1st alphabet recital (for us), other language and progress tidbits

2009-07-13

When Ksenia picked Natalia today, "Gigi", her care-giver, was quite excited to say that Natalia can count to five and say the entire alphabet -- if you say each number and letter, i.e. she can repeat. We knew that but not in the sense of such a prolonged enterprise such as this!

Sure enough, Daddy had to try it out!

I was so proud of my 21.5 month old! She did recite the alphabet as I prompted her letter by letter. She had trouble with a few letters -- differentiating between the "b", "c", "d", "e", "g", "p", "t" sounds were tricky but she did very well. She was self-conscious or distracted in other spots and so missed repeating "s" and "w" (though I think it might be a tough one for her at this stage -- double "u": three syllables).

Then came 1-2-3-4-5 and she'd hold up one then two of her hands to show, yes, she had five fingers on each of them!

Later she needed changing before bed. It wasn't a particularly messy one and so, once we'd replaced it, she promptly popped off the couch and picked up the diaper.

Mark: You look like you want to take that somewhere. Do you want to take it to the garbage?

Natalia: (nods and then as if it would explain everything she said slightly uptalked) Mommy?!

Mark: OK, Mommy's busy so let's go to the kitchen and throw that out. Bring it with you...

Natalia dutifully follows carrying her used diaper. Mark opens up the garbage lid and Natalia races over and dunks the diaper in and laughs!

Natalia: All done!

A conversation

2009-07-12

Scene: Ksenia and Mark are reading the papers on a lovely Sunday morning. Natalia is wandering around the table exploring. She stops, leans backsward into the lattice supporting the grape vines and climbing roses and the back her head gently hits it.

Natalia: Ouch!

Mark: Oh-oh, did you hurt yourself? What's hurting you?

Natalia: My head.

Mommy and Daddy's grins got very wide indeed!

Natalia's Polish-English, an update

We already knew that Natalia knows both Polish and English words but up until the other day, she used one word -- could be Polish, could be English -- for each object/person/animal.

Milk is not milk, it is mleko, for example. (Or Go-gecko to imitate Natalia's current pronunciation!)

But the other day she demonstrated her beginnings of possible bilingualism (or even multilingualism).

As has been previously mentioned, one of Natalia's current favourite books is Eric Carle's Have you seen my cat? This particular day I read her the book in question. Everytime I read the repetitious line, "Have you seen my cat?", Natalia would point to the cat and say, "cat". She's been doing this for a little while so I thought nothing of it.

I had been unaware that Ksenia reads her this book as well . But Ksenia translates it into Polish.

When Natalia and I finished the book, she promptly took it over to Ksenia to read. Ksenia read it to Natalia in Polish. So instead of "Have you seen my cat?", it was "Widziales mojego kota?" And, whenever Natalia heard that, she would point to the kotek (cat) and say, "kotek". (Which sounds more like Go-tec when she says it.)

Kotek is a small cat or a kitten; kotka is an adult female cat; kot is an adult male cat.

New Words, word development and some conversation July 2009

Again, no editing yet!

2009-07-06 -- Natalia: Hello! (He-row) Mark: Hello! How are you? Natalia: How are you? (How are oo?) Mark: I'm fine, how are you? Natalia: Hi! Mark: Hi!

Polish: Dobre (pron. Dobra with short 'o') {she says "[d]ober"}, Czesc (pron. Chesh-ch) {she says "chess"}

English: p[l]ane, birdie, ducky -- these are all up in the...sky...and she points plus t[r]ain! (the tracks are behind our day care giver's house across the street and so this is probably her imitating the other kids there); birt[h]day

New Words May-June 2009

We've been busy so I didn't have time to add (or edit) this --

Polish: chodź tu (pron. Ho[t]ch-too) = come here, Daj (pronounced dye) = give (to me), mleko = milk {she says "Go-glecko"}

English: hot, my/mine, all done (pron. a[ll]-dun), ...four, five, six... (pron. fo, fi, sick), where going? (pron. whe[r] go-ink?)

