the #foreverbaby

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you & me always. and forever

Quentin turns two today. Well, actually he doesn’t turn two till somewhere in March, but he arrived earlier, so he will turn two today. He doesn’t really understand the concept of birthdays, but hey, he had a chance to have a cake all to himself on Sunday.

Candles. wow. What’s this lighted stuff? Mama said to blow at it. Okay, here goes. WOW, the lights went out!! I want to do it again! Ooo, here we go! *pffffpt* Wait, why is daddy taking the candles away? Noo give me back my candles!! 

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He was really happy with the cake. For once, he didn’t have to share the limelight with kor kor. The cake, the attention, all on him. He even had the chance to cut into his own cake! What could totally top that?

Ah..but something could. Cuddles and snuggles at bedtime with mama. Quentin loved those moments. And he also loves moments when he could take selfies with mama. Oh the funny faces we would make.

Chees! Chees, mama!’ followed by ‘see? see?’ Of course he wanted to see those photos. 

But the best would still had to be cuddles and snuggles anywhere with mama. When he watched tv, when he was doing an activity. When he was on the bed. His safe place was mama’s shoulder or belly. Or if she was carrying him, against her chest. Well, anywhere on mama would be good really.

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It’s true about being the second kid. QT didn’t have a chance up against Ollie. In terms of photos, videos, clothes, toys. He just got everything second-hand. Did I make up for it? I guess I did. I babied him. Ollie was in the carrier until around 15mths old before we decided that he would learn to be in the stroller more often, or to just walk. QT was in the carrier most of the time. It was only recently that I felt I could handle the two kids walking with me. If not, at least QT in a stroller, and Ollie either walking or on the toddler bar.

In fact, I got a sling, just so that I could hip-carry him easily.

He shared his first birthday with kor kor’s 3rd birthday. Their birthdays are 1 week apart. We did what typical parents would do, QT shared his birthday party with Ollie, except QT had no idea what was going on but Ollie had a blast with all the candies and cake.

QT was on the receiving end of a lot of “wait, okay?” whilst I dealt with Ollie cos he was just more vocal and could communicate better. It was so much easier to deal with a child when there is feedback. It was frustrating to deal with another whose way of communication was ‘ehn! mo! ehn ehn!!!’. QT’s first few words after mama were..

stop. no. wait.

It bothered me. I compensated by babying him. Aww..it’s okay. Mummy kiss. Mummy sayang. Do you want a snack? 

QT wasn’t bothered about presents or toys. QT would rather me lie down with him whenever he wanted to. The moment I did, he would break into a smile and laugh. Oh that laughter. What was difficult for older one, came so easily for the younger one. For one that doesn’t get as much attention as his brother, the simplest pleasures in life are sufficient for him.

Being second doesn’t mean that he loses out either. He gains emotionally where he loses out in materially. He is more independent than Ollie when it comes to self-feeding. He listens to instructions to the T, even tho he doesn’t speak. He is slightly OCD like his dad. *roll eyes* Cars have to be arranged, he arranges our slippers outside our flat. He..*sighs* stacks my groceries. 20160202_174936

Hah, don’t you think lowly of my little man.

恺 – joy. QT laughs so easily. He is tickled easily. He would see us laughing and he would just randomly laugh as well.

And he thinks the world of his brother cos kor kor is the only person who can make him laugh at any time. All hurts are forgotten when kor kor plays with him. Even when he was just smacked by Ollie 2 mins ago. They hold hands at bedtime. QT receives a kiss and a hug from Ollie at the school gate.

Even in his sleep, his thoughts are with kor kor. He sleeptalked one night, and it was “kor kor? kor kor?” When he wakes up, it’s ‘kor kor? kor kor? ‘ all over again. Well, good morning to you too.

But this #foreverbaby is turning into a #notsoforeverbaby. He is growing and I..sorta mourn the loss of being able to baby him more. He still doesn’t talk much, but his vocabulary is expanding, slowly but surely. We sign a lot more, and it helps in our communications.

Dear QT, 

You don’t speak in complete sentences. Your vocabulary is crap and if I wasn’t your mother, no one else will know how to read your crappy signing. 

my goofball

my goofball

But love is a language that doesn’t need words. And you know you have plenty. It shows in your being, as you generously make sure that everyone gets a hug and a kiss before you leave for home. If someone is missed out, you will point at the person and look at us questioningly, as if to say ‘what about that person?’ 

As much as kor kor bullies you, he loves you. How do I know? He wants you to stay over with him at your grandma’s house. He asks for you when he doesn’t see you around. He has made it into his routine to give you a kiss and hug before he goes to school. And he watches out for you..in his funny little way. I hope you will be bosom buddies when you grow up. 

Love forever.
Protect forever.
Stand by forever. 
most importantly, 
be brothers forever. 

You get babied so much by mummy and daddy, and your grandparents; it’s not funny. It doesn’t help that you behave like a baby. You pout. You whine (cutely). You cry (like a baby, seriously). You giggle and chortle (like a baby). You hug and snuggle against us when you are surrounded by unfamiliar faces. And because you do that, how not to baby you, you tell me you tell me??

Being second doesn’t mean you get any lesser. And we make sure you know that. We know it takes time with you, and time is all you get, although gotta share with kor kor lah. #sorrynotsorry

Happy 2nd birthday, and I hope you do remember bits of it someday. That you got to celebrate it to yourself. 

Love you to the moon and back. 

xoxo
mama

Category: Daily
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