inevitable happened.
Connor somehow taught himself to read with the help of the app.
Ta-dah!
How did I know? Well, because he began reading out things to me. I was SO thrilled! Dear Hubby and I thought they must have been teaching phonics and stuff at school. We thought what he learnt at school + the iPad app = him reading
Until today that is. I was asking Teacher how Connor was doing and she said he's doing fine. She then asked me, "Are you teaching him to read at home?" I said, "Oh not really but he has this phonics app on the iPad that he really enjoys. Why?" "Because he can read. We don't really teach phonics now in Nursery, just letter sounds for a few letters but not whole word phonics. So I was surprised when he could read." She went on to describe the times Connor would read stuff out in class after sounding it phonetically himself.
And you know what? I felt really happy. Utterly relieved. My son, who could not talk properly a year plus ago, can read. And he taught himself how to do it.
When we first started seeing Mario for speech therapy, I had worried and worried if Connor was slow and would need help in school later. Mario was surprised I even thought that, he said no, it was obvious Connor was quite bright. Just not talking. Not talking is not the same as un-bright. Not talking just means not talking.
So now at night, my son reads me a bedtime story before he goes to bed. It used to be just me reading to him. I pick books geared at beginners and he reads them to me. He needs help on more complicated words but he's working on it. I still read to him of course... I read him the more difficult stories.
Try this app if you're looking for a phonics app for your child. It really helped Connor and he really enjoys it.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Marlin: But... but... but... dude... how do you know they're ready?
Crush: You never know! But you know... when they know, you'll know... y'know? Ahhh...
- Finding Nemo
There's a scene in Finding Nemo where Marlin the clownfish daddy is asking Crush the sea turtle how turtles know their young are ready to face the ocean on their own. The sea turtle's reply reminds me of our experience with teaching Connor how to swim.
For months, I tried to figure out how to teach him to hold his breath while he's underwater. Short of dunking him underwater forcibly, I simply couldn't figure out how to teach that. It turned out I didn't need to. One day, he went underwater himself and came up with a big grin. No spluttering whatsoever. I knew then that he'd figured out he's not a fish and can't breathe underwater.
For months we tried to coax him to jump into the big pool, reassuring him that we would be there to catch him. For months, he flat out refused. Then one day, he did. And he never looked back. Now you can't stop him jumping. Same thing with his floats. It seemed like he would never be independent of his floats. Suddenly one evening after a swim session, Dear Hubby told me, "He swam the width of the pool today WITHOUT his floats." I was gobsmacked. From then on, he could swim. (I still can't and I'm closing in on 40 years of existence now)
Neighbours in our apartment complex have been following his progress because when I meet them, they all say admiringly, "Oh I see he can swim now! I saw him the other day in the pool!" Then they'll turn to him and tell him, "Well done! You can swim!" and Connor would beam with pride.
I guess he knew when he was ready. And when he knew he was ready, I sorta knew too... or more accurately, he let me know he knew.
You think that as a parent, you're going to be the one doing all the teaching all the time. But sometimes, your children are the ones doing it and Connor taught me a valuable lesson. He taught me that one day when he's ready, I'll have to let go. And it's okay to let go because he knows he's going to be okay.
Crush: You never know! But you know... when they know, you'll know... y'know? Ahhh...
- Finding Nemo
There's a scene in Finding Nemo where Marlin the clownfish daddy is asking Crush the sea turtle how turtles know their young are ready to face the ocean on their own. The sea turtle's reply reminds me of our experience with teaching Connor how to swim.
For months, I tried to figure out how to teach him to hold his breath while he's underwater. Short of dunking him underwater forcibly, I simply couldn't figure out how to teach that. It turned out I didn't need to. One day, he went underwater himself and came up with a big grin. No spluttering whatsoever. I knew then that he'd figured out he's not a fish and can't breathe underwater.
For months we tried to coax him to jump into the big pool, reassuring him that we would be there to catch him. For months, he flat out refused. Then one day, he did. And he never looked back. Now you can't stop him jumping. Same thing with his floats. It seemed like he would never be independent of his floats. Suddenly one evening after a swim session, Dear Hubby told me, "He swam the width of the pool today WITHOUT his floats." I was gobsmacked. From then on, he could swim. (I still can't and I'm closing in on 40 years of existence now)
Neighbours in our apartment complex have been following his progress because when I meet them, they all say admiringly, "Oh I see he can swim now! I saw him the other day in the pool!" Then they'll turn to him and tell him, "Well done! You can swim!" and Connor would beam with pride.
I guess he knew when he was ready. And when he knew he was ready, I sorta knew too... or more accurately, he let me know he knew.
You think that as a parent, you're going to be the one doing all the teaching all the time. But sometimes, your children are the ones doing it and Connor taught me a valuable lesson. He taught me that one day when he's ready, I'll have to let go. And it's okay to let go because he knows he's going to be okay.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Geronimo!
Connor has finally realised that it IS fun to jump into the adults' pool. It took so much coaxing and encouragement on my part before he would but I did think it was very brave of Connor to jump into the pool as the water there is as deep as he is tall. I started out with pulling him gently into the water. Then we graduated to him jumping into my waiting arms. Once he was comfortable with that, I started stepping back a little each time he jumped until I was too far for him to touch when he hit the water.
Once he realised that it is actually fun and no, he wouldn't sink to the bottom and stay there, there was no stopping our little boy.
We were so proud of him and he was really pleased with himself too because he knew that he'd just climbed up another level.