Natalia and Polish -- a little progress in her language skills

One morning recently two interesting events occurred. I can only put them down to Natalia's increased understanding of language(s) and her confidence speaking the few words -- English and, particularly in this case, Polish -- she knows in conversation with us.

Ksenia brought Natalia into our bedroom to wake me up and say good morning as they do from time to time. But this particular morning Natalia decided she wanted to play a variation on the "escape across the bed away from Daddy" game. But in order to begin that game she needs to be on the bed...

So she made it clear, through non-verbal clues, that she wanted out of Mama's arms and to be put down onto the bed.

"But Natalia, you still need your shoes put on," Ksenia told her as she put her down.

Very deliberately Natalia, who was now facing away from Ksenia, turned back to her, put out her hands and said, "Daj...daj" clearly referring to her shoes. When she was given those shoes, she gave them to me saying "shoes", expecting me to put them on her as is usual and which I happily did.

Daj (pronounced like "die") means 'give' [them to me] in Polish.

Later, just before we were leaving for work, we were finishing up getting our little girl ready for "Gigi" (the name she calls her day-care provider). Ksenia wanted Natalia to come over to her to put a new shirt on.

"Chodź, Natalia, chodź, chodź!" Ksenia said with pleading emphasis because Natalia was holding back and we had to get going.

Natalia seemed realize this and so, grinning slyly at her own little joke, walked very slowly toward Ksenia and said, "Chodź....Chodź-chodź-chodź."

Chodź (pronounced similarly to "ho[t]ch") means 'come' in Polish. It is often accompanied by tu (pronounced like "to/too/two", which means here; thus chodź tu means "come here").

Natalia inflection, when she said it, started high, lowering with each repetition of the word, and ending low like a sigh. The words and Natalia's delivery of them were clearly said in such a way so as to attempt to parrot her Mama. It was hard not to laugh!

Such small steps, yet so important!

In the enchanted world of the raspberry thimbles

Sometimes in our very serious adult world we forget that simple acts like putting fruit and yogurt and such on the bottom shelves of the refrigerator after a trip to the grocery store can be anything but mundane and practical ideas. Yet through the eyes of a toddler acts like these can take on legendary proportions or certainly magically delightful ones!

Since fruit and yogurt happen to be amongst Natalia's favourite fun foods, placing them on the bottom shelf means they are readily available on her level. And so, at times like this, for Natalia the opening of a refrigerator door rises above the ordinary: it instantly becomes a tasty game. That open door reveals an enchanted world where the berries and grapes and fruit-filled yogurt are within her reach. Fruit that is bite-size, and sweet; fruit that can be popped in her mouth. Without having to wait for Mama or Daddy to cut it up and put it in her bowl.

But why do just that when the raspberries, particularly, can be first worn like a thimble on the tip of her finger and then popped in her mouth.

It is times like this that videos like these get taken. They must be. And shared...



After berry time comes yogurt sublime!

The Toddler Diet

This was sent to me a couple of years ago by a well-meaning soul while we were awaiting Lucas and Natalia. I laughed at the time (as I hope you will too!) but now I realize how true it actually is: Enjoy!

The Toddler Diet

People are always on the lookout for a new diet. The trouble with most diets is that you don't get enough to eat (the starvation diet), you don't get enough variation (the liquid diet) or you go broke (the all-meat diet). Consequently, people tend to cheat on their diets, or quit after 3 days.

Well, now there's the new Toddler Miracle Diet.

Over the years you may have noticed that most two year olds are trim.

Now the formula to their success is available to all in this new diet.

You may want to consult your doctor before embarking on this diet, otherwise, you may be seeing him afterward. Good Luck !!!

DAY ONE

Breakfast: One scrambled egg, one piece of toast with grape jelly. Eat 2 bites of egg, using your fingers; dump the rest on the floor. Take 1 bite of toast, then smear the jelly over your face and clothes.

