Tag Archives: baby diaries

life with a toddler: night person

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You chose a long bedtime story for tonight. But I couldn’t skip pages because  you were quick to see if I skipped a few pages. So, I tried another technique: I just read the page on the right then tried to turn to the next page. But you complained loudly that I didn’t read the left side. How you knew exactly what huh page I didn’t read (since you couldn’t read yet) I have no idea. But I’m mighty proud of you my child. 

One thing though. There’s this one phrase that throughout my childhood and adolescence Papa kept on shouting at me late at night: JOJI KATULOG NA!! (JOJI, GO TO SLEEP!!!). It’s the very same line I use with you now. Don’t you just love it?

conversations with Yui: candy

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I could probably count with one hand the times I allowed you to eat candy which probably makes you one of the least entitled kids in the world when it comes to candies. 

Yesterday you were watching this educational video about counting using candies. And hence during dinner, with a bubbly air, you raised the candy topic. 

Yui: Candies are so sweet! (Insert cute expression here). And they come in different flavours too. 

Me: U-huh. 

Yui: it would be good to eat them together  with Daddy (at this point your Dad looked at you to see where this is heading). 

Me: U-huh. 

Yui: (with a sweet expression on your face) Mommy can we buy, for me and Daddy. 

Me: Just as I thought! That’s the next line I was expecting. 

Yui: Sou da ne (You may be right).

To the tune of “No more monkey jumping on the bed”, I said

Me: No no candy for Yui-chan

Yui: those lyrics are not correct Mommy! It should be “No more monkey jumping on the bed!” desu yo?!

And so you didn’t have your candy. But I told you as well that I appreciated the fact that you tried to work your way, by reason, to what you wanted. I know and saw that you needed courage to say it so I appreciated that. 

Grow up well, honey. 

baby diaries: that one powerful word

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You probably caught a bug at day care yesterday in that when I picked you up, you again have a runny nose with some colour. Late evening, you were coughing. Past midnight, you vomitted twice; as is your usual style ever since you were a baby whenever you have a cough. 

And so for 45 minutes I changed our bedsheets and cleaned up our bedroom. Daddy gave you a change of clothes for you to wear (after I’ve washed you up), gave you a glass of water and snuggled with you while I cleaned up our side of the bed. 

To be honest anak, those 45 minutes were very tiring; you know me, you know how miticulous I am with cleaning. I was still meticulous, even at almost 1am. I was easy to drop with tiredness. 

But then you got up from Daddy’s hug, saw our side of the bed already clean and saw your baby bed with new sheets. Then in the sweetest voice,

Ah! Kereinatta! (It got clean!). Mommy, arigatou! (Thank you!)

Right there and then all the tiredness was drained out of my body. I never expected that that word that we always say could have such powerful effect in rejuvenating me. Totally forgot the tiredness, especially after Daddy said thanks too. 

Looking back, I’m not too sure anymore if I ever said thank you sweetly to Mama and Papa after they had a tiring time taking care of me. 

I am so blessed to have you as my daughter, Yui and I would always be thankful. 

life with a toddler: PDA

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Buses here in Japan stops when in idle mode (eg while waiting for the traffic light). And when the engines are off, it can be eerily silent. Yui almost always chooses this particular moment to loudly say in a sweet voice, “Mommy daisuki (I love Mommy)”. It’s one of those moments when you feel several emotions all at once – joy, pride, elation mixed with embarrassment (because of public declaration and because the silence was broken and might have disturbed somebody) and worry (how to teach Yui when to choose the best time to say her affections without discouraging her from expressing her feelings). 
Thank you Anak. You’re giving Mom and Dad immeasurable joy. 🙂