Photos taken 1 April 2012.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Tips on potty training
Now that Connor is almost fully potty-trained, I feel that I am more than qualified to dispense advice to mums who are seeking to potty train their little ones. I have been through the ordeal! And survived! Therefore my words of wisdom are.. erm... true! *lightning flash and thunder*
Okay.
When you read all the books, they all say the same thing. Rewards. Buy the potty. Buy training pants. Take them to the loo every 15 min or so (or whatever timing) until they get used to it. Chocolates. Stickers. Potty training books and CDs. But none of them mention the ONE thing that is sure to get them to go to the potty.
One GIANT cup of juice.
Fellow mummies, that is the secret to potty training. All you have to do is make your little one drink one giant cup of juice and take his diaper off. Pretty soon, the little one will need to pee and that is when you rush to the potty. For sure your little one will pee. Then you clap and cheer.
Repeat with another giant cup of juice. If your little one is reluctant to drink, an IKEA curry puff or Maggi curry noodles usually helps things along. "Ooh, Mummy.. it's so spicy! Juice please!" Ta-dah.
Repeat with another trip to potty. After a few days of this, they will get the idea.
My methods may be unconventional but hey, they work. Connor was potty-trained within weeks and we had very few accidents.
Cubalah sendiri.
Okay.
When you read all the books, they all say the same thing. Rewards. Buy the potty. Buy training pants. Take them to the loo every 15 min or so (or whatever timing) until they get used to it. Chocolates. Stickers. Potty training books and CDs. But none of them mention the ONE thing that is sure to get them to go to the potty.
One GIANT cup of juice.
Fellow mummies, that is the secret to potty training. All you have to do is make your little one drink one giant cup of juice and take his diaper off. Pretty soon, the little one will need to pee and that is when you rush to the potty. For sure your little one will pee. Then you clap and cheer.
Repeat with another giant cup of juice. If your little one is reluctant to drink, an IKEA curry puff or Maggi curry noodles usually helps things along. "Ooh, Mummy.. it's so spicy! Juice please!" Ta-dah.
Repeat with another trip to potty. After a few days of this, they will get the idea.
My methods may be unconventional but hey, they work. Connor was potty-trained within weeks and we had very few accidents.
Cubalah sendiri.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Potty training with Connor
Right after Connor turned 3, we started potty training. Diapers are soooooo convenient but they get really expensive as your child gets bigger. Plus I was pretty sure Connor was more than ready for potty training as he's shown regularly that he understands he can't pee in the condo pool. It's quite funny to see him suddenly drop all the pool toys, climb out in a hurry and pee somewhere away from the pool.
I bought lots of cheap easy to pull-up shorts from Carrefour, cost me RM5 per pair... cheap lei! Day One was very trying. I told him over and over again the day before we wouldn't be wearing diapers anymore and that he would have to tell me he wants to pee-pee if he needed to. On Day One, I put him in the cheap shorts and asked at 5-10 minute intervals if he wanted to pee. He didn't quite get it because he would tell me "No." and then come to me later with wet pants and a mournful look. "Connor wet-wet."
So I decided a JUMBO cup of juice was in order. Connor drank almost half of it in one gulp and sure enough, about 5 minutes later.... "Mummy!!! Pee-pee in toilet!" My god. We ran like HELL for the loo.
And he peed. Into the toilet bowl. Mummy cheered like he'd won the Nobel Prize or something.
For his efforts, he got a chunk of chocolate. Connor's eyes widened. Ooh...treats! Mummy's not one to give chocolates often, that's usually Daddy the Fellow Chocolate Addict.
A little while after he'd polished off the chocolate, my son came up to me and tugged at my sleeve. "Pee-pee in toilet?" Another mad dash. He strained and strained and managed to squeeze out a droplet. After I'd cheered his efforts and we'd washed, he held his hand out to me and asked, "Chocolate please?" Hmm. I think I've just been conned by a 3yo.
We've been at it for a week now and I think Connor's gotten the hang of it. Unfortunately, he'll forget once you put trousers on him. So he's been running about the house erm... hanging free... erm... and I've not had a problem with him peeing anywhere. Yet. Once he gets used to the idea of telling me regularly about pee-pee in toilet, I'll try the pants on again.
I've also stopped the chocolate treats. Connor's just happy to be allowed to flush the toilet and watch everything swirl down the hole so I use that as his reward.
Now to teach him to poo-poo in toilet.
I bought lots of cheap easy to pull-up shorts from Carrefour, cost me RM5 per pair... cheap lei! Day One was very trying. I told him over and over again the day before we wouldn't be wearing diapers anymore and that he would have to tell me he wants to pee-pee if he needed to. On Day One, I put him in the cheap shorts and asked at 5-10 minute intervals if he wanted to pee. He didn't quite get it because he would tell me "No." and then come to me later with wet pants and a mournful look. "Connor wet-wet."
So I decided a JUMBO cup of juice was in order. Connor drank almost half of it in one gulp and sure enough, about 5 minutes later.... "Mummy!!! Pee-pee in toilet!" My god. We ran like HELL for the loo.
And he peed. Into the toilet bowl. Mummy cheered like he'd won the Nobel Prize or something.
For his efforts, he got a chunk of chocolate. Connor's eyes widened. Ooh...treats! Mummy's not one to give chocolates often, that's usually Daddy the Fellow Chocolate Addict.
