Self-Service

Self-Service

7/26/02

These few days, Lily is trying to do things for herself... Trying to feed herself with a spoon, and trying to dress herself.  She usually would eat few spoonful from my hand.  Maybe she think that she has learn it all, she would then refuse to eat any more, insisted on taking spoon from my hand. Then she would try to scoop some food, bring it towards her mouth, turn the spoon upside down first, and then put in her mouth... So you see, the food would get on the table or her belly before get into her mouth!  But she would try to improve the skill next time... so she would turn the spoon a bit less, and get a little bit of food left for her mouth. Thank God she would let me put some food in her mouth at the same time using another spoon.

Now can you imagine how she does with drinking from a cup? She would do the same thing, holding the cup with both hands, turn it upside down first, then put it to her mouth... So the first cup was usually on her dress, then she would manage to drink some from the second cup... Somehow, she always like to put her hand into the cup, dip some water, and wipe it on her face and chest.  I have no idea what kind of ritual that is.

Oh, since few months ago, she would try to put all kinds of things over her head: my scarf, Vakhtang's shirt, etc. These few days, she would try to put her pants over her head.  It was not always hard to have some degree of satisfaction. Yet, it is not always easy to figure out where to put her hands. So she usually wore it on her neck for few seconds before taking it off.

What she does with her dress is another story.  She tried to put her legs into her sleeve - both legs in the same sleeve. Then she tried to stand up, only to find out that she was not able to get up or not able to walk.  She would then scream very loud, got mad and tried to rip the dress off her legs. The bad news for her was that it would not come off easily.  Oh, my poor baby!!!  I tried to show her that she should try to put her dress over her head and pants for her legs.  But she insisted in doing things HER way, and never make a mistake of that.  Maybe one day I will take a picture while she is working on her clothing.
:-)

Oh, another thing she found out that she was not quite able to do was to kiss her own belly, no matter how 'Bucky" it was.  But she usually tries her best, and satisfied with a distant kiss.

1 yr 5.5 m

Next >>>

 

Bucky!

Bucky!

07/22/02

Hello our dear family,
 
Maybe you remember one of my previous letter about how Lily tryed to share her sense of beauty with me by using " Chi-Chi", " Chi-Ki", "Ki-Ki" until "Puity" came out.  But now, she has finally decided and insists that all things which pleases her should be called "Bucky!".

And after all this time of kindly expending her "Bucky" list, Mom and Dad finally get included into it.  But still it would not be the entire us to be included at the same time.  Sometimes, it would be our cheeks, sometimes it would be our legs or hands or lips.  Anyway, she is the true master of her Bucky list.  No one can interfere with her decision.  I can not even bribe her to put me onto her list.  So you all would understand how flattered we feel when she pointed at some part of us and said "Bucky!"  And that, often followed with a soft kiss at the appointed spot.  Bet you can almost see how those lucky spots would just start glowing.  ;-) 

Yesterday, as she was pointing at me and saying "Bucky", I pointed at her belly and said "Bucky!" To my surprise, she took a hold of my finger, bent it towards me, pressing it on my chest and said "Bucky!!!"  We were doing this back and forth few times until I gave in and accepting my new title. Ha, ha...

One thing good is that she is more generous in giving kisses than naming a "Bucky Spot".  We now could even get a kiss from her when she sees us getting upset and raising our voice.  Sure there would not be any more yelling after that!  God, how she understands the power of a kiss!  Her teacher told me that Lily would give her friend a kiss when a kid was scared and crying.  I often see her friends calling her name when she arrives to the class in the morning.  Too bad Lily doesn't usually reply with even one word.  She still refuses to say "Hello", "Bye, bye." and all that.  Sometimes, some of her friends even come to greet her at the door.  They often would hug each other right there.  And the teacher said no one ever taught them that.

1 yr 5.5 m

Next >>>

 

First kiss!

First kiss!

6/12/02

I took Lily to see her doctor for a routine check up yesterday. At 16 month 1 week old, she is now 26 lb 8 oz, 32 inches tall and head circle 47 cm.

Last night, after dinner, I asked Lily to go to the living room to play piano while I finish my house work.  She went to the living room, switch on the keyboard, and played for a little while.

I was in the kitchen for about 15 minutes cleaning up. As I was washing the dishes, she came in and walked around me, in and out of the kitchen... Suddenly, she hold both of my legs from behind and kissed me three times.

You can only imagine how I felt at that moment.  Because, though I notice from last week, that she would sometimes hug and kiss her toy or a nice picture, I was not able to make her kiss me or anyone else by asking.  I was so touched and surprised by this action, I told her that I would finish working and go play with her in the bathtub in just a minute.  And that's what we did.  We had a wonderful time splashing water in the tub as always.

1 yr 4 m

Next >>>

 

P u i t i... !

P u i t i... !

05/23/02

Dear Babua, Bebia and Mamida Inna,

So good to see your letter. We are all doing fine. I will send you those pictures soon, together with a short video of the trip to China. Sorry I have delayed the matter for so long.

Recently, since the weather is getting warmer, we often pick up Lily and go to Central Park after work. One day last week, Lily pointing at a dog, turned around and said to me "Ti-Ti".  She made it sound also like "Chi-Chi" or "Chi-Ki".  I had a hard time figuring out exactly which sound she was making.  Anyway, she was quite excited, and eager to share her findings with me.  I was wondering where she get the idea to call a dog "Chi-Ki".  Two days later, she pointed at a horse on TV and said to me "Chi-Ki" again ... So I believe that anything with four legs would be "Chi-Ki". (Vakho said it sounded more like "Ki-Ki").

This went on for 3 days, then last Friday, She pointed at a car and said the same thing. I was really amused. So now, the word means anything that moves on four... So you can imagine my surprise this morning, while we were walking across the Central Park, she pointed at grass and said "Chi-Ti".  I stopped, went in front of her, trying to see where exactly she was pointing at, and saying... To my REAL surprise, this time she said "P-u-i t-i"   PRETTY! That's what she was trying to say all this time!!!  I am also very happy that this is the first thing she wanted to share with us - her sense of beauty!        

Hope you enjoy my story.


Love,
Yan

1 yr 3.5 m

Next >>>

 

Turn, turn, turn...

Turn, turn, turn...                 05/20/02

My dear family,

Here is something new about Lily:

Last night, when I was in the kitchen I called Lily to come over for food. She came to me, took a bite from me and turned around, getting ready to go away. At that moment, I called her again for more food, she turned around, and took another bite from me, and turned away again... This went on for another time or two. Then I notice she had a puzzling look on her face. Then I saw her started turning, around and around, looking on the floor, till she get dizzy, and landed on her butt. :-)

She must had found it funny, because right after she got up on her feet, guess what, she started turning again, and again… until landed on her butt again...

It was so much fun to watch her discover new sensations.  I just kept my eyes on her all the time, making sure that there was nothing she would hit when she fall.

So much for today!


Love,
Yan

1 yr 3.5 m

 

 

Next >>>

 

 



My Children

For My Children

My first landlady in U.S. once told me:
"You think you are very happy now...
Just wait until you get your own kids.
It is the best part of life."
I thought I understood what she meant...
... till now, after I have you ...
    
Thank you, Jean!       Next >>>    

Foreword

It all started with ...
Trying to share my pleasure with those whom I love so much ...

Then,
Trying to give something to my children when they grow up...

In the end,
I got the most from all of this effort. . .
I got my life preserved.

Years ago, a question was asked:

"If you were offered a day of heavenly happiness, but then you won't remember anything of it, do you still care to take the offer? How about one week?

Or One year?"

It got me thinking . . . all these years.

Next >>>