Cousins

K-bao got to meet Cousin Elizabeth, who is almost 2, last week at the house of Da Goo Goo (Aunt Esther) and Da Goo Chan (Uncle Ying-on).

Cousin Elizabeth is unbelievably precocious and normally runs around like a steam locomotive, but demonstrated empathy for her infant cousin by lying on the mat with her and Pompous the 'Po, asking to play in the little exersaucer she hadn't had occasion to use for a year (she had to do it on her knees because her legs are now too long), introducing her to Disney's Mulan six times in three days, and taking K-bao into her lap every now and again. Good times by all.

Shu-Shu

K-bao had fun with Little Uncle ("Shu-Shu") James on her recent trip to the east coast. As for Uncle James - well, let's just say he was stretched. You can see above an initially pleasant meeting ultimately resulting in Uncle James being driven to tears by an insatiably curious and active K-bao.

By the way, if K-bao was somewhat fidgety before, she is now a wriggling, squirming earthworm, equipped with flapping arms and fingers that are not happy unless they are scratching or clawing at something - be it a toy, article of clothing, or nearby face.

Pompous

For our East coast trip, K-Mum got K-bao a purple hippo stuffy. As you can see, Hippo is fat and has a complacent, self-satisfied smile plastered on his face at all times. K-Pop calls him Pompous the 'Po. K-Mum introduced Pompous a few days prior to our departure, thinking that he would provide some stability and continuity given the many different beds where little K-bao would lay to rest her royal baby head on our trip. That's right - create some artificial dependency.

K-Pop was dubious of this strategy and his skepticism was proved prescient when it soon became clear that the order of affairs on this trip was K-bao first, Pompous second, and K-Pop third.

"Where's her hippo?"

"K-Mum, I was just about to fall asleep."

"She can't sleep without her hippo."

"She looks asleep to me."

"You need to get it, I think it's in the car."

(K-Pop in boxers with eyes half-closed trudges to car. Repeat half a dozen times throughout trip)

One of our smarter friends went out and bought six or seven of the same stuffy and put one in every room, bed, car or closet where the little one might show up. K-Pop has plans to implement that genius strategy immediately.

Material Girl

We took K-bao to a Jersey mall to run a few errands. The trip made clear that any attempt to instill some frugal, self-denying values in the little one will be an uphill battle. With maybe a 90 degree incline.

Down With Thoreau! could have been her motto as we walked through the mall and her little fingers grasped at every passing dress, handbag and piece of jewelry. When held back, K-bao would flail her arms wildly and make unhappy grunting noises.

The little pic above is a good snapshot of the entire afternoon. The full inscription on the table reads: "For Nice Girls Who Like Things" - quite apropos, except the "nice" should probably preceed Things and not Girls.

Attention

K-Bao has taken residence at her maternal grandparents' home in western NJ these past few days, glowing under the never-ending adoration, effusive praise and tender loving care provided by K-Mum's folks and sister.

Her own parents seem like stoic meanies by comparison, and K-bao from day one was reaching for her grandparents or Little Aunt. The kid's no fool. She knew where the love was. Why sit quietly on the floor, as ordered by K-Pop, when there is always another pair of arms waiting in line to hold you and rub your pampered, chubby little feet?

Yesterday, for example, the K-GPs threw the little princess a party and invited all of their friends. The elder generation crowded around and fussed over her like she was royalty, with Aunty after Aunty clamoring to hold her so they could sing her praises individually. K-Pop and K-Mum were quickly elbowed aside and stood rather pathetically on the fringes of the crowd while K-bao, beaming like a rockstar, was passed around like a gem for everyone to see close up and opine on.

"Her eyes are like little saucers!" "Just feel that hair!" "She looks like a barbie doll!" "Her hair is curly - she must have a forceful personality!" (What?!) "What a cherubic little mouth!"

It is going to be tough going back home, little one.

UPDATE (1 year later): That bit about the forceful personality cannot be more true. K-Pop will be extra mindful of all curly heads here on out.

Baby Opera

This is Kayla's rendition of a Chinese nursery rhyme we've been singing to her. She has a ways to go before she hits the notes. But the lung support is clearly there.

Immobile

K-bao visited her friend DL yesterday down in Cupertino for a pool party. K-bao doesn't yet have a suit so she watched enviously as DL splashed around in the pool in her spiffy hot pink beachwear. DL is also fairly nimble; despite being several weeks younger, she is able to crabwalk around on her tummy. At one point she was facing K-bao; the next she had spun around and was leading the charge off the mat. You can see below a frustrated K-bao, unable to follow and burying her face in shame.

When it came to mealtime though, K-bao was the one inspiring awe and envy. DL's family watched with disbelief as K-bao polished off one carton after another of peas, avocados, pears and oatmeal and pounded her fist on the tray for more. Of course, it isn't hard to connect the dots between K-bao's appetite and her relative lack of mobility.

Literature & Music

K-bao is making the case early that she is both an artist and a musician, as evidenced by her enjoyment of fine literature ("The Going to Bed Book") and her keen sense of rhythm (the bongo drums). While it is true that mostly she puts the book in her mouth, and her music-making is limited to when she is excited or angry enough to flail her arms (during which time she occasionally hits the drum), who are we to say that all this does not in fact mark the beginning of a cultured, illustriously bohemian life?

Routine

This is a snapshot of K-bao's daily morning routine of watching K-Pop doing his daily morning routine. This is actually one of the few moments of peace we have every morning - plopping K-bao down in her Bumbo and letting her quietly observe K-Pop shaving and brushing his teeth. The operative word being quietly. She actually treats the shaving much like a spectator sport, watching the razor going back and forth from the faucet to K-Pop's face like a tennis ball being hit to and fro. Luckily she appears to know the rules regarding silence while the ball is in play.

She also seems to enjoy the multiple angles the perch affords in terms of seeing her own visage. Notice how she checks out both profiles. With the set-up here and her 80's style hair she resembles Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, in the mirror scene at the end. Hopefully as the other character in the plot here K-Pop doesn't end up impaled on his razor.