Lunch: Four crayons (any color), a handful of potato chips, and a glass of milk (3 sips only, then spill the rest).

Dinner: A dry stick, two pennies and a nickel, 4 sips of flat Sprite.

Bedtime snack: Throw a piece of toast on the kitchen floor.

DAY TWO

Breakfast: Pick up stale toast from kitchen floor and eat it. Drink half bottle of vanilla extract or one vial of vegetable dye.

Lunch: Half tube of "Pulsating Pink" lipstick and a handful of Purina Dog Chow (any flavor). One ice cube, if desired.

Afternoon snack: Lick an all-day sucker until sticky, take outside, drop in dirt. Retrieve and continue slurping until it is clean again. Then bring inside and drop on rug.

Dinner: A rock or an uncooked bean, which should be thrust up your left nostril. Pour Grape Kool-Aid over mashed potatoes; eat with spoon.

DAY THREE

Breakfast: Two pancakes with plenty of syrup, eat one with fingers, rub in hair. Glass of milk; drink half, stuff other pancake in glass. After breakfast, pick up yesterday's sucker from rug, lick off fuzz, put it on the cushion of best chair.

Lunch: Three matches, peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Spit several bites onto the floor. Pour glass of milk on table and slurp up.

Dinner: Dish of ice cream, handful of potato chips, some red punch. Try to laugh some punch through your nose, if possible.

FINAL DAY

Breakfast: A quarter tube of toothpaste (any flavor), bit of soap, an olive. Pour a glass of milk over bowl of cornflakes, add half a cup of sugar. Once cereal is soggy, drink milk and feed cereal to dog.

Lunch: Eat bread crumbs off kitchen floor and dining room carpet. Find that sucker and finish eating it.

Dinner: Drop pieces of spaghetti onto back of dog, insert meatball into ear. Dump pudding into Kool-aid and suck up with a straw.

REPEAT DAYS AS NEEDED!

Natalia and spoons and...

No soothers for our Natty Jazz. She likes cutlery. She used to grab our forks and knives until we put a stop to that. Now we allow her spoons but she insists on sucking on them, licking them, putting them in her mouth and sometimes her ears. It is a bit disconcerting that she does this while she's walking but we keep an eye on her. At least they're not pointy.

I originally wrote that January 15.

I failed to mention her equally strong fascination with pens (particularly red ones) and pencils. We've had to clean some walls...

Also, recently we've begun to let her brush her own teeth. Not only because she has enough of them to do so but because, like most things now, she insists on doing this herself.

So these days it is not uncommon to see Natalia toddling around with a combination of any (or all) of the following in both of her pudgy little hands: spoon(s), pen(s), toothbrush(s) or a combination. We can only speculate why. My opinion is that these are becoming her "tools".

To illustrate this I have a brief but icky example. Please bear with me and read this after (not during) your latest meal!

Last night while I was online checking some hockey statistics, Natalia was contentedly playing near me. As she tends to do, she wandered away amongst the boxes and items stored in our basement that surround my "desk area" and was temporarily out of my sight.

Bear in mind that the longer Natalia is out of one's sight and the quieter she becomes the more probable it is that she is up to something. Such was the case last night. So as a dutiful and concerned daddy I was about to get up from my spurious stats and go in search of my errant daughter when I heard a strange, "sandy-sounding" cough.

High gear.

As I rounded the corner there was Natalia at the cat's litter box. Luckily I had recently cleaned it! There was litter all over the floor...and all over Natalia, or more specifically, all over Natalia's face. She was using a toothbrush as a sort of mixing tool in the litter box; its bristles were thick with clumping cat litter!

Although I did not witness it, I can only assume that the "sandy-sounding" cough was caused by her trying to brush her teeth with that nasty toothbrush! Eeeeuu!

[The brush was immediately discarded and her mouth inspected. Yes, Mark, kids really do eat "dirt"!]

New Rule: Toothbrushes will now reside only in the bathroom and only be available for use as they were intended!