A little while after he'd polished off the chocolate, my son came up to me and tugged at my sleeve. "Pee-pee in toilet?" Another mad dash. He strained and strained and managed to squeeze out a droplet. After I'd cheered his efforts and we'd washed, he held his hand out to me and asked, "Chocolate please?" Hmm. I think I've just been conned by a 3yo.
We've been at it for a week now and I think Connor's gotten the hang of it. Unfortunately, he'll forget once you put trousers on him. So he's been running about the house erm... hanging free... erm... and I've not had a problem with him peeing anywhere. Yet. Once he gets used to the idea of telling me regularly about pee-pee in toilet, I'll try the pants on again.
I've also stopped the chocolate treats. Connor's just happy to be allowed to flush the toilet and watch everything swirl down the hole so I use that as his reward.
Now to teach him to poo-poo in toilet.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
I got my boobies back!
At long last, my boobies are free!
Connor is 2 years and 9 months old and I have finally managed to wean him off the boobsters. He's actually only been having breast milk just before sleep at night and that only for a few minutes. I knew it was more to comfort him than to nourish him. I had started cutting down gradually on the feed frequency and time from 1 1/2 onwards and he didn't miss it much as he was fully on solids by then and there were more exciting things to do than to breastfeed.
But he still turned to the boobs for comfort and no matter what distraction I tried, he wouldn't settle till he had some boobie before bedtime.
This was before Monkey came along.
Monkey was actually Dear Hubby's present for Father's Day this year. I spied him in a store in the UK and he matched the monkey-themed card I'd gotten Dear Hubby. So on Father's Day, I put card and monkey in our Little Monkey's hands and told him to give it to Top Monkey. The card was handed over but Connor clutched Monkey tightly and refused to let him go.
Since then, Monkey has been his bedtime snuggle toy and I snatched the opportunity to stop the breast feeding once and for all. One night, I gently refused him and told him he was a big boy now and Monkey is too, and look Monkey doesn't need nen-nen. And whaddaya know? It worked!
So it comes to an end. 2 years and 9 months of breastfeeding. It's a little sad because it's like my baby's grown up now and doesn't need me that way anymore. Breastfeeding had been our fail proof method of calming him no matter where we were. Breastfeeding was the reason why we never had problems with him travelling - hey if it's good enough for him at sea level, it's good enough for him at 36,000 ft. It was the reason why he was very rarely ill as a baby. I breast fed him for this long because I could, I had the luxury of being a stay-at-home mum with help on hand and I enjoyed it, I loved knowing that he felt safe and calm with me and that I was giving him the best that I could.
But I sure am glad to have all of my body back to myself at last. (Dear Hubby: Ahah! We'll see about that!)
P/s Thank you Monkey!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The verbal floodgates are opening...
Connor is, I think, a late talker. He was never interested in talking. While I fretted and took him to endless doctors and specialists, Dear Hubby just assumed Connor was displaying a very male trait. It didn't help that some of my friends' sons were chattering away in complete sentences before turning three.
I saw a lot of improvement in speech when he started playschool. It helps that there's more people around him, talking away. But he still wouldn't say much. I worried for nights on end, wondering if my son was stupid. But he didn't seem so. He knew how to solve problems like figuring out how to get the M&Ms out from the fridge. We've since bought a new fridge with very hard to open doors. He knew his colours, his shapes, his numbers and his ABCs. He understood our instructions. So clearly he didn't have a problem understanding. But it seemed his mouth hadn't quite caught on it had to get in the act as well.
Lately, it seems to be happening. One of the many things he said yesterday was "I am eating murtabak!" For breakfast. And it was MUMMY'S murtabak. So Mummy had to go eat boring toast because there wasn't any freaking murtabak left.
I didn't really mind because he is TALKING. At long last, he is talking. Phew.
I'm going to so regret this because once he starts talking, you know what comes next. Yep. Mummy, why is the sky blue? Mummy, why is that man so fat? Mummy, why does your bum look big in those jeans?
*A murtabak is an Indian dish. It's like a filled pancake, filling can be meat/vege. It is very easy for Connor to pronounce because it sounds just like "motorbike", one of his favourite all-time words.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The Power of Chocolate as a Teaching Aid
Chocolate is a wonderful thing. It is delicious. It tastes fantastic even when gooey. It tastes fabulous on bananas, toast, cakes... even on naked bodies! And it is a fabulous teaching aid for toddlers.
We used it to teach Connor how to say "thank you". You can't believe how much quicker the lesson is grasped when there's a lovely little chunk of milk chocolate up for grabs. It all started when my father gave his grandson an entire box of Cadbury's little chocs. We soon realised Connor became very obliging and obedient whenever one of those little purple rectangles was waved in front of his eyes. So I used it to teach "thank you". I tell you... he can't say "Enk-yoo!" quickly enough.
Chocolate can also be used to teach colours. This is a concept that Connor finds a little confusing. M&M's work wonders in clearing up that confusion. "Connor... if you want to eat M&M's, you can only have the red one. Which one is red?" and Connor will pick out the red one AND say "Enk-yoo!" at the same time. Brilliant or what.
Never underestimate the power of chocolate.
We used it to teach Connor how to say "thank you". You can't believe how much quicker the lesson is grasped when there's a lovely little chunk of milk chocolate up for grabs. It all started when my father gave his grandson an entire box of Cadbury's little chocs. We soon realised Connor became very obliging and obedient whenever one of those little purple rectangles was waved in front of his eyes. So I used it to teach "thank you". I tell you... he can't say "Enk-yoo!" quickly enough.
