Backtrack 22: My jealous, loving child

(Delayed posting due to swine flu.)

Of late, Rosabelle has been learning to ‘love, love’ me back when I tell her to ‘love, love Mummy’ – she will push her forehead against mine and snuggle her head close to me. She even knows how to play peekaboo with us, pretending to look away, or to play, and turning suddenly in our direction with a smile or cheeky look on her face; doing it continuously for a few times in succession for us to know that it’s not a mere coincidence. She will also tilt her head 90 degrees to one side to initiate such playing.

On our walks, I was playing with A-Man, and reaching my arms out to offer to carry her. The nanny was carrying Rosabelle and noticing her reaction – she was staring at me playing with A-Man, and when I finally looked at her, she gave me a whimpering cry, reaching her arms out to me to get me to come to her and carry her. The nanny said it’s rare for a 7-month-old to exhibit such jealousy!

As she now has a lot of new friends on her walks, I was carrying her to play with a 10-month-old girl called Jia Jia, and at the same time shaking her around and lifting my arm to teach Jia Jia to dance. Rosabelle was gripping the button on my T-shirt, and after some time, used her hand to beat my dancing hand down, as if asking me to stop playing with Jia Jia and focus on her. Aiyo!

Just the other day, I was carrying Jia Jia whilst the nanny was carrying her, and when she saw that, she reached out to me with her arms outstretched, and even pulled at Jia Jia until I carried her. So, the nanny and I swapped babies and when she saw the nanny carrying Jia Jia., she immediately tugged at the nanny’s forearm, as if to say, ‘Mummy’s mine, and Ayi’s mine too – you both cannot carry other babies other than me!’.　Faint…One common reaction we get on her walks: ‘Aiyo, this baby is so fat!’, 'Aiyo, look at this baby’s thighs!’, 'Aiyo, it must not be easy to bring this baby up growing so well!’, 'Wah, your baby has very good, glowing complexion!’, 'She is such a smiley and happy baby!’, and of course, the perpetual 'Wah, this stroller looks very good!'.

But we found out that the Quinny Buzz 2007 model does not come with a summer seat, i.e. she needs to endure the thick foam even in the hot summer, and in Singapore and China, the suppliers do not sell the summer nylon seating separately, so poor Rosabelle was perspiring hard when she fell asleep in the stroller one morning on her walk (really have to be wary of cheap deals man!!!).

We had to get her cooler straw-like backing for both the stroller and her high chair (she was perspiring hard during her meals as we put a waterproof backing to prevent spills from dirtying the chair cushion), and a cooling cloth for her bed (switch on fan at night some more). At least she can keep nice and cool these days...