Natalia Speaks! (Progress from late 2008 to early 2009)

By the end of 2008

No, nie (Polish "no"), mama/mamy/mamo (latter two are Polish forms of Mama), ada/dada, bye, hi, turtle, pretty, meow (used to describe not only all cats but all fur-covered or feathered animals), u[v]-u (love you)! Mm (to eat/want food)

By the end of April 2009

Yeah, dom (Polish for home/house), daddy, shoes, socks, up, cat, bye-bye, book, baby (all dolls and stuffed toys), night-night, mor(n)ing, wow! Mm still described food or wanting it...

May 2009

Our little parrot! We can say almost any short word (up to a three syllables or so) and she will attempt, usually succeeding very well, to pronounce it. Some words gets shortened, like her name. Natalia is currently truncated to 'Talia, for example.

New words this week (2009-05-15): Czeszcz (Polish = hi; she mispronounces it: "chess"), dobre (Polish = good), OK/'K, yes

Natalia goes down stairs 2009-04-04

Early last month I had dropped Ksenia off at a baby shower in Waterloo so that left just Natalia and I. Once we returned home, I remembered that I needed to check my E-mail and so, making sure Natalia was occupied upstairs in the living room, I quickly headed downstairs where the computer is located. Once down there I realized that I had forgotten to put the gate up.

For a second I was worried but then I remembered that it shouldn't be a problem. Previously she would quite readily go up the stairs but she was a afraid to attempt to go down them. She hadn't figured out how to do that yet.

But today the opportunity of the open gate presented itself. And she would not be denied!

Meanwhile, downstairs at the computer I quickly checked my E-mail and was about to head back upstairs. Imagine my surprise when I looked beside me prior to standing up and Natalia was already quietly standing there, patiently waiting to be picked up to sit in my lap to play on the computer too!

After I recovered from my heart attack and the immediate self-recrimination, I praised her discovery, we played some loud flashy internet-based games until it was time to go upstairs.

She lingered at my desk while I waited for her a few paces away. Her eyes stole to an unused Kleenex; she checked her surroundings and quickly took it. Then she followed me. About halfway to the stairs going up, she stopped, looked at her absconded Kleenex and then very deliberately wiped around her mouth.

Then we made our way upstairs together without further incident. Baby steps...

Some Notes on Reading (Dec 2008 - Apr 2009)

December 2008 - January 2009

(Uncle Paul & Natalia explore the world)

Prior to December, Natalia was in her primer period. It started with alphabet primers like Baby Hugs ABC and eventually graduated to number primers like Learning numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10!

But as you can see, it didn't really matter what type of book it was -- she loved them all.

Everything seemed to change at Christmas 2008. Not only was she a year more aware but many of her gifts were books last year. Amongst these exciting and new and colourful things was what would become her favourite book. It was a present from her Aunt Barb, Uncle Joe and cousins. From Christmas until the end of January it was that book, and sometimes with a few others, but always that book that I read to her.

It was always her choice and it was always The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.

It began with her curiosity. Combine that with what happened Christmas Eve when she decided to stop cruising and wall-walking -- stopped holding on for dear life -- took those steps without realizing what was happening and just kept on walking. With hindsight it appears inevitable.

That was when, both figuratively and literally, she moved onward...upward. Now that she could walk, very soon she was trying to climb, and soon she could climb; with very little fear but with all her curiosity, her board books became within her reach, so why not pull them all out?No matter how many times we put them away each night after putting her to bed, she'd pull them all down each day in her search for her favourite one to bring to Daddy to read to her. She still does this. But from Christmas to the end of January it was The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Every day. Sometimes several times each day!

But she had plenty of other faves at that time and since. In a note I wrote one morning in January: "Last night Natalia wanted her usual The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats -- which she got for me...after she'd been fed her mom-made mushroom soup -- but she picked a few others that she wanted us to read as well. I read her The Ugly Duckling (a simplification of the Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale) then she had Ksenia read her both of ABC of Canada and Al Perkins' Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb. Her curiosity into her library is increasing!"