Chocolate can also be used to teach colours. This is a concept that Connor finds a little confusing. M&M's work wonders in clearing up that confusion. "Connor... if you want to eat M&M's, you can only have the red one. Which one is red?" and Connor will pick out the red one AND say "Enk-yoo!" at the same time. Brilliant or what.
Never underestimate the power of chocolate.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Connor can talk! At last!
Omigosh. Connor actually said two whole sentences today.
The first happened when we were playing in the pool. Dear Hubby had promised he would come join us when he'd changed out of his work clothes and I'd been looking out for him. From time to time, I would say "Where's Daddy? When is he coming?" After his nth leap into the paddling pool, Connor suddenly said clearly, "Uh-oh. Where's Daddy?" and promptly leapt off into the water again. I was so surprised I almost failed to catch him in time.
The second was just before bedtime. He wanted to play with Daddy's bottle of juice which I'd put up on the shelf. I was helping Connor into his sleepsuit and wasn't quite paying attention to what he was saying. Suddenly, I realised Connor was saying "I want the juice." It came out as "I wan uh joo." but what the heck! It was a sentence!
I was SO happy. We'd never been worried about Connor's physical development because he was clearly all there and he was achieving his physical milestones ahead of the timelines described in baby books. But come language-wise, he was not as quick and I'd fretted and fretted.
In the last month or so, I noticed his language skills had picked up considerably. He was pointing out things to me all day long and would keep up a running commentary of anything he saw while we were out. "Bus! Tractor! Light! Car! Tick-tock! Girl! Fish!" etc etc etc He was also picking up words much quicker than he used to.
We've not had another sentence out of him since that juice thing. But I've finally gotten some hope that we will have some meaningful convie with him before long. Dear Hubby said by next week, he'd probably turn around to me and say "You know Mummy, I could talk all along!" and then cry while I faint from shock.
I am so happy my baby can talk that I am speechless.
The first happened when we were playing in the pool. Dear Hubby had promised he would come join us when he'd changed out of his work clothes and I'd been looking out for him. From time to time, I would say "Where's Daddy? When is he coming?" After his nth leap into the paddling pool, Connor suddenly said clearly, "Uh-oh. Where's Daddy?" and promptly leapt off into the water again. I was so surprised I almost failed to catch him in time.
The second was just before bedtime. He wanted to play with Daddy's bottle of juice which I'd put up on the shelf. I was helping Connor into his sleepsuit and wasn't quite paying attention to what he was saying. Suddenly, I realised Connor was saying "I want the juice." It came out as "I wan uh joo." but what the heck! It was a sentence!
I was SO happy. We'd never been worried about Connor's physical development because he was clearly all there and he was achieving his physical milestones ahead of the timelines described in baby books. But come language-wise, he was not as quick and I'd fretted and fretted.
In the last month or so, I noticed his language skills had picked up considerably. He was pointing out things to me all day long and would keep up a running commentary of anything he saw while we were out. "Bus! Tractor! Light! Car! Tick-tock! Girl! Fish!" etc etc etc He was also picking up words much quicker than he used to.
We've not had another sentence out of him since that juice thing. But I've finally gotten some hope that we will have some meaningful convie with him before long. Dear Hubby said by next week, he'd probably turn around to me and say "You know Mummy, I could talk all along!" and then cry while I faint from shock.
I am so happy my baby can talk that I am speechless.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
We have our 2-word sentence!
We were in the study this morning and Connor spied a Ben Elton book. It was "High Society" and had a picture of a ball of sorts on its spine.
Connor pointed to it and told me "Ball book!"
To say I was delighted is an understatement. Making up 2-word sentences is one of the milestones I've been waiting and waiting for. I was just delighted he was putting together words he knew to describe something new.
I knew all along Connor's not exactly daft but I just needed some tangible proof. Hehe.
Connor pointed to it and told me "Ball book!"
To say I was delighted is an understatement. Making up 2-word sentences is one of the milestones I've been waiting and waiting for. I was just delighted he was putting together words he knew to describe something new.
I knew all along Connor's not exactly daft but I just needed some tangible proof. Hehe.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Connor knows his ABCs
When Connor was 9 months old, I bought him the Fisher-Price Sesame Street ABC Bus toy. I thought he would enjoy the toy because he loved to press buttons and there were plenty on the toy for him to press to his heart's content. He was actually way too young for the toy then (it was recommended for 18mths and older) but I don't think it mattered to Connor. He loved the toy from day one.
It's actually a very annoying toy. Especially if you can't stand Elmo and I can't. There's only so much of his high-pitched voice that I can take without wanting to bash the toy to smithereens. The toy is rather loud too, I had to tape over the speakers with clear tape.
Connor is now 22 months old and he still plays with it. Two nights ago, I was sitting by him watching him play with the toy. He had it in the quiz mode where the toy will ask, for example, "What is the first letter of the word 'Apple'?" Obviously Connor doesn't know that so he'll just press random buttons. The toy gives you two tries before telling you the correct answer. "Apple starts with the letter A!"
Upon hearing that, Connor will press the letter A. I thought to myself "Whoa he got it right! Well, must be a fluke, he never pays attention when I try to teach him ABCs." When he got the 2nd letter right as well, I thought "Beginner's luck." But when Connor got the 3rd, 4th and 5th letters right as well, I started paying attention.
He got every letter right that night. And that's when I realised that Connor had learnt his ABCs from this noisy annoying toy.
