Tales from a new life in Bali

Wow, 9 months already. Another three months and my little baby will be 1 – argh! Looking back on last month’s update I’m again amazed at how much she’s changed in a month. She’s really becoming a proper little person now, looking and acting more grown up every day. She just gets more fun and more trouble all the time!

Maya can now stand up without pulling herself up on anything and stand unsupported for up to about 30 seconds. She then slowly squats back down instead of falling when she starts to lose her balance or confidence. She’s been walking well with her little toddle truck for ages and will practically drive me across the room if I hold her hands to walk. I’m guessing she’ll probably take her first steps within the next month or so. On the other hand, she can crawl so fast she might just stick with that for a while longer. She can also climb up steps now.

She’s also started copying us a lot more and was trying to sweep the yard with the broom a couple of days ago. Made’s mother taught her to do the Balinese dancing hand wave and so now she does it pretty much whenever she hears music or sees dancers doing it on tv. I’ve been trying to teach her to clap but not getting very far so far!

Her babbling has a whole load of new sounds and she says things that sound like actual words now. She also shouts for attention and tries to join in the conversation when we’re talking. If you ask her a question she’ll often say ‘yeah!’ back. She’s saying mama and papa reguarly now and understands what they mean – she’ll often call for me if she hurts herself or she’s tired and she’ll exclaim ‘papa!’ when made comes back. Hours of fun – ” Who do you like best Maya – mama or papa” – “mama!” She also sings sometimes which is very cute.

She got a bit picky about her food the first couple of weeks we were back from the uk and wasn’t eating much but she’s back on form now and I’m amazed at the amount she gobbles down sometimes. She loves rice, pasta, bread, fish, meat, fruit and pretty much anything! Her bottom 2 teeth are fully through and she has one just come through at the top. She can now munch through a piece of apple and it keeps her occupied for a good while. Now her pincer grasp is perfected I can cut the food into small pieces and it’s much less messy!

Favourite tricks and games – bouncing up and down on her knees, playing with our shell bead curtain, trying to eat stones, pretending to be scared of me and running away, hiding her head in made’s shoulder, chuckling with delight, waving baby wipes in the air, turning pages and lifting flaps in her books, emptying out the laundry basket and the bin, pulling apart flowers.

She’s visited three temples for the first time now. Every time she goes to a new temple we need to take a special offering and at the last big temple in the village she had a ceremony there too. She loves looking at all the colours and people and hearing the gamelan music. Managed to lose one of her gold rings though!

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