My bones and muscles just ache these days each time I carry Spud. I guess that can only be a good thing – a sign that she is growing well.

So, yes. Spud’s getting heavier by the day, louder by the hour, more of a chatterbox by the minute and a climbing monkey by the second. She is still that ball of energy and hardly ever tires. She is always busy at every minute of the day, and if it is up to her, she probably will not nap for even 5 minutes if she does not have to.

Spud’s calling out “Papa” like there is no tomorrow, and even though she is able to say “Mama”, for some reason, she just wouldn’t. And if she does when we ask her to, she goes, “Ma…Pa.” Sometimes I wonder if she is just taking the piss out of her mother!

She seems to understand a lot more than we give her credit for, I think, as she usually is able to match what we say in words to the objects in front of her. The credit also goes to our Nanny who is constantly teaching her words, and by now, she is able to rattle off (and understand) simple words like apple (she says “ah-pel”with a slight Filipino accent), banana (she says “nana”), key card (she says “ki kad”), O-Pa (she insists on  “Ah-Pah” or “Ah-Pu) and a few other words which I cannot remember at this very moment. On top of that, she has been able to understand instructions quite well,and, depending on her mood, she may or may not listen to them – like when we ask her to pick up her sippy cup which she had thrown on the floor.

This little 15 months old imp has also been very expressive with her facial expressions. She smiles a lot, but she also pouts when things don’t quite agree with her. Other times, she sorts of sneer in disgust, she furrows her eyebrows, squints with a quizzical look and other sort of facial expressions which I cannot even describe in words. It just is sometimes funny to watch her, making us wonder what really goes on in that little head of hers.

She’s got more teeth now too, and her molars have started to appear. Brushing her teeth has become quite a feat these days, as she will not tolerate us doing it for her. While she wants to do it herself, the problem is that, instead of brushing her teeth, she just sucks off the toothpaste away!

She is really sweet most times, and very willing to adorn us with kisses and hugs when we ask for it. But, she has also shown how strong headed she can be, and inevitably makes her a very, very cranky little toddler. Spud has already started pushing her boundaries with us, and can be quite defiant when she wants to…a sign of more interesting challenges to come.

But I guess, all in all (while I sometimes wonder if she is a little ADD), like most babies, she is hitting her milestones as she should be and growing up well. For what it’s worth, we can never go back in time and despite some of the frustrations we (mainly me, as Silver Bullet is far more patient than I am) faced, I know that I want to be there in her life for every step of the way, for as long as she wants me to.

Funny how without her having to utter any words coherently, Spud has managed to immerse me in the mystery and wonder in our surroundings and that everything we come into contact with contains magic.

Like the magic of this bloody bucket she puts on her head.

(making me hopelessly paranoid that she won’t be able to get her face out of that bucket if it gets stuck somehow!)