happy birthday sweet sixteen.....

I can't believe it...this baby turned sixteen two days ago while we were in Singapore.

 At four months old; before going on solids....MIL has this tradition where the baby is given that thing in the picture to lick and prepare the tongue for solid. Up to you to think what that thing is....

 A picture with her at her babtism....she has little hair and I tried to make her look girlish with a ribboned hair band.

Well....not surprising that she is such an avid reader today...started young.

It's nice reminiscing these pictures and be reminded of how this little girl has grown the 16 year old today. She was an easy baby to care for. Never gave much problem. Quite an indepandant girl since young. Lots of imagination. Used to talk to her imaginary friend...can't remember the name. She would hold the friend's hand and talk to him/her. Once she fell down the stairs while busy holding hands and talking to the friend.

Very good memory. Once she started talking...when she turned 1, she started remembering things and repeating them. She could identify all the petrol stations and all the billboards along the Seremban/KL highway. That was the way to keep her occupied when we travelled north.

Nursery years were pretty easy as she was a very obedient and diligent student and the teachers adored her. She came out of her shyness and became confident.Primary years was a total story altogether. All the shouting and caning she got in school made her lose her confidence and became an extreme introvert. I used to pep talk her every morning before dropping her off. Sundays after the school holidays were the worst.....she would be real down and scared of school. Whenever I picked her up...I would check her mood...if she is happy; all is fine. If she is not, I know something had happened. Used to ask her, were you caned today? Extremely stressful years for both the mother and the girl.

Now that we are in the same school, it is much easier. As an indepandent girl, she doesn't join activities that I join most of the time. She wants to be on her own and find her strengths/weaknesses on her own. I give her that space that she needs and let her discover herself in areas that she enjoy like choir, kawad (marching) and various competitions.

We didn't have much time to celebrate her birthday so we thought we would make her birthday breakfast a memorable one. We took her to Starbucks for breakfast...just opposite the hotel we were staying. Had to rush back to Malaysia after that as the father had to sit for exam in the evening. E E cooked fish curry and sardine curry for her.

Well, that's my sixteen year old teenager. All grown up and have strong opinions of things. Thank God for this bundle of blessing that came 16 years ago.