I was really, really chuffed. I'd been worried I'd not spent enough time teaching Connor stuff, we don't do a lot of flashcards or charts or whatever. I figured school would teach Connor ABCs and 123s. Besides I thought it would be better if I taught him social and life skills first. This is why my son can't identify colours or shapes but can put on his own shoes, knows he must put his cup on coasters instead of on the teak table and will put the empty packet of rice crackers in the bin when he's finished with them.
But I'm dead chuffed he's learnt letters all by himself. I've never liked Elmo but I'm starting to have more positive feelings about him now. Hehe.
It's actually a very annoying toy. Especially if you can't stand Elmo and I can't. There's only so much of his high-pitched voice that I can take without wanting to bash the toy to smithereens. The toy is rather loud too, I had to tape over the speakers with clear tape.
Connor is now 22 months old and he still plays with it. Two nights ago, I was sitting by him watching him play with the toy. He had it in the quiz mode where the toy will ask, for example, "What is the first letter of the word 'Apple'?" Obviously Connor doesn't know that so he'll just press random buttons. The toy gives you two tries before telling you the correct answer. "Apple starts with the letter A!"
Upon hearing that, Connor will press the letter A. I thought to myself "Whoa he got it right! Well, must be a fluke, he never pays attention when I try to teach him ABCs." When he got the 2nd letter right as well, I thought "Beginner's luck." But when Connor got the 3rd, 4th and 5th letters right as well, I started paying attention.
He got every letter right that night. And that's when I realised that Connor had learnt his ABCs from this noisy annoying toy.
I was really, really chuffed. I'd been worried I'd not spent enough time teaching Connor stuff, we don't do a lot of flashcards or charts or whatever. I figured school would teach Connor ABCs and 123s. Besides I thought it would be better if I taught him social and life skills first. This is why my son can't identify colours or shapes but can put on his own shoes, knows he must put his cup on coasters instead of on the teak table and will put the empty packet of rice crackers in the bin when he's finished with them.
But I'm dead chuffed he's learnt letters all by himself. I've never liked Elmo but I'm starting to have more positive feelings about him now. Hehe.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Baby Sign Language: Eat and Drink
One of the earliest signs I taught Connor was "eat" and "drink". They're very useful signs and very easy to teach because there is no motivator like hunger. (Money hasn't quite entered Connor's realm of thought yet)
On our first night in Luz, Connor refused his dinner. He'd not been eating well that day as well as we were travelling. It was very frustrating trying to feed him and having him just clamp his mouth shut or spit everything out. Finally I gave up and put him to bed. I thought he'd wake up multiple times in the night crying for milk but he didn't.
The next morning, Dear Hubby and I were woken up at 6am by our little monkey. "Mummy, Mummy!" he said and signed "Help". I replied "Yes Connor, Mummy will help you. What do you want?" He said again, more desperately this time "Mummy!" and in quick succession signed "eat" and "drink".
We burst out laughing. Dear Hubby said "Well I guess someone is finally hungry!" And he was. He ate a whole lot of cereal and yoghurt that morning.
On our first night in Luz, Connor refused his dinner. He'd not been eating well that day as well as we were travelling. It was very frustrating trying to feed him and having him just clamp his mouth shut or spit everything out. Finally I gave up and put him to bed. I thought he'd wake up multiple times in the night crying for milk but he didn't.
The next morning, Dear Hubby and I were woken up at 6am by our little monkey. "Mummy, Mummy!" he said and signed "Help". I replied "Yes Connor, Mummy will help you. What do you want?" He said again, more desperately this time "Mummy!" and in quick succession signed "eat" and "drink".
We burst out laughing. Dear Hubby said "Well I guess someone is finally hungry!" And he was. He ate a whole lot of cereal and yoghurt that morning.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Baby Sign Language: Connor makes up his own sign
It was our afternoon drawing time together and I asked Connor "Would you like your crayons?" Big enthusiastic nod from my 18-month-old son. I got down the bag of crayons and offered it to him. He picked out one crayon and I did the same. We both sat down at his little table and he started making broad sweeps across the paper with his crayon.
He looked up at me enquiringly after that and I asked "What?" He said "Mummy!", then signed "Help" and followed that with the same broad sweeping movements he'd made earlier when drawing. It was very clear what he wanted. "Do you want Mummy to help you draw some things?" Connor beamed at me and nodded, very pleased that he'd managed to tell me what he wanted and that I understood him perfectly.
I was so happy that he'd made up his own sign on the spot to communicate with me. If you read the books on baby sign language, this is common among babies who have been exposed to it. They either make up their own or combine known signs to make up new words. One little boy signed "bird-horse" when he saw a flying unicorn in the toy store. Clever eh!
So relieved Connor's neurons are firing after all. And so happy that he can more or less "talk" to me.
He looked up at me enquiringly after that and I asked "What?" He said "Mummy!", then signed "Help" and followed that with the same broad sweeping movements he'd made earlier when drawing. It was very clear what he wanted. "Do you want Mummy to help you draw some things?" Connor beamed at me and nodded, very pleased that he'd managed to tell me what he wanted and that I understood him perfectly.
I was so happy that he'd made up his own sign on the spot to communicate with me. If you read the books on baby sign language, this is common among babies who have been exposed to it. They either make up their own or combine known signs to make up new words. One little boy signed "bird-horse" when he saw a flying unicorn in the toy store. Clever eh!
So relieved Connor's neurons are firing after all. And so happy that he can more or less "talk" to me.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Connor's new word is...
...DELL.
