Now he's double the trouble

Sonny has now more than recovered from his recent bout of the flu, even though his nose is still runny. We say "more than" advisedly, since something in the air here in Abu Dhabi (or maybe it's the presence of his cousin, older by roughly a year) has amped up his energy levels. Or perhaps babies naturally rally after a brief period of being a bit mopey and sniffly, undergoing some sort of growth spurt.

Whatever the reason, the little fella is now quite the little terror. He crawls so fast you might imagine all four limbs leaving the ground at the same time, like a racehorse or cartoon character. He has taken to cackling with glee for no apparent reason, his eyes flitting from person to person as though inviting everyone to join the merriment. New to his repertoire of actions are a cheery clapping of his hands and a tendency to vigorously slap another person's cheek or head (something which his cousin is much discomfited by).

Naturally, the accelerated rate at which he gums away at, then discards, toys (and anything else, given half a chance) means he is roaming farther afield in search of fresh amusements. The apartment of Pa's brother is pleasantly roomy, so Sonny is given a freer rein of the place than back home in Singapore: Suitably appreciative, he has a knack of appearing under the table half way through a round of mah jong and chomping lustily at slippers. There can also be no doubt that he is in league with his cousin to launch two-in-one sob-a-thons, creating a disconcerting counterpoint calculated to drive any parent wild.

For now, at least, Sonny isn't able to speak yet - though now that he's scuttled into his tenth month with us, that time is presumably not too far in the offing. As such, he isn't yet able to give us any lip, make specific demands or attempt to do any bargaining (all of which a young fella of less than three years can do with no compunction whatsoever, going by our recent observations). Put another way, he will soon have more means at his disposal to keep us on the hop.