Cola is now 9 months old!

Instead of having a placid koala on my arms, I now have an active monkey crawling all over me all day. Cola is in the crawling stage: his legs are hyperactive, his hands are too quick to grab whatever that's in sight, and his body can bend over in a fearless acrobatic maneuver.

EggEgg is getting frustrated too. His toys and constructions are being knocked down innocently by baybee. Good o' EggEgg had mastered a lot of self-control not to snatch back the toy and not to vent his anger on the little brother.

Cola's separation anxiety is easing, meaning that I can now sneak into the toilet or kitchen for about 60 seconds without him screaming pitifully. He'd continue to playing happily by himself, and when he sees me coming back from nowhere, he'd wave his arms frantically, wanting a hug. "Where, where, where have you been, Mami?"

This newfound mobility is taking its toil on my sanity. Last night, Cola woke up 5 times in the bed we shared (mathematically, that equates to my waking up every 2 hours!?). He rolled this way and that, clawing at my face and kicking me to death. I turned my back to him, pulled the hoodie over my hair, and pretended to be deaf to all his wailing. This morning, Tonton suggested that we should tie them with a rope to stop them kicking. I have decided to chuck him into his own cot from now on. (Har har... you can kick the cot bars all you want!!)

In the daytime, Cola practises crawling backwards and leaves a trail of bread crumbs as he feeds himself. More self-feeding = more vacuuming. More floor play = more laundry. More toy squabbles = more peace-keeping. *Sigh* I'll punch anyone in the nose if they dare say I'm too
"free at home".

The little brain has also understood the concept of "cause & effect" too. Cola can now press buttons to hear a song and to see toys light up. However, he has also learnt how to "press Mami's buttons". Lately, he screamed bloody murder whenever he lie down for a nappy change. "No nappy change! Me want no nappy change!" He screamed as soon as I place him on his high chair and fasten the safety belts. "No high chair! Me want no high chair!" He screamed as soon as he wakes up in the morning. "No sleeping! Me want no sleeping!"

Give me back my sweet little Cola! Somebody must have swapped babies secretly in the middle of the night!