That's because this netbook I'm using is from Dell. This netbook is also Connor's favourite plaything. I've made him powerpoint slides teaching him his ABCs and other stuff. I've also discovered Youtube is fantastic for showing him things like what a cow's moo is like (just type in cow moo) and is fabulous for Thomas the Tank Engine commercials that keep him distracted when I need him to remain seated.
So far, Connor has learnt how to power up this thing, flip the display upside down (imagine my annoyance when I came back once to find my IE displayed upside down), open and shut various programs by sheer persistence and luck and play his powerpoint slides and videos.
No wonder he's learnt the word Dell.
That's because this netbook I'm using is from Dell. This netbook is also Connor's favourite plaything. I've made him powerpoint slides teaching him his ABCs and other stuff. I've also discovered Youtube is fantastic for showing him things like what a cow's moo is like (just type in cow moo) and is fabulous for Thomas the Tank Engine commercials that keep him distracted when I need him to remain seated.
So far, Connor has learnt how to power up this thing, flip the display upside down (imagine my annoyance when I came back once to find my IE displayed upside down), open and shut various programs by sheer persistence and luck and play his powerpoint slides and videos.
No wonder he's learnt the word Dell.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Yay! We finally have the 2-word sentence!
At last. At long, long, long last. He's finally put two and two together. Or in this case, one and one together.
And as usual, junk food was involved. Just like when he learnt how to drink from a sippy cup.
Dear Hubby had come home announcing excitedly he'd brought home something special for Connor. I thought it was a toy or something but it was actually chocolate. This being Easter, some expat in the office had been giving out choccies brought back from the UK and Dear Hubby had snagged himself a Finger of Fudge. I thought it was very admirable of Dear Hubby the Chocaholic to refrain from scoffing it right there and then at the office and instead saved it for his son.
Connor rushed to Daddy the moment he realised chocolate was on offer. He can't quite say "chocolate", it comes out as "kokolet" and when he gets uber-excited, it just becomes "Koko! Koko! KOKO!"
He took a tentative bite and mmm... it must have been delicious because Connor immediately gestured towards the choccie and said, "More!" "More what?" asked Dear Hubby. And to our surprise, Connor used a 2-word sentence for the very first time, "More kokolet!"
We were absolutely delighted. Even when Connor spat out all the fudge bits and handed them to us after he'd carefully sucked the chocolate off them.
Take it from me, fellow Mums. Chocolate - forms words in your mouth, not in your hands.
And as usual, junk food was involved. Just like when he learnt how to drink from a sippy cup.
Dear Hubby had come home announcing excitedly he'd brought home something special for Connor. I thought it was a toy or something but it was actually chocolate. This being Easter, some expat in the office had been giving out choccies brought back from the UK and Dear Hubby had snagged himself a Finger of Fudge. I thought it was very admirable of Dear Hubby the Chocaholic to refrain from scoffing it right there and then at the office and instead saved it for his son.
Connor rushed to Daddy the moment he realised chocolate was on offer. He can't quite say "chocolate", it comes out as "kokolet" and when he gets uber-excited, it just becomes "Koko! Koko! KOKO!"
He took a tentative bite and mmm... it must have been delicious because Connor immediately gestured towards the choccie and said, "More!" "More what?" asked Dear Hubby. And to our surprise, Connor used a 2-word sentence for the very first time, "More kokolet!"
We were absolutely delighted. Even when Connor spat out all the fudge bits and handed them to us after he'd carefully sucked the chocolate off them.
Take it from me, fellow Mums. Chocolate - forms words in your mouth, not in your hands.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Connor is 16 months old
My little baby boy turned 16 months old last weekend. It's so weird to think that he used to be curled up inside me. This is what he can do now.
Feed himself
Not very well! I have invested in a large clear plastic sheet to protect our teak dining table. He's struggling with the fork and spoon, I think it's because they're a little too long for him to balance properly but he can feed himself fine using fingers. So I try to prepare finger foods for his meals now and it's just such a thrill to see him get excited at mealtimes and reach out to feed himself fish and chips.
Scribble
He started scribbling close to his 1st birthday I think but it's only now that he's really interested in it. So Mummy's bought him some jumbo non-toxic crayons and paper. We've also gotten him a kiddie table + chair set from IKEA and it's so funny to see him sitting there looking very serious as he grabs a crayon and scrawls.
'allo, 'allo!
Boy. Was he thrilled when Telekom Malaysia came and fixed our line and gave us this bright orange phone. He played with it all day, going "...'lo? ...'lo?" He loves phones. In fact, anything that is sort of oblong in shape and has buttons on it is a phone to him. Hence he goes around the house with our remotes, the little baby thermometer, the air cond controls... and holds it up to his ear while going "...'lo?"
Talking
While not really saying 2-word sentences yet, he is saying single words. He'll refuse milk with an emphatic "Nono!" (because Mummy says Nono and not No... I find it impossible to not repeat certain words) and beg for more ice-cream with "More!" Ask Aunty M, he kept saying "More!" to her when she let him try her vanilla ice-cream. He's finally cottoned on that "More!" doesn't just apply to more food. It also applies to when he wants Mummy to make more funny faces or when he wants his favourite Mickey Mouse Youtube video repeated.
He says "Brum-brum!" for vehicles and interestingly, said the same word one day while pointing to a man in the queue ahead of us who was wearing a crash helmet. I thought that was quite significant that he was able to associate man in queue with crash helmet = man I always see riding motorbike, therefore brum-brum.
I think the funniest thing is when he does something he knows is wrong like push all his toys off the couch with a crash and he'll peer down at them and go "Uh-oh... hor (3rd sound)...." Very hard to explain. You have to be Malaysian/Singaporean to get this.