Later in January the reading agenda included Pooh's Winter Music (a "Play-a-Sound" book), Care Bears: Baby's First ABCs!, A Day with Barney, There's a Wocket in my Pocket: Dr. Seuss's Book of Ridiculous Rhymes, Baby's First Toys.

One book, Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!, had to be changed from the beginning. Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) was American and so the last verse of the book was "Big Z, little z, what begins with Z? A Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz, as you can plainly see!" Natalia has never heard that verse exactly that way. I have taken it upon my self to 'Canadianize' it to "Big Z, little z, what begins with Z? A Zizzer-Zasser-Zuzz as you can plainly hear I've said!" Wonder what she'll say when she realizes what I did for the sake of patriotic pedagogy?

All these books were being brought by Natalia to one or the other or the both of us. She wanted and still wants us to read to her. That's a wonderful thing! Here are some other good examples...

I was napping on the couch one evening but that didn't deter Natalia! She gathered books and whacked me on the face with the following in succession: The Snowy Day, There's a Wocket in my Pocket! Dr. Seuss's book of Ridiculous Rhymes, and Mr. Brown can Moo! Can You? Dr. Seuss's book of wonderful Noises. I accepted each one and promptly placed them behind me (so she wouldn't whack me). She was surprised and a little upset but kept grabbing books. When it appeared she couldn't get immediate reading satisfaction from me, she went to Ksenia to have read: P.D. Eastman's Go, Dog. Go! and Button Gets Dressed. Later, refreshed, I read the books to her with which she'd whacked me.

She was relentless! She kept bringing them to us to read!

Later that same day I read her Dr. Seuss's ABC: an amazing alphabet book! and A Very Shiny Christmas. Afterward Ksenia read her A Day with Barney, Care Bears Baby's First ABCs!, Care Bears Baby's First Opposites!, Eric Carle's Have you seen my cat?, Eric Carle and Richard Buckley's The Greedy Python.

On another day, I had worked late and then needed to shovel the driveway. I just sat down to relax when Natalia brought me five books in succession over the course of about 20 minutes or so to read to her: Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar; 1-2-3: Pull the Tabs! Find the Numbers!; The Ugly Duckling; Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb and Care Bears Baby's First Colors [sic] and Shapes!

Still later, one day's books -- before she willingly went to bed early (she's sick, poor thing!) were: Pooh's Winter Music, Lois Ehlert's Snowballs, and Baby's First Toys.

Near the end of January we read Weebles' Bumpus's Bumpy Ride, Rosemary Wells' Max drives away, and ABC of Canada (another favourite at this time). And, in the evening after work on that day, which happened to be Daddy's birthday, we repeated the morning's readings (her choice) and added Care Bears' Baby's First Words!

For those that are curious about how her exposure to Polish books was progressing, we had only one Polish board book at that point. Ksenia had read it to Natalia a few times: Ksiezniczka na ziarnku grochu (The Princess and the Pea). It is, Ksenia admits, above Natalia's comprehension level -- probably for a 4-yr old. Time to get some more Polish language children books for her age!

February-March-April 2009

In these months she began to love Curious George. She has several of these books but her favourites were the four board books that came together: Curious Geoge rides (from 1941, rev. 1947), Curious George and the rocket (1957; taken from Curious George gets a medal), Curious George and the bunny and Curious George goes fishing (1958; both taken from Curious George flies a kite).

Also at this time my parents got her first book of Bible stories, the Baby Blessings Bible. She loves the book: the different textures, fabrics and colours of the animals on the material cover, the artwork, the quick rhyming story poems and the bright pictures all fascinate her right now! Creation, Noah, Moses, David & Goliath, Daniel & the lions, Jonah & the Whale, the birth of Jesus, Zacchaeus, Jesus & the storm and the Easter story keep her turning the pages on this one.

