11 months old

Tobey has been bringing alot of joy to us. He is a cheerful little man that sends us to bed beaming with smiles thinking about him. Now that it's nearer to his 1 year old birthday, I've been reflecting on the whole journey from 10th June 2007. First 5 week was baptism by fire-we survived on minimal sleep whilst trying to tend to a boy that just wouldn't sleep! Then he started giving us smiles..which helped us carry on. Month 2-4 it was all about getting to know his temperament and setting up a routine around him. Month 4-6 was fun! He started sitting and reaching out for things. From month 6 till now, it's been tiring to say the least! He started to crawl, stand, walk, babble, learnt to let us know his preferences, enjoy his surroundings more and now became this expressive and cheeky little man walking around and round the house all day pulling things down. Needless to say, this period also included those difficult tantrum-filled days where he would be as moody as a moo and just out to make life difficult. But I prefer to put those days at the back of my mind and concentrate on enjoying all his other good days.

He likes dogs, when walking outdoor, he would point to a dog when he sees one and walk towards it even when its much bigger than him. He loves food- ice-cream, yogurt and whatever the adults are having. He very much wanna be a toddler. It's like his current life ambition. In the recent playgroup I brought him to, he joined the other toddlers (2-4 years olds) in their tricycle play. His legs are still too short, can't reach the pedals, that didn't damper his spirit, he resorted to push the handles and walked the tricycle instead. As he couldn't run as fast as the real tods, he fell on his bum or front more than once, but up he got up and continued playing. No tears, just determined to have fun. So unlike me. Must have got that trait from his dad. When I was a kid I use to cry as if I was living in war zone or I lost limb or two. He likes charming strangers of all ages with smiles and eye contact. Be it on the bus, in the streets, in restaurants, in clinics (!!!), basically every chance he gets. Don't know where he gets that from. He adores his dad. He might as well be wearing a bandanna stating "My father My hero" in bold red. Early in the morning when we go into his room to pick him up, the first word out of his mouth is "ta-ti" (he can't say many words, slow speech development. "it's common for baby boys to be slower in this area" is what I kept telling myself. It's something I read somewhere that I am sticking to that for now). I am ok with that really. I am not bitter. Nevermind I am the one doing the still poo washing and cook his porridge from scratch daily. Really, I am not bitter...

Recently, I've started introducing him to the toothbrush (seeing that he is sprouting teeth). I showed him how I brush my teeth and he just imitated by chewing on his little toothbrush, so I'll be doing all the brushing for now. Still obsessed with electrical gadget-the laptop, the mobile and the vacuum cleaner, in that order We got him the toy version of all three, but he still wants the dull metallic real ones. Why, why, why boy? Even to write this article, I have to fight off his little fingers that kept getting onto my keyboard!

As he graduates into toddlerhood after his first year of life, I hope that he will continue to grow into this healthy, confident, happy, contented and ambitious person that I picture him to him.

Happy 11th month old my baby