Manipulating
Not sure if it is... but whenever he can't get anything he wants from me, he'll turn away and wail, "Daddyyyyyyyyyy....". Unfortunately for him, Daddy and Mummy are usually on the same page when it comes to Stuff Connor Can't Have. But he does it anyway.
It was pretty annoying (and amusing) one day when I was doing the shopping and he wanted a toy he saw. I said no and immediately he burst into tears and wailed, "Dadddyyyyyy...." and a mum nearby couldn't help grinning.
Help me dress and undress him
...by holding out his arms and legs. He started out months with holding his arms out. He knows when Mummy says "Hands up!", it's time to put those arms up in the air so that Mummy can pull his t-shirt off. The best part is when I'm putting shoes and socks on. "Right foot!" and up comes his right foot, on goes the sock and shoe. Repeat with left foot. When I tell him I want him to sit down so that I can put his shoes on "... and go shopping!", he will come to me, turn around and carefully back himself into my arms and sit down so that I can put his shoes on. He knows Mummy is a bit of a dodo and can't put his shoes on properly when he's sitting facing me. The last time he did that, I put his left shoe on his right foot and no amount of protesting from him worked until he kicked his shoe off.
Blow a kiss
God. I tried and tried and tried to teach him this. Never worked. And guess how he finally learnt? From strangers in shopping malls who find him cute and blow him kisses. *smacks own forehead*
Sayang
Hehe. This is the Malaysian bit of Connor coming out. If you say to him "Hug mummy!", he'll have no reaction. But if you say "Sayang mummy!", he'll put his arms around me and hug me. The day he learnt how to do that, I couldn't wait for Dear Hubby to come home so that I could show him Connor could sayang Daddy.
It's so cool each time he learns something new and when I think back to his birth, it's just amazing how different he is now.
Feed himself
Not very well! I have invested in a large clear plastic sheet to protect our teak dining table. He's struggling with the fork and spoon, I think it's because they're a little too long for him to balance properly but he can feed himself fine using fingers. So I try to prepare finger foods for his meals now and it's just such a thrill to see him get excited at mealtimes and reach out to feed himself fish and chips.
Scribble
He started scribbling close to his 1st birthday I think but it's only now that he's really interested in it. So Mummy's bought him some jumbo non-toxic crayons and paper. We've also gotten him a kiddie table + chair set from IKEA and it's so funny to see him sitting there looking very serious as he grabs a crayon and scrawls.
'allo, 'allo!
Boy. Was he thrilled when Telekom Malaysia came and fixed our line and gave us this bright orange phone. He played with it all day, going "...'lo? ...'lo?" He loves phones. In fact, anything that is sort of oblong in shape and has buttons on it is a phone to him. Hence he goes around the house with our remotes, the little baby thermometer, the air cond controls... and holds it up to his ear while going "...'lo?"
Talking
While not really saying 2-word sentences yet, he is saying single words. He'll refuse milk with an emphatic "Nono!" (because Mummy says Nono and not No... I find it impossible to not repeat certain words) and beg for more ice-cream with "More!" Ask Aunty M, he kept saying "More!" to her when she let him try her vanilla ice-cream. He's finally cottoned on that "More!" doesn't just apply to more food. It also applies to when he wants Mummy to make more funny faces or when he wants his favourite Mickey Mouse Youtube video repeated.
He says "Brum-brum!" for vehicles and interestingly, said the same word one day while pointing to a man in the queue ahead of us who was wearing a crash helmet. I thought that was quite significant that he was able to associate man in queue with crash helmet = man I always see riding motorbike, therefore brum-brum.
I think the funniest thing is when he does something he knows is wrong like push all his toys off the couch with a crash and he'll peer down at them and go "Uh-oh... hor (3rd sound)...." Very hard to explain. You have to be Malaysian/Singaporean to get this.
Manipulating
Not sure if it is... but whenever he can't get anything he wants from me, he'll turn away and wail, "Daddyyyyyyyyyy....". Unfortunately for him, Daddy and Mummy are usually on the same page when it comes to Stuff Connor Can't Have. But he does it anyway.
It was pretty annoying (and amusing) one day when I was doing the shopping and he wanted a toy he saw. I said no and immediately he burst into tears and wailed, "Dadddyyyyyy...." and a mum nearby couldn't help grinning.
Help me dress and undress him
...by holding out his arms and legs. He started out months with holding his arms out. He knows when Mummy says "Hands up!", it's time to put those arms up in the air so that Mummy can pull his t-shirt off. The best part is when I'm putting shoes and socks on. "Right foot!" and up comes his right foot, on goes the sock and shoe. Repeat with left foot. When I tell him I want him to sit down so that I can put his shoes on "... and go shopping!", he will come to me, turn around and carefully back himself into my arms and sit down so that I can put his shoes on. He knows Mummy is a bit of a dodo and can't put his shoes on properly when he's sitting facing me. The last time he did that, I put his left shoe on his right foot and no amount of protesting from him worked until he kicked his shoe off.
Blow a kiss
God. I tried and tried and tried to teach him this. Never worked. And guess how he finally learnt? From strangers in shopping malls who find him cute and blow him kisses. *smacks own forehead*
Sayang
Hehe. This is the Malaysian bit of Connor coming out. If you say to him "Hug mummy!", he'll have no reaction. But if you say "Sayang mummy!", he'll put his arms around me and hug me. The day he learnt how to do that, I couldn't wait for Dear Hubby to come home so that I could show him Connor could sayang Daddy.
