Lots have happened since the last time I managed to get access on the blog.

Sick & Well
Rebecca fell sick and has recovered. This time, it was quite a bad episode of fever etc which necessitated 2 trips to the ER and a flurry of phone calls back to her Singapore pediatrician and a lot of prayers from church. Sweet Auntie Michelle had even rang from Singapore to find out if the little one is doing ok. We're so touched to know that so many people care for her.

Thankfully, all is well and she's back to being her cheeky self again.

Reading
She is starting to really fall in love with books and developing a habit of reading. I've always tried to interest her in books as I do love reading a lot. In the past week, her nanny has told me that she has given her toys a wide berth and chose to fiddle around with her books and flash cards. She would take them out and flip through them, then scatter them throughout her play area.

If she sees anyone nearby engrossed in doing something else, she would bring a book up to that person and indicate that she wants to be read to. Sometimes, she will insist on being read the same story over and over again in the same sitting. 'Spot goes to school' is only interesting after so many times!

I am also working hard on keeping her book collection growing with both English and Chinese books. Thankfully, Chinese reading materials are very affordable in China and I've been able to track down some of her favourite books in Chinese, some bilingual. She still prefers to be read in English then in Chinese though and I'm hoping that her Chinese Playclub at JG next semester will change that.

So far, her favorite books are not too many:
Go Dog Go by PD Eastman
Spot the Dog books [In English & Chinese]
Touch & Feel books [Especially the touch & sniff one]

Her teacher at Playnest in Julia Gabriel has told me that she's the only child in class who can sit attentively listening during story time. She doesn't do that at home though, cos at times, when I read to her, she is running all about the living room. I'm praying that God will continue to keep this desire for reading and learning alive in her throughout her life.

Clingy
It may be due to the attention that she's received during her bout with illness....Rebecca has really turned to be a bit more clingy than normal. She will whine that she wants to be carried whenever she sees me and even when I'm at the computer trying to get something done. Hopefully its just a phase.

Latest cool phrase: Wasstat?
In case you did not get that: It refers to "What is that?", though when Rebecca says it, it comes out a single word: Wasstat. I had thought and read that this questioning phase starts about two and a half....why am I having to deal with this now? Its like a magic word, she points and says "wasstat" and we have to name whatever she is pointing at. Its endearing really....and tiring at the same time. All the same, another milestone for her. And yes, in case you were wondering, we've heard our first "Why" and our first "What" already. I guess for some babies, terrible twos arrive early...though for our household, it seems to have arrived at 16.5 months....7.5 months early.