Walking and Smiling

I was deleting SMSes in my phone and found this one from Daniel that reminded me.

Ruth started walking on her own more confidently at about 14 months. Prior to that, she was kinda lunging all over the place in spurts of energy. It was an incident at the playground that spurred her to walk. She was enchanted by a ball rolling on the floor - subsequently picked up by an older girl. So she followed that girl (holding the ball) for some time on her own - before realizing she was walking and i think promptly plomping her ass back down on the floor. Hilarious.

Recent 1-2 weeks, Ruth has been smiling very very broadly, and at about EVERYTHING. Thank you is a smile. Please is a smile. Yes is a smile. OK is a smile.

And it's one of those smile-till-u-can't-see-my-eyes kinda grin that she gives. WHen you ask her for a sweet sweet smile, she will cringe up one side of the face - looks more like monkey face than smiling.

She's also now able to understand what we say - though she's not very vocal and doesn't speak much. She'll point and give a holler if she wants something. WHen she wants to eat something, she'll point and go "AHM!".

I think communication-wise, we're getting there. THere are period of tension whereby she'll deliberately not listen and you can somehow see some sorta thought process going through her head - perhaps considering if she WANTS to comply.

ALso, she's takes the soft approach better. If you praise her and ask her to do something, there's a higher chance of that particular thing getting done. I think my girl is really quite a fun-loving soul. Give her a playground and she'll be so happy she'll forget everything.

TOmorrow, we'll bring her for her MMR - her 17th birthday. Really hope all will go well. I hate bringing her for jabs. My heart aches as much as it hurts her.