It's so cool each time he learns something new and when I think back to his birth, it's just amazing how different he is now.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Milestones: Learning to talk
Connor is now 13 months old and we're waiting for the next BIG milestone - talking! Right now, he's just babbling a lot. But his babbles sound like language. You can hear inflections in his babbling and you know if it's a request or an angry comment or just a general knowing sort of comment.
So what can Connor say now?
Mama, Dada
He can say Mama and Dada to the right parent. He's been saying that for some time now but rather infrequently. Not now though. And he really knows how to work it. When he wants something that he knows he's not supposed to have, he'll put on his Puss In Boots expression and say sweetly, "Ma ma." knowing that I'll melt right on the spot. But I generally still say No. Hehe.
Brum, brum!
When he was littler, I would amuse him each time we were caught in traffic jams by saying "Brum, brum!" each time an ojek, bajaj or car passed by. He would look on with great interest but never showed any sign he was even listening to me. Then one day out of the blue, he pointed to a motorbike, turned to me and smiled. "Brum brum." But since Mummy speaks Malaysian, Connor usually says "Brum brum ah..." Me so proud.
No more!
One of his favourite toys is this set of nesting cups from IKEA. He loves to toss them about the house. One day, annoyed with him after having to crawl everywhere to retrieve all 7 cups, I scolded loudly, "No more!" He grinned back at me and repeated delightedly, "No more!" That was so funny I burst into laughter. Now at meal times, he will ask me to give him the nesting cups and after he's tossed them all off the highchair, he will look at me and say, "No more!"
More
He's just learnt this tonight. As he'd been a very good boy, I allowed him a special treat - a sip of Mummy's Coke. He kept begging for more so I taught him "More". It's a simple word for babies to say as it's one-syllable and is a simple mouth shape. Boy. Did Connor ever catch on.
I am trying with the Baby Signs but Connor shows absolutely NO interest in reproducing anything I've shown except the sign for "fish". He'll wave his hand frantically, signing "fish" each time we're at the fish section of the supermarket while looking at all the dead fishies that Mummy wants to buy. It's very discouraging as all the promo videos of Baby Signs show smiling babies enthusiastically signing all sorts of stuff while mine just stares into empty space but I will keep at it.
I really can't wait for Connor to start talking. I know for sure there's something going on in his head and I want to know what he's thinking. We do have "conversations" now where he will babble something and I reply, making my answer up as I go. From time to time, Connor will mimic my words. He happily said, "Let's go!" a few weeks ago, imitating my tone but I've never heard it since.
Everyone says boys talk later than girls, a fact that my parents can attest to. In fact, my youngest brother still isn't talking very much! Friends have also told me early walkers talk later as they can get to stuff they want and don't need to learn to say the word to ask you to get it for them. *sigh* Connor started walking at 10 months so I guess it's going to be babble for a bit longer for me.
C'mon Connor... are you talking to me?
So what can Connor say now?
Mama, Dada
He can say Mama and Dada to the right parent. He's been saying that for some time now but rather infrequently. Not now though. And he really knows how to work it. When he wants something that he knows he's not supposed to have, he'll put on his Puss In Boots expression and say sweetly, "Ma ma." knowing that I'll melt right on the spot. But I generally still say No. Hehe.
Brum, brum!
When he was littler, I would amuse him each time we were caught in traffic jams by saying "Brum, brum!" each time an ojek, bajaj or car passed by. He would look on with great interest but never showed any sign he was even listening to me. Then one day out of the blue, he pointed to a motorbike, turned to me and smiled. "Brum brum." But since Mummy speaks Malaysian, Connor usually says "Brum brum ah..." Me so proud.
No more!
One of his favourite toys is this set of nesting cups from IKEA. He loves to toss them about the house. One day, annoyed with him after having to crawl everywhere to retrieve all 7 cups, I scolded loudly, "No more!" He grinned back at me and repeated delightedly, "No more!" That was so funny I burst into laughter. Now at meal times, he will ask me to give him the nesting cups and after he's tossed them all off the highchair, he will look at me and say, "No more!"
More
He's just learnt this tonight. As he'd been a very good boy, I allowed him a special treat - a sip of Mummy's Coke. He kept begging for more so I taught him "More". It's a simple word for babies to say as it's one-syllable and is a simple mouth shape. Boy. Did Connor ever catch on.
I am trying with the Baby Signs but Connor shows absolutely NO interest in reproducing anything I've shown except the sign for "fish". He'll wave his hand frantically, signing "fish" each time we're at the fish section of the supermarket while looking at all the dead fishies that Mummy wants to buy. It's very discouraging as all the promo videos of Baby Signs show smiling babies enthusiastically signing all sorts of stuff while mine just stares into empty space but I will keep at it.
I really can't wait for Connor to start talking. I know for sure there's something going on in his head and I want to know what he's thinking. We do have "conversations" now where he will babble something and I reply, making my answer up as I go. From time to time, Connor will mimic my words. He happily said, "Let's go!" a few weeks ago, imitating my tone but I've never heard it since.
Everyone says boys talk later than girls, a fact that my parents can attest to. In fact, my youngest brother still isn't talking very much! Friends have also told me early walkers talk later as they can get to stuff they want and don't need to learn to say the word to ask you to get it for them. *sigh* Connor started walking at 10 months so I guess it's going to be babble for a bit longer for me.
C'mon Connor... are you talking to me?
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