Gula

So after returning home Sunday and feeding Kayla her milk, K-Mum and K-Pop settled down finally for a quick take-out meal. We brought K-bao out to sit with us in the living room, thinking that she would be content after having a full feeding. Wrong-o. When she she saw K-Mum enjoying her hijiki and soybean salad, she turned as green as the lettuce leaves her mum was eating. Her little chops started to move in rhythm to K-Mum's chewing, and we could see a puddle of drool starting to form in her half-opened mouth. We knew what was coming but tried to ignore her. Then K-Mum turned to the spicy burdock root salad, and that was all the little one could take. Angry slapping of thighs. Mean, accusatory stares. We offered her a teether as consolation. She took one bite and realized she'd been tricked. Loud, angry wails ensued.

We didn't think we would be talking about the 7 Deadly Sins at this tender age, but if we were Catholic we would be having K-bao doing penance and saying Hail Mary's for gula, invidia, and ira.

A bit of this drama was captured on camera, starting with the teether debacle, and K-Pop was going to post the video but K-Mum summarily vetoed it as being too embarrassing for the little one. Above is a snapshot from the video, immediately after it dawned on her that the teether was a red herring, and again shortly thereafter.

Active

K-bao is becoming more active by the day, as evidenced by the attached video. You can also see on display her mischievous nature and loud personality, which we've alluded to before in these pages. And by the way this is only her "indoor voice." A far cry from her "outdoor voice" - which she saves for indoor spaces everywhere outside the house.

Is it true that we also occasionally put her in the jumperoo solely to tire her out so she'll go quickly to sleep and finally give her parents some much-needed rest? We won't admit to any such thing.

"Help Me" - Guest Post

The below is a guest post from a good friend, Phat Baby Photographer, whom K-bao reached out to recently with an invitation to share a few thoughts. PBP has two dynamic kids, a smart and sassy wife, and about 15,000 lbs of professional camera equipment which he lugs around the Bay area and elsewhere taking sharp pics of toddlers and nuptials.

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Since my Phat Baby Photography Blog is supposed to be a professional, customer facing communication, there are certain things I can't write about. So an invitation to post on K-Bao's blog is liberating to say something like, "Help me." That's as in the help me you would see written in lipstick, on the mirror of some gas station's bathroom. That's my summary of parenting.

Nothing anyone tells you prepares you for the feat that lies ahead...or that your tender moments with a first child, will, for many, lead quickly to similar (and perhaps less tender) moments with a second or worse, fourth one. Yet it's really not the sleepless nights, constant feedings or the subsequent diaper changes that are difficult. For me, it's the fact that A and Z (my two kids) are a mirror of my soul. They reflect not only my priorities (how many things have I given up to be a parent), but also my most unfavorable attributes and habits. Let's take a simple and somewhat innocuous example. I like my bubbly, fizzy, slightly sweet Diet Coke with lunch. Truth be told, no one should be putting a mixture of phosphoric acid, glycerin and aspartame into their body. There are few parents who would substitute cola for breast milk (undoubtedly some do though) but as the kids get older they naturally start imitating parental behaviors and habits. So that puts me in quite a pickle - give up Coke, tell my kids one thing and do another or let them drink Coke. As they grow up the changes that I must make become increasingly difficult. What of drinking, drugs, relationships... I try not to think about it now and thank goodness they don't jump from being a baby to a teenager overnight, even if it feels like they do. Fortunately, I don't need to be a perfect father (I never will be) since someone already provided the ultimate example.

And part of what I love about being a photographer is capturing the tiny piece of perfection, whether it be a little hand, an innocent smile, or the glistening eyes, that is to every parent, a little bit of heaven here on earth.

Whitman

Phat Baby Photography

Photography, Two Kids and the Ultimate Love Blog

Milestones

K-bao is reaching new milestones every week now. Below is a quick run-down of some recent developments:

1. She can now sit up by herself for a few seconds at a time. The three things preventing her from doing more than a few seconds are: (i) a tendency to lunge for whatever is in view, whether it be a book, Mr. Caterpillar, her toes, etc. - the effort generally causes her to topple over; (ii) we've let her fall backwards a few times on the bed, and lo and behold she enjoyed the sensation, so if she isn't lunging forward she is gleefully falling backwards - a dangerous habit; (iii) her unusually large crop of hair, which we conjecture causes her to lose balance frequently.

2. She is now eating solids. K-Mum has introduced oatmeal, sweet potatoes, pears and avocados, all of which were big hits. Her favorite activity is now sitting in the high chair, savoring the sweet goodness that appears in her mouth, and banging on her little tray like a street drummer if we don't shovel the grub in fast enough.

3. She is now, for the most part, sleeping through most of the night. We've been through one round of "Gotcha" with her on this issue several months back, so we're not celebrating too early. And yet...Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! God is good!

4. She has entered the stranger anxiety phase, and that includes kids. A few weeks ago we visited our good friends in Oakland, who have a baby girl several months older. Granted, K-bao was outweighed 2-1 (her parents called their kid "the gentle giant"), but from the moment little K entered the house and saw who she was dealing with, she started looking for an escape hatch. I'm afraid we have a little 'Fraidy Cat on our hands.

5. She is now flipping over regularly, back to front, and occasionally front to back. When we check on her in the middle of her night we generally find her on the opposite end of the crib to where we placed her, face down, with her blankies swaddled about her neck or feet, one foot dangling in between the crib slats.

6. And finally, if this were possible, she has developed an even louder complaining voice. If she ain't happy, everyone darned well better know it. That means everyone in the library. Everyone in Safeway. Not quite everyone in Costco just yet, thank goodness.

Publicity

K-bao decided that it was time to get her name out there, so here she is taking up real estate on the blog of Phat Baby Photographer.

Actually PBP is a good friend, father of two, and a class A photographer who asked us recently if we might do a guest appearance on the blog. K-Mum and I were shy but K-bao forced our hand. Don't you hold me back, she said.

Tasty

K-bao has found a new hobby: maneuvering her chubby and somewhat flat feet straight into her mouth. She discovered the possibility last Sunday at church while sitting on K-Mum's lap, where, instead of paying attention to the sermon, she seemed fixated on her lower ten digits. Hithertofore, her protruding stomach and overall lack of mobility had inhibited a clear view of her feet. This day, seated upright, they appeared in view, and after what appeared to be a short stalking period, she suddenly lunged forward for the kill. Triumph! Soon the pews around us were treated to the sweet slurping sound of K-bao feasting contentedly on her big toes.

Now, when laying on her back and feeling bored, K-bao will reach for a foot or two and jam them into the kisser to pass time. We have seen her with a teether in the left hand and a foot in the right, alternating between the two, like she had different-flavored lollipops in each paw. Below is a typical session.