She's like a sponge

Rosabelle had her first taste of organic baby cabbage today - I don't normally source for organic foods for her (believe once I get her started on all things organic, it's going to cost us a bomb to buy everything organic - so not necessary), but the supermarket did not have the normal baby cabbage, so we paid about RMB10 (SGD2) for two small bundles of the cabbage. She enjoyed the vegetable cooked in bowtie pasta (with chicken stock), potato, brinjal and spinach.

Yesterday morning's grocery shopping made me both elated and angry at the same time. We normally go to Tesco (last week was Walmart), and visit the Lijia baby hypermart next door. For a change, we went to Carrefour yesterday, and went to another baby hypermart opposite. Most of the items like cereal and wet wipes averaged RMB3 cheaper than the Lijia hypermart I normally order things from (cereal had a buy-two-get-one-free promotion at that!). And the imported Pampers was selling at RMB10 cheaper per 56-pack! When we went to Carrefour, the bowtie pasta was in fact cheaper than the Lijia hypermart by RMB3! Wah lau.... I am determined to get most of my supplies from other places then, think of how much moolah I could save...
At 9 months of age, Rosabelle is really like a sponge and soaking up all the knowledge she can. Yesterday, I introduced to her the concept of giving and taking. She has a favourite J&J moisturizer bottle (I leave all my empty vitamin and cosmetic bottles for her to play with), and was gumming it on her bed. I then told her to 'give Mummy the bottle, or Mummy will be so sad as Mummy also likes the bottle'. The first few times, I 'snatched' it lightly from her and thanked her profusely for being a good girl and 'giving' it to me, before returning the bottle to her. After a few times, she actually crawled towards me to thrust the bottle into my hand! And would beam me a big smile when I showered her with kisses when thanking her for being a good girl.

Just as well, we put this into practice today when another kid wanted the packet of jelly she was gumming (not eating). Even though Rosabelle was enjoying playing with her new-found toy, I told her to also give it to the boy as she will then make him happy. When I took it away from her, she only made a slight noise before being satiated with some other toy. Good, must teach her to care and share, and at the same time of course learn to defend herself/her own belongings.

Yesterday as well, when she was playing on her playmat, she suddenly turned to me and covered her mouth with her hand. I told the nanny she could be giving me a flying kiss, perhaps? The nanny said when we were both at the supermarket, she put Rosabelle in her own bed as she mopped the room, and at the same sent Rosabelle flying kisses. Rosabelle could very likely have picked that up, but only mastered the put-hand-to-mouth part, and has yet to pull the hand away to complete a flying kiss.

It was enough for me to think it's all quite hilarious, as Rosabelle is so keenly looking to us adults to learn so many things from these days. We really have to watch what we are doing and saying around her!