Along with more interactive books like Pooh and You (the entire book surrounding a Winnie the Pooh finger puppet), which revived interest in the previously discarded Bye-Bye Bear (a hand puppet bear with a fabric book attached), as well as Milo and the Magical Stones (translated from the German Mats Badebuch) which could accompany her in the bath.

Rosemary Wells' Ruby's rainy day replaced Max drives way which had made it's way into Natalia's cousin's first birthday presents. She deliberately dropped the book in the gift bag of presents and stubbornly refused to let it come out. Natalia had decided.

Then suddenly one day we acquired two new Polish children books: Bóbr Poldek and Wielka wyprawa do lasu were given to us by our hair stylist. These things happen!

In March we went to a sale at the University of Waterloo bookstore. Children's books were $1 - $3 apiece!

Look out: I sense new favourites!

Natalia eating soup 2009-04-16

A normal enough video of a father attempting to feed his toddler daughter, right?

Recently Natalia has been insisting, at times of her choosing of course, not to allow us to feed her. She wants to feed herself. And I suppose we've reluctantly embraced that step. One way to look at it is that it's normal enough at this age, I guess. Another is that we're the ones as parents wanting our baby girl to stay that way.

Sometimes there's a scene. But sometimes there is no scene. Sometimes it just happens.

Here's a video, minutes later, of her attempting to eat. Believe it or not she did get some into her mouth!

(The video between the one above and the one below is on Facebook due to its large size. I'm on the phone while I'm taking it and not really paying attention to what I'm shooting or what Natalia is doing. But once I looked at it later, I found it so naturally candid. Spoiler alert! Not all of the contents of the bowl get dumped on the tray of her highchair.)

A beginning...

...About time, some of you might be saying! She's over 18 months old already!

Pardon me! I'm getting ahead of my story. Please allow me to introduce myself first:

My name is Mark Spencer. That's me on the right -- the follicly challenged, goofy-happy guy in the picture.

But this blog is not really about me!

Also in the picture, tired but happy, is Ksenia Bronicki. She and I both work at the University of Waterloo Library in the province of Ontario in a friendly place called Canada. Ksenia calls the University Map Library location her home away from home while I spend much of my time in the Library's Cataloguing Department, housed in the Dana Porter Library, but I can also be seen at the Davis Centre Library's Information desk thrice weekly.

But again, it's not about me; nor, as much as Ksenia deserves it, is this blog really about her either.

As interesting as we might be (to ourselves at least), I've quickly come to realize it is no longer about us. It is about that little peanut bundled up between us in the picture. It is about our daughter, Natalia Jazz Maureen.

On September 27, 2007, we were blessed with Natalia's birth. The picture above was taken about an hour after that happy event. It is all about her now -- philosophically, emotionally..."blogistically" -- it is about her life now.

So, by way of wrapping up these introductions...

Besides me posting pictures and videos of Natalia to Facebook, some of you agreed that a blog, keeping track of her progress, might be a good idea to enhance that visual experience: an electronic updating of the idea of the 'baby diary' of the past. My sister told me hers were invaluable tools in remembering the details and dates of important events in her babies' lives. Similar to a diary, I hope I can keep this blog current with stories, anecdotes, pictures and video (sometimes duplicating what is on FB, sometimes not) allowing everyone who is interested in reading it to be more or less up-to-date on Natty's progress.

While I hope this blog informs and entertains you, I will be glad if it succeeds in keeping track of the benchmarks of our little girl's first few years. I have no illusions when it comes to my decreasing mnemonic capabilities so if in the future I will have a readily accessible place I can go when the inevitable questions get asked ("What were my favourite books when I was young?") then not only have I done my work but I feel I have provided myself (and all of you) with some memories. My wish for Jazz from this is that it becomes a useful way of paying my debt to her forward.

Finally, having perhaps over-prefaced this, let me provide you with one further caveat: this is my first attempt at blogging. Please bear with me but join me in wishing a very warm...

Welcome to the world, Natalia Jazz Maureen!