Happy Birthday, Singapore! Happy 9th Month to me...

"Say bye bye to Daddy," coaxes Mommy every morning. I try, but I am much more adept at waving before I shut the door.

After slamming the glass door on Daddy's car, Mommy and I head to the bathroom, where she takes her quick shower, pausing every minute or so to keep me entertained and make sure I remain safely in my personal "bathtub". Mommy knows my little secret: if she squeezes the baby penguins tummy and squirts water at my mouth, I get really tickled and enjoy my bath a little longer. It's really fun!

What I really want is to play with the bar of soap. It's too big and slippery and I can't get hold of it, so Mommy put it in my hand once. I was so excited that I immediately put it in my mouth; Mommy almost had a heart attack and rushed to wash my mouth.

Mommy has set a routine for my naps: two 90-minute sessions, one each in the morning and afternoon. It is easier for her to prepare my lunch, before I wake up and demand her undivided attention. She has started experimenting with different types of mixed rice for me. So far, we have tried the Multi-Grain and Five-Coloured. Sometimes, she adds anchovies (more familiar to Singaporeans as Ikan Billis and 江鱼仔. I usually have a healthy appetite, but I often make things difficult for Mommy, when I crawl here, there and everywhere in the middle of meals. She has to catch up and try to feed me without spilling the food, while dodging the darting tongues of Ringo as well. Luckily she cleans the floor every morning, so there is little risk of me adding dog fur to my meals.

I can say and understand the word "bird"; they are the little things that fly up in the sky. Unfortunately, just about every sound that comes out of my mouth sounds like "bird". Mommy was so jealous the other day, when she heard me saying "da da da". Then she remembered "dad dad" are almost always the first words she asks me to say every morning when we wake Daddy up and before he leaves the house.

I love to sing with Janelle and Andre, especially when Janelle is playing her piano. I quickly crawl to her and try to play join her in a duet, although my skills are not quite up to her level. I pull myself up and hold on to the piano stool, just as I do with anything and everything nearby, whenever I feel like standing up. That's why I often bump my head when I slip and fall, like I did recently against the dining chair and got a nice little bruise on my forehead.

Such are the growing pains in everyone's life. I hear Singapore is 44 this year. Wow! It will be quite a few more years, before I get that mature. Everybody, wish me a happy 9th month!