Kah Yen is two

I have been procrastinating this post. She turned two last week. We bought the cake, lighted up the candles, opened the presents and sang the birthday song, Kah Yen was very excited by all the attention she was getting. I doubt she fully understands the meaning of "birthday" but she surely knows it is something good because everybody was treating her like a queen.

I am very happy but deep down in my heart, part of me also wants to tone down all the celebrations, that part of me wishes she stops growing up too fast. Turning two means she is saying byebye to the toddlerhood phase pretty soon - a phase of discovery, of learning, of fun and of pure joy, a phase I have enjoyed so much.

She is curious, she is playful, she is full of energy. She does things typical two-year-olds do. She sees a puddle, she jumps into it; She dashes across field to chase after birds and wonders why they always run away from her; She says "Hi" and "Hello" to the cats and dogs on the streets and if I don't stop her, she will give them a kiss on their furry cheeks too; She points and talks non-stop in taxis and on buses; She wiggles her body to the tune of the music; She jumps and rolls on our bed naked after shower; She plays with her toys full of imagination on some days while on others she throw them all over the floor; She likes to be read to and pretends she can read; She opens the bottles, she opens the drawers, she opens everything that is openable; She giggles non-stop at the silliest of actions such as a tickle, a wink on one eye or a sticking-out tougue.

She is also learning to be independent, a "symptom" of two-year-olds I have been warned. She brushes her own teeth (sort of); She turns on and off the water tap on her own when washing hands; She wants to be the one to open the door when going out, and switching on the lights when coming back; She will be the first one to push the lift buttons, which sometimes leads us to the wrong floor; She applies her own baby bath and rubs her own tummy; She wants to take off her own pants and her own diaper. Sometimes it annoys me when I am rushing and she is trying to be "helpful", but most days I give in a little to let her feel "Mighty Big".

I have never dreamt of having a girl so sweet, so gentle and so affectionate. When I leave for work early in the morning, she hurries to the door to give me a "hi-five", a hug and a kiss. When I pick her up from nanny in the evening, she won't leave without saying "Byebye" to everyone in the house, including running to the kitchen just to say "Bye" to the maid. She remembers all of them in her night prayers, when I say "God bless Kah Yen", she follows "Bless Popo, bless Korkor, bless Jiejie, bless aunty", aunty is the maid. She gives the biggest hugs and the biggest smile. She brings her Baby Pooh with her everywhere she goes. She helps us take our shoes off the shoe rack whenever we are going out.

She hasn't learnt her ABCs, she still doesn't count in sequence, she is not very interested in her colors, she can't hold her spoon very well, and she is still in her diapers, but all of these do not change the slightest how I love her just the way she is.

Happy birthday, my little girl.