Tep, please don't grow too fast

Tomorrow Tep will be 18 month old. How can it be? I can't believe it.

This week has been a very tough week. We were informed she would move to toddler group just by the end of last week. I was shocked. I thought she would have been staying with the baby group at least until mid of June. But due to some conflict in the teachers' plan, they made it earlier. Tep is the eldest child in the baby group. Her Daddy told me how she walked around very proudly in class and how she looked like a leader because most of her class mates cannot walk yet. I found it very amusing when she repeated some things she did from the class with her baby doll. She held the baby, tapped her back, put her in the stroller, sometimes talked with her. So cute. But the toddler group. Euh, I even didn't think about it. She is still small. How can she follow the older children? If some bigger child hits her, what will happen? My little baby, she is still nursing, how can she handle everything by herself? So so many questions, so so many worries.

On Wednesday, I had a meeting with the teacher in baby group. She informed me how Tep was doing in the group, her developing in gross motor, fine motor, eating, sleeping, talking, playing... everything. Tep is always happy, easy going, she likes to learn new things, observes and copies everything from the teachers. Though she only went to class 3 days per week, she was very delightful and enjoyed the class. She is self confident and knows what she wants. Everything is great. She can sleep without nursing, she can eat by herself (with little help from the teacher), she plays well. She understand German, she can't talk but her verbal is abundant. She is very active. I am so happy to hear and very proud of her. When Tep left the group, the teachers sent us a surprise package. It contains pictures of Tep in class, her art works. I was almost crying when looking at it. I saw her time without me. So grown up, not a baby anymore. It was very adorable. I'll keep them very carefully so that later she'll see how she was growing.

Thursday was the big day. We both took her to the new class. I was so excited the night before that I couldn't sleep. I was afraid she would cry a lots because she saw no frequent faces. Yes, she did cry. I tried to walk away very fast because I didn't want to cry with her. But just 10 minutes. Then she played, ate, slept... When the teacher told us about how the other children came to comfort her, give her the toys my eyes were full of tears. I was so emotional. I could imagine how small she was in the middle of strange children, how lonely she was. I wondered what she thought at that moment. Did she miss me and her Daddy? I don't know. I just know she wants me when I am near, she hugs me and nurses when she gets home from class. I just want her to be baby for a little longer. Not longer later she will be in preschool, school, high school, college, she will not need me anymore. I don't want that happening very soon. I still remember holding my tiny baby, nursing her, looking at her while she's sleeping... I miss everything...

At least, she was doing great the first day.

So 18 month old, she understands Vietnamese and German. She can talk some words. She follows what we ask her to do most of the time, otherwise she doesn't response but we know she hears. She sleeps about 13 hours a day. This includes 2 1-hour naps (sometimes 1 long nap), and about 10-11 hour night sleep. She can walk quite stably, fast. Climbing the stairs is her favorite. She likes walking every where. She eats well most of the days, some days she eats nothing. She can use spoon with soft foods but at home we still give her the loaded spoon and she uses her hands. She can show the finish sign when she is enough. She nods when she agrees. She points to the things she wants until we get them for her. She copies how to clean her ears, how to wear clothes, shoes, how to cut with the knife, how to open with the keys, how to telephone, how to... everything she likes. She loves the kitchen. She has tantrum, but I guess it's not very terrible.

Recently she's got bronchitis easily several times. We thought it is because she gets some allergy from the pollen but doctors said no allergy before 2. She was treated with bronchitis coughing syrup and nose drop. Other things are normal.

Weight: don't know
Height: not sure

Happy 18 months, my baby Tep.

17 month old and sick

Tép is 17 month 1 week old now. Since 1 year old, she has been sick 5 times with antibiotic. Every time she was sick she lost some weight, and then gained later. Last week at 17 month old, she weighted 8.3 kg, and yesterday she was 8.8kg. My hubby said she is like a balloon. The weather is getting better. I hope no more sick and she can gain some weight.

She keeps talking all day though no one understand. One bad thing is now she has more tantrum. It is because she is unable to explain in words. We cant understand and response correctly to her. She is happy at kindergarden. She eats well, plays well and now she can sleep by